COBMARSH PLOVER

This ringed plover was one of forty seen on Cobmarsh Island on Wednesday 10th. Two yellow wagtails were also on Cobmarsh while on Packing Marsh Island there were 200 herring gulls gathered.

Kieren Alexander, site manager with the RSPB at Old Hall Marshes, was helped taking down the No Landing signs from Cobmarsh Island and Packing Marsh Island now that the nesting season is over.

A black-tailed godwit was one of 150 seen in the Strood channel near the Dabchicks on Wednesday morning. Three willow warblers were in Feldy View and nearby a blackcap and ten long-tailed tits, and a sparrowhawk, while over the houses were still three swifts. The rusty coloured swallow was seen flying near the Dabchicks with three other swallows. A willow warbler was also feeding in the Firs Chase garden for a third day, also a hummingbird hawkmoth seen here.

A swift was seen flying over Martin Cock's house in The Coverts on Wednesday.

A juvenile marsh harrier was rescued by Jack Hoy from the Pyefleet Channel at Maydays appearing exhausted and weak on Wednesday. It is being looked after and hopefully will be released soon when it regains its health again.

On Tuesday 9th the first returning wheatear to the island this summer /autumn was present beside the seawall to the north of Shop Lane. Two sparrowhawk fledged chicks could be heard calling and flying about inside Fishponds Wood. Another sparrowhawk was seen later to the west of Shop Lane.

In the Pyefleet channel were five black-tailed godwits, 16 little egrets, three grey herons, two common terns, while flying over the fields were 70 swallows, two sand martins and a house martin.

A Chinese water deer was watched feeding in a field near Gyants Marsh to the west of Shop Lane late morning on Tuesday. It soon bolted back across a lucerne and stubble field towards Reeveshall farm.

A juvenile and a tatty moulting adult buzzard were noisily flying about just west of Shop Lane on Tuesday.

At least five willow warblers were feeding with a tit flock in Gyants Marsh on Tuesday.

A lesser whitethroat perched up in a hawthorn bush near Gyants Marsh on Tuesday, also a blackcap and a yellowhammer seen during the walk.

Most butterflies seen during the walk from Shop Lane to Gyants Marsh were feeding on lots of flowering fleabane, such as this gatekeeper. Two clouded yellows and 20+ common blues were flying over a lucerne field while a purple hairstreak was seen high in some oaks and 3 brown argus beside the path.

A red squirrel descended down the cedar tree in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday.

A Cypress pug in the Firs Chase moth trap has become commoner in Essex in recent years.

 

A purple bar was of interest in the Firs Chase moth trap.