MALE MANDARIN SURPRISE

A male Mandarin duck was a surprise sight in the Strood borrowdyke on Thursday 29th. It appeared quite wary and flew off when I bent down to pick up the camera. Luckily it only flew a short distance along the dyke and landed again for several more minutes before flying over on the Strood side of the seawall.

After flying off to the opposite side of the Strood channel, the Mandarin duck swam into a creek in the Ray Island saltmarsh with a couple of teal and was not seen again. A couple of years ago a female Mandarin duck was seen in the same section of Strood dyke.

Weather conditions on Thursday were perfect for a walk along the Strood seawall with lots of clear skies and a light wind for a change. There was a good variety and number of waders on the Strood mudflats, although many of them were distant towards the Strood causeway. 

Four little stints were feeding on the mud with 100 ringed plover and 70 dunlin, while also noted were 150 golden plover, 50 grey plover, five bar-tailed godwits, 150 black-tailed godwits, four knot, two greenshank and 150 redshank. Also along the channel were 45 wigeon, six teal, 14 little grebes, five Mediterranean gulls, while three marsh harriers and seven buzzards were noted too.

In the fields and ditches were a wheatear, four stonechats, 80 linnets, 20 skylarks, ten meadow pipits, five reed buntings and Cetti's warbler, with seven chiffchaff and a blackcap seen near the Firs caravan site.

Michael Thorley visited Coopers Beach and saw eight Sandwich terns perched on the posts along the borrowdyke on the Rewsalls marshes, also 150 golden plover and 12 little egrets seen. In Michael's garden near Meeting Lane there were two chiffchaff, eight red-legged partridges and a greenfinch.

Two little stints were seen along the Strood channel just before high tide on Wednesday 28th - one of the little stints is pictured above on the left of three dunlin.

Another shot of the little stint on the left of three dunlin in the Strood channel on Wednesday.

Other waders seen before the tide covered all the mud were 140 ringed plover, 50 golden plover, 200 black-tailed godwits, 60 dunlin, three knot, five bar-tailed godwits, also 30 Mediterranean gulls, 30 wigeon and 12 little grebes along the Strood. Three Sandwich terns were feeding along the channel as the tide came in, with two of the birds resting on a couple of buoys while the third bird fished.

Two wheatears were feeding on the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

The wheatears have also been seen in the ploughed area at the bottom of the Strood Hill field.

Three stonechats were in and alongside the lower part of the Strood Hill field on Wednesday. A large flock of 150 linnets was feeding in the stubble field, as were 20 skylarks, 20 meadow pipits and five reed buntings. A sparrowhawk, two kestrels and a marsh harrier were seen and two chiffchaffs near Feldy View.

At Coopers Beach on Wednesday, Steve Entwistle watched a summer plumaged red-throated diver offshore and also a winter red-throated diver too. Two Sandwich terns were fishing in front of the clubhouse and what looked like a harbour porpoise was seen too.

The first brent goose of the winter in the Strood channel was seen walking over the mud on Tuesday 27th. Other birds along the channel were 220 golden plover, 40 grey plover, 150 black-tailed godwits, two knot, 30 wigeon, 11 little grebes and five Mediterranean gulls.

A wheatear was feeding at the bottom of the Strood Hill field and on the Strood seawall on Tuesday. Also here were 150 linnets in the stubble fields, 25 skylarks, 20 meadow pipits, three stonechats and two marsh harriers passing through, as was a swallow. A chiffchaff was calling in Feldy View.

A red squirrel was seen in the Firs Chase garden and another one crossing the road near the Firs Road / Firs Chase junction.

In East Mersea Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Tuesday morning and was pleased to finally find some curlew sandpipers for the island this autumn with six juveniles seen feeding on the mud behind East Mersea Point. Also seen were two Sandwich terns, 50 dunlin, 20 grey plover, 16 ringed plover, 30 black-tailed godwits, forty wigeon, twenty teal, three chiffchaffs, three Cetti's warblers, mistle thrush and also 47 little egrets at the park pond.

At Coopers Beach on Tuesday five Sandwich terns, a gannet, two brent geese, Mediterranean gull and six common gulls were seen by Steve Entwistle, who also noted 110 golden plover on the Rewsalls saltings.

RINGED PLOVER ROOST

A flock of 46 ringed plovers roosted on a ploughed section of field by the Strood seawall on Monday 26th.

The high tide on Monday ended up being half a metre higher than originally forecasted and covered all of the saltmarshes, as pictured above in front of the Firs Caravan park. As the sea covered the marshes waders and wildfowl were flying about, such as 30 wigeon, six teal, 30 little egrets, an impressive count of at least 60 Mediterranean gulls near the Strood causeway, snipe, avocet, bar-tailed godwit, as well as marsh harrier and buzzard.

A wheatear was seen feeding in the Strood field on Monday as were 100 linnets, stonechat, four corn buntings, 10 skylarks and six meadow pipits. Three swallows and 20 house martins flew north-west off the island and a blackcap was in Feldy View.

Two speckled wood butterflies were in Feldy View and a hummingbird hawkmoth was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Monday.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday Martin Cock walked the circuit round the seawall and reported ten chiffchaff, blackcap, 44 little egrets on the park pond, 90 curlew, a few swallows and house martins.

On Sunday 25th at Maydays farm, Martin Cock saw two wheatears, stonechat, greenshank, common sandpiper, two Mediterranean gulls and a marsh harrier.

Andy Field walked along the seawall from Shop Lane to East Mersea Point on Saturday 24th and noted a red squirrel, two chiffchaff, 100+ dunlin, 30 grey plover, five knot, 35 black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, fifty turnstones, 60 avocets, marsh harrier, hobby, 20 wigeon and ten teal.

Steve Entwistle on Saturday saw a common sandpiper, greenshank, two black-tailed godwits, 22 little grebes, 11 Mediterranean gulls and two linnets at Rewsalls marshes / boating lake, while at the Coopers Beach there was a wheatear, kingfisher and six great crested grebes on the sea. At Cudmore Grove a Cetti's warbler, six wigeon and two gadwall were at the pond while two buzzards were seen last thing at Maydays by Steve.

In Shop Lane on Friday 23rd four chiffchaffs, four lesser whitethroats, yellow wagtail, yellowhammer, great spotted woodpecker and a red squirrel were seen by Martin Cock, who also reported six house martins over his West Mersea house.

Steve Entwistle reported a chiffchaff in Feldy View on Friday morning.

A marsh harrier was seen by Michael Thorley on Thursday 22nd as it briefly hovered low over Meeting Lane then heading west over his garden, also two buzzards soaring high over the garden as they drifted west.

On Wednesday 21st Martin Cock walked the seawall from the Golfhouse to Shop Lane and reported a grey wagtail over the Oyster Fishery, six lesser whitethroats, yellow wagtail, two blackcaps, reed warbler, chiffchaff, common tern, bar-tailed godwit, 140 turnstone, 200 black-tailed godwits, two knot, three snipe, 90 avocets, forty swallows and house martins, also some brent geese heard but not seen.

The osprey was seen perched on a post in the Geedons by Martin Cock from the Oyster Fishery on Monday 19th, also two buzzards, later a chiffchaff in his West Mersea garden.

Andy Field visited Feldy View and the Strood seawall on Monday and noted 6-7 chiffchaffs, corn bunting, 30 linnets, 50 black-tailed godwits, 200 golden plover, 200 redshank, two bar-tailed godwits, 12 grey plover, 20 curlew, ten turnstone and a buzzard. 

Eight Canada geese and a bar-headed goose were seen flying along the Strood Channel by Steve Entwistle from Feldy View on Monday, also two mute swans seen.

On Saturday 17th Michael Thorley visited Cudmore Grove and noted seven wigeon there, while at the Golfhouse there were two mistle thrushes and seven pied wagtails, also 27 little egrets were on the nearby pools.

FELDY PIED FLYATCHER

A pied flycatcher was a good find in the Feldy View woodland cemetery by Jon Walters and photographing the bird on Friday 16th.

The pied flycatcher was only present on the Friday - another of Jon's photographs.

The pied flycatcher was photographed by Jon as it fed in the birch trees.

A willow warbler was also photographed by Jon in Feldy View on Friday.

Andy Field walked the Pyefleet seawall from Shop Lane to the East Mersea Point on Friday morning and saw an osprey perched distantly on a post on the Geedon marshes. Also seen during the walk were 6 chiffchaffs in Shop Lane, a buzzard, 12 meadow pipits, stonechat, 20 dunlin, whimbrel, 10 grey plover and two common terns. In the Golfhouse / East Mersea Point area were three mistle thrushes, ten pied wagtails, 35 black-tailed godwits, 50 oystercatchers, four meadow pipits and thirty linnets. There was also a report by another observer of a hen harrier being seen flying just west of the East Mersea Stone. 

At Maydays on Friday a greenshank, common sandpiper, marsh harrier, osprey, two stonechats, wheatear and a Cetti's warbler were seen by Martin Cock.

The osprey was seen on the Geedons by Martin Cock on Thursday 15th during his visit to Maydays, also three greenshank, common sandpiper, Cetti's warbler, kingfisher, two wheatears, two marsh harriers, buzzard, six yellow wagtails, 30+ meadow pipits and a steady westerly passage of swallows and a clouded yellow noted.

Steve Entwistle also saw the osprey from Maydays on Thursday as well as the kingfisher and two stonechats.

On Wednesday 14th two spotted flycatchers were found in the Feldy View area on Wednesday 14th by Steve Entwistle, also there four chiffchaffs, two willow warblers, whitethroat and greenfinch.

A spotted flycatcher was also found near the East Mersea Golfhouse on Wednesday by Martin Cock. Other birds seen during his seawall walk were a wheatear, two yellow wagtails, three whitethroats, six lesser whitethroats, blackcap, 20 common terns, 200 black-tailed godwits, 300 oystercatchers, 70 grey plover and a Cetti's warbler.

Three avocets were seen in the Pyefleet Channel on Wednesday morning by Michael Thorley.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit via the Golfhouse and seawall on Tuesday 13th and saw a sandwich tern, whinchat, stonechat, six meadow pipits, 12 pied wagtails on the Point, two water rails calling, 230 oystercatchers, 31 grey plover, 12 ringed plover, 52 black-tailed godwits, 14 wigeon, ten teal, buzzard and five Cetti's warblers heard.

Martin Cock saw a red squirrel and muntjac deer in Shop Lane on Tuesday, also yellow wagtail, blackcap and lesser whitethroat along with 50 dunlin seen in the Pyefleet.

At Coopers Beach on Tuesday, Steve Entwistle saw four Sandwich terns, adult Mediterranean gull and 54 golden plover flying onto the saltings. Later at the West Mersea Hard there were ten black-tailed godwits, three ringed plover and three turnstones.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER DUO

 

Two spotted flycatchers that were first seen just west of Shop Lane on Saturday 10th September by Andy Field, were still present on Monday 12th. Located again by Steve Entwistle on Monday, Michael Thorley soon arrived and took these three photographs of the duo.

The spotted flycatchers were feeding along hedgerows across the grass field to the west of Shop Lane, on the path to Meeting Lane.

As well as the spotted flycatchers, one pictured above by Michael, a lesser whitethroat was in the same bush.

Also on Monday, Martin Cock visited Feldy View, the Strood seawall and the Hard and noted three wheatear, three stonechats, whinchat, whitethroat, 50+ meadow pipits, six corn buntings, spotted flycatcher, chiffchaff, 200+ black-tailed godwits, 70+ golden plover, two bar-tailed godwits and a buzzard.

Later on Monday at the West Mersea Hard, Steve Entwistle reported seeing eight greylag geese, two turnstone, ringed plover, whimbrel, 57 black-tailed godwits, grey heron, buzzard and two marsh harriers.

On Sunday 11th Michael Thorley reported at Coopers Beach there were 27 little egrets near the boating lake, a female stonechat while three stock doves were in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane.

On Sunday afternoon on the Shop Lane seawall a grey plover, whimbrel, common tern, great crested grebes, four black-tailed godwits and 12 swallows were seen by Steve Entwistle.

Andy Field found two spotted flycatchers in the hedgerow across the first field to the west of Shop Lane on Saturday 10th. Both these photographs taken by Andy. One of the spotted flycatchers was seen coughing up a pellet.

The two spotted flycatchers photographed by Andy in a blackthorn hedge. Also seen on his walk to Meeting Lane from Shop Lane were two willow warblers, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, reed warbler, hobby, two buzzards, forty house martins and a stoat. A clouded yellow was in the lucerne crop along with plenty of common blue butterflies.

Andy also visited the East Mersea boating lake on Saturday and reported 200 redshank, 30 little egrets, 17 little grebes, bar-tailed godwit, common tern and a willow warbler.

Martin Cock walked the seawall from East Mersea Stone to the Oyster Fishery on Friday 9th and noted six wheatears together, eight yellow wagtails, four lesser whitethroats, two blackcaps, 30 house martins, ten meadow pipits, 70 grey plover, ten knot, six turnstone, 30 ringed plover and a clouded yellow.

Later near Feldy View two, maybe three, spotted flycatchers and two willow warblers were seen by Martin and a wheatear on the West Mersea beach.

On Thursday 8th Martin Cock walked from the East Mersea church to the boating lake and reported 65 redshank, two teal, two ringed plover, 35 little egrets, 21 little grebes and a Cetti's warbler.

A little owl was heard calling in Michael Thorley's East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane at 10.20pm on Monday 5th.

CLOUDED YELLOWS

 

Along the Strood seawall on Monday 5th there were three clouded yellows seen in the morning, one flying fast and nearly crossed over the Strood channel before turning back and two seen together low over the flowering bristly ox-tongue plants.

A small copper was seen in Feldy View on Monday.

A willow warbler was feeding in the birch trees in Feldy View along with a tit flock.

Four brown argus butterflies, red admiral, small white and a common blue were also in Feldy View on Monday.

Along the Strood channel on Monday were 200 black-tailed godwits including this moulting bird, a greenshank heard, 30 golden plover, ringed plover, common tern and six little grebes around the boat moorings.

In the fields were a wheatear, three stonechats, nine linnets, yellow wagtail flying over and a buzzard.

Martin Cock also visited the Strood seawall on Monday morning and noted reed warbler, whitethroat, two chiffchaff, yellow wagtail, 12 corn buntings, two buzzards and a greenshank.

Andy Field photographed this wheatear on the seawall by the East Mersea boating lake on Monday morning. Also seen in the Coopers Beach / Rewsalls / Youth Camp area were common sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, black-tailed godwit, four turnstone, 100 redshank, 20 little grebes, ten little egrets, 20 house martins over, 30 common terns flying west offshore, two lesser whitethroats and a whitethroat.

A male willow emerald damselfly was resting along the sheltered footpath between Firs Chase and The Lane on Sunday 4th.

On Saturday 3rd a grey wagtail was calling as it flew west over Firs Chase heading towards the Hard.

An immature lapwing was feeding along the Strood channel on Friday 2nd. Other birds noted were fifty golden plover, 25 grey plover, ringed plover, 250 black-tailed godwits, five little grebes, two mute swans and ten Mediterranean gulls. In the fields were two wheatears, whinchat, five distant chats on a far hedge that were either stonechat or whinchat, also seen were a corn bunting, 30 house sparrows and five reed buntings while in flight were two marsh harriers, a buzzard and a sparrowhawk.

A migrant hawker was enjoying the sun away from the breeze in Feldy View on Friday. Three willow warblers were feeding in the birch and oak trees here.

Steve Entwistle visited the Strood channel late on Friday afternoon and saw two wheatears, two whinchats, a green sandpiper flying out of the saltmarsh, four common terns, eight turnstone, common sandpiper, three black-tailed godwits and six lapwings, also three chiffchaffs by the fishing lakes including a colour ringed bird with double white leg rings on its right leg.

On Friday morning Martin Cock reported at Maydays a peregrine, buzzard, marsh harrier, whimbrel, five grey plover, kingfisher, chiffchaff, lesser whitethroat, also four clouded yellow, brown argus and a common blue butterfly.

A latticed heath moth was seen in the lucerne crop west of Shop Lane by Michael and Madelaine Thorley on Friday.

On Thursday 1st there was a wigeon on the Golfhouse dyke - the first one of this autumn on the island. A teal and a female tufted duck were also seen nearby while in the bushes were a lesser whitethroat and two calling Cetti's warblers.

A wheatear was dodging all the walkers at the East Mersea Point on Thursday, having to hide behind clumps of grass and bushes. A flock of 30 linnets was flying about and five yellow wagtails were noted from the seawall.

On the mud beside East Mersea Point in Thursday were twenty golden plover including this individual, also 200 oystercatchers, six ringed plovers, five grey plovers, eight dunlin and two Mediterranean gulls. Near the Oyster Fishery were fifty black-tailed godwits, whimbrel, while a sandwich tern and 15 common terns were in the Colne and three marsh harriers were flying over Langenhoe marshes.

Andy Field also walked the Cudmore Grove circuit via the seawall on Thursday morning and noted two yellow wagtails, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat and a stoat in the Golfhouse paddock, 250 black-tailed godwits, six bar-tailed godwits, 50 grey plover, ten golden plover, common tern, also two blackcaps, Cetti's warbler and whitethroat from the hide.

On Thursday evening Steve Entwistle reported a willow warbler near the hide at Cudmore Grove, 176 golden plover at Rewsalls marshes and 45 black-tailed godwits at the West Mersea Hard.

A hobby was seen on Thursday morning by Simon Patient as it flew over the East Mersea Road, while at Coopers Beach there was a peregrine putting all the waders off the mud, also a whitethroat seen and a yellow wagtail seen flying east.

A small ranunculus moth in the Firs Chase garden moth trap was the second record for the Island after the first one in 2019.

The first dusky thorn for the island was found in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the night of Sunday 4th. It seems to have increased in numbers in the last couple of years in Essex.

An oak hook-tip is a surprisingly scarce moth in the Firs Chase moth trap, this being the first one since 2020.