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.