A large convolvulus hawkmoth was found by Sarah Thorley on Saturday 16th dead in her greenhouse in East Mersea near Meeting Lane.
The convolvulus hawkmoth is a scarce immigrant from the continent, usually in late summer - Sarah's individual here.
The convolvulus hawkmoth is one of the largest moths to occur in the UK with a wingspan of over 10cms. Sarah's one pictured again.
Sam Wilson in Brickhouse Close also had a convolvulus hawkmoth in his garden on 8th Sept, posted on Facebook.
Andy Oliver posted this photo on Facebook of the convolvulus hawkmoth he saw the previous week.
Julie Rolfe Clark photographed a convolvulus hawkmoth seen in her garden on the weekend 2nd / 3rd September, posted on Facebook. Another individual was photographed in Mersea Avenue the same weekend by Ian Black - pictured in the previous blog posting.
A common carder bee was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden on Saturday 16th.
This large privet hawkmoth caterpillar was photographed by Caroline Irvine beside Firs Road on Thursday 14th.
Jonathan Norgate visited Cudmore Grove just after dark on Sunday 10th armed with his torch and managed to successfully track down three Fisher's Estuarine Moths that were resting on the Hogs Fennel plants. I believe these are the first adult moths seen at the park, although feeding signs of the caterpillars have been seen a few times over the last four or five years since the moth eggs were introduced to the park in 2018 and 2019.
Jonathan also managed to photograph this great green bush cricket at the country park on Sunday, the first record for the island for over 60 years! Hopefully they will recolonise the island.
A curlew was photographed by Michael Thorley on Wednesday 6th as it fed in the East Mersea Golfhouse paddock.
As well as seeing the curlew, Michael also saw six yellow wagtails around the horses in the Golfhouse paddock, six pied wagtails, green woodpecker, 17 goldfinches, while by the dyke were 20 house martins and swallows.
A Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea house on Wednesday night.
Later on the Saturday evening a tawny owl was heard calling near Meeting Lane by Michael.
In West Mersea a willow warbler was seen in Feldy View by Martin Cock on Saturday morning.
On Friday 15th Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit and reported it very quiet, noting a few blackcaps and a dozen house martins over the park pond, two Cetti's warblers and a water rail heard there. Also seen on the walk were four wigeon, three Mediterranean gulls, six Sandwich terns, eight common terns, 60 dunlin, 11 knot, 20 grey plover, 30 black-tailed godwits, 20 ringed plovers, greenshank flying to Brightlingsea, two little owls calling at the back of the grazing fields and a yellow wagtail flying over.
Also on Friday Caroline White saw the kingfisher near the Golfhouse, Cetti's warbler showed nicely in reeds along the dyke, two wigeon on the dyke eight meadow pipits and a few moorhens eating blackberries in the bushes by the park dyke.
Martin Cock on Friday watched the osprey fishing in front of the Oyster Fishery then flying up the Pyefleet channel, also two buzzards, five Sandwich terns, eight common terns and a painted lady butterfly.
At Maydays on Wednesday 13th Martin Cock saw a hobby, red kite passing within ten yards overhead, whitethroat, chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler, yellowhammer in a mixed finch flock and a few meadow pipits too.
On Tuesday 12th Martin Cock walked the seawall near Ivy Farm and reported kingfisher, five bar-tailed godwits, 45 turnstones, 15 golden plover, 20 grey plover, 250 redshank, 12 dunlin, common tern and 80 curlew.
A noisy Cetti's warbler showed well at Maydays to Steve Entwistle on Tuesday.
A possible young tawny owl was seen by Steve Entwistle, as it dropped down onto the road at the north end of Dawes Lane on Sunday night. Possibly its first flight, Steve stopped to check the owl was safe.
On Saturday 9th Andy Field walked the Reeveshall and Shop Lane seawall and saw 100 house martins, 30 Mediterranean gulls, 20 avocets, one Sandwich tern and two common terns in the Pyefleet. Later five Mediterranean gulls were seen in the Strood channel, including a ringed bird.
At Feldy View on Friday 8th, Andy Field reported there was no sign of the redstart - it was last seen on Tuesday 5th. There was a chiffchaff in Feldy View while along the Strood seawall were 200 black-tailed godwits, 20 golden plover, 20 grey plover, three ringed plover, wheatear, five whitethroats, blackcap, two buzzards, sparrowhawk and a clouded yellow butterfly.
A buzzard was seen over Feldy View by Steve Entwistle on Friday.
Martin Cock walked the seawall near Ivy Dock on Friday and reported 150 house martins, Sandwich tern, six common terns, whitethroat, 6 lesser whitethroats, 3 bar-tailed godwits and a very pale clouded yellow.
In Feldy View on Thursday 7th a willow warbler and three chiffchaffs were seen by Martin Cock while Michael Thorley saw a spotted flycatcher in the south-west corner of Feldy View.
On Wednesday along the Strood seawall, Martin Cock saw 2 whinchat, 8 knot, sedge warbler, willow warbler, Cetti's warbler, whitethroat, and a grey squirrel covered in mud that had come over the channel from the Ray Island direction.
A grey squirrel was also seen by Martin in his garden in The Coverts, also a male blackcap there.
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