STROOD WADERS

A variety of waders was seen along the Strood Channel on Monday 25th, feeding on mud uncovered by the receding morning tide. A lapwing and black-tailed godwit were feeding close to the seawall.

Up to 150 golden plover were seen along the Strood Channel on Monday, also 11 ringed plovers, 8 Mediterranean gulls, common tern, three grey herons and five little grebes. Three hobbies were seen distantly circling high over the Peldon Rose seemingly hawking after insects at times. An hour later a noisy juvenile hobby was seen following an adult hobby flying low over the Strood fields. Unsure if these were the same hobbies that were seen earlier. 

Two sparrowhawks, three buzzards, 30 house martins, singing Cetti's warbler, 20 meadow pipits and twenty linnets were also noted from the Strood seawall.

A speckled wood was enjoying the sunshine on Monday morning in Feldy View. Along the nearby footpath at the top of the Firs Caravan park were over 20 red admirals around the flowering ivy clumps.

On Sunday 24th a lapwing was feeding along the Strood channel, as were 270 golden plover, 200 black-tailed godwits at the Dabchicks, five Mediterranean gulls, five little grebes while two mute swans flew past.

Flying over the Strood fields were 20 swallows, four sand martins, house martin, 50 meadow pipits and twenty linnets seen. A siskin was seen briefly in the trees in Feldy View and a chiffchaff was heard calling.

At Maydays on Sunday Martin Cock saw the locally rare sight of a spotted redshank seen with two greenshank, also there were four Sandwich terns, kingfisher, chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler, a few swallows and four house martins.

At Maydays on Saturday one of two greenshank that were seen briefly in the Maydays creek before it flew off. The highlight was a flock of seven cattle egrets with the herd of cows on Reeveshall before they got disturbed by the farmer as he checked his herd. The cattle egrets flew off northwards and appeared to fly up the Colne.

A small buzzard passage was seen on Saturday with at least ten buzzards flying north-west off the island at Maydays, also a marsh harrier and two sparrowhawks were seen heading in the same direction off the island. Five other buzzards and a second marsh harrier that were also seen appeared to be more resident.

A green sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, two great crested grebes, two stonechats, three singing Cetti's warblers, 20 meadow pipits, twenty swallows and ten stock doves were also noted during the walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls on Saturday.

Martin Cock was also walking part of the Reeveshall seawall at the Shop Lane end on Saturday and also saw the cattle egrets before they flew off. Also noted were green sandpiper, sparrowhawk while at the wood were a chiffchaff, blackcap and goldcrest.

At the Rewsalls marshes on Saturday Andy Field reported two common sandpipers and 21 little grebes, also 3 Cetti's warblers, two house martins and a few swallows.

Later on Saturday between the Golfhouse and the Oyster Fishery, nine Sandwich terns, four common terns, forty dunlin, eight knot, bar-tailed godwit, two wheatears, chiffchaff and blackcap with a tit flock were also seen by Andy.

Jonathan Norgate had another successful search by torchlight for Fisher's Estuarine Moth at Cudmore Grove on Friday 22nd night and saw fifteen different individuals - nine of them pictured here. Other moths noted were Delicate, four L-album Wainscots, Lunar Underwing, Rush Veneer, Angle Shades and a Herald.

A Knotgrass caterpillar was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden, found on some thrift plants on Friday 22nd.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday, Martin Cock reported seeing 300 meadow pipits in the fields, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, yellow wagtail, buzzard, marsh harrier, 14 knot and 150 golden plover.

Richard Allen reported seeing a honey buzzard on Friday morning flying down the Colne towards East Mersea.

Andy Field photographed this wheatear at East Mersea Point on Thursday 21st.

Two of the wheatears photographed by Andy were at the East Mersea Point and a third bird in the Golfhouse paddock. Also seen at Cudmore Grove were 61 avocets, 50 grey plover, 40 black-tailed godwits, 6 bar-tailed godwits, 6 knot, 12 dunlin, common tern, Sandwich tern, 2 Cetti's warblers, 6 blackcaps, lesser whitethroat, 6 meadow pipits and a flyover yellow wagtail.

Three wheatears were photographed with a fourth bird out of shot, by Michael Thorley at the pillbox at the East Mersea Point on Thursday. Two green woodpeckers, four pied wagtails, 8 goldfinches and two moorhens were in the Golfhouse paddock, two avocets, 20 little egrets and five wigeon were on the nearby saltmarsh.

A male common darter was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden on Thursday.

A lesser stag beetle was found by Caroline White as she cleaned out a bedroom cupboard in her West Mersea house on Tuesday 19th.

On Monday 18th at Maydays Martin Cock reported two whinchats, stonechat, six Sandwich terns, two Cetti's warblers and 12 house martins.