WARBLER AND TIT FLOCK

Four willow warblers were feeding in a tit flock beside the path near the East Mersea Golfhouse on Friday 9th. Also in the bushes by the path were two lesser whitethroats, two whitethroats and a flock of 20 goldfinches.

There was an impressive roost of terns on the mud behind the East Mersea Point on Friday with 200 common terns, three little terns and two Sandwich terns noted. Half of the common tern flock had already gathered on the mud when three little terns dropped in. Two of the birds are just about visible in the middle of this picture, snapped through the heat haze and at a distance. These are the first little terns seen at East Mersea this year. Another flock of common terns arrived with two Sandwich terns and ten Mediterranean gulls and dropped down onto the mud.

Waders were being pushed closer to the shore as the tide came in with 210 black-tailed godwits, four bar-tailed godwits, 100 redshank including the leucistic bird, eight ringed plover, two grey plover, and two dunlin. 

Two little grebe chicks were in the Golfhouse dyke, a sparrowhawk flew over the nearby saltmarsh, ten little egrets, two sand martins, 20 swallows and ten linnets were also noted.

At West Mersea three swifts were seen by Martin Cock flying over his garden - the first for a few days.

The flock of black-tailed godwits near the Dabchicks sailing club continues to build up with 200 birds noted on Thursday 8th. Also on the mud were three grey plover, three golden plover, five turnstone and ten Mediterranean gulls, while from the Strood seawall were a stonechat, two whitethroats and a buzzard. Four willow warblers were in the trees at Feldy View and another two in the Firs Chase garden.

Andy Field also visited Feldy View earlier on Thursday and saw a hobby and 4 willow warblers, while two reed warblers, two willow warblers and a chiffchaff were at the nearby Flycatcher corner. From the Strood seawall were 130 black-tailed godwits, four grey plovers, four golden plover, 2-3 stonechats and three brown hares in the grass field.

Jon Ward photographed this wasp spider on the Strood seawall on Thursday.

A brown argus along the Strood seawall photographed by Jon on Thursday.

Common Blue butterfly along the Strood seawall on Thursday photographed by Jon Ward.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday 7th, Martin Cock reported five common sandpipers, seven grey plover, whimbrel, 80+ redshank, buzzard and ten Mediterranean gulls.

Steve Entwistle visited Feldy View on Wednesday morning and noted nine goldfinches, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, eight swallows and at least two willow warblers.

Daniel Woollard had a productive scan of the mud from the cliff meadow beside Cudmore Grove on Wednesday evening, reporting a great white egret, six little egrets, nine grey plover, 201 golden plover, 42 dunlin, 90 oystercatchers, 149 curlew, two whimbrel, 200 redshank, 52 turnstones, two ringed plover, four sanderling, two black-tailed godwit, 37 Mediterranean gulls, 140 common terns and a great crested grebe.

A willow warbler was in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday afternoon.

A skylark was feeding on the Strood seawall path on Tuesday 6th. Also noted in the area were two stonechats, two whitethroats, yellow wagtail, ten linnets, three kestrels and a Cetti's warbler. In the channel were 30 black-tailed godwits, common tern, grey plover and two shelduck. Two willow warblers, blackcap, lesser whitethroat and two whitethroats were down the side of the Firs Caravan park and a swift was over Feldy View.

A male kestrel perched on this pole by the Strood seawall on Monday 5th, while a peregrine was watched a short while earlier flying low along the edge of the Ray saltings flushing any waders and gulls roosting there. Along the Strood were 60 black-tailed godwits, greenshank, grey plover, while in the reedbed were two sedge warblers, three reed warblers and a willow warbler. Two willow warblers were by the Firs Caravan park and another one in the Firs Chase garden.

This Jersey Tiger moth was photographed by Rob Lee in his Barrow Hill garden on Monday - only the second record of the island so far after the first one last summer.

On Sunday 4th Andy Field visited Cudmore Grove and reported 80 common terns, 30 Mediterranean gulls, common gull, 80 black-tailed godwits, four golden plovers, two grey plovers, whimbrel, two Egyptian geese, 30 swallows and twenty sand martins.

In East Mersea Martin Cock visited Shop Lane on Sunday and saw two willow warblers, two marsh harriers, buzzard and the lone brent goose now dead on the saltmarsh.

In a brief circuit of Feldy View and Dabchicks on Sunday six swifts were over the houses, fifty black-tailed godwits, common tern, sedge warbler, reed warbler lesser whitethroat and two whitethroats were noted.

Steve Entwistle saw a party of five whitethroats, greenfinch and lesser whitethroat in Feldy View on Sunday morning, later at Cudmore Grove the mute swan with two cygnets and a green woodpecker.

Michael Thorley on Sunday afternoon saw two whitethroats, goldfinch, 18 black-tailed godwits and two curlew along the Strood. Michael has had a badger visiting his East Mersea garden to feed on windfall plums.