REEVESHALL CATTLE EGRETS

Two cattle egrets were found and photographed by Andy Field on Reeveshall feeding with the cattle on Tuesday 22nd.

The cattle egrets were difficult to see at times in the long grass of Reeveshall. Andy saw one of the birds later flew east towards Brightlingsea, leaving the other bird still in the field with the cows. Lea Merclova reported ten cattle egrets were on the Brightlingsea Marshes on Tuesday. The previous day - Monday, three cattle egrets were seen by Darrell Stile flying from Brightlingsea towards East Mersea.

Two common sandpipers were seen by Andy on Pewit Island on Tuesday morning.

Steve Entwistle couldn't find the cattle egrets looking from Maydays on Tuesday afternoon but did see three common sandpipers in the Maydays creek, also noted were 150 redshank, 25 curlew, 10 little egrets, three shelduck, yellowhammer, two linnets, eight black-tailed godwits and a marsh harrier on Langenhoe.

Two hedgehogs were filmed in Andy Field's garden in High Street North having a bit of argy-bargy, resulting in one of them forced backwards into the water bowl!

Michael Thorley photographed the pair of oystercatchers with their chick swimming in the Strood channel during the high tide on Tuesday. Also a common sandpiper seen in the channel.

The oystercatcher chick is growing well and being well-looked after by its very attentive parents along the Strood channel. On Monday 21st the chick was able to walk about the mud as the tide receded.

Other birds seen in the channel included 10 lapwing, two whimbrel, 40 curlew, two black-tailed godwits, common sandpiper, 100 redshank, forty Mediterranean gulls, ten little egrets and a common tern.

Also on Monday two juvenile stonechats were feeding beside the Strood seawall, a corn bunting, 15 linnets, whitethroat, four reed warblers and three reed buntings were seen too. Six kestrels were hunting over the fields, probably involving two families, three buzzards, 30 swifts, sand martin and house martin also noted.

Michael Thorley reported three house martins and juvenile great tits at Meeting Lane in East Mersea on Monday.

A clump of sea lavender added a touch of colour to the Pyefleet saltmarsh at Maydays on Sunday 20th.

Two common sandpipers and two greenshanks were seen in the Maydays creek, while in the Pyefleet were 12 black-tailed godwits, avocet, 80 redshank and three common seals. A marsh harrier and a buzzard were seen flying about, while along the dyke were two singing yellowhammers, Cetti's warbler, sedge warbler and a reed warbler.

Later on Sunday afternoon at Maydays, the two common sandpipers were seen again by Steve Entwistle, two juvenile yellow wagtails and five house martins were by the farm yard and farmhouse, while yellowhammer, reed bunting and three linnets also noted from the seawall.

Earlier on Sunday 25 swifts were seen by Steve flying over his Empress Drive house.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday 19th, Andy Field saw 300 black-tailed godwits feeding on the mudflats, including a colour-ringed bird ONL-OLO that was ringed as an adult at Levington marina in Suffolk in November 2017 and was last recorded off the park two years ago. 

A brief look round Feldy View and off the nearby caravan park on Saturday, revealed 15 black-tailed godwits, common tern, four kestrels, yellow wagtail, Cetti's warbler, reed warbler, and also eight swifts over the houses. 

A toadflax brocade caterpillar was feeding on the leaves of the purple toadflax in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 19th.

Andy Field photographed this migrant hawker on his plum tree in his West Mersea garden on Saturday.

A wall brown was a good garden sighting by Michael Thorley in his garden on Saturday.

Mollie Kirk also reported seeing a wall brown in the garden of their Cudmore Grove bungalow.

On Friday 18th a spoonbill was seen by Rob Lee flying west past Barrow Hill near the Strood.

Two Gypsy Moths were at the garden moth trap in Firs Chase on 21st.

The first Jersey Tiger of this summer was seen on 18th - only the second garden record after the first one was recorded two years ago. More are expected in the summers ahead as their population increases.

The first Reed Dagger for the garden, seen on the 18th. 

STROOD RAPTORS

This buzzard over the Strood was one of five species of raptor seen during a walk along the seawall on Thursday 17th. An osprey was the unexpected sighting, seen with Martin Cock, as the bird drifted slowly down channel towards the Hard. As we watched it fly along the channel, all the gulls and waders took to the air and flew around calling loudly. A hobby was also watched flying over the channel from Feldy to the Island passing over the Firs Chase Caravan park. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards and a kestrel were the other raptors noted.

An oystercatcher chick was being carefully watched over by its parents in the Strood channel on Thursday. Other waders included a greenshank, three whimbrel, three black-tailed godwits, 130 redshank, also 14 Mediterranean gulls, ten great black-backed gulls, 12 little egrets, two grey herons and a common tern.

Also noted were 20 linnets, whitethroat, three reed warblers and two sedge warblers, while 35 swifts were flying over the houses.

A brown argus was photographed by Andy Field during his visit to Cudmore Grove on Thursday 17th. There were plenty of juvenile whitethroats and lesser whitethroats, two common terns, some ringed plover chicks at the Point although no sign of the ringed plover seen recently nesting near a sea beet plant.

On Thursday evening Daniel Woollard saw 250+ black-tailed godwits on the mud off Cudmore Grove, also a few whimbrels, singles of bar-tailed godwit, golden plover and grey plover, also the leucistic redshank seen.

A female lesser stag beetle was photographed by Michael Thorley in his garden compost heap in East Mersea on Thursday.

On Wednesday 16th a red kite was seen by Michael Thorley as it flew over Moore Lane in East Mersea.

A red-belted clearwing was photographed by Andy Field in his greenhouse in his High Street North garden on Saturday 12th.

This is the first record on the island of red-belted clearwing. 

At Maydays farm on Saturday Steve Entwistle saw four yellowhammers, reed warbler, three yellow wagtails and three buzzards including a very white individual. Butterflies seen there included three common blues, brown argus, two small skippers, lots of gatekeepers, also a migrant hawker dragonfly.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Friday 11th and photographed this ringlet butterfly.

Andy also photographed this small red-eyed damselfly along the park dyke on Friday, also seen there were emperor dragonfly, black-tailed skimmer and ruddy darters.

Birds of note included a little tern in the Colne, three Sandwich terns, five common terns, 18 Mediterranean gulls, 300 black-tailed godwits, ringed plovers with chicks either side of the Point and the sea-beet female is still sitting too. Fifty swallows and a few sand martins were flying around the horse paddocks.

Steve Entwistle saw a juvenile Sandwich tern on Friday evening at the Point, also 15 Mediterranean gulls and two greenfinches. 

A red kite was seen circling near the Strood below the Barrow Hill on Friday by Steve. Twelve swifts were seen over Steve's house in Empress Drive on Friday morning.

On Wednesday 9th Rob Lee saw a male harrier flying over the Blackwater towards Old Hall that was later thought to be a possible Montagu's Harrier.

At Maydays on Wednesday Martin Cock saw four yellow wagtails, yellowhammer, probable marbled white butterfly and two common blues.

A red kite was seen by Rob Lee to land in an oak tree near Barrow Hill on Tuesday 8th.

A deceased rose chafer was found in Andy Field's garden on Tuesday 8th.

Also in Andy's West Mersea garden was this gypsy moth caterpillar feeding on his heuchera plants.

There were also hundreds of six-spot ladybirds seen going to roost in a small tree in his garden which he'd never seen happen before! Lots of reports elsewhere on the Island of a huge influx of ladybirds and hoverflies.

An Oak Eggar moth was recorded in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 17th.

Three Canary-shouldered Thorns also on the 17th.

Several Tree-lichen Beauties.

Twin-spotted Wainscot

Blackthorn Knot-horn.

BUTTERFLIES, BEES AND BIRDS

Lots of butterflies were seen at Cudmore Grove despite the wind, by Andy Field on Monday 7th. This gatekeeper was photographed by Andy.

A ringlet at Cudmore Grove photographed by Andy on Monday.

A ringlet was also seen the previous day in Andy's West Mersea garden and was his first record there.

Red admiral photographed by Andy.

Other butterflies seen at Cudmore Grove on Monday by Andy were painted lady, common blue, peacock, meadow brown, small skipper, large white and comma.

Six-spot burnet moths were seen emerging at Cudmore Grove on Monday. A female and male were photographed here mating by Andy.

A common carder bee photographed by Andy at Cudmore on Monday.

A green-eyed flower bee photographed at Cudmore Grove by Andy on Monday.

Birds noted at Cudmore Grove on Monday by Andy included lots of young whitethroats, also blackcaps seen.

A sedge warbler photographed by Andy at Cudmore Grove on Monday. Two ringed plover chicks were near the old fort by the Point. Three chicks and another two chicks were seen by Tom of the Bird Aware Essex Coast team. An adult ringed plover was seen by Andy still sitting on the nest at the Point. Some Mediterranean gulls were with some black-headed gulls on the Golfhouse saltmarsh and two common terns were on the pools here.

A Mediterranean gull was photographed by Peter Marchington on the West Mersea beach opposite Shears Court on Friday 4th. The bird has the red colour ring PHRK on it and we're currently trying to find out where it was ringed. The summering brent goose has been seen a few times along the same beach, most recently Thursday 3rd.

At Maydays on Friday Martin Cock saw eight green sandpipers fly up the Pyefleet channel, a hobby, four yellowhammers, yellow wagtail, two pairs of shelduck - one with four young, the other with two young, six sand martins and also five common seals.

Steve Entwistle visited Cudmore Grove on Friday and saw a barn owlet at the entrance to the nesting box, also garden warbler, sedge warbler, two whitethroats. Along the seawall were 35 sand martins, 15 swallows, six common terns, also good views of small red-eyed damselflies, two emperor dragonflies and four black-tailed skimmers.

 

A six spot burnet moth was seen on ragwort by the Strood seawall on Thursday 3rd.

A common blue butterfly was on lavender in Feldy View on Thursday.

The common blue was reluctant to open its blue wings.

Birds of note on Thursday near the Firs Caravan park included 7 curlew, 4 redshank, 2 buzzard, kestrel, sedge warbler, two reed warblers and ten goldfinches, while 30 swifts were over the houses.

At East Mersea Martin Cock reported on Thursday morning seeing a little tern and sandwich tern off Stone Point, also four common terns, five Mediterranean gulls, 100 sand martins flying about and one ringed plover chick near the old fort.

On Wednesday 2nd an Arctic tern was seen by Daniel Woollard flying west past the Cudmore Grove ramp in the evening. Also 100 sand martins flying around with a few swallows and swifts mixed in. At least two barn owl chicks were showing well at the nest box.

Along the Strood seawall on Wednesday were 40 redshank, 7 curlew, two kestrels, two sedge warblers, reed warbler, two stonechats, yellow wagtail and a shelduck.

DRAGONS AND DAMSELS DISPLAY

There was a nice display of various dragonflies and damselflies along the borrowdyke at Cudmore Grove on a very hot Tuesday 1st July. Plenty of sunshine meant there was plenty of activity over the water. Pictured here is a male ruddy darter.

Just this one four-spotted chaser was seen, this male patrolling a section of the dyke.

At least twenty black-tailed skimmers were noted.

Half a dozen emperor dragonflies were seen, including at least three females egg-laying in the park dyke.

Up to 100 small red-eyed damselflies were seen resting on algae on the dyke, some were paired up and egg-laying. Lots of common blue damselflies and blue-tailed damselflies seen as well.

The mute swan family with the two cygnets were on the park dyke on Tuesday. One tufted duck, 12 mallard, little grebe, coots and moorhens also present.

A whitethroat was singing from a bush beside the park dyke on Tuesday. A sedge warbler and reed warbler were also heard singing.

A ringed plover was discovered nesting on the East Mersea Point, with her nest hiding beside a sea beet plant on Tuesday. 

Four small ringed plover chicks were seen running over the mud near the old fort at Cudmore Grove, presumably these coming from the roped off nest-site nearby.

The oystercatcher was still sitting in her roped off area of beach at the Point. Another oystercatcher seemed to be sitting on a nest in the nearby Golfhouse horse paddock.

A redshank was behaving as if it had chicks in the saltmarsh near the Golfhouse pools, as it flew noisily over to mob a passing male sparrowhawk.

Three black-tailed godwits, 20 curlew, 25 redshank and 130 oystercatchers were some of the waders on the mudflats. 

Ten Mediterranean gulls were seen on the mudflats beside the Point on Tuesday, an adult seen here with a first summer bird. Four common terns were fishing in the mouth of the Colne.

One kestrel was perched on the tree at the back of the grazing fields, a male marsh harrier passed west over the fields, 100 sand martins were flying about, although it was difficult to tell if six sand martins seen briefly over the park cliff were actually nesting there. Five swifts and twenty swallows also noted.

A six-spot burnet moth was feeding on a thistle flower at the park on Tuesday.

A few green-eyed flower bees were seen at the park both on bramble flowers and also some going inside holes in the park cliff on Tuesday.

Two brimstone butterflies were visiting the flowers of everlasting pea in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday.

A hummingbird hawkmoth spent several minutes resting on this bush in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday - the first garden sighting of the year. 

Overhead five Mediterranean gulls were flying after ants with the black-headed gulls, also a sparrowhawk circled overhead as were five swifts.

A meadow brown butterfly was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Monday 30th.

In Feldy View a brown argus was feeding on a lavender clump on Monday 30th. 

Birds noted during a brief walk between Feldy View and Dabchicks included 3 shelduck, 2 kestrels, 2 linnets and 2 goldfinches, while 17 swifts were over the houses.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen in Martin Cock's West Mersea garden on Monday.

Lea Merclova reported a new oystercatcher nest on the west side of East Mersea Point that is now roped off, also at least one small ringed plover chick near the old fort on Monday.

On Saturday 28th, birds noted on a short visit to Feldy View and the Hard were four lesser black-backed gulls, little egret, four swallows, three goldfinches, reed bunting and also ten swifts over the houses.

A Large Emerald moth was a nice sight in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase on Tuesday 1st.

It was impressive watching the Large Emerald stay gripping to this leaf as the warm breeze flapped the leaves about. The green wings looked just like green leaves on the tree!

The first record of Beautiful Golden Y for the island - in the garden on Tuesday.

Festoon moth with its tail up.