PEREGRINE OVER FELDY VIEW

A peregrine glided low over the Firs Chase caravan park, then passed over Feldy View before heading over the fields to the Strood channel on Wednesday 30th. In Feldy View there were two willow warblers and a lesser whitethroat. Along the Strood seawall a marsh harrier, three buzzards and four kestrels were seen, along with three common terns, whimbrel, four little grebes and forty turnstones roosting on boats near the Hard. 

Butterflies in Feldy View included 6 common blue and ten brown argus mainly nectaring on the lavender.

A banded demoiselle was an unexpected sight as it fluttered low over the saltmarsh in front of the Firs caravan park on Wednesday.

A recently fledged swallow was perched behind the Dabchicks waiting to be fed on Wednesday.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday morning, Martin Cock saw three red kites, marsh harrier, buzzard, three common sandpipers and a greenshank that was heard calling.

In Cross Lane Steve Entwistle reported on Wednesday seeing two chiffchaffs, song thrush, two juvenile robins, also an emperor dragonfly, ruddy darter and eight common blue damselflies.

Pleased to find this tiny toadlet crawling across the grass in the Firs Chase back garden late at night, maybe attracted by the bright light of the nearby moth trap!

Birds along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 29th included a hobby, four kestrels, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk over the houses, as were six swifts. In the channel were 40 lapwing, grey plover, golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, greenshank, whimbrel, ten little egrets, three little grebes and two common terns. Inside the seawall were thirty linnets, three reed warblers, two sedge warblers, stonechat and two whitethroats.

Steve Entwistle visited Shop Lane and saw two marsh harriers, three grey herons, 12 black-tailed godwits and four curlew on Tuesday late afternoon.

There were seven southern migrant hawkers seen along the Strood borrowdyke on Monday 28th. Most were the males hawking up and down the path below the seawall beside the reedbeds.

Along the Strood channel were 300 redshank, 20 black-tailed godwits, 40 curlew, two grey plover, whimbrel, five Mediterranean gulls, and ten great black-backed gulls by the Hard.

Two red kites passed over the channel onto the island, three buzzards were seen too while along the dyke were two reed warblers, two whitethroats, sedge warbler and 15 linnets in the fields. A willow warbler was in Feldy View and three swifts over the houses.

The summering West Mersea brent goose was photographed by Peter Marchington near the Monkey Beach on Monday 28th.

Eleven cattle egrets were seen on Reeveshall with the cows, seen by Martin Cock on Monday.

At Cudmore Grove a barn owl was seen by Steve Entwistle flying about near the bird hide and then perched in trees before flying off east on Monday evening.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Sunday 27th and photographed this female tufted duck with three ducklings in the borrowdyke. Also seen were 150 black-tailed godwits, bar-tailed godwit, 20 common terns, barn owl, red kite, marsh harrier, 50 swallows, six house martins, reed warbler and plenty of whitethroats and lesser whitethroats. A green sandpiper was heard calling near the Point.

A stock dove was photographed by Andy Field during his walk on the Cudmore circuit on Sunday.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Sunday morning and reported three red kites, buzzard, marsh harrier, three common sandpipers, four yellowhammers and six common seals.

Ten black-tailed godwits were feeding along the Strood channel on Sunday, also 200 redshank, four golden plover, 30 lapwing, five whimbrel, 30 curlew, 20 Mediterranean gulls, two common terns, eight little egrets, grey heron and two little grebes. Twenty-two cormorants were seen flying north-west to Abberton reservoir.

A hobby flew over, red kite, two buzzards, marsh harrier and four kestrels. A stonechat was along the dyke and 15 swifts were seen over the houses. A willow warbler was seen in Feldy View.

A recently deceased Southern Migrant Hawker, also aptly named Blue-eyed Hawker, was found by Feldy View on Sunday. This provided a good opportunity to admire the bright blue eyes close-up.

Three goldfinches were feeding on the lesser knapweed flowers that have recently gone to seed in the Firs Chase back garden on Saturday 26th.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Saturday included marsh harrier, buzzard, whimbrel, eight black-tailed godwits, 20 lapwing, two common terns, and five sand martins heading north-west. Also willow warbler in Feldy View, two lesser whitethroats nearby and thirty swifts over the houses.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday, three cattle egrets were seen by Daniel Woollard, feeding with the cattle, before flying round the back of the island.

At Maydays Martin Cock reported a great white egret and two common sandpipers on Saturday.

Four willow warblers were feeding in Feldy View on Friday 25th, also a lesser whitethroat and two chiffchaffs present. A family of Cetti's warblers was busy in the bramble bushes alongside the Feldy View path next to the caravan park.

On the Strood seawall a red kite flew directly over the pair of oystercatcher with their chick which upset the parent birds. A marsh harrier and the red kite were seen briefly together over the grass field, also a buzzard and four kestrels seen in the area. A common sandpiper was seen in the channel, two common terns also, while 18 turnstones rested on a pontoon.  

A freshly marked painted lady was feeding in Feldy View on Friday, also six common blue butterflies and ten brown argus, while two migrant hawkers and ruddy darters were seen too. A common darter was seen beside the caravan park.

A worn looking sulphur pearl moth was feeding on a knapweed flowerhead in Feldy View on Thursday 24th. It's been seen in here before as there's a lot of the wild carrot, the foodplant for the caterpillars.

Two willow warblers were in Feldy View on Thursday and twenty swifts were flying over the houses. By the Strood were a red kite, buzzard, whimbrel and eight turnstones resting on a boat.

A ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking loudly as it passed over Firs Chase early on Thursday morning. Probably the same bird reported by the Timns in their Firs Chase garden two days earlier.

Good numbers of butterflies were on the wing in Feldy View on Wednesday 23rd, including several of these gatekeepers.

Ten brown argus were feeding on the lavender bushes, also six common blues.

A tatty small copper was also on the lavender.

A handful of ruddy darters were seen in Feldy View on Wednesday.

A young swift was reported to be nearly ready to leave the nestbox on the side of Andy Field's High Street North house on Wednesday 23rd.

There were 42 swifts seen flying over the houses on Wednesday morning, also sparrowhawk circling high.

Birds noted during a Strood seawall walk on Wednesday included red kite, marsh harrier, family of six kestrels, common sandpiper, two common terns, whimbrel, ten black-tailed godwits, ten Mediterranean gulls, little grebe, three reed warblers and 30 linnets.

Two cattle egrets were seen on Reeveshall feeding with the cattle by Martin Cock on Wednesday, also two marsh harriers, 60 black-tailed godwits, four avocets, forty curlew and also willow warbler the in Shop Lane wood.

Later on Wednesday afternoon five cattle egrets were seen by Steve Entwistle as they fed with the cows on Reeveshall

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.