WHISTLING WHIMBREL

A whimbrel was feeding along the Strood channel on a sunny but breezy Thursday 28th. After a while it took off, whistling the distinctive seven notes as it disappeared down channel. There were 110 black-tailed godwits on the mud by the Dabchicks and another twenty by the Hard.

Two Sandwich terns stopped off briefly along the channel on Thursday before flying back towards the Hard. Two Mediterranean gulls were noted too, also a marsh harrier and buzzard, while eight swallows, and a corn bunting were also in the area and a willow warbler in Feldy View. Two brown argus and three small heath butterflies were in Feldy View.

At East Mersea Andy Field photographed this black-tailed godwit feeding in the Golfhouse paddock on Thursday morning. Also noted during the Cudmore circuit was a wheatear, 12 Sandwich terns and 20 common terns.

Andy photographed this wasp nest in a bush by the Golfhouse borrowdyke on Thursday.

Michael Thorley saw 50 black-tailed godwits and a common gull roosting on the Ivy Dock saltmarsh in East Mersea on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday evening the ring-necked parakeet was heard calling again in Firs Chase.

Two wheatears were at either end of the Strood seawall on Wednesday 27th - this one perched on a seaweed-covered post in the mud. The other wheatear was on the seawall near the shooting butts, where two had been for a few days previously. Ten linnets were feeding in the fields.

Along the Strood channel were 114 black-tailed godwits, 47 grey plover, 20 golden plover, ten Mediterranean gulls, three common terns, grey heron and mute swan over the Ray Channel.

Twenty swallows and two house martins appeared to be moving through, while a chiffchaff was seen in Feldy View.

A tatty-winged Wall Brown butterfly was resting on the edge of the field beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday. Probably it's one of the individuals seen recently in the nearby Feldy View.

At East Mersea a water rail was seen by Martin Cock on Wednesday, out in the open by the Golfhouse borrowdyke.

Birds noted along the Strood channel on Tuesday 26th, included this lapwing feeding near the seawall, also 80 black-tailed godwits, 10 grey plover, 10 golden plover, whimbrel, common tern, 20 Mediterranean gulls and five little grebes.

One wheatear was present again on the shooting butts, two buzzards, two kestrels were seen, also a yellow wagtail and twenty swallows seen passing through, 20 linnets, a reed warbler heard in the reeds, while a chiffchaff and blackcap were in Feldy View.

A ring-necked parakeet was seen flying over the Firs Chase garden calling noisily as it headed north towards The Lane. A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen during the day in the garden.

At East Mersea late Tuesday afternoon, Steve Entwistle couldn't locate the guillemot seen earlier swimming down the Colne by Ed Bateman at Fingringhoe. Steve did see from East Mersea Point a great crested grebe, six cormorants, six Sandwich terns, 3 Mediterranean gulls, three yellow wagtails by the Golfhouse seawall, a single avocet, two bar-tailed godwits, 300 redshank, 100 curlew, 22 ringed plovers, 22 turnstones and 28 linnets.

Two Sandwich terns were fishing along the Strood channel on Monday, hovering over the water every so often looking for fish. Two common terns were also seen, both seen flying across the fields towards the Strood fishing lakes. Seventy Mediterranean gulls were feeding in the stubble field on Strood Hill. A red kite was over Peldon, three buzzards and a marsh harrier also noted.

 

Forty black-tailed godwits were feeding along the Strood channel on Monday, also there were greenshank, 25 grey plover and 22 golden plover. Five wheatears were seen, three in a stubble field and two still by the shooting butts, also a whinchat and two stonechats at the back of a field. Four corn buntings were in a weedy field, 25 swallows passed through, Cetti's warbler sang by the Strood lakes and two lesser whitethroats were in Feldy View. Butterflies in Feldy View included brown argus, two small coppers and four small heaths.

Andy Field also walked the Strood seawall and as well as seeing most of the birds listed above, saw three yellow wagtails drop in the weedy field.

At Maydays on Monday, Martin Cock reported three hobbies including two juveniles, two buzzards, greenshank, wheatear, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff and two yellow wagtails.

Mollie Kirk at Cudmore Grove reported seeing on Monday a pair of lesser whitethroats, fall of blackcaps, two calling water rails, wheatear and four reed buntings at the Point, four Sandwich terns, ten yellow wagtails over and also two ravens calling as they flew over the Golfhouse.

Later on Monday afternoon Steve Entwistle reported at Maydays seeing between two and four hobbies flying low over the fields with a juvenile dropping low over the saltings, then two circling over the creek before flying back on the farmland. Also a yellowhammer, six long-tailed tits, lesser black-backed gull and six red-legged partridges.

A golden plover was feeding close to the Strood seawall on Sunday 24th. Thirty black-tailed godwits were near the Dabchicks, common tern, sparrowhawk, buzzard, kestrel and 20 linnets were also noted during the walk along the Strood seawall. In Feldy View there was a large mixed tit flock of 50+ involving long-tailed tits, blue tits and great tits feeding in the trees and along the hedgelines, with only a lesser whitethroat also of interest there. Brown argus and small heath were butterflies seen.

Steve Entwistle visited Maydays farm on Sunday and reported a yellowhammer, chaffinch, kestrel, lesser black-backed gull and five little egrets.

A sparrowhawk was seen by Jack Hoy visiting his garden after the colony of house sparrows there.

A ring-necked parakeet was seen in a Blackwater Drive garden on Sunday morning.

A wheatear was on top of a mound of earth at Maydays farm on Saturday 23rd. Three hobbies were seen circling high together over the Reeveshall farm, three swifts were also high overhead with 30 swallows. At least three house martins were flying over the Maydays farmhouses. Three yellow wagtails flew over calling.

A whinchat perched up by the Maydays dyke on Saturday with two stonechats, while a whinchat and stonechat were on a Reeveshall hedgeline.

Three green sandpipers and three greenshank were seen dropping down to feed in the Maydays saltmarsh, later three more greenshank also dropped into the marsh. Along the Pyefleet were 100 grey plover, whimbrel, six black-tailed godwits, Sandwich tern and two common terns. Two red kites were circling over Langenhoe, also a marsh harrier and buzzard noted too.

A common seal was basking on the mud in the Pyefleet channel on Saturday, before slipping back into the water and heading up-channel where it joined two others on the saltmarsh for the high tide.

In West Mersea the house martin was seen still visiting the nest in the eaves at Queens Corner opposite the vets on Saturday.

On Friday 22nd a whinchat was seen during the walk along the Strood seawall, feeding along the hedgeline with stonechat, 70 linnets, 15 corn buntings, five reed buntings, three whitethroats, while three reed warblers and a sedge warbler were in the reeds.

The stonechat seen on Friday along the Strood seawall. Also noted were three common terns, two buzzards, two kestrels and thirty black-tailed godwits. In Feldy View five willow warblers and two lesser whitethroats were present. Butterflies of note were a common blue, three brown argus, five small heaths and a gatekeeper in Feldy View.

A firebug nymph was seen on the Strood seawall on Friday. This follows the first presumed sighting for the island the day before by Waldegraves Holiday park. This species has been rapidly spreading around the Essex coast and inland in places too, since the first record in 2019.

A female pochard was on the pond by Sanderling Reach on Thursday 21st.

A female teal was also on the pond keeping the pochard company. A small red-eyed damselfly, common blue damselfly and common darter were also noted on this pond.

Amongst the gulls roosting on the shingle island off Waldegraves Holiday park on Thursday were seventy common terns with a further thirty fishing offshore, along with two Sandwich terns.

At the East Mersea boating lake on Thursday were 100 redshank, 100 turnstones, five ringed plovers, ten little grebes, three dunlin, 12 little grebes, four golden plover, two Mediterranean gulls, while 15 house martins and twenty swallows were passing over.

There was an unconfirmed report on Birdguides of a pectoral sandpiper seen at Coopers Beach with twenty golden plovers on Thursday. Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock went to look for the bird later in the evening but could only find ten dunlin and 30 golden plovers.

Four bee wolves were seen in the dune-type area in front of Waldegraves park on Thursday. This is a new location on the island for them, after the Cudmore Grove cliff and the East Mersea Point.

Half a dozen firebugs were crawling amongst the sand dune vegetation to the west of Waldegraves on Thursday. Apparently this species hasn't been officially recorded from the Island before.

Lots of clumps of sea holly along the beach to the west of Waldegraves, including this plant that had very blue-purple stems.

YOUTH CAMP WHEATEAR

A wheatear was seen along the front of the East Mersea Youth Camp on Wednesday 20th. It was quite flighty and didn't stay in the area long, flying off from the beach to a field to the west of the site. There was a mixed passage of 150+ hirundines heading eastwards comprising swallows and house martins as well as a couple of sand martins. Not surprisingly three hobbies were seen above the East Mersea boating lake with one bird carrying a recently caught hirundine. Three yellow wagtails were also noted flying east.

Five common gulls were on the beach by the Youth Camp - the first ones I've noted for the autumn. Also ten Mediterranean gulls, while offshore 70 common terns were on the shingle island near Waldegraves.

Birds roosting at high tide on the side lake beside the boating lake on Wednesday included 200 ringed plovers, 140 redshank, 125 turnstones, 7 dunlin, 2 whimbrel, 13 little grebes, two teal while 70 golden plover roosted in a nearby stubble field.

At Feldy View on Tuesday 19th several butterflies were noted including a couple of common blues.

Half a dozen brown argus were in Feldy View on Tuesday, also gatekeeper and small heath seen.

A southern migrant hawker was resting on some reedmace along the Strood dyke on Tuesday.

Birds of interest were 30 black-tailed godwits, five golden plover, three grey plover, 70 linnets and 3 kestrels in or over the Strood fields.

A ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking in a Firs Chase garden on Tuesday early evening and was seen perched in a tree briefly. This bird was first reported in this same area about a month earlier.

Rob Lee saw a cuckoo flying over Barrow Hill on Tuesday early evening.

Three whimbrel were along the Strood channel on Monday 18th, also 28 grey plover, 25 golden plover, 30 black-tailed godwits, 3 greenshank and two common terns. Fifty Mediterranean gulls were roosting in a stubble field beside the Strood, also stonechat and fifty linnets were in the fields.

At Feldy View a lesser whitethroat was the only bird of note, with brown argus and small heath the butterflies of note here. Migrant hawker and common darters also seen in Feldy View.

On Sunday 17th a greenshank was feeding along the Strood channel at low tide. Other waders seen here were 10 grey plover, 20 golden plover, 40 black-tailed godwits, whimbrel and four ringed plovers. In the weedy fields were 30 linnets, stonechat, three corn buntings and a yellow wagtail flying over. Two sparrowhawks were noted too, one seen crashing into the reedbed after something. Three willow warblers and two lesser whitethroats were in Feldy View.

A yellow wagtail flew over the Firs Chase garden on Sunday afternoon.

A colour-ringed redshank seen by Andy Field along the Strood on Sunday was later discovered to have been ringed as an adult on 25th January 2020 at Welwick Saltmarsh on the Humber estuary. Its only other sighting was on the Ythan estuary in Aberdeenshire. 

A clouded yellow paused briefly along the Strood seawall on Sunday for this picture. The southern migrant hawker was also by the Strood dyke. A small copper was in Feldy View.

Michael Thorley photographed a few birds that visited his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Sunday such as this yellow wagtail.

A juvenile yellow wagtail at Michael's pond.

A young goldfinch and yellow wagtail photographed by Michael.

Two juvenile goldfinches photographed by Michael.

Some linnets and a goldfinch at Michael's garden pond on Sunday.

A linnet photographed by Michael. Also six swallows and a chiffchaff noted in his garden.

On Saturday 16th at Feldy View, Steve Grimwade saw a spotted flycatcher, three lesser whitethroats, willow warbler, sparrowhawk and a corn bunting flying over.

At Maydays on Saturday a common seal pup was accidentally flushed off the seawall, it originally having been resting on the nearby saltmarsh.

The seal pup quickly flapped its way across the mudflats to the safety of the water in the Pyefleet Channel. Later an adult common seal was basking on the saltmarsh further up the channel.

Two days earlier this very small seal pup was photographed by my wife as she kayaked in the Ray Channel on Thursday. It seemed very confiding but no sign of any adult seal nearby to look after it. There was no sign of it the next day, Friday.

Birds noted during the Saturday walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls included a hobby flying from Reeveshall to Langenhoe over the Pyefleet, a wheatear by the seawall, stonechat, 40 swallows, marsh harrier, two buzzards, sparrowhawk, 30 stock doves, greenshank and 48 grey plover.

Jon Ward photographed this spotted flycatcher in Feldy View on Friday 15th.

There was no sign of the pied flycatcher seen here the day before.

Another picture by Jon of the spotted flycatcher at Feldy View on Friday.

A second spotted flycatcher on the island on Friday was seen by Daniel Woollard, bathing in the garden bird bath at his Cudmore Grove bungalow.

A lesser whitethroat photographed by Jon at Feldy View on Friday. Four willow warblers and a sparrowhawk fly-through were also noted by Jon here.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday morning was this whinchat seen feeding with a second bird in the weedy field. Other birds in the fields were a stonechat, 30 linnets, four corn buntings, buzzard, marsh harrier and three yellow wagtails flying over.

At least two wheatears were along the Strood seawall on Friday - first one was reported earlier by Michael Thorley during his walk along here. Michael also saw 11 linnets, three reed buntings, 45 turnstones and six little egrets.

A little egret fed along the Strood channel near the Dabchicks on Friday. Elsewhere in the channel were 250 redshank, greenshank, 70 curlew, 15 black-tailed godwits, 11 grey plovers, ten golden plovers, seven ringed plovers, six whimbrel, ten Mediterranean gulls, two common terns, five little grebes.

In Feldy View eight willow warblers were seen in the trees with three lesser whitethroats.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen near the Firs Chase caravan park, a clouded yellow and southern migrant hawker were by the Strood seawall.

Two willow warblers were seen in the Firs Chase garden on Friday.

FELDY VIEW FLYCATCHERS

Feldy View played host to a few flycatchers over several days. This pied flycatcher found feeding in the shade of the oaks and birches on Thursday 14th, was the second pied flycatcher in three days here. Feldy View seems to be a favourite spot for flycatchers in the early autumn.

A comparison of the amount of white in the wing-bars with the pied flycatcher seen here, with an earlier bird two days beforehand (photo further below here), indicated this was a different bird. The bird was elusive at times and quite mobile across the back area of trees. Both birds only stayed the one day. 

A spotted flycatcher was also in Feldy View on Thursday perching in the birch and oak trees.

Several birdwatchers came to enjoy the sight of the flycatchers in Feldy View, including Paul Everett who photographed this spotted flycatcher on Thursday.

Paul also photographed this spotted flycatcher and managed to see the pied flycatcher in the afternoon. Also in Feldy View during the day were three willow warblers, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, while a peregrine was seen over the nearby caravan park being mobbed by a common tern.

A wall brown butterfly was seen in Feldy View by Martin Cock.

Twenty swallows perched on wires near to Feldy View on Thursday.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday were seen a marsh harrier, buzzard, whimbrel and two common terns.

Early evening a hobby flew south-west over the Firs Chase garden, while earlier six swifts had flown west over the garden.

A common gull was photographed on Thursday by Peter Marchington off Shears Court. It appears to the same bird that frequented the same area last winter.

On Wednesday 13th there was no sign of the pied flycatcher seen in Feldy View the day before, but two spotted flycatchers were found instead. This individual was photographed by Andy Field.

The two spotted flycatchers perched in the same tree photographed by Andy on Wednesday. Three willow warblers and a lesser whitethroat were also in Feldy View. Two hobbies were seen chasing a swift low over the West Mersea Hard car park, with the pursuit outcome not looking favourable for the swift as they disappeared from view. Twenty swallows were flying around the Firs Chase caravan area.

 

A colourful painted lady was feeding along the Strood seawall on Wednesday, also a clouded yellow seen over the fields. Birds noted were a stonechat, 20 goldfinches, 20 linnets, yellow wagtail flying over, 28 black-tailed godwits, 20 turnstones and two common terns.

The first flycatcher of the autumn was this pied flycatcher in Feldy View on Tuesday 12th, photographed here by Jon Ward. The bird was elusive at times but was present for most of the day - but not the following day.

The pied flycatcher fed in the birch and oak trees in Feldy View, photo by Jon.

Another photograph of the pied flycatcher in Feldy View by Jon Ward on Tuesday.

A willow warbler and lesser whitethroat were also in Feldy View. Butterflies enjoying the sunshine here were five common blues and five brown argus.

Nearby to Feldy View were two kestrels, ten swallows and two common terns in the Strood channel.

Two spoonbills were seen flying over the Yacht Club very early on Tuesday morning by Rob Lee.

A song thrush was enjoying a spot of sunbathing in the Firs Chase garden on a very hot Monday 11th.

In between sunbathes, the song thrush enjoyed eating some of the fallen cherry plums lying on the driveway of the Firs Chase garden. 

A willow warbler was feeding in the birch tree in the Firs Chase garden on Monday.

The sunshine on the Monday also saw this hummingbird hawkmoth feeding on the buddleia flowers in the Firs Chase garden. Butterflies seen here included comma, peacock, two red admirals, holly blue, small white, large white and gatekeeper.

The flock of twenty black-tailed godwits was resting on the mud behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Monday. In Feldy View a hobby flew over, buzzard and two willow warblers in the trees, while nearby were a sparrowhawk, two kestrels and 20 swallows.

At Ivy Dock, East Mersea on Monday, Martin Cock reported 200 black-tailed godwits, six grey plover and a green sandpiper that was only heard.

Peter Marchington photographed this mute swan in the Cudmore Grove dyke on Monday evening.

Two mallards in the park dyke also photographed by Peter on Monday.

A fox was on the prowl near the bird feeders in the Firs Chase garden early evening on Sunday 10th. A hummingbird hawkmoth was also a visitor to the garden

Four willow warblers were seen in Feldy View on Sunday, while a brief visit to the Strood seawall provided views of 30 black-tailed godwits, 20 turnstones, two common terns, ten great black-backed gulls, two buzzards, sparrowhawk, two reed warblers, whitethroat and a reed bunting.

On Saturday 9th at Reeveshall, a flock of nine cattle egrets was seen feeding with the cattle.

Fortunately the herd of cows grazed their way across the large field towards the seawall, where I had my camera to hand.

Two of the cattle egrets were still in breeding plumage with their dark yellow bills and fading orange on their crown and chest. Thirteen little egrets were also seen but along the Pyefleet channel.

Also on Saturday on the Reeveshall seawall was this family of Canada geese that had been resting on the seawall until I appeared. Other birds in the Pyefleet included three common sandpipers, 32 grey plovers, knot, six black-tailed godwits, Mediterranean gull, while flying about were two marsh harriers, and a buzzard. Near the Maydays dyke were three stonechats, yellowhammer, three whitethroats, two reed warblers, 12 stock doves in the fields and three house martins over the farmhouse.

Three common seals were resting on saltmarsh up the Pyefleet Channel.

A willow emerald was alongside a hedgerow at Maydays farm on Saturday - a regular spot for it.

The No Landing signs were taken down from Cobmarsh Island and Packing Shed Island, now the breeding season has finished, by RSPB site manager Old Hall Marshes, Kieren Alexander on Friday 8th, with the kind help of Jim Pullen taking us there. Birds noted were a common sandpiper, 13 ringed plovers, four common terns and a flock of twenty linnets.

Andy Field found a wheatear and whinchat in the fields along the Strood seawall on Friday.

In the Firs Chase garden five willow warbler stopped off to feed briefly along with a large mixed tit flock on Friday. Later a hobby was seen chasing a hirundine over Firs Chase.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen in the Firs Chase garden and also one seen in Jack Hoy's Mersea Avenue garden, while Martin Cock reported one was visiting his Coverts garden most days at the moment.

A common lizard was basking on a wooden plaque in Feldy View on Thursday 7th.

Ten willow warblers were feeding in the birch and oak trees in Feldy, also a lesser whitethroat nearby.

Along the Strood seawall were eight Mediterranean gulls, ten little egrets, grey heron, two kestrels, ten swallows, five sand martins flying north-west, two stonechats and fifty linnets.

A willow warbler was in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday and one was also in Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden for most of the day

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Two wall browns were seen together in Feldy View on Wednesday 6th - the first time for nearly 25 years that two have been seen together on the island. Several have been seen this year both in East and West Mersea. Also in Feldy View were five common blues, five brown argus and a small copper butterfly.

Ten willow warblers were in the Feldy View birches and oak trees on Wednesday, also three chiffchaffs, while a lesser whitethroat in the nearby hedgeline. Birds noted from the Strood seawall included whimbrel, 30 black-tailed godwits, ten turnstones, two common terns, 12 little egrets, buzzard, three kestrels, three stonechats, two corn buntings, 30 linnets, whitethroat and two swifts.

Two clouded yellow butterflies were seen tussling with each other over the Strood channel before returning to the seawall. Five southern migrant hawkers were flying up and down beside the dyke reedbeds.

Five crossbills were seen flying west by Martin Cock over his garden in The Coverts on Wednesday morning. A willow warbler was in Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden.