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

.

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.

SOME SUMMER MOTHS

Moth trapping has been carried out in the Firs Chase back garden nearly a dozen times in the last month. Numbers of individuals and species have dropped a bit since mid July. The highlight was this nationally scarce Marbled Clover on the 3rd August, which had only been recorded ten times in Essex up to end of 2023. There have been several others recently recorded in Essex in the previous fortnight. The Brecks is the national stronghold for them, so most likely from there, but could be an immigrant.

The White-spotted Pinion is a UK Priority species and listed as nationally scarce. The Colchester area is one of the strongholds in the UK. This individual was trapped on the 3rd and is the second garden record after the first two years ago.

Scalloped Oak on the 3rd.

Nutmeg on 3rd.

Scorched Carpet on 3rd.

Iron Prominent on 30th July.

Broad-barred White on 30th.

Cream-bordered Green Pea - on 30th.

Webb's Wainscot on the 28th July.

Lime Hawkmoth larva late on 30th July - accidentally brought inside the house, after clinging to the bare ankle of my wife. Probably hitched a ride from our driveway!

Oak Processionary on 25th and 28th July.

Brimstone Moth

Comfrey Ermine

Tufted Oak Knot-horn

Saltmarsh Knot-horn

WILLOW WARBLERS STOP OFF

Several willow warblers have been stopping off on the Island in recent days during their autumn migration south to Africa. Five were seen in hedgerows beside the East Mersea boating lake on Tuesday 5th. Also on autumn passage were 12 yellow wagtails heading west, 8 swifts,  20 house martins, 25 swallows and two sand martins. Also seen there were two reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, three whitethroats, ten linnets and ten goldfinches. 

Next to the boating lake were a common sandpiper, 70 redshank, 30 turnstones, five little egrets, 7 little grebes, while offshore were 15 common terns.

Three willow warblers were also seen on Tuesday 5th at Feldy View and photographed here by Jon Ward.

Another willow warbler photographed by Jon Ward in Feldy View on Tuesday.

A lesser whitethroat photographed during Jon's visit to the island by Jon on Tuesday.

Sparrowhawk on the island photographed by Jon on Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon at Maydays farm, Steve Entwistle reported a great white egret, greenshank, pair of stonechats, yellowhammer, four whimbrel, 8 curlew, grey plover and also three house martins on the farmhouse. Ten house martin pairs have nested on the farmhouse this summer.

There was a nice show of butterflies on buddleia beside the East Mersea church on Tuesday with ten red admirals and eight commas noted.

The big buddleia bush by the East Mersea church is always worth a look on a sunny day when it's in flower.

On Monday 4th a pair of Sandwich terns rested on the mud near East Mersea Point along with their fledged juvenile. At least 26 common terns were seen on the mud too, although there was a continual to-ing and fro-ing out to sea to fish.

A ringed plover that was presumed fledged was on the mud by the Point on Monday, although it was still being watched over by a parent close-by. Other waders noted as the tide receded were 150 black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, whimbrel, 50 curlew, 30 turnstone, four dunlin, two grey plover and and avocet.

Twenty Mediterranean gulls were feeding on the mudflats by the Point on Monday. A hobby was seen chasing after a sand martin over the middle of the Colne river. In total ten sand martins, 20 swallows and a house martin were noted. A buzzard and kestrel were seen over the park fields, while along the dyke was the pair of mute swans and two cygnets and a tufted duck with two ducklings.

In Feldy View on Monday Andy Field noted 3 willow warblers, two lesser whitethroats and a swift overhead.

On Sunday 3rd a clouded yellow butterfly was photographed on the seawall at Maydays farm. 

One of the six common sandpipers seen along the Maydays creek on Sunday, also a greenshank over the saltmarsh. A cattle egret was with the cattle on Reeveshall, a hobby flew low over the fields at Maydays. two marsh harriers, five stonechats and a yellowhammer were noted in the area too. Three house martins were circling over the farmhouse. An adult shelduck was with six well grown ducklings in the Pyefleet and a flock of twenty grey plover was also seen.

Michael Thorley reported seeing ten turnstones, pied wagtail and five greylag geese flying west at Coopers Beach on Sunday afternoon.

A mass of peacock butterfly caterpillars was clustered around a nettle-head near the Firs Chase caravan park on Saturday 2nd. In Feldy View there were three willow warblers, while in the fields were three kestrels and along the channel were 30 black-tailed godwits, two common terns, eight little egrets, ten great black-backed gulls by the Hard, while 15 swallows were flying near the caravan park.

A male ruddy darter was in Feldy View on Friday 1st.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall included marsh harrier, four kestrels, fifty black-tailed godwits, four golden plover, whimbrel, ten little egrets, three sand martins flying west, 150 linnets in the weedy fields and also six swifts over the houses.

Andy Field photographed this whitethroat on Thursday 31st during his walk around the Cudmore Grove circuit. Birds noted were ten whitethroats, four lesser whitethroats, four reed warblers, three willow warblers, chiffchaff, twenty swallows, twenty sand martins and six house martins.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Thursday included this peregrine that passed overhead, also buzzard, eight Mediterranean gulls, ten black-tailed godwits, whimbrel, three golden plover and three common terns.

A kestrel perched up beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday, two others were seen on the nearby telegraph wires over the fields.

A corn bunting perched in a bush along the Strood seawall on Thursday, also twenty linnets in the weedy fields.