There was a very unexpected sighting of a
nightjar on Wednesday 10th, seen and photographed by Jenella Potter in Captains Road in West Mersea. The bird was seen resting on her neighbour's conservatory but unfortunately it flew off when a window blind was being opened to get a better look at the bird.
Nightjars are active at night and spend the day resting on a tree limb or on the ground where they rely on their cryptic colouration to stay hidden. This bird will have stopped off briefly here on its way to Africa for the winter. The last and only
nightjar record for Mersea was on 27th April 2003 when Richard Hull saw one in Empress Avenue during the day as he was out walking.
On Tuesday 9th Andy Field visited Cudmore Grove and took this photograph of three of the 32
Sandwich terns that he saw in the Colne.
A
wheatear photographed by Andy at the East Mersea Point on Tuesday, also two
stonechats seen and seven
buzzards north over the horse paddocks.
Daniel Woollard photographed this
great green bush cricket at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Tuesday. The last one seen at the park was two years ago on the 11th September 2023 by Jonathan Norgate which was the first record for the island since 1961.
On Monday 8th along the Strood seawall, there were two whinchats, two stonechats, wheatear, 15 linnets seen in the fields, also seen were three sparrowhawks, ten swallows, fifteen little egrets, grey heron, twenty black-tailed godwits and a Mediterranean gull. A clouded yellow flew along the seawall. Three chiffchaffs were noted in Feldy View and by the caravan park.
At Maydays farm on Monday, Martin Cock reported seeing
red kite, two
wheatears, Sandwich tern and a
Cetti's warbler.
Moths of note seen in the Firs Chase garden moth trap during the first week of September included this
Barred Red on 7th. The second garden record.
Mint Moth during the day on the 7th.
Burnished Brass on the 5th.
L-album Wainscot on 5th and 6th.
Moths of note seen in the Firs Chase garden moth trap during the first week of September included this Barred Red on 7th. The second garden record.
Rosy Rustic on the 7th.
Ruby Tiger on 6th.
Mint Moth during the day on the 7th.
Burnished Brass on the 5th.
Old Lady on 5th.
Dusky Thorn on the 5th.
L-album Wainscot on 5th and 6th.
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