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.

BOUNTY OF BUTTERFLIES

Plenty of butterflies were enjoying the sunshine near Feldy View on Friday 27th, such as this colourful peacock butterfly.

Several gatekeepers were feeding on the bramble flowers beside the Firs Caravan park. 

An Essex Skipper was feeding on ragwort in Feldy View. Also noted were meadow brown, small heath, red admiral, comma, holly blue, small white and large white.

A very flighty painted lady was flying quickly along the Strood seawall on Friday, pausing only briefly for this hurried photograph to be taken.

A female common blue damselfly rested on a bush by the Firs caravan park on Friday.

Birds seen during the walk along the Strood seawall on Friday included a red kite, buzzard, male stonechat, two common terns, eight curlew, sedge warbler and whitethroat. Three sand martins flew north-west over the fields and Strood Channel, while 15 swifts were seen over the houses.

At Maydays on Friday morning Martin Cock saw a hobby, marsh harrier, three buzzards, yellowhammer as well as the locally rare marbled white butterfly, gatekeepers and an Essex Skipper. Five common seals were also noted in the Pyefleet.

Along the Strood on Thursday 26th, a flock of 30 sand martins flew north-west off the Island, two marsh harriers, buzzard, ten linnets, three sedge warblers, reed warbler, curlew, turnstone were all noted and also seventy swifts flying about over the West Mersea houses.

On Wednesday 25th I joined the RSPB on Lennie Wilson's boat to help with the breeding bird survey on the beach recharges of Cobmarsh Island, Packing Marsh, Old Hall Point and Shinglehead Point on Tollesbury Wick. A pair of ringed plover was seen on Cobmarsh, while only one oystercatcher chick was seen on the island despite over a dozen pairs present. A couple of ringed plover pairs were seen on Old Hall Point. Herring gull chick numbers seemed well down this year compared to last year while only one pair of lesser black-backed gulls was seen on Packing Marsh. A summering brent goose was seen and a common tern flew past. 

Earlier on Wednesday two green woodpeckers were seen in Feldy View - one of them being this juvenile, also ten swifts and a Mediterranean gull over the houses, and a buzzard over Ray Island.

An elephant hawkmoth appeared in Sarah Thorley's greenhouse in East Mersea in the evening on Tuesday 24th. 

In Shop Lane a hobby, two buzzards, three purple hairstreaks and a small copper was seen by Martin Cock on Tuesday.

The grass field by the Strood had been recently cut then baled on Tuesday 24th.

Birds noted from the seawall included two buzzards, two curlew, three redshank, two common terns, three little egrets, grey heron, two sedge warblers, 15 linnets and four singing reed buntings. 

On Monday 23rd a large passage of swifts was observed with 500+ counted between 11.15 and 12.30. They were flying north-west over the Strood fields in a wide swathe between the Strood Hill and the Firs Caravan park. Presumably a long-ranging feeding flock from elsewhere passing over the island, rather than a flock heading south for the winter.

Also a hobby was seen flying north-west off the island on Monday, a red kite, three buzzards, ten stock doves, six curlew, three common terns, two sedge warbler, reed warbler, whitethroat and ten linnets.

Steve Entwistle visited Cudmore Grove on Monday and saw the barn owl hunting over the grazing fields in early evening. Twelve Mediterranean gulls were on the Golfhouse pools, also avocet there, while an oystercatcher was still nesting at the Point, 120 sand martins along the park dyke, skylark, four linnets, curlew, 56 oystercatcher, four swifts and 20 swallows. Two pairs of black-tailed skimmers seen along the dyke.

A Bromans Lane resident also watched the barn owl hunting the fields to the north of the country park on Monday evening.

On Saturday 21st Steve Entwistle visited Maydays farm and reported a pair of yellowhammers, female marsh harrier, reed bunting, lesser whitethroat and two whitethroats.

Also noted at Maydays during a brief walk in addition to Steve's sightings, were a buzzard, five swifts, two Cetti's warblers, reed warbler and a house martin over the buildings.

Later in Shop Lane a pair of white-letter hairstreaks was seen beside Fishponds Wood by Steve.

Some of the recent moths of interest from the Firs Chase garden included this White Satin on the 26th.

Buff Arches

Sycamore.

Marbled Green

HERD OF ELEPHANTS

A colourful herd of hawkmoths visited the Firs Chase garden on the night of Friday 20th. Fourteen elephant hawkmoths came to the garden moth trap, along with two privet hawkmoths and three pine hawkmoths. After the hawkmoths were photographed, they were all released to safety inside a thick bush in the garden. Two tawny owls were heard calling to each other late on Friday night in Firs Chase.

A red kite was seen drifting over Feldy View on Friday just after midday, which may've been the same one seen by Andy Field a few minutes earlier over his garden in High Street North. Sixteen swifts were also seen over the houses.

A ruddy darter photographed by Andy Field in Feldy View on Friday.

Two vapourer moth caterpillars were in Andy Field's garden on Friday.

On Friday morning, five Sandwich terns, common tern and a marsh harrier were seen from Ivy Dock in East Mersea by Martin Cock.

On Thursday 19th Martin Cock at Maydays reported two marsh harriers, stonechat, two common terns, curlew, four great crested grebes and a lesser whitethroat.

Jack Hoy saw a sparrowhawk at Cudmore Grove near the bird hide on Thursday afternoon.

A short walk round Feldy View and then to the Dabchicks on Wednesday 18th, provided views of 15 swifts over the houses, green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker, three common terns and a song thrush.

A comma butterfly was resting beside the path by the Firs caravan park on Wednesday.

A ruddy darter was in Feldy View on Wednesday, also meadow brown, small heath, Essex Skipper and a red admiral.

A fox was caught on a trail camera in Andy Field's garden on Wednesday morning.

A red kite was seen flying low over Maydays farm on Wednesday by Steve Entwistle, also four house martins.

In East Mersea a purple hairstreak and a buzzard were seen by Martin Cock in Meeting Lane/ Gyants Marsh area on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday 17th birds noted during a brief visit to the Strood seawall included buzzard, sedge warbler, reed warbler, 25 swifts over the houses as was a sparrowhawk. A goldcrest was singing in the Firs Chase garden again.

A barred straw was photographed by Lea Merclova in the Cudmore Grove toilets on Tuesday 17th.

Lea also reported that the ringed plover was still on four eggs by the old fort on the beach, the nest now fenced off. The oystercatcher was still sitting on two eggs at the Point although the other oystercatcher nest by the shrubby sea-blite appears to have gone.

Two recently fledged swallows were photographed by Andy Field by the Cudmore Grove seawall on Monday 16th.

Two sand martins were also photographed by Andy along the park dyke on Monday.

There was a mixed flock of 20+ sand martins and swallows. Two sand martins spent a bit of time in a hole in the park cliffs, presumably prospecting a nesting site.

Four kestrel chicks at Cudmore Grove appeared to be almost fledged, photographed here by Andy on Monday. A red kite flew over the park, also a willow warbler singing at the park is a late migrant. A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen by the park cliffs. Two oystercatchers were on nests at the Point.

In Shop Lane a chiffchaff and blackcap were singing on Monday morning, also two grey squirrels seen by Fishponds Wood, while from the nearby seawall, two marsh harriers, two buzzards and reed bunting were noted, while the family of five Canada geese was still on Pewit Island.

A few red kites were seen passing over the island on Sunday 15th, with this one pictured being one of  two seen over Feldy View late morning. A red kite was also seen flying west over Martin Cock's house in The Coverts, one over Andy Field's High St North house, then three seen over the West Mersea Hard near noon by Rob Lee. A buzzard was also seen flying north-west off the island.

 

A common tern was hunting along the Strood channel on Sunday, also seen were a great crested grebe, mute swan, four shelduck, two curlew, two Cetti's warblers, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, yellow wagtail and a whitethroat. Fifteen swifts were flying over the houses.

A song thrush was seen in Steve Entwistle's garden in Empress Drive on Sunday morning.

A little patch of poppies provided a bit of colour by the Maydays seawall on Saturday 14th.

Birds noted included a hobby over Langenhoe, two marsh harriers, buzzard, common tern, three great crested grebes, two curlew, four redshank, 9 shelduck, yellowhammer, stonechat, 20 swifts and a lesser whitethroat singing.

In the afternoon a hobby flew over the Firs Chase garden heading north-west. Later in the middle of the night two tawny owls were heard calling to each other.

Birds noted on Friday 13th by Feldy View were marsh harrier, whitethroat, reed warbler, 10 swifts over the houses and three common terns in the channel.

A goldcrest was singing in Firs Chase garden.

At Maydays on Friday, Martin Cock reported two marsh harriers, lesser whitethroat, several young sedge warblers, yellowhammer, stonechat and a small skipper butterfly.

On Thursday 12th in a circuit of Feldy View and Dabchicks, ten swifts were over the houses, three common terns, two Mediterranean gulls, buzzard, yellow wagtail, blackcap, chiffchaff and a whitethroat were the main birds noted.

A small skipper was in Feldy View on Wednesday 11th, also a handful of meadow browns and small heaths. The cuckoo was heard calling, a pair of avocets flew along the Strood channel and three whitethroats were by the caravan park. A goldcrest and song thrush were in Firs Chase.

At East Mersea Point on Wednesday, Lea Merclova of the Essex Coast Bird Aware project, fenced off a second oystercatcher nest, also two ringed plover territories noted with four eggs noted at one nest and a chick also seen at the Point.

Along the Strood on Tuesday 10th were a pochard flying, two sedge warblers and a reed warbler singing and three whitethroats by the caravan park.

Moth trapping has been taking place on several of the warm nights recently in the Firs Chase garden. The first Privet Hawkmoth of the summer was on the 12th.

The first Four-spotted Footman for the garden was noted on the 12th.

Swallow-tailed moth

Magpie moth

Barred Yellow

Tawny-barred Angle

Cream-spot Bark Moth.