MAYDAYS YELLOWHAMMER

A male yellowhammer was seen with its female partner on a bush by the Maydays seawall on Saturday 10th. It was a morning for raptors with six species seen during the walk, with a merlin flying low over the fields carrying prey being the most notable. Others included four marsh harriers, four buzzards, red kite, sparrowhawk and three kestrels.

The tide was pushing waders out of the Pyefleet with 75 avocets, 30 dunlin, 3 knot and a bar-tailed godwit of interest. Also along the channel were ten Mediterranean gulls, six great crested grebes, 2 wigeon and 6 shelduck. Five stonechats and a rock pipit were also seen near the seawall.

Sheltering behind bushes from a north-westerly breeze at Maydays was this Willow Emerald damselfly. Also noted along here were Migrant Hawker and a couple of Common Darters.

Twelve red-legged partridges were in a field beside the East Mersea road at Barrow Hill on Saturday.

Offshore from the Victoria Esplanade on Saturday were a red-throated diver and a red kite watched flying west initially before turning inland to fly overhead on its way west. Also three swallows flew west along the coastline and six meadow pipits west too.

On Friday 9th Steve Entwistle saw a dark phase Arctic skua close into the Esplanade, also 3 red-throated divers, 6 Arctic terns, 2 shelduck, 5 brent geese and 2 curlew.

Birds noted along the Strood on Friday morning included 6 brent geese, 2 greylag geese, 3 wigeon, 20 teal, 16 golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, 70 dunlin and two Sandwich terns. In the fields were 25 linnets, while 20 goldfinches were by the Firs Caravan park.

Two juvenile gannets were seen flying offshore from West Mersea on Thursday 8th, photographed by Andy Field from the Esplanade.

Another picture by Andy Field of the two juvenile gannets flying offshore from the Esplanade on Thursday. They were seen flying west towards Old Hall and then turned back to head towards the mouth of the Colne.

Two velvet scoters were seen flying into the Blackwater with six common scoters by Martin Cock at the Esplanade. Also seen from the Esplanade were 6 Arctic terns, 10 Sandwich terns, skua sp, brent goose, 3 wigeon, swallow, 40 meadow pipits and 2 red-throated divers.

Several swallows were reported by Clive Pickering flying past his house near the bottom of Kingsland Road on Thursday morning.

A poorly common tern was seen on the beach by the East Mersea Youth Camp on Thursday. It allowed a reasonable close approach, although stumbled on the beach when trying to walk away as if it had bird flu.

The common tern was eventually able to fly away and headed off west along the coastline. Offshore were six red-throated divers and 5 great crested grebes, while on the shingle island off Waldegraves were ten Sandwich terns, 30 sanderling and 40 oystercatchers.

Thirty Mediterranean gulls were feeding on the golf driving range with other gulls and a pair of little owls struck up a duet for a short while near the driving range. A swallow flying west was also seen a short while later by Martin Cock at the Esplanade.

A flock of long-tailed tits was in a hedge by the boating lake on Thursday, also three chiffchaffs heard in various places. Also 35 golden plover, 60 ringed plovers and 35 linnets in fields.

A Clouded Yellow butterfly was seen near the Youth Camp.

Ninety black-tailed godwits were in the Strood channel on Wednesday 7th with most being near the Dabchicks Sailing Club. On a wet morning a short walk to the Strood seawall produced a corn bunting overhead, stonechat, marsh harrier, buzzard, 100 turnstones, also sparrowhawk, chiffchaff and two song thrushes by Feldy View.

A pair of Egyptian geese flew up the Strood channel and headed over to the Ray Channel on Wednesday.

Andy Field saw a red-throated diver fly into the Blackwater and a Sandwich tern on a buoy, from the Esplanade on Wednesday.

On Tuesday 6th there was no sign of the Dartford warbler along the Strood seawall seen the previous day, although the pair of stonechat was still in the area perching on various bushes along the borrowdyke. Overhead a red kite circled round while peering down below.

 

After several circles over the nearby Strood field, the red kite swooped down and seemed to pick up a bird corpse which looked like a pigeon. It then landed in the field and began plucking it.

Two other red kites were seen that morning, also ten buzzards with five together over the Glebe, also marsh harrier.

Along the Strood channel on Tuesday was this redshank, also greenshank, 100 black-tailed godwits, bar-tailed godwit, 60 golden plovers, ten ringed plovers, 30 dunlin, 20 teal and 20 Mediterranean gulls.

Two pairs of stonechat were at either end of the Strood seawall with a female in the middle section, on Tuesday. Also 15 corn buntings, 20 skylarks, 50 linnets, 6 reed buntings, 2 Cetti's warblers, song thrush  and five chiffchaffs at various locations including Feldy View.

Six Clouded Yellows were seen along the Strood seawall and fields.

A red squirrel was reported by Heather Howard in her garden in St Peter's Road.

A Scarce Bordered Straw was found in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the 6th.

Autumnal Rustic

Blair's Shoulder Knot.

STROOD DARTFORD WARBLER

A Dartford warbler was an unexpected discovery along the Strood seawall late morning on Monday 5th, feeding in the company of a pair of stonechats. This is a picture of the bird by Ed Bateman - who managed to snap the bird as it briefly perched on a bush. The bird appeared to be a female as it didn't show the extensive dark red on the face and underparts of a male bird. There was some dark red along the flanks and upper chest suggesting a female.

The Dartford warbler covered quite a long area of bushes, brambles and tall plants alongside the Strood borrowdyke as it kept up with the stonechats. It was seen several times flying from one bush to the next and briefly showing for a few seconds before disappearing again. It even flew out into the middle of the saltmarsh for a minute or so, before returning to the seawall. It was heard to call latterly a few times.

This is only the second record of Dartford Warbler on the island after the first one at East Mersea Point was nearly twenty years ago, in February 2007.

Also seen along the Strood on Monday were four buzzards, red kite, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk.

As well as the pair of stonechats with the Dartford warbler at the north-eastern end of the seawall, another pair was at the south-west end, with a single bird in the middle. Also ten corn buntings, 5 reed buntings, 25 linnets, 20 meadow pipits and 30 skylarks in the fields.

Two wigeon were along the Strood channel on Monday, as well as 30 teal, greenshank, 35 golden plovers, bar-tailed godwit, 15 dunlin, 30 grey plover and 15 ringed plover.

Two great spotted woodpeckers were by Feldy View, also a blackcap, 2 chiffchaffs and 20 goldfinches.

Four brent geese were seen off the Monkey Beach at West Mersea by Mark Thomson on Monday.

A grey squirrel was seen at Cudmore Grove on Monday by Jodie.

Andy Field photographed this stonechat on Sunday 4th, in the flycatcher-corner area beside the Firs Chase caravan park, with another two along the Strood seawall. Three or four chiffchaffs were in the Feldy View-flycatcher corner area .

Peter Marchington visited Cudmore Grove on Sunday and photographed this meadow pipit there.

Another picture by Peter of meadow pipit.

A mallard photographed at Cudmore by Peter.

Clouded Yellow at Cudmore Grove pictured by Peter on Sunday.

Michael Thorley photographed this Grey Dagger moth caterpillar in his East Mersea garden on Friday 2nd. He also saw a Wall Brown butterfly in his garden on Friday.

Steve Entwistle on Friday saw 2 Sandwich terns, a common gull and 12 great black-backed gulls following a fishing boat, from the West Mersea Esplanade late afternoon.

An unexpected visitor to the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on the night of the 6th was this smooth newt, found resting on the white sheet. One was also found beside the moth trap back on the 1st April.

Black Rustic.

Figure of Eight.

Feathered Ranunculus.

Olive-tree Pearl

Yellow-line Quaker.

Large Wainscot.

Box Moth.

Least Carpet.

FLYCATCHER FEST CONTINUES

A fifth pied flycatcher for Feldy View this autumn first found on the 28th September by Martin Cock, was still present on the 1st October when Oli Cottis photographed the bird shown here.

The pied flycatcher photographed by Oli Cottis on the 1st, spent most of the time in the trees at the northern end of the woodland cemetery, sometimes elusive and mobile.

It has been the best autumn for pied flycatchers seen on the Island with eight different birds being found - at two locations in East Mersea and two locations in West Mersea. Spotted Flycatchers have also had a good autumn on the island with at least a dozen individuals from five locations.

Also seen by Oli in Feldy View on Thursday were a possible tree pipit which flew from trees at the northern end but unfortunately didn't call, also a redwing, Mediterranean gull and a Clouded Yellow.

The pied flycatcher was seen on Wednesday 30th in Feldy View by Martin Cock and others, with a redwing also seen there by Ed Bateman.

Andy Field watched the pied flycatcher in Feldy View on Tuesday 29th, also seeing during his walk onto the seawall 3 chiffchaffs, pair of stonechats, 6 meadow pipits, 5 greenshank and 40 black-tailed godwits.

Mark Thomson saw male and female blackcaps and a chiffchaff beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Tuesday.

At Cudmore Grove on Tuesday morning Daniel Woollard saw 30 meadow pipits flying over, 5 reed buntings, 4 stonechats, 2 chiffchaffs and a blackcap.

On Monday 28th the pied flycatcher was first found at Feldy View by Martin Cock, which subsequently stayed for four days. 

Two buzzards were seen by Mark Thomson soaring over East Road on Monday.

Peter Marchington photographed this little egret on Sunday 27th in front of the Firs Chase caravan park.

The little egret was photographed during the high tide on Sunday afternoon.

Little egret pictured by Peter.

Black-headed gull pictured by Peter.

Speckled Wood butterfly pictured by Caroline Horwood.

Michael Thorley visited Cudmore Grove Country Park on Sunday 27th and saw four wigeon in the borrowdyke, also four Clouded Yellows feeding on the yellow flowers of the Bristly Ox-tongue.

The spotted flycatcher was present at Cudmore Grove on Saturday 26th for its third day. Pictured here by Daniel Woollard on the bird-bath in his back garden at the park.

It has been a good autumn for spotted flycatchers on the island with at least twelve birds being found.

During an afternoon loop walk at Cudmore Grove and the Golfhouse by Daniel on Saturday, he reported seeing 100 golden plover, 175 oystercatchers, 5 black-tailed godwits and two bar-tailed godwits, as well as the leucistic redshank among lots of the other usual waders.

Also seen by Daniel were a peregrine harassing all the waders, 15 Sandwich terns seen, a few meadow pipits calling as the flew over, reed bunting, Cetti's warbler, six stonechats on the grazing marsh, six blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs and a lesser whitethroat along the Golfhouse track.

Paul Rowe saw a Wall Brown butterfly along the Cudmore Grove shore on Saturday afternoon.

ANOTHER FELDY VIEW FLYCATCHER

 

Feldy View delivered yet another flycatcher on Friday 25th with a spotted flycatcher being found by Steve Entwistle in the morning. Photo by Steve as it fed from the top of the silver birches.

Steve also saw 3 goldfinches, chaffinch and a Wall Brown in Feldy View.

The spotted flycatcher in Feldy View was also photographed by Mark Thomson on Friday.

Another picture by Mark of the spotted flycatcher in Feldy View.

Peter Marchington also visited Feldy View on Friday but there was no sign of the spotted flycatcher for him in the afternoon. Instead three buzzards put on a good display relatively low overhead.

Another buzzard over Feldy View by Peter.

Buzzard by Peter on Friday over Feldy View.

At Cudmore Grove a spotted flycatcher was seen by Mollie Kirk on Friday for the second day, at the bird bath in her back garden.

Jonathan Norgate enjoyed seeing six Clouded Yellows and three Wall Brown butterflies on Friday morning at Cudmore Grove, also twenty Sandwich terns offshore.

Michael Thorley photographed many Ivy Bees on the ivy in his East Mersea garden on Friday.

Two Ivy Bees photographed by Michael in the ivy hedge behind his garden on Friday.

A spotted flycatcher was photographed by Mollie Kirk on Thursday 24th at Cudmore Grove, as it visited her bird bath in her back garden.

Ten spoonbills and a great white egret were seen on the Pyefleet mud near Shop Lane on Thursday by Martin Cock. 

A red squirrel was seen running down Elmwood Drive in West Mersea by Jo McDonough on Thursday, while a grey squirrel was reported in the Shop Lane woods by Martin Cock and another in Bromans Lane by Jodie.

On Wednesday 23rd another pied flycatcher was found in Feldy View in the north-east corner by Andy Field. It proved to be quite elusive and mobile during the morning.

Andy later saw 2 Sandwich terns fly west past the Esplanade on Wednesday.

Martin Cock  saw seven Sandwich terns from the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Wednesday and also heard a water rail squealing from the borrowdyke.

A grey seal was photographed by Peter Marchington as it swam just offshore from Shears Court on Tuesday 22nd. A great crested grebe also seen offshore from here too.

At Feldy View and the nearby flycatcher corner on Tuesday Andy Field reported five chiffchaffs, blackcap, Mediterranean gull overhead and a Clouded Yellow seen.

On Monday 21st, Martin Cock saw 500+ swallows and house martins perched on wires across the field by Chapmans Lane. At Maydays farm there was a red kite, two buzzards, snipe and a chiffchaff seen by Martin.

There was a large flock of swallows and house martins over the fields by the entry to Waldegraves Lane seen by Mark Thomson on Sunday 20th.

Steve Entwistle saw a hobby chasing ten swallows, 15 meadow pipits and 20 pied wagtails, also two yellow wagtails on wires in Chapmans Lane on Sunday afternoon.

Carrie Horwood saw a female sparrowhawk pass through her Fairhaven Avenue garden on its regular daily visits and a male blackcap in her garden on Saturday 19th.

At the Golfhouse and Cudmore Grove area on Friday 18th Martin Cock reported six chiffchaffs, lesser whitethroat, 2 Sandwich terns and 12 Clouded Yellows including a pale Helice individual.

Steve Entwistle visited Feldy View on Friday and reported a willow warbler, 5 chiffchaff, 5 goldfinches, 2 green woodpeckers and a Wall Brown butterfly.

Andy Field found and photographed this pied flycatcher in Feldy View on Wednesday 16th. It was spending most of the time in the north-east corner mostly in the silver birches.

Peter Marchington also photographed the pied flycatcher in Feldy View on Wednesday.

Michael Thorley photographed a Wall Brown in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Wednesday.

Andy Field photographed an Ivy Bee in his garden in High Street North on Wednesday. Also in this garden were a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and a Wall Brown butterfly.