STROOD WHINCHATS

More migrants stopped off on the island on Friday during their autumn passage south. Along the Strood seawall on Friday 28th were five whinchats - three at one end and two in the middle section. Amongst a steady passage during the morning of 130 swallows were 20 house martins and four sand martins. A yellow wagtail, four corn buntings, and 20 linnets were also seen.

Six raptor species were noted during the Strood walk with the highlights being an osprey seen circling over the east side of the Strood causeway for twenty minutes, dropping down to the water several times but unsuccessful with catching anything. A peregrine flew across the channel, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, two buzzards and a kestrel were all noted.

Five Sandwich terns were seen flying along the Strood channel on Friday, while two greenshank, ten ringed plovers, 3 whimbrel, 100 black-tailed godwits, four Mediterranean gulls and a shelduck were of interest. 

A willow warbler and blackcap were in Feldy View, also a Wall Brown butterfly.

A Hornet Hoverfly was feeding on ivy beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday.

At Cudmore Grove Country Park on Friday, two spotted flycatchers were found by Daniel Woollard - one near the pond and another by the clifftop. Also there a mixed finch flock with 25 goldfinches, 16 greenfinches and two chaffinches. A flock of 75 house martins and swallows passed through, while in the bushes were 7 whitethroats, 2 lesser whitethroats, 3 blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, reed warbler and five Cetti's warblers. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth and two Clouded Yellows also seen by Daniel.

Martin Cock walked the Cudmore Grove and Golfhouse circuit on Friday morning and reported a hobby over the park pond, water rail squealing there, leucistic redshank, five Sandwich terns, Cetti's warblers showing well, lots of swallows coming over the river from Colne Point, also a Clouded Yellow.

Jack Hoy at Maydays saw a hobby on Friday plus lots of swallows flying south, and also reported seeing a spotted flycatcher the previous day at Cudmore Grove along the clifftop.

On Thursday 27th a spotted flycatcher was watched feeding in the small paddock near the lower entrance to the Firs Chase caravan park. It was flying out to catch flies before returning to the old apple trees, sometimes being chased by a willow warbler. Another willow warbler and whitethroat were in Feldy View.

Steve Entwistle couldn't find the spotted flycatcher early Thursday evening but did see four yellow wagtails.

A yellow wagtail also perched in an apple tree in the paddock by the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday. Three other yellow wagtails also noted flying over the Strood seawall.

Three whinchats were seen by the Strood seawall on Thursday.

A male whinchat was seen along the central ditch in the Strood fields on Thursday. A pair of stonechat was also seen feeding nearby, 3 corn buntings, 6 reed buntings and 20 linnets also here.

Two other whinchats were together at the north-east end of the Strood seawall on Thursday. 

There was a steady flow west of eighty swallows and 20 house martins during the late morning walk.

A peregrine was seen flying over Firs Chase and circling over the Yacht Club before heading towards the Strood channel on Thursday. A sparrowhawk also seen by Feldy View.

As well as a handful of turnstones in the Strood channel on Thursday, other birds along here were 5 common terns, 2 Sandwich terns passed the Hard, 90 curlew, 100 black-tailed godwits, 15 little egrets and two grey herons.

A Small Copper was seen in Feldy View on Thursday. A Clouded Yellow and Wall Brown were seen along the Strood seawall.

An Ivy Mining Bee was feeding on ivy near the Firs Caravan park on Thursday.

Steve Entwistle at Cudmore Grove on Thursday saw 27 black-tailed godwits, 50 curlew and 2 grey plovers.

A female/ juvenile redstart was found on Wednesday 26th, feeding on either side of a field hedge about 300 metres west of the East Mersea church. The bird was photographed here by Andy Field.

The redstart seemed quite settled in this area, enjoying the warmth on the south side of the hedge.

Alongside the path west from the East Mersea church a small hirundine flock perched on the wires with ten swallows and four house martins. One house martin here second from top with three swallows.

Three house martins having a rest and preen on the wires near the church on Wednesday.

On the side lake to the Mersea Water Park at Rewsalls were good numbers of waders at high tide on Wednesday with 200 redshank, 100 turnstones, 70 ringed plover, 20 dunlin, whimbrel and also five little grebes. In the stubble field behind, ten golden plovers, 20 Mediterranean gulls, 10 Common gulls and five grey herons flying over were noted. Two yellow wagtails and ten goldfinches also seen during the walk.

A showy sunflower head in a field corner near the East Mersea church on Wednesday.

Two yellow wagtails were seen by Mark Thomson at Feldy View on Wednesday.

Two wheatears were seen along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 25th.

Both wheatears were at the north-east end of the seawall, occasionally perching on nearby bushes on Tuesday. Three whinchats were also seen, yellow wagtail, two whitethroats and two buzzards over the fields.

Eighty black-tailed godwits gathered on the mud near the Dabchicks on Tuesday.

Some of the black-tailed godwits began feeding close to the seawall path on Tuesday.

Only other birds noted in this area at high tide were a grey plover and ten great black-backed gulls.

A Mediterranean gull was roosting in the stubble field near the Strood hill with some black-headed gulls and common gulls on Tuesday.

A family of mute swans swam up the Strood channel on Tuesday, heading to the borrowdyke inside the seawall.

A Small Copper was feeding in Feldy View on Tuesday, also Brown Argus, Common Blue and Small White. Along the Strood seawall were two Clouded Yellows and also fifty Firebugs on one Mallow plant.

One of the seven Brown Argus seen feeding in Feldy View on Tuesday.

An interesting pattern of fungal Brown Rot on this apple as it lay on the ground beside Feldy View on Tuesday. 

On Monday 24th Martin Cock saw 2 willow warblers, 3 chiffchaffs and a yellow wagtail at Feldy View. Later at East Mersea the osprey was seen fishing along the Pyefleet channel from the Shop Lane seawall. Three avocets and a wheatear also seen by Martin here.

Peter Marchington reported that singles of curlew, turnstone, common gull and Mediterranean gull were all early morning visitors to the Shears Court beach on Monday.

This prettily marked Rosy Knot-horn moth was found in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the 25th.

PARK PASSAGE MIGRANTS

A spotted flycatcher on its passage south was found on Sunday 23rd at Cudmore Grove Country Park in the overflow car park and found and photographed by Daniel Woollard and Mollie Kirk. There was a redstart in the same area early on Sunday morning but no sign of the redstart by the seawall, found the previous day.

Also on passage at the park were two wheatears seen on Heras fencing, photographed by Mollie Kirk.

Steve Entwistle visited Bower Hall farm shop and saw 60 swallows, 35 house martins and two sand martins on the wires on Sunday.

Daniel Woollard and Mollie Kirk found a redstart on Saturday 22nd along the country park seawall - picture by Mollie. Also a yellow wagtail at the Point.

David Webb visited the Strood on Saturday and reported 18 turnstones, 80 redshank, 12 little egrets, 3 ringed plovers and 4 curlew.

On Friday 21st Andy Field reported from Cudmore Grove seeing 5 Sandwich terns, 6 common terns, 10 Mediterranean gulls, 40 grey plovers, 2 ringed plovers, 7 black-tailed godwits, 8 whitethroats, 4 lesser whitethroats, reed warbler and Cetti's warbler. One of the archaeology team reported seeing a Lesser Emperor dragonfly along the park borrowdyke the week before.

Daniel Woollard carried out a high tide wader watch at the East Mersea Point on Friday, noting 152 common terns, 3 Sandwich terns, 28 little egrets, 41 Mediterranean gulls, 40 grey plovers, 370 redshank, 32 dunlin, 7 black-tailed godwits, 14 ringed plover, 8 curlew and 2 bar-tailed godwits.

Michael Thorley saw 45 linnets at the Point on Friday.

Martin Cock visiting the Strood on Friday morning reported 2 whinchats, whitethroat, 7 corn buntings, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, greenshank and 20 golden plovers.

On Thursday 20th a tawny owl was seen by Daniel Woollard perched on a telegraph pole on the East Mersea road in the evening, while another one was heard calling in Firs Chase on Thursday evening too.

Daniel Woollard had an evening stroll at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 19th and photographed this whinchat on the grazing field fence along the dyke. Also lots of waders including whimbrels, and 100 common terns with a few Sandwich terns.

Along the Strood seawall on Wednesday were two whinchats and two stonechats, also 3 yellow wagtails.

Three greenshank were along the Strood on Wednesday, also 330 redshank, 255 black-tailed godwits, 70 curlew, 18 golden plover, 2 grey plover, 2 whimbrel and a common tern.

A flock of 30 goldfinches was in the Feldy View area on Wednesday, while 30 linnets were on the Strood fields and two buzzards seen. A large mixed tit flock in Feldy View had at least 50 long-tailed tits, 4 willow warblers, 2 chiffchaff also 2 lesser whitethroats here and four whitethroats by the seawall.

Martin Cock visited the Strood seawall on Wednesday and reported 4 sedge warblers, 3 lesser whitethroats, whitethroat, hobby, marsh harrier, 2 greenshank, and also willow warbler and blackcap in Feldy View.

A Painted Lady was seen along the Strood seawall on Wednesday, while 3 Brown Argus and Common Blue were in Feldy View.

A Wasp Spider was resting on its web in the long grass at Feldy View on Wednesday.

Andy Field photographed this Hummingbird Hawkmoth that landed briefly in Feldy View on Wednesday. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was also in the Firs Chase garden.

Andy saw the two whinchats along the Strood on Wednesday and later at Waldegraves Holiday park ten Mediterranean gulls and a common tern on the offshore island. Also lots of Firebugs on the beach there.

A grass-snake was found sadly dying in the Firs Chase garden, at the feet of a local cat which was quickly chased away. First sighting this year of a grass snake in the garden here.

A badger was seen feeding under the bird feeders in the Firs Chase garden in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Another badger was found dead in the nearby verge two days earlier after being hit by a car in Firs Chase.

A Firebug late stage nymph was photographed by Michael Thorley in his garden leaf litter at his East Mersea house on Wednesday.

A flock of 235 black-tailed godwits was counted on the mud by the Dabchicks sailing club on Tuesday 18th. Other birds along the Strood included 80 curlew, 28 golden plover, 2 grey plover, 2 bar-tailed godwits, 2 knot, 20 Mediterranean gulls, common tern, 20 little egrets, grey heron and ten great black-backed gulls.

A red kite flew over Ray Island on Tuesday, also a buzzard seen, while 25 swallows, 5 house martins and three swifts were all circling in the air near Strood Hill. Three whinchats, stonechat, 2 yellow wagtails, 12 linnets were along the seawall, while four willow warblers and lesser whitethroat were in Feldy View.

A hobby flying east and a young buzzard calling were both reported by Rob Lee at Barrow Hill on Tuesday.

A Common Blue Damselfly was resting in the long grass in Feldy View on Tuesday.

A flock of long-tailed tits stopped off for a drink in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday. A willow warbler and goldcrest were also seen in the big mixed tit flock in the garden. A hummingbird hawkmoth was in the garden briefly too.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Monday 17th included red kite, marsh harrier, 220 black-tailed godwits, 200 redshank, 3 golden plover, ringed plover, dunlin, 2 common terns, stonechat, 15 swallows and a yellow wagtail. In Feldy View there were 3 willow warblers, chiffchaff and a lesser whitethroat.

Four buzzards were heard mewing by Rob Lee as they circled over Barrow Hill on Monday.

On Sunday 16th a family of mute swans was in the Strood borrowdyke with four cygnets doing some preening on the bank with the mum keeping them company, while dad snoozed on the water. Two little grebes were also in the dyke here. 

Two corn buntings were along the Strood seawall on Sunday, also 2 whinchats, stonechat, yellow wagtail, marsh harrier and buzzard noted flying about. A hobby was high over the Peldon fields.

Along the channel were 150 black-tailed godwits, 150 redshank, ten Mediterranean gulls, greenshank, whimbrel, 8 golden plover, 2 grey plover, 2 shelduck and three little grebes.

Three willow warblers were in Feldy View with 3 lesser whitethroats in the area.

Steve Entwistle visited Feldy View on Sunday and and saw 4 willow warblers, while nearby down the side of the caravan park were 2 willow warblers, lesser whitethroat, 2 whitethroats and a green woodpecker.

A Southern Migrant Hawker was hawking over the Strood dyke on Sunday.

At Maydays farm on Sunday, Martin Cock reported a peregrine, 6 house martins, 65 grey plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, sedge warbler, whitethroat and lesser whitethroat.

A few moths in the Firs Chase garden moth trap over the last week included one or two Orange Swifts, this a male.

One female Orange Swift laid lots of eggs.

A Southern Wainscot showing the distinctive furrowed brow.

Webb's Wainscot.

Black form of the Box Moth.

European Corn Borer.

Dark-bordered Pearl.

Marbled Piercer.