Tuesday 10 September 2024

TREE PIPIT TREAT

The Feldy View tree pipit was seen again in Feldy View Cemetery on Tuesday 10th. It has been present here for three days which has been a real treat - this picture taken on Monday after it flew off the ground to perch in a low branch for a couple of minutes. This is the seventeenth record of a tree pipit on the island and none of them previously have stayed more than a morning. A tree pipit was also seen in Feldy View on the 25th August by Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock.

On Tuesday the tree pipit was seen again flying off the ground where it had been feeding in the grass, it perched for a couple of minutes and then dropped back down where it seemed quite confiding walking among the long grass and small memorial crosses at the back of the cemetery. 

Also in the cemetery on Tuesday were the two spotted flycatchers also present for their third day - one has been present for four days. A chiffchaff, five yellow wagtails, great spotted woodpecker and a flyover buzzard were also noted there, while forty goldfinches were feeding beside the Firs Chase caravan park.

Earlier on Tuesday a pair of ravens was seen swooping low and calling loudly as they flew south-west over the Firs Chase gardens, passing just under tree-height and providing close views. They had come from the direction of the caravan site and maybe Feldy View. A sparrowhawk also passed over Firs Chase.

A kingfisher was photographed by Michael Thorley on Tuesday by the East Mersea Golfhouse borrowdyke. Also seen in the area were a dabchick with two young, tufted duck, two pochard and mallard, while at the Point were three wheatears, eight linnets and two Sandwich terns.

Jon Ward also visited East Mersea Stone Point on Tuesday morning and noted five wheatears, two Mediterranean gulls, two Sandwich terns and 25- 30 linnets.

On Monday 9th the tree pipit was unexpectedly still present for its second day in Feldy View, seen flying off the ground and then perching in a tree. After flying off to the nearby hedge, it was seen back ten minutes later on a grassy path feeding, pictured here.

Also in Feldy View were the two spotted flycatchers for at least their second day, one was seen on Saturday too. The flycatchers were busy feeding in and around the trees that were sheltered from the fresh north-westerly wind. A flock of fifty sand martins passed quickly east over Feldy View.

Along the Strood channel on Monday was a common sandpiper, greenshank, 30 golden plover, 90 black-tailed godwits, Sandwich tern, ten Mediterranean gulls, also wheatear, two yellow wagtails and thirty linnets.

Martin Cock did a short walk at Maydays on Monday and saw two whinchats, two stonechats, greenshank and a sparrowhawk.

Michael Thorley photographed a chiffchaff on Monday in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane.

The chiffchaff was visiting the pond in Michael's garden.

Another picture of a chiffchaff by Michael in his East Mersea garden on Monday.

On Sunday 8th, this tree pipit was found and photographed by Andy Field in the Feldy View Cemetery.
The bird was first seen flying off the path to land in a low branch where it stayed long enough for Andy to take this picture of it. It was seen by several other local birders during the morning, although I don't believe it was seen in the afternoon, although it reappeared the following morning.

Two spotted flycatchers were busy feeding in the birches and oak trees of Feldy View - first found here by Andy, and they were also at the nearby aptly named "flycatcher-corner." Daniel and Mollie Kirk thought there may've been four birds present in the area on Sunday morning. A willow warbler, reed warbler and chiffchaff were also seen in Feldy View.
Andy saw a stoat briefly at flycatcher-corner on Sunday morning.

A sand martin perched on wires beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday.

Among the flock of fifty swallows beside the Firs Caravan park on Sunday was this juvenile swallow.

Some of the fifty swallows perched on wires over the path beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday. A hobby was seen flying fast as it headed east, passing close to this flock of swallows. Three yellow wagtails were heard flying over.

A wheatear was feeding along the bottom of the Strood seawall on Sunday, while in the fields two whinchats and four stonechats were along the central ditch with forty linnets.
Daniel Woollard saw five corn buntings along the central ditch earlier on Sunday.

A redshank fed near the Strood seawall on Sunday, with other waders of note in the channel being 20 black-tailed godwits and seven grey plover. Two Sandwich terns were in the channel with a common tern near Packing Shed island.

A flock of at least ninety Mediterranean gulls was counted on Sunday, first on the Strood mud and then again on the nearby field as the tide came in. There were more to be confirmed as Mediterranean gulls but either they were too distant on the mud, or were asleep at an angle that made their ID difficult.
A peregrine scattered all the gulls when it headed across the channel towards the Strood causeway.
In the ploughed field a murder of 65 carrion crows was counted.
A painted lady was seen nectaring on flowers on the seawall.

On Sunday late afternoon 15 wigeon flew south over the Firs Chase garden, also fifteen sand martins with a flock of fifty swallows passed over south-west.

At East Mersea a common scoter was seen by Mollie Kirk and Daniel Woollard flying towards Stone Point before turning back out to sea again. Also two wheatears on the path to the Point.

An osprey flew slowly down the Pyefleet Channel on Saturday 6th, every so often circling high over the water before continuing down channel passing Maydays where it was pictured here. Earlier on Saturday it had been seen perched on a post on the Geedons saltings, then came for a fly-around in the Pyefleet before returning to the post on the Geedons later in the afternoon.

A whinchat, three stonechats and a wheatear were seen at Maydays on Saturday. A hobby and five kestrels hunted over Langenhoe, a greenshank, bar-tailed godwit, eight black-tailed godwits and 130 grey plover were the main waders of note in the Pyefleet. Three Cetti's warblers sang, four house martins were by the farmhouse and five Mediterranean gulls noted too.

Ten small heaths and a common blue butterfly were inside the Maydays seawall on Saturday.
Four common seals were on the saltmarsh up the Pyefleet and a brown hare was at Maydays.

At Feldy View a spotted flycatcher was found by Steve Entwistle in Feldy View on Saturday morning. Also in Feldy were six willow warblers, two chiffchaffs, eight goldfinches, ten blue tits, two long-tailed tits and five chaffinches.

At Rewsalls marsh on Friday 6th four Sandwich terns, lots of waders roosting on the side lake, also a dead guillemot washed up on the beach, were seen by Martin Cock.
At Coopers Beach on Friday afternoon, Michael Thorley reported 20 little egrets, nine common gulls, two herring gulls, a few black-backed gulls, 30 golden plover, 15 oystercatchers, 13 turnstones, five ringed plovers, female common scoter, pied wagtail and wood pigeons. In the morning a great spotted woodpecker was seen near Blue Row.

Late on Friday night a tawny owl was heard calling in Firs Chase. 

A great tit was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden feeding on sunflower seeds.


On Thursday along the Strood there was a big flock of 80+ Mediterranean gulls on the mud, also eight Sandwich terns hunting the channel, 15 golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, hobby, wheatear, four stonechats and a "murder" of 58 carrion crows feeding in a field.

At East Mersea there was a spotted redshank reported on Birdguides, that was seen at the end of Ivy Lane on Thursday afternoon.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Wednesday 4th and found five wheatears on the East Mersea Point - pictured here by Andy.

Two of the wheatears photographed by Andy on the sign at the East Mersea Point on Wednesday. Also seen were the leucistic redshank among 200 redshank, 20 grey plover, six ringed plover, dozens of terns flying into the estuary mainly common terns with some Sandwich terns. Also eight common terns were on the mud with a Sandwich tern. Four sand martins and thirty swallows seen flying about. A brief view of a barn owl at the park early in the morning and a little owl calling from the Golfhouse.

Five common seals were reported at Langenhoe Marsh Point on Wednesday by Rob Lee.
A grey squirrel was seen at the barn owl box by Daniel Woollard early on Wednesday.

By the Dabchicks on Wednesday 30 ringed plovers, ten black-tailed godwits, two grey plovers and two turnstones were seen. 

A Feathered Gothic was in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase on 7th September.

A Brindled Green seen on 7th.

Two Dark Sword-grass on 6th.

Two Silver Y's were on the 6th.

A smart looking Gold Spot is the first record for the garden.

An Olive-tree Pearl was seen on four nights between the 2nd and the 7th and may've been the same individual.

A Dusky Thorn was seen on both 2nd and 7th September.

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