ELEPHANTS AND TIGERS UP EAST

A Small Elephant Hawkmoth was one of the striking moths seen at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Wednesday 4th, during a mothing evening held by several members of the Essex Moth Group. Also noted was the close relative - the Elephant Hawkmoth.

Another colourful moth at Cudmore Grove was the Cream-spot Tiger Moth. 

The final tally for the moth evening is still being collated but should be 70 - 80 moth species from thirteen moth traps dotted about the country park.

A Speckled bush cricket was also noted by the moth trap at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday evening.

Birds noted at the country park during Wednesday evening were the barn owl flying across the car park at 8.30pm, a little owl calling from the nearby caravan park, two Sandwich terns heard calling in the dark as they flew past the park, also a pair of red-legged partridge in Bromans Lane.

Earlier on Wednesday seven avocets were seen on the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools.

It looked like three pairs of avocets and a single bird were present on the pools but no sign of any nesting taking place.

A well-grown lapwing chick was feeding on the saltmarsh pools on Wednesday with an adult watching closeby. Two pairs of gadwall and a pair of Canada geese were also on the pools.

An oystercatcher was near to her nest with three eggs on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Wednesday. Out on the main East Mersea Flats were 50+ oystercatchers feeding at low tide.

A pair of ringed plover was on the beach at the Point with another six birds present on the nearby mud.

Two whimbrel and eight redshank were on the mud by the Point.

Six shelduck were seen. In the Colne two Sandwich terns and two common terns were flying about.

A male reed bunting was singing on top of the sea-blite bushes at the Point on Wednesday, also eight linnets seen here too.

A brood of four mallard ducklings was feeding along the park dyke on Wednesday, also six tufted ducks present.

A water vole was feeding beside the park's borrowdyke on Wednesday.

A male black-tailed skimmer rested beside the park's dyke on Wednesday, also emperor dragonfly and several azure damselflies and blue-tailed damselflies. A red admiral and two meadow brown butterflies noted too.

A whitethroat was singing by the Golfhouse paddock on Wednesday. Other warblers noted included two Cetti's warblers, three reed warblers and a sedge warbler. Two sand martins were seen by the park cliff.

A green woodpecker was feeding in the Golfhouse paddock on Wednesday. 

A small flock of 150 starlings was feeding beside the Golfhouse track on Wednesday. A cuckoo was heard calling and three buzzards were seen soaring in the sky to the north-west.

On Tuesday 6th along the Strood, the stonechat, buzzard, cuckoo calling, Cetti's warbler, two sedge warblers and two reed warblers were noted while 12 swifts were flying over the houses. A song thrush was singing in Firs Chase.

Along the Strood seawall on Monday 2nd, a hobby flew along the back of Ray Island heading to Feldy Marsh, a red kite flew over the Strood Hill, marsh harrier and three buzzards were also seen. Two stonechats, yellow wagtail, cuckoo, eight linnets, two sedge warblers and two reed warblers were noted, while twelve swifts were flying over the houses.

Steve Entwistle also visited the Strood seawall on Monday and as well as seeing some of the above, added a pair of reed buntings, four linnets and two whitethroats.

A goldcrest was singing in the Firs Chase garden again on Monday.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen by Steve Entwistle in his Empress Drive garden on Monday morning.

Michael Thorley photographed this Violet ground beetle in his East Mersea garden on Sunday.

The Swollen-thighed beetle Oedemera nobilis was also photographed by Michael in his garden.

A Hummingbird hawkmoth was photographed by Mollie Kirk in the garden of the Cudmore Grove bungalow on Saturday morning.

Fourteen stock doves were seen at Barrow Hill by Rob Lee on Saturday.

A hedgehog was back in Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden late on Friday night, after being absent for the previous week.

A Peppered Moth was in the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on May 2nd.

Sand Dart

Beautiful Hook-tip

Common Swift.

CUDMORE CYGNETS

Andy Field photographed two mute swan cygnets at Cudmore Grove on a recent visit to the park. 

When Andy visited the park on Friday 30th, birds of interest included a pair of common terns on the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools, no sign of any lapwing chicks in the Golfhouse paddock, and just one large chick seen in the grazing fields. Four sand martins were flying over the borrowdyke, a female kestrel by the nestbox in the oak tree and four pochard commuting between the park pond and the borrowdyke.

A little tern was reported a few days earlier by a birder with the Hitchin Sea Scouts sailing in the Colne. The barn owl has been seen by Matt Smith hunting over the park before opening time.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday were 3 Mediterranean gulls, buzzard, 2 stonechats, 2 sedge warblers, reed warbler and a whitethroat, also 15 swifts over the houses. A goldcrest was heard singing in the Firs Chase garden.

A small tortoiseshell was feeding on a Pyracantha bush in Feldy View on Friday - the first sighting I've had this year of one.

A female broad-bodied chaser was near Feldy View on Friday.

Also on Friday another broad-bodied chaser appeared in the Firs Chase garden.

A brief visit onto the Strood seawall on Thursday 29th provided views of 40 swifts over the houses, buzzard, shelduck, 3 sedge warblers, 2 reed warblers and a whitethroat.

Three sedge warblers were singing along the Strood borrowdyke on Wednesday 28th, also three reed warblers singing too. Other birds noted were three stonechats, two yellow wagtails, Mediterranean gull, two common terns, cuckoo on Ray Island and another over the Strood fields, while over the houses were 44 swifts and two sparrowhawks. Two grey herons flew over Firs Chase and a green woodpecker was in Feldy View.

Michael Thorley photographed the mute swan at Cudmore Grove with two cygnets on Tuesday 27th.

Another photograph by Michael of the mute swan in the Cudmore Grove borrowdyke with the two cygnets on Tuesday.

Three whimbrel were seen off the meadow near Cudmore Grove by Mollie Kirk on Tuesday.

An ominous dark sky loomed over the Strood channel on Monday 26th.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall included two brent geese, pochard, common tern, marsh harrier, three Mediterranean gulls, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, whitethroat, two stonechats and eight linnets.

A common lizard was resting on a slate plaque in Feldy View on a sunny Sunday 25th. Two other common lizards were also soaking up the sun on the plaques low in the grass.

A painted lady was seen by Martin Cock in his garden in The Coverts.

A few moths at the Firs Chase garden moth trap recently included this first Eyed Hawkmoth for four years, seen on the 28th.

Pale Tussock

Figure of Eighty

Poplar Grey

Four Cockchafers were in the moth trap on 28th May.

OYCK IN A BOAT

On Friday 23rd an oystercatcher was seen sitting on her nest in an old fish-box filled with shingle in Jim Pullen's old dory near the Dabchicks sailing club. This fish-box has become a regular nesting site for the oystercatchers in recent years.

Birds seen during a walk along the Strood seawall on Friday included six Mediterranean gulls, common tern, family of four stonechats, yellow wagtail, grey heron, two little egrets, two singing Cetti's warblers, also a cuckoo and nightingale heard from Ray Island. There were 23 swifts flying over the houses and a song thrush was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

At East Mersea Point on Friday, Martin Cock reported a sanderling, dunlin, 28 ringed plover and also the breeding pair, two pochard and eight common terns. Andy Field was also able to add two sand martins, ringed plover chick at the Point, just one lapwing chick in the grazing fields with two adults, while three lapwing chicks were with a pair of adults in the Golfhouse paddock.

On Thursday 22nd along the Strood channel were a brent goose, common tern, sparrowhawk over the houses, also blackcap and chiffchaff in Firs Chase.

A barn owl was seen hunting the field to the north of the country park on Thursday evening. A gadwall was on the park pond. A little owl perched on a telegraph post at Weir Farm at dusk.

Two recently hatched ringed plover chicks were photographed on Wednesday 21st by Lea Merclova of the Bird Aware Essex Coast team. Looks like one other egg still to hatch and also one egg was lost. Possibly a young fledged ringed plover was seen although not sure if this was from an earlier nest here or from elsewhere.

At Maydays on Wednesday Martin Cock reported a pair of stonechat, six Cetti's warblers, six sedge warblers, eight reed warblers, yellowhammer, two cuckoos, corn bunting, whimbrel, grey plover, ringed plover, sparrowhawk and two great crested grebes.

Along the Strood on Wednesday were a great crested grebe, two avocets, redshank, common tern, cuckoo, two stonechats, yellow wagtail, nightingale singing on Ray Island also 11 swifts over the houses.

A walk past the country park pond on Tuesday 20th with the ECC ecologist, the grazier and Andy Field provided close views of a pair of pochard, tufted duck pair and a greylag goose. One lapwing chick was seen in the grazing fields and a common blue butterfly was of interest.

On Tuesday morning along the Strood seawall, birds of interest included a marsh harrier, three buzzards, cuckoo, two Cetti's warblers, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, whitethroat, two stonechats and a yellow wagtail.

A lesser whitethroat was photographed in the Feldy View / flycatcher corner by Andy Field on Monday 19th. Also seen in the area were two whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, yellow wagtail, cuckoo heard on Ray Island, 12 swifts over the houses and four swallows.

The male yellow wagtail perched on wires near Feldy View on Monday, photographed by Andy.

A hobby was seen over Barrow Hill by Rob Lee on Monday.

A rather faded painted lady was resting on the side of the Strood seawall on Monday morning.

A male kestrel was hovering over the Strood seawall on Monday. Other birds noted along the seawall included three brent geese, cuckoo, two whimbrel, common tern, red kite over fields at Peldon, four sedge warblers, four reed warblers, whitethroat, family of four stonechats and a yellow wagtail. A common blue butterfly was seen in Feldy View.

Steve Entwistle on Monday noted a Cetti's warbler in Meeting Lane, while in Shop Lane there were two singing chiffchaffs, cuckoo, two pairs of swallows and four male orange-tip butterflies.

A Cream-spot tiger moth was seen at the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on 20th.

White ermine

Light Brocade

Treble Lines

Tare Case-bearer Coleophora amethystinella