STROOD RAPTORS

This buzzard over the Strood was one of five species of raptor seen during a walk along the seawall on Thursday 17th. An osprey was the unexpected sighting, seen with Martin Cock, as the bird drifted slowly down channel towards the Hard. As we watched it fly along the channel, all the gulls and waders took to the air and flew around calling loudly. A hobby was also watched flying over the channel from Feldy to the Island passing over the Firs Chase Caravan park. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards and a kestrel were the other raptors noted.

An oystercatcher chick was being carefully watched over by its parents in the Strood channel on Thursday. Other waders included a greenshank, three whimbrel, three black-tailed godwits, 130 redshank, also 14 Mediterranean gulls, ten great black-backed gulls, 12 little egrets, two grey herons and a common tern.

Also noted were 20 linnets, whitethroat, three reed warblers and two sedge warblers, while 35 swifts were flying over the houses.

A brown argus was photographed by Andy Field during his visit to Cudmore Grove on Thursday 17th. There were plenty of juvenile whitethroats and lesser whitethroats, two common terns, some ringed plover chicks at the Point although no sign of the ringed plover seen recently nesting near a sea beet plant.

On Thursday evening Daniel Woollard saw 250+ black-tailed godwits on the mud off Cudmore Grove, also a few whimbrels, singles of bar-tailed godwit, golden plover and grey plover, also the leucistic redshank seen.

A female lesser stag beetle was photographed by Michael Thorley in his garden compost heap in East Mersea on Thursday.

On Wednesday 16th a red kite was seen by Michael Thorley as it flew over Moore Lane in East Mersea.

A red-belted clearwing was photographed by Andy Field in his greenhouse in his High Street North garden on Saturday 12th.

This is the first record on the island of red-belted clearwing. 

At Maydays farm on Saturday Steve Entwistle saw four yellowhammers, reed warbler, three yellow wagtails and three buzzards including a very white individual. Butterflies seen there included three common blues, brown argus, two small skippers, lots of gatekeepers, also a migrant hawker dragonfly.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Friday 11th and photographed this ringlet butterfly.

Andy also photographed this small red-eyed damselfly along the park dyke on Friday, also seen there were emperor dragonfly, black-tailed skimmer and ruddy darters.

Birds of note included a little tern in the Colne, three Sandwich terns, five common terns, 18 Mediterranean gulls, 300 black-tailed godwits, ringed plovers with chicks either side of the Point and the sea-beet female is still sitting too. Fifty swallows and a few sand martins were flying around the horse paddocks.

Steve Entwistle saw a juvenile Sandwich tern on Friday evening at the Point, also 15 Mediterranean gulls and two greenfinches. 

A red kite was seen circling near the Strood below the Barrow Hill on Friday by Steve. Twelve swifts were seen over Steve's house in Empress Drive on Friday morning.

On Wednesday 9th Rob Lee saw a male harrier flying over the Blackwater towards Old Hall that was later thought to be a possible Montagu's Harrier.

At Maydays on Wednesday Martin Cock saw four yellow wagtails, yellowhammer, probable marbled white butterfly and two common blues.

A red kite was seen by Rob Lee to land in an oak tree near Barrow Hill on Tuesday 8th.

A deceased rose chafer was found in Andy Field's garden on Tuesday 8th.

Also in Andy's West Mersea garden was this gypsy moth caterpillar feeding on his heuchera plants.

There were also hundreds of six-spot ladybirds seen going to roost in a small tree in his garden which he'd never seen happen before! Lots of reports elsewhere on the Island of a huge influx of ladybirds and hoverflies.

An Oak Eggar moth was recorded in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 17th.

Three Canary-shouldered Thorns also on the 17th.

Several Tree-lichen Beauties.

Twin-spotted Wainscot

Blackthorn Knot-horn.