MERSEA WILDLIFE: 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.