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.