FLYCATCHER FEST CONTINUES

A fifth pied flycatcher for Feldy View this autumn first found on the 28th September by Martin Cock, was still present on the 1st October when Oli Cottis photographed the bird shown here.

The pied flycatcher photographed by Oli Cottis on the 1st, spent most of the time in the trees at the northern end of the woodland cemetery, sometimes elusive and mobile.

It has been the best autumn for pied flycatchers seen on the Island with eight different birds being found - at two locations in East Mersea and two locations in West Mersea. Spotted Flycatchers have also had a good autumn on the island with at least a dozen individuals from five locations.

Also seen by Oli in Feldy View on Thursday were a possible tree pipit which flew from trees at the northern end but unfortunately didn't call, also a redwing, Mediterranean gull and a Clouded Yellow.

The pied flycatcher was seen on Wednesday 30th in Feldy View by Martin Cock and others, with a redwing also seen there by Ed Bateman.

Andy Field watched the pied flycatcher in Feldy View on Tuesday 29th, also seeing during his walk onto the seawall 3 chiffchaffs, pair of stonechats, 6 meadow pipits, 5 greenshank and 40 black-tailed godwits.

Mark Thomson saw male and female blackcaps and a chiffchaff beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Tuesday.

At Cudmore Grove on Tuesday morning Daniel Woollard saw 30 meadow pipits flying over, 5 reed buntings, 4 stonechats, 2 chiffchaffs and a blackcap.

On Monday 28th the pied flycatcher was first found at Feldy View by Martin Cock, which subsequently stayed for four days. 

Two buzzards were seen by Mark Thomson soaring over East Road on Monday.

Peter Marchington photographed this little egret on Sunday 27th in front of the Firs Chase caravan park.

The little egret was photographed during the high tide on Sunday afternoon.

Little egret pictured by Peter.

Black-headed gull pictured by Peter.

Speckled Wood butterfly pictured by Caroline Horwood.

Michael Thorley visited Cudmore Grove Country Park on Sunday 27th and saw four wigeon in the borrowdyke, also four Clouded Yellows feeding on the yellow flowers of the Bristly Ox-tongue.

The spotted flycatcher was present at Cudmore Grove on Saturday 26th for its third day. Pictured here by Daniel Woollard on the bird-bath in his back garden at the park.

It has been a good autumn for spotted flycatchers on the island with at least twelve birds being found.

During an afternoon loop walk at Cudmore Grove and the Golfhouse by Daniel on Saturday, he reported seeing 100 golden plover, 175 oystercatchers, 5 black-tailed godwits and two bar-tailed godwits, as well as the leucistic redshank among lots of the other usual waders.

Also seen by Daniel were a peregrine harassing all the waders, 15 Sandwich terns seen, a few meadow pipits calling as the flew over, reed bunting, Cetti's warbler, six stonechats on the grazing marsh, six blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs and a lesser whitethroat along the Golfhouse track.

Paul Rowe saw a Wall Brown butterfly along the Cudmore Grove shore on Saturday afternoon.