BROWN AND BARREN

This area of "grass" at the country park has been getting browner and more barren through August. The area took its final pounding for the summer on the bank holiday Monday 31st, when a hundred cars had to park here after the main car park had filled up by mid-day.
Apparently parts of Essex recorded only 10 mms of rainfall during August, helping to create the parched landscape here at the park. An earlier posting 4 months ago on this blog on 30th April shows a photo of this area with the wall-to-wall carpet of daisies. Seems such a distant memory now trying to recall the area with green grass!


Despite the dry August the pools in the grazing fields have not quite dried completely up. The Portuguese colour-ringed black-tailed godwit is still finding food in the soft mud as were 3 lapwings, 3 teal and 12 moorhens. On the park pond 20 mallard were the main ducks while the 2 little grebe chicks the most vocal.

Martin Cock noted the female common scoter still off the park on Monday morning at high tide. The little owl was seen again near Bromans Farm, with one heard calling at dusk on Saturday night from Cosways caravan site. Les Bird saw a hobby fly over the park pond on Monday.

A spotted flycatcher was seen on the hedge by the pond on Sunday morning along with 3 blackcaps, 3 willow warbler, chiffchaff, 5 whitethroat and lesser whitethroat.

The moth trap set on Monday night produced about 160 moths of 17 species with the most numerous being the square spot rustic pictured above with 100 individuals noted. Colours of these square spots vary slightly in colour from light brown through dark brown and also a rich brown colour as in the individual above.


This dainty maidens blush moth with its pink blush-marks on the wings, clung to the underside of a leaf on the nearest tree. There have been several records since late spring but never more than the one specimen on each occasion.

On recent nights there have been one or two green carpets as in the picture above. This one flew off and dropped down to the ground trying to blend in amongst the grass.

Several of the tiny Chinese character moths have been coming to the trap in recent nights. When they fold their wings up at rest, they look just like a small bird's dropping. In the middle of the wing is a white squiggle that looks like a character from the Chinese alphabet.

Other moths noted included latticed heath, brimstone, light emerald, large yellow underwing, lesser yellow underwing, flounced rustic, white point, common wainscot, setaceous hebrew character, frosted orange, red twin-spot carpet, cloaked minor and snout.

MIGRANT HEDGE

This hedge near the country park entrance, pictured above, often has one or two migrant birds feeding along it and on Saturday 29th three spotted flycatchers were seen here in the morning. Spotted flycatchers stopped nesting on the Island about 10 years ago and the only ones seen in recent years are the autumn migrants that stop off on their way south. These 3 flycatchers together would appear to be different to the single bird seen near the pond a few days earlier.

The area often catches the morning sun but is sheltered from the westerly winds and is often popular with the roving tit flocks. Other warblers which could've been migrants were 3 blackcaps, 4 willow warblers, 2 chiffchaff, 5 common whitethroats and lesser whitethroat. The nightingale called briefly too, which is the latest date that one of the resident ones has been noted here over recent summers.



Before the crowds arrived onto the park beach for the day 2 wheatears were seen in front of the cliff, 2 whinchats hopped along the seawall and 3 reed buntings were seen at the Point. A rred warbler flew into the reeds alongside the dyke.

Butterfly numbers have dropped off sharply in recent days but those noted include painted lady, red admiral, speckled wood, small heath, large white and small white.



An evening visit to the Pyefleet Channel coincided with the tide pushing the waders close to the shore. Some of the birds such as the gulls fitted in a short snooze before the tide covered the mud. Most of the 40 common terns seen in the area were standing on the brushwood breakwaters as the tide rose.

Whilst scanning through 200 dunlin, a hobby swooped down sending the group scatteing in different directions. The hobby flew slowly past and headed off east where 50 swallows and martins rose into the air. The main waders on show were 300 redshank, with 80 black-tailed godwits, 20 ringed plover, 3 knot, one avocet, whimbrel and a grey plover.

Beside the Reeveshall pool 6 whinchat and 2 wheatears perched on bushes and fences, while on the drying out pool 5 black-tailed godwits, 4 little grebes, wigeon, 3 lapwing and a pair of mute swans were seen. Feeding noisily amongst the large flock of sheep and cattle were 400+ jackdaws and rooks. Two marsh harriers were seen flying over the Langenhoe marsh, opposite East Mersea. A flock of twelve little egrets headed off east to the evening roost, presumably to St Osyth Priory.

Earlier on Saturday morning Graham Willmot watched an osprey from West Mersea flying westwards just 100 metres off the beach below Seaview Avenue.


The moth trap was set on Saturday night at the park and this nicely patterned frosted orange was one of the moths noted. The clear night sky and breeze kept moth numbers low with only about 70 moths of 15 species noted. The most numerous ones were flounced rustics and square spot rustics, while also noted were angle shades, orange shell, rosy rustic, scalloped oak, green carpet and common wainscot.

DODGING THE STORM CLOUDS

The fine weather of recent days gave way during Friday 28th to strong winds, increasing cloud with the odd shower, culminating in thunder and lightning passing over in the evening. One black cloud passed to the north and east of the Island in the picture above, presumably soaking Colchester as it went.


The black skies above Brightlingsea to the east of the Island, caught the last pink rays of the setting sun. To the south of the Island another black thunder-cloud passed out to sea leaving Mersea with just a brief shower and dodging the worst of the storm clouds as usual.

There didn't appear to be anything offshore with the evening high tide but a scan of the sea off the park revealed a female common scoter 100 metres from the beach, appearing as a very dark brown duck but with a paler brown face. It was busy diving regularly underwater to feed, staying under for 20 - 30 seconds each time. One or two common scoters are often seen offshore in the winter time but rarely in the summer.

A small group of 25 swallows and 4 sand martins fought their way into the strong wind as they headed west just before dusk. A couple of long tailed tit flocks could be heard calling from the bushes but not much other activity in the blustery conditions.

The pools of water in the fields have shrunk considerably over the last week and 2 lapwings and 8 teal were the only birds noted. At the park pond 25 mallard were making lots of noise, as were the young little grebe chicks, while the swan cygnets are down to two birds. A badger was seen just before nightfall crossing the field by the pond.

Andy Field saw 3 wheatears and 4 whinchats at Reeveshall earlier in the day along with 120 ringed plovers in the Pyefleet. Ten willow warblers seen sheltering from the wind in the Shop Lane wood is a good count.

An osprey was seen yesterday afternoon on Thursday flying north-east over the Mersea Quarters but no sign of it today. Last autumn 3 ospreys were seen in the Salcott Channel area to the west of the Island with one bird staying around for at least a month.

The moth trap operating at the park through a windy Thursday night produced about 90 individuals of 15 species with flounced rustics, square-spot rustics and setaceous hebrew characters the most numerous. Other moths noted were white point, rosy rustic, Chinese character, light emerald, latticed heath, large yellow underwing and lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing.

SMALL BIRD ACTIVITY

It looks like someone has sown an old button onto the face of this canary-shouldered thorn moth, when it was found in the moth trap on the morning of Tuesday 24th. The moth is a regular visitor to the trap at the end of the summer months and like the other thorn moths, holds its wings upright.

The clear sky through Monday night meant the moth catch was an average evening. About 25 macro species were recorded the next morning totalling about 70 moths. The haul included latticed heath, riband wave, chinese character, small white wave, green carpet, common carpet, willow beauty, white ermine, flounced rustic, white-point, dark swordgrass, antler, setaceous hebrew character, square-spot rustic, small square-spot and snout.


There were about 10 light emeralds, one pictured above, in the trap, suggesting a recent emergence of the late summer brood.
Several orange swifts were also noted, pictured below with their wings folded along the sides of the body.


The spotted flycatcher was seen by Steve Entwistle at the back of the grazing fields on Tuesday morning, most likely the same bird first seen near the pond on Saturday night. The nightingale was heard calling by the park entrance at dusk, whereas in previous summers they've normally gone by mid August.

Martin Cock also located a spotted flycatcher on Wednesday morning close to the entrance of the park. There seemed to be a lot of small bird activity along the various hedges and bushes between the park entrance and the pond. It was difficult trying to estimate numbers as they moved around so much but probably 70+ birds mainly following a large mixed tit flock around.


Garden warbler perched briefly by the path, 3 blackcaps, 3 lesser whitethroats, 5 whitethroats, 10 willow warblers, 2 chiffchaffs were the migrants mixing with 30+ long-tailed tits, blue tits, great tits. In the area were robin, dunnock, wren, great spotted woodpecker, goldfinch, chaffinch, song thrush, blackbird, wood pigeon and collared dove. Martin noted one of the Bromans Farm little owls on its regular fenceline just to the north of the park.

The breeze picked up during the day whipping up the sea here in front of the country park by early evening. There was a hint of spits of rain in the wind although the sun blazed hot again in the middle of the day. Recently in the coastal waters, Martin's brother saw 2 harbour porpoises in the river Colne on Sunday near East Mersea Point, while at West Mersea the resident common seal has been seen near the jetty by the Hard.

The pools in the fields have nearly dried up with no sign of the wood sandpiper since Monday morning. The usual mix of other birds were still present with 5 black-tailed godwits, 3 lapwing, 10 teal, 10 mallard and some moorhens.

In the dyke 3 pochard and a tufted duck were seen with little grebes, coots and mallard. Three yellow wagtails flew over calling while earlier two small groups of swifts on passage totalling 12 birds flew west over the park.



One young child searching for bugs and mini-beasts in the long grass in the park, squealed with excitement when this large female wasp spider turned up in her sweep net. Sitting in the hand it looks a fiercesome creature and it's just as well it prefers grasshoppers for its lunch!

Looking like a large painted Easter egg, the bright stripes make it a very colourful spider. This one was located only a few metres away from where the very first one was found in the park nearly 6 years ago.

WARM AND MUGGY

The Mersea Quarters had returned to some sort of peace on Monday 24th after a hot weekend coincided with the local sailing regatta. Although Monday morning was cloudy, it was warm and muggy with the sun breaking through in the afternoon.

Most of the birds seen were roosting for the high tide on Cobmarsh Island with a small flock of ringed plover, oystercatcher, redshank, dunlin and turnstone. Herring, lesser black-backed and black-headed gulls were also sitting around as the tide approached high-tide. Also noted were common tern, cormorant and 2 great crested grebes.

A few hundred gulls streamed westwards away from West Mersea and it appeared they joined in a massive gull feeding frenzy in the sky above Tollesbury Wick marshes where several thousand gulls circled round, presumably feeding on flying ants.

Five swifts flew over Firs Chase late morning along with several swallows. In the early evening about 50 swallows and a swift were seen passing westwards over a field on the eastern side of West Mersea.



An evening visit to Reeveshall didn't produce anything unexpected with the usual birds at the pool, pictured above. Pair of swans, Canada goose, 6 teal, 6 mallard, 10 lapwing, 4 little grebe, 5 black-tailed godwits and a redshank were the birds noted on the pool.

Many of the waders along the Pyefleet Channel were distant silhouettes scattered across the mudflats. One whimbrel whistled loudly from the nearby saltmarsh. Five marsh harriers flew into the evening roost on Langenhoe Point, just opposite East Mersea.

The last of the sun for the day shone across one of the borrowdykes beside the seawall near Reeveshall. A couple of yellow wagtails flew off the cattle field to their roost.

Glyn Evans walking along the north side of the Island noted the wood sandpiper still at the country park muddy pools, 4 bar-tailed godwits, 4 whimbrel, common sandpiper, 33 little egrets and 5 common seals along the Pyefleet. At West Mersea one arctic tern was seen along with 30 common terns.

FLICKERING COMBINATION

Having been casually checking the outside walls and woodwork on the park buildings over the last fortnight, finally found this red underwing moth resting on the outside of the information room on Sunday 23rd. In previous years this reasonably widespread moth with its strikingly colourful hindwings, has shunned the moth trap but instead has been found resting during the day on the outside of the buildings. It is a large moth with an eyecatching colour combination on its hindwings which flicker red, black and white when it flies.

In the country park the spotted flycatcher was relocated at the rear of the grazing fields and one whinchat was noted in the fields too. Sixteen yellow wagtails were seen in the fields by the cattle.



Had an evening stroll along part of the Strood seawall at the end of another hot day on the Island. Although the tide was out, many of the waders were in silhouette. One greenshank flew along the channel and 2 green sandpipers flew overhead calling. Five little egrets and a grey heron stalked the shallow channel, whilst many gulls arrived for the evening roost.

Three swifts were still flying around the houses, although most appear to have left a fortnight ago. Twenty swallows flew over the Dabchicks area of West Mersea and a few more flying over nearby houses. In one thick bramble bush about 25 house sparrows chirped loudly as they tried to settle for the evening roost. A corn bunting perched on some overhead wires.

Andy Field had a hobby fly over his West Mersea house in the evening and also noted a large privet hawkmoth caterpillar in his garden. Martin Cock reported a hummingbird hawkmoth in his Broomhills garden.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER

Various dragonflies such as this ruddy darter have been seen around the park over the last few days. The bright red abdomen of the males makes it an attractive insect to watch. Several males have set up their territories along one of the paths and any other ruddy darter that strays too close is quickly chased away.

Other dragonflies seen include lots of migrant hawkers also along paths and around the trees. A brown hawker was seen by the park entrance on Thursday 20th and a few southern hawkers have been noted too. One or two emperors have been hawking over the park pond.

An evening walk on Saturday 22nd along the park seawall provided views of 2 whinchats perching on the tops of thistles and bramble bushes between the two grazing fields. These are the first passage whinchats here at the park this autumn. Also noted were nine yellow wagtails flew over the park calling, six had been seen beside the cows at the pond the day before. In the dyke pictured above were 3 young pochard as well as several mallard. In the reeds along the edge were 3 reed warblers calling.

The most interesting sighting of the evening walk was a spotted flycatcher feeding actively around some tall blackthorn trees near the park pond. In characteristic fashion, the bird perched on branches on the outer side of the trees, dart out to catch an insect and then fly back to the perch again. There were probably lots of evening insects to catch as it never stayed still for long. Unfortunately the bird couldn't be relocated 15 minutes later and we will have to wait to see if any other spotted flycatchers turn up on the Island this autumn.

On the muddy pools in the fields the wood sandpiper is still present for it's 10th day, which is by far a record stay for one of these birds here on Mersea. Also on the pools were 4 black-tailed godwits, 13 teal, 2 lapwing some mallard and moorhens. A three-quarters grown fox cub walked across the fields where it then sat down briefly near the pools. After watching my wife Nolly and I through the hedge, it picked up a plastic bag tossing it playfully into the air several times. It soon wandered off past the pond. Towards dusk 3 badgers were seen crossing the pond field, disappearing quickly into the hedge at the bottom. Two nightingales called to each other near the park entrance as the light faded.




Whilst walking past the toilet block on Friday, this large brown Old Lady moth pictured above flew off the side of the building and landed straight into a nearby rubbish bin filled with ice cream wrappers and lots of wasps! After lots of rummaging amongst the litter, I managed to collect the moth so that I could have a close look at it. After letting it fly in my back garden, it flew straight through my doors and into the house where-upon I lost it and couldn't find it. It was relocated the next day and released back into the park.

Although the Old Lady is a common moth, usually just the one individual gets noted each year here and its large size makes it more interesting and distinctive moth. The brown shawl-like markings draped over its wings are supposed to look like a shawl over the shoulders of an old woman.

John Dobson kindly informed me he had seen a clouded yellow butterfly earlier on his walk alongside the park borrowdyke on Friday morning. As he was telling me about the sighting, the colourful butterfly fluttered past us giving us a brief view of this scarce immigrant.