GARDEN DRAGONS

A small number of dragonflies have come into the Firs Chase garden recently to feed on the various insect life. This migrant hawker pictured above looks like a newly emerged male, was seen resting in the late afternoon sunshine on Sunday 4th. Although there is a small water feature in the garden, many of the dragonflies seen here probably breed in a nearby pond.

A few ruddy darters such as this female were also enjoying resting in a sheltered corner out of the breeze.

The little blue-tailed damselfly is the most widespread damselfly on the Island with one or two found in the garden.

The nasturtiums have taken a real hit from the masses of caterpillars of the large white caterpillars. The caterpillars seem everywhere, stripping all the leaves as they feed up. The lavender plants have been busy with bees and butterflies especially small whites and large whites. Up to ten peacocks have been on the buddleia while comma, small tortoiseshell, gatekeeper, holly blue and Essex skipper were also noted on Sunday 4th.

As darkness descended, up to 20 silver-Y moths were busy hovering amongst the lavender bush, a pine hawkmoth showed briefly and two pipistrelle bats were swooping over the garden.

At the country park a clouded yellow butterfly was reported by David Morris alongside the borrowdyke on Sunday 4th. There were 12 black-tailed godwits, 3 greylag geese and 8 teal on the pools in the fields, 4 little egrets and a grey heron in trees by the pond. Twenty swifts passed over the fields along with twenty sand martins and several swallows as did a yellow wagtail too. At the Point 25 little terns were noted in the Colne by Andy Field.

MORE FROM MOTH NIGHT

Mersea wildlife enthusiast Charles Williams attended the recent mothing night at the park on 23rd July and took a number of photos of the moths around the traps that night. This is a selection of some of his photos he passed onto me.
Above is the big privet hawkmoth.

The underside image of a magpie moth as it rested on the side of the trap.

Several big and furry drinker moths were seen that night.

The dainty latticed heath pictured above.

This scarce silver lines appears to have a tatty edge to one of its wings.

The very flat looking oak-hook-tip with its curved corners to the wings.

 

The buff-tip looking like a snapped off birch twig.

The brown-tail showing the dark brown tip to the abdomen hidden beneath white wings.

The clouded border has the dark patches around the edges of the wings.

The colourful ruby tiger pictured above.

The dark arches has enjoyed a good July coinciding with the heatwave period.

The numerous summer chafer has been turning up in the moth trap regularly through July.

PAINTED LADY INFLUX

There appears to have been an influx of painted ladies within the last couple of days, locally and elsewhere in southern England. Three were seen today on Saturday 3rd with one in Firs Chase, another in Melrose Avenue while a third one was seen along the footpath between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane in East Mersea. This one pictured above was a fourth individual which posed briefly at the country park on Friday, only the second sighting at the park this year.
Adrian Amos has also had a couple of painted ladies in his East Road garden in the last couple of days too.

One of the field edges east of Meeting Lane was sheltered from the strong sunny breeze for several butterflies to enjoy being on the wing late Saturday morning. This Essex skipper with the black tips to the antennae, was seen feeding on some fleabane flowers.

Other butterflies noted were peacock, red admiral, small white, large white, large skipper, ringlet, speckled wood, while dragonflies included several ruddy darters and 20+ migrant hawkers. Tried to see some purple hairstreaks without any luck.
It was quiet on the bird-front in the heat and the strong breeze, although a singing yellowhammer, ten swifts,  sand martin and 5 house martins were noted during the walk.
The regular corn bunting was singing along Chapmans Lane.

Whilst visiting the East Mersea Hall for the village fete, enjoyed the view across the pond with the tall spikes of purple loosestrife round the margins adding some colour.

A number of damselflies were flying low over the water such as azure / common blue and also blue-tailed damselflies too. Was pleased to see one of the small red-eyed damselflies, land on some bankside vegetation close enough so that I could try and get a photo of it - pictured above. An emperor dragonfly was also seen flying over the pond.

A pair of turtle doves landed on the grass sward near the beach between Seaview and Waldegraves late on Staurday afternoon. Turtle doves have been very scarce on the Island this summer with most observations coming from inside West Mersea in Willoughby car park.

A walk along the Strood channel early evening on Friday 2nd was ideal for wader watching as the tide was coming in. Waders were being pushed back up channel towards the causeway, gathering in their small flocks before heading off to roost.

Two greenshank were mixed in with 200+ redshank along with 50 black-tailed godwits and 80 golden plover. The latter group flying to the nearby Strood field to roost with a few lapwing. Also seen were 4 whimbrel, 20 dunlin, 18 turnstone as well as several curlews and oystercatchers.

A Mediterranean gull sat on a brushwood breakwater and 4 common terns were flying up and down. A flock of 20 swallows flew round the Dabchicks area while 10 swifts were flying over houses near the water tower in West Mersea.

GINGERY GODWITS

Many of the black-tailed godwits around the Island are still sporting their gingery breeding plumage like this one Andy Field photographed in the park's fields on Wednesday 31st. There have been up to twenty birds over the last fortnight or so on the pools here, usually during high tide. Out on the nearby mudflats at low tide are often up to 200 black-tailed godwits.

A small group of lapwings have been feeding and roosting at the pools too with this one photographed by Andy too. A common sandpiper was also seen briefly in the morning for its second day. Eight teal, little egret, ten mallard, nine greylag geese have been present along with one or two coots and moorhens with young chicks.

The first returning willow warbler was heard calling in the car park on Wednesday morning and was seen flying over the buildings to feed along the hedgeline.
In the evening a muntjac deer was seen twice in the field to the north of the park pond, first going away from a nearby garden and then returning to it at dusk.

Managed a couple of hours walk along part of the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday evening as the tide was coming back into the Pyefleet Channel pictured above. The hot temperatures lasted into the evening and it was nice to have a cooling sea breeze in the evening.

Some waders were noted on the mud, some on the Reeveshall pool and other ones noted in flight. In total six greenshank, nine green sandpipers, two whimbrel, fifty avocet, 100 dunlin, five turnstone, one smart summer plumage grey plover, 3 bar-tailed godwits and 70 black-tailed godwits. Five common terns and six little terns were flying up and down the channel fishing. A common seal swam up-channel just before high tide.

A female marsh harrier brought food back to Langenhoe Point transferring it mid-air to one of the four youngsters. Meanwhile the sparrowhawk family were also anxious about being fed with a couple of youngsters calling from the trees in the Shop Lane wood.
Two yellowhammers and 2 linnets were the only small birds of note that evening.

Another rewarding mothing session on a muggy Wednesday night produced a few more interesting moths at the park. Seventy-five species of macro moth was a good haul for the one Skinner trap. The second garden tiger moth pictured above, was the main highlight - the first year that two individuals have been caught in a season at the park. Comparing this photo with the one posted a fortnight ago show slightly different brown blotches on the forewings.

Another notable discovery was this small, very green looking tree-lichen beauty, that was found early in the night, lying on the white sheet. Up until a few years ago tree lichen beauties were scarce immigrants but there have been many more records recently. The first park record was in 2007 and it has been annual since then except for last year when the summer weather was poor for moths.

The neatly patterned archers dart pictured above, is a scarce but annual visitor to the moth trap here. It is mainly a coastal species with most records in Essex being in the north-east of the county.

The first lackey moths were also noted on Wednesday evening with three being noted - three more than were seen last year.

Other moths of interest seen were silver-ground carpet, least carpet, beautiful hook-tip, purple thorn, poplar hawk, elephant hawk, white-line dart, nutmeg, dot, fen wainscot, starwort, rosy minor, ear sp, and eight silver-Y's. Also amongst the micro moths was the diamond-back moth.

POSING COMMA

  
At least a handful of comma butterflies have been flying around the country park in recent days. This one pictured above on Sunday 28th, posed nicely on the end of a flowering head of some grass, although the grass stalk was swaying about in the breeze.

Other butterflies seen at the park have included ringlet, peacock, speckled wood, meadow brown, gatekeeper, small skipper, Essex skipper, large skipper, small white and large white.

A group of 20 purple hairstreaks were seen east of Meeting Lane at Gyants Marsh on Monday 29th by Steve Entwistle.

A group of ten ruddy darters were gathered on the park cliff-top, sheltering from the sea-breeze behind some of the bushes. This colourful male was one of several in the area. Elsewhere migrant hawker,blue-tailed damselflies and azure damselflies were seen about the park too.

A common sandpiper on the pools in the park's fields on Tuesday 30th was the first one noted at the park this year. Also here were 10 black-tailed godwits, the first returning snipe, 2 lapwing, 9 greylag geese and 8 teal. At the pond 6 little egrets roosted late afternoon and a shoveler and 3 teal were present here.
The family of kestrels left the tree a week previously and the young have now been in the trees near the cliff-top calling out loudly whenever a parent returns with food.

A little owl perched on top of a telegraph post near the East Mersea pub at dusk on Sunday 28th. A large flock of about 2000+ black-headed gulls were circling above West Mersea on the warm Sunday evening, catching the masses of flying ants in the air.

Martin Cock saw a green sandpiper at Maydays farm during his visit there on Monday.

Amongst the forty species of macro moth caught at the park on Monday 29th was this neatly camouflaged maple prominent. This is an annual visitor to the trap at the park but only one or two individuals noted each year.

Up to ten lunar-spotted pinions have been noted on some mothing evenings, so fairly widespread and at its peak of emergence at the moment. Some of these individuals have a nice dark red colouration.

The only other new moth noted for the season was the first copper underwing.

CARROT CARPET

There's a good display of flowering wild carrot this summer along the seawall towards the East Mersea Point. There's normally a mix of other wild flowers and grasses growing along here but this year the carrots are carpeting large sections of the seaward side. The cultivated carrot is a genetic variant of the wild carrot plant, and although the long tap-root smells like a carrot, it is only edible when young as it soon turns woody and tough to eat.

Numbers of gatekeepers seem to be at their peak at the moment, many nectaring on the mass of bramble flowers along the hedgerows. This female was resting on a yarrow flower below the cliff on a cloudy morning on Saturday 27th. Other butterflies around the park have been meadow brown, speckled wood, large skipper, small skipper, Essex skipper, comma, small tortoiseshell, red admiral, small white and large white.
The first three purple hairstreaks of the summer at the park were fluttering high in the oaks in their usual spot in the south-west corner.

Much of the park is parched and brown following this recent heatwave. The grass on the part of the park in this picture above has turned brown and looks dead. However it will soon burst back into life within a few days of any rain falling.

The water level at the Reeveshall pool on Friday 26th had dropped a lot since my last visit here about three weeks ago. It's looking quite promising now for passage waders as more mud starts to show around the margins. The tide was already back out some way although a few waders were still feeding on the pool. As usual a nice variety of birds were seen during an hour's walk along the seawall here.

One spotted redshank flew off calling, while ten black-tailed godwits, three green sandpipers and five lapwing were the other waders noted here. Along the Pyefleet a common sandpiper flew over the channel as did a greenshank from behind Pewit Island. A marsh harrier disturbed the wader roost at Langenhoe Point and fifty avocet and at least fifty black-tailed godwits flew out into the Pyefleet.

Also noted along the channel were 3 bar-tailed godwit, whimbrel, 4 little terns, 5 common terns and the brood of 9 shelducklings with the adult watching over.

Two tatty male marsh harriers dropped down together onto a long grass field on Reeveshall. Thirty swallows flew around North Farm along with 4 sand martins.

Andy Field visited the Reeveshall pool the next morning on Saturday and noted a green sandpiper on the pool and a common sandpiper in the Pyefleet.

Noticed this dusky sallow moth along the Reeveshall seawall resting on this thistle flower early in the evening. It has been a common moth in the trap over the last week or so.

The moth trap operated during Friday night at the park and several of these drinker moths were found the following morning. It's a common moth on grasslands where the caterpillars feed on grass.

A couple of white-line darts, one pictured above were seen, a moth that is noted most years here. A couple had been seen earlier in the week too.

The L-album wainscot has become a common moth at the park in recent years, the caterpillars feeding on the grasses of the park. Numbers usually pick up late summer into the autumn.
All the other moths noted during Friday night, were the same species noted on the successful mothing evening earlier in the week.

MUGGY FOR MOTHS

Muggy conditions on the night of Tuesday 23rd was perfect for the annual visit by members of the Essex Moth Group to the country park. Although the threat of rain that night didn't materialise, the five lamps that operated, were buzzing with moths late into the night. At least 135 species were noted by dawn which is a record tally for one night for the site. Over 100 species of macro moth and 35+ of micro moth made it a very active night for moths. Clearing away the traps at dawn took an hour and half and luckily I was helped by Richard, up from Havering.

Pictured above was this striking orange moth, which had turned up in the early hours of the morning. Although it is a common moth, mainly in woodlands in Essex, this is the first record for the park.

 The most notable record was this small festoon pictured above, a nationally scarce moth occurring across southern England and in Essex in the woods of central and north of the county. It was a lively little fellow and luckily it stayed still for a moment for a few pictures to be taken, before fluttering rapidly high and away.

The first ruby tigers of the season were admired on the night. Usually a common moth here in small numbers through the late July to mid August period, they always add some colour to the traps.

One of the biggest moths on the night was the oak eggar, a big brown furry moth, that was one of the early moths at the trap. Four were noted by the end of the night.

This green silver lines was the first one of the season here and it was handy having the scarce silver lines as well in the same trap for comparison.

The small rosy footman with its fresh salmon-pink colouration was one of the prettiest moths of the evening. Although a widespread moth, its not always seen each year here.

This purple thorn holding its wings in its distinctive fashion of partially open, was in the trap along with several early thorns.

Other moths of note included 2 privet hawks, 6 poplar hawks, 12 elephant hawks, 12 drinkers, maidens blush, small blood vein, July highflyer, least carpet, currant pug, V-pug, peacock, latticed heath, swallow-tailed, peppered, willow beauty, mottled beauty, engrailed, brown-tail, white-satin, dingy footman, common footman, scarce footman, kent black arches, maple prominent, white-line dart, turnip, lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing, double-square spot, nutmeg, cabbage, dot, broad-barred white, lychnis, clay, white-point, striped wainscot, smoky wainscot, fen wainscot, L-album wainscot, shark, poplar grey, miller, lunar-spotted pinion, rosy minor, ear sp, oak nycteoline, silver-Y and fanfoot.
Amongst the micro moths several diamond-backs and a european corn borer were noted.

Earlier that Tuesday a number of waders were seen about the park during late afternoon. An avocet was feeding on the pools in the fields along with 8 black-tailed godwits, 4 lapwing and a green sandpiper which flew away calling. Seven little egrets had been roosting on the willows by the pond. The four young kestrels were sitting on a branch in the oak tree waiting for parents to come back with food. Yellow wagtail flew over the park calling.

On the mudflats one knot, greenshank, 200+ black-tailed godwit, one golden plover, one grey plover, 100 dunlin, 4 turnstone, 50 curlew and 50 oystercatcher were seen at the low tide.