CALLING WAGTAIL

 A yellow wagtail was calling loudly beside the Strood seawall on Tuesday 13th, four others were also seen. Also seen were two reed buntings, four reed warblers singing, eight linnets, buzzard, ten swifts over the houses, while along the channel were an avocet, whimbrel, eight black-tailed godwits, 75 redshank, common tern and a Mediterranean gull.

Large patches of sea lavender are adding a splash of colour to the saltmarsh by the Strood.

Ian Black watched two hobbies chasing swallows in The Lane on Tuesday.

It was a surprise to see a muntjac deer in my driveway in Firs Chase in mid morning on Tuesday.

A male gatekeeper seen in Feldy View on Tuesday was the first one of the summer I've seen. Also noted were small heath, meadow browns, ringlet, red admiral, small white and large white.

A small skipper was one of several skippers seen in Feldy View on Tuesday.

A clump of purple toadflax flowering in Feldy View on Tuesday had a dozen caterpillars of the toadflax brocade moth feeding on the leaves. This once nationally rare moth has been increasing in recent years and was first noticed on the Island a couple of years ago.

In East Mersea Martin Cock made a great discovery of seeing a white-letter hairstreak at Gyants Marsh along the path between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Tuesday. The last sighting was ten years ago in West Mersea and prior to that back in 1984 in West Mersea. Also seen on Tuesday along the path were three purple hairstreaks, gatekeeper and six ringlets.

On Monday 12th a hobby flew fast near a group of ten swallows by the Strood seawall before heading over to Feldy marsh. Two marsh harriers were seen, three little egrets, three common terns, two black-tailed godwits, a dunlin, fifty redshank, two corn buntings, three yellow wagtails, two reed buntings, three reed warblers while ten swifts were over the houses.

At East Mersea on Monday, a sandwich tern was seen flying over the bus turning circle by Steve Entwistle, while earlier in the day Martin Cock reported eleven turnstones by the East Mersea Point.

Andy Field photographed this ringed plover still sitting on the beach at East Mersea Point on Sunday 11th. Also seen were 35 black-tailed godwits, 100 oystercatchers, ten curlew and thirty redshank.

The water level at the Reeveshall pool has dropped quite a bit recently but still holding more than the last few summers in mid July. A presumed fledged lapwing chick with an adult nearby were feeding, as was a little egret while a redshank flew over. 

A pair of Sandwich terns flew up the Pyefleet and landed in a small gull roost on Pewit Island, two common terns and two avocets also seen in the Pyefleet. Two pairs of herring gulls with two large chicks each were being raised on the roof of the old Nissen hut on Pewit Island. A male marsh harrier had a brief tussle over Reeveshall with a juvenile marsh harrier and a male yellowhammer was singing near Fishponds Wood.

Martin Cock noted on Saturday during a walk between Maydays and Reeveshall 25 curlew, two greenshank, 12 redshank, shelduck and two young, hobby, buzzard, male marsh harrier and plenty of sedge warblers.

Andy Field noticed this sarcophagid fly in his greenhouse in High Street North garden which had been sitting motionless for some time, until it was apparent the fly had been parasitised itself!

GROWING CHICK

The growing juvenile oystercatcher near the Dabchicks sailing club was resting on the edge of the saltmarsh with its parent keeping half a watchful eye over it on Friday 9th. 

Along the Strood channel were seen five common terns, two avocets, a black-tailed godwit, 70 redshank as well as a roost of 80 curlew flushed off the Ray saltings. A dark juvenile marsh harrier flew along the Peldon seawall, a buzzard was noted too, also a corn bunting singing, four yellow wagtails while a meadow pipit was singing from the saltmarsh in front of the Firs caravan park.

A great spotted woodpecker made this surprise appearance in Rusty Marshall's garden opposite the West Mersea Yacht Club on Friday 9th.

This summering brent goose allowed Matt Smith the country park ranger, to get quite close to it on the park beach on Thursday 8th. It's presumed to have some sort of injury and unable to fly, so is spending the summer here instead of flying to Siberia!

Andy Field visited Cudmore Grove on Thursday 8th and photographed this Sandwich tern at the back of a gull roost which included 25 Mediterranean gulls - eight pictured here. Also seen were two avocet chicks on the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools, two pochard broods of six and two, a little tern and five common terns in the river Colne. Two ringed plovers were on the beach at the Point, while three black-tailed godwits, five golden plover and 25 curlew also noted. Four juvenile kestrels were perched on the oak tree at the back of the grazing fields.

This nocturnal parasitoid Netelia species of ichneumon wasp was photographed by Andy on the sea-blite bushes at East Mersea Point on Thursday.

A late Thursday afternoon walk along the Strood seawall in the rain provided damp views of greenshank, 100 redshank, three avocets, whimbrel, black-tailed godwit, 20 curlew, great crested grebe and also the unusual sight of a common tern hawking over the mud for lug or ragworms, as it was seen dropping down to pick a worm up and carry it off.

On Wednesday 7th at Cudmore Grove four kestrel chicks were perched on the outside of the nestbox and nearby branches at the back of the grazing fields waiting to be fed. A brood of four pochard ducklings and a brood of tufted duck-lings were seen along the park dyke, while fifty sand martins were flying about and 30+ swifts flying west. On the saltmarsh 21 avocets and two chicks were present, also 15 Mediterranean gulls in the gull roost, five lapwings and the single brent goose. 

Four distant little terns were flying around Sandy Point on the east side of the estuary and two common terns also seen while a Sandwich tern was watched flying upriver past the Point. Two ringed plovers were seen on the Point with one bird still sitting on eggs and a common seal just offshore.

Steve Entwistle saw a corn bunting on wires at the entrance to Reeveshall on Wednesday, also two stock doves, while at Shop Lane there was the croak from a possible raven heard over Fishponds Wood but not seen, also two whitethroats singing.

This summer chafer was photographed by Andy Field after he found it in his bottle recycling bin!

A whitethroat was photographed by Jonathan Bustard on his garden roof on Tuesday 6th in the Chatsworth area of West Mersea - an unexpected garden tick for him!

GARDEN FOX

A fox visited the Firs Chase garden recently at 6am to check for nut and seed tit-bits under the bird feeders. After a brief scavenge it disappeared back into the undergrowth.

Two avocet chicks and ten adults were seen by Andy Field on the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse on Monday 5th, this picture by Andy. Also seen at the country park were a common tern, Sandwich tern and little tern in the Colne, four Mediterranean gulls, four broods of pochard in the borrowdyke, brent goose on the saltmarsh, a ringed plover still sitting on the beach, juvenile sedge warbler and a singing Cetti's warbler near the Golfhouse.

A male linnet perched up at the park on Monday for Andy to photograph.

An emperor dragonfly was seen egg-laying by Steve Entwistle on Sunday 4th near the East Mersea Golfhouse. A muntjac was seen a couple of times at the park and two red squirrels in Shop Lane.

Earlier a whimbrel was seen in the Strood channel.

On Saturday 3rd, a cuckoo, little owl, Cetti's warbler were seen by Steve near Maydays farmyard, while a pair of Mediterranean gulls and a male yellowhammer were seen by the seawall there. On Saturday evening 400-500 sand martins were flying around the country park with a kestrel and sparrowhawk seen among them, also two blackcaps at the park.

Along the Strood seawall on Saturday Steve noted a whimbrel, greenshank, eight curlew, seven redshank, corn bunting on usual bush, reed warbler by layby and a common whitethroat by layby too.

Three Mediterranean gulls flew over Ian Black's house in Mersea Avenue in the afternoon.

Martin Cock at Cudmore Grove on Saturday morning noted 14 avocets on the pools, a pochard with three young, tufted duck and three young, little grebes with six young, ringed plover still sitting and a brent goose.

On Friday 2nd at Cudmore Grove, Andy Field reported ten avocets with two small chicks, one large chick and one fledged juvenile, also three fledged lapwings, broods of mallard, tufted duck and coots on the borrowdyke. Of the 100+ sand martins flying about, 65 perched on the polders with another near the cliff. Two Cetti's warblers were heard- one by the Golfhouse and another by the park pond, kestrel chicks look ready to fledge and a mistle thrush by the Golfhouse. In the Colne 3-4 little terns were distant and 6+ common terns were also seen.

Later on Friday Steve Entwistle saw 500 sand martins flying everywhere about the park, three black-tailed godwits, seven avocets including one large chick and two sitting birds. A sedge warbler and four reed warblers, reed bunting, four linnets and a sitting ringed plover on the beach were seen. Also 5 little terns, three common terns offshore, brent goose and four curlew.

One of the four Mediterranean gulls seen and photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 29th. Also ten black-tailed godwits, four avocets, four ringed plovers, 25 redshank, four golden plovers, whimbrel, 20 curlew, great black-backed gull, two distant little terns, four common terns, 30+ sand martins, three sedge warblers and a barn owl flying over the fields at the park in the early morning.

Four kestrel chicks in their nestbox at the back of the park fields were photographed by Andy Field on Tuesday.

A family of tufted ducks was photographed by Andy Field at the park on Tuesday.

A borage plant in flower was photographed by Andy at the park.

Later on Tuesday Steve noted 65 oystercatchers, 25 curlew and a common tern at the park, while Martin Cock saw two small avocet chicks on the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse.

Ian Black saw three buzzards and a sparrowhawk over Victory Road on Tuesday.

On Tuesday along the Strood channel were 20 curlew, grey plover, avocet, three common terns, three Mediterranean gulls, corn bunting, female cuckoo calling and 24 swifts over the houses.

A walk along the Strood seawall on a gloomy Monday 28th saw a stonechat near the Strood Hill end, seemed quite a dark bird in the gloom, possibly an immature bird. Also marsh harrier over the fields, Cetti's warbler singing, corn bunting, buzzard, 20 curlew, five black-tailed godwits, ten redshank, two lapwing, avocet, grey plover, five common terns, Mediterranean gull and a half grown-up oystercatcher chick near the Dabchicks.

A brown hare was seen at Maydays farm on Sunday 27th and a grey seal in the Pyefleet channel.

A pair of marsh harriers was over Reeveshall, two singing sedge warblers, two yellowhammers, five reed buntings, two whitethroats, yellow wagtail and a sand martin were seen from the Maydays seawall.

Along the Pyefleet were six common terns, six little egrets, five shelduck, six curlew, great crested grebe, three redshank and a lapwing.

Steve Entwistle also visited Maydays on Sunday and added a bar-tailed godwit, three golden plover, three yellow wagtails and a chiffchaff.

Steve Entwistle saw a pair of Mediterranean gulls at Cudmore Grove on Sunday and 16 sand martins near the cliff. Two red-legged partridges were in the middle of Chapmans Lane on Sunday morning.

Shaun Bater visited the park on Sunday morning and saw sand martins in large numbers, swift, swallow, house martin, sparrowhawk and a couple of avocets.

KITE NEAR CUDMORE

A red kite was photographed by Andy Field as it passed overhead near the horse paddocks north of the country park on Saturday 26th. Noted at the park was a marsh harrier over the grazing fields, ringed plover on its nest on the beach, whimbrel, three golden plover, three sedge warblers, fifty sand martins.

Later on Saturday at the park were three Sandwich terns which flew over Steve Entwistle's head calling as they passed by.

Andy also noticed this thread-waisted wasp which feeds on other insects, during his Cudmore walk.

Phil Passfield was asked by a lady in Whittaker Way what this seemingly abandoned large chick was that she found in her garden. This cuckoo chick was probably still being fed by its foster parents such as dunnocks, so the lady was advised to put the bird back in her garden and leave it somewhere off the ground. Its calls will soon be heard again by its "parents".

An adder was photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday near the park entrance.

Also at the park were two fledged lapwing chicks, eight avocets with one chick, four curlew, two whimbrel, at least one ringed plover chick with another pair trying to nest again, four little terns, six common terns, 25 sand martins by the cliffs, some young sedge warblers by the park pond and two buzzards seen too.

This ringlet butterfly was photographed on Steve Entwistle's phone in Feldy View on Wednesday, also three meadow browns, ten red admirals, holly blue, four small heaths a cinnabar moth as well as a whitethroat singing.

A red kite was seen flying over Steve's house in Empress Drive by his wife Kate.

On Tuesday 22nd two Sandwich terns were seen by Ian Black flying past the West Mersea Hard towards the Strood channel.

At Cudmore Grove on Tuesday afternoon, Steve Entwistle reported two little terns in the Colne, two common terns, pair of Mediterranean gulls, 56 oystercatchers, two whimbrel, nine curlew, seven avocets with one large chick, a black-headed gull still sitting on its nest as well as a mistle thrush by the East Mersea road near Bromans Lane.

SINGING SEDGE

Andy Field photographed this sedge warbler singing at Cudmore Grove country park on Saturday 12th June. Also numerous reed warblers and whitethroats, chiffchaff, two Cetti's warblers a yellow wagtail and at least one kestrel chick seen in the nestbox.

The pair of Egyptian geese was back on the park's grazing fields on Saturday, photographed by Andy before they were seen flying over to Point Clear. A pair of pochard was also at the park while on the saltmarsh lagoons six avocets and one chick were seen and six common terns seen in the river too.

Andy photographed this four-spotted chaser at the park on the Saturday.

On Sunday 13th Steve Entwistle photographed this brimstone butterfly west of Shop Lane, also 20+ small heaths, while a lesser whitethroat and sparrowhawk and four speckled woods were in Shop Lane. Four whitethroats, three chiffchaffs, cuckoo, yellowhammer and two Cetti's warbler were also noted in the area.

A green hairstreak seen by Ian Black in his Mersea Avenue garden on Tuesday 15th was his third individual there this spring following a mating pair seen earlier.

At Gyants Marsh on Tuesday evening Steve Entwistle saw blackcap, chiffchaff, two great spotted woodpecker and a green woodpecker.

On Wednesday 16th Martin Cock noted at the Golfhouse pools four avocets, lapwing and a black-headed gull still sitting, an oystercatcher chick by the Oyster Fishery, Cetti's warbler, sedge warbler, reed warblers, whitethroat and lesser whitethroat, blackcap, cuckoo along with a small tortoiseshell and painted lady butterflies. 

Andy Field reported similar birds during his Cudmore visit on Wednesday with two avocets on the mud still chasing off all comers but no sign of the actual chick. Two possible little terns in the distance across the river but looking in the sun, also six common terns seen.

Near the Dabchchicks on Wednesday Steve Entwistle saw a buzzard, four swallows, common tern and a red admiral.

A walk to the East Mersea Stone by Martin Cock on Friday 18th produced eight avocets on the pools and one large chick, also one black-headed gull still sitting. A ringed plover was seen on the beach with three tiny chicks, also brent goose, six common terns and two sedge warblers.

A little tern was seen by Andy Field from Cudmore Grove on Sunday 20th flying past Brightlingsea and probably other little terns too distantly near Sandy Point. Four common scoter were off the park, 25 curlews, two bar-tailed godwits, 10 avocets and a chick, lapwing and just fledged chick, pair of ringed plover and three tiny chicks, sedge warbler feeding youngster and another singing in the grazing fields, a female cuckoo heard, two kestrel chicks in the box, 20 sand martins and a common buzzard over the horse paddocks. Later a golden plover was seen near the Point by Steve Entwistle.

On 24th April Marion and Piers Potifar had a muntjac deer giving birth in their Shop Lane garden in East Mersea. They wondered why "she appeared to be eating something in the same place for at least ten minutes.   About five minutes after that the mum appeared on the back lawn with her baby, still being licked clean of birth goo. This picture taken at 8.20 p.m. so light was poor." 

Other wildlife seen in their garden included three fox cubs on the 13th June, two adders on the 14th and a family of great spotted woodpeckers that nested in an apple tree.

DRAGONS AND DAMSELS

Plenty of dragonfly and damselfly activity was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane during mid June. Here a female emperor dragonfly was egg-laying in the garden pond on the 15th.

Female emperor dragonfly egg-laying

Broad-bodied chaser egg-laying.

Female broad-bodied chaser seen amongst the water crowfoot.

A four-spotted chaser perched beside the garden pond.

 The broad-bodied chaser seen by the pond.

 The four spots show up well on each pair of wings here on the four-spotted chaser.

A large red damselfly was resting on  a water lily flower.

Female azure damselfly egg-laying.

Male blue-tailed damselfly

A beautiful demoiselle was reported by Michael in his garden on Saturday 12th. This is the first record for the Island.

FELDY POPPIES

The Feldy View cemetery field is displaying a nice variety of colours with the red poppies particularly eye-catching on Friday 11th.

A buzzard soared over the Strood channel and drifted over the Strood fields for half an hour or more. A male marsh harrier also appeared to briefly join it before it continued over the fields. A cuckoo was seen flying high over the channel heading towards the Strood Hill from Ray Island. 

When the buzzard drifted over the saltmarsh on Ray Island, eight curlew took off and landed in the channel, a pair of Mediterranean gulls flew over calling and a pair of common terns was flying along fishing. A redshank called from the Ray Island saltmarsh.

Two corn buntings were singing from opposite side of the wheat field near the bottom of Strood Hill. A meadow pipit flew over the saltmarsh at the Strood Hill end and another one was heard singing over the saltmarsh by the caravan site. Four yellow wagtails, three singing whitethroats, four reed warblers and three reed buntings were also noted. Two grey herons were standing in the Strood fields.

Steve Entwistle saw a hobby fly over the Firs Chase caravan site on Friday morning and also a whitethroat singing there while in Empress Drive a sparrowhawk flew over his garden. In the afternoon in the area of Dairy lane near Shop Lane in East Mersea two singing lesser whitethroats showed well to Steve

This large female adder was stretched across the entrance to a field by Dairy Lane near Shop Lane in East Mersea on Thursday 10th. The adder was partially blocking the public footpath but luckily there was space to walk around it without disturbing it.

On a sunny Thursday 10th in the area of Shop Lane in East Mersea a red kite was soaring high over fields and drifted over to Reeveshall. Four common buzzards were seen, a female marsh harrier flew over the fields to Reeveshall and a sparrowhawk circled high overhead.

There was the sound of lots of singing birds from hedgerows and copses with eight whitethroats, six chiffchaffs, three lesser whitethroats, two Cetti's warblers, three blackcaps as well as the song of the cuckoo heard.

This grass vetchling in flower was photographed by Jonathan Bustard by the Strood seawall on Friday. It seems to have become more widespread on the Island in recent years.

Jonathan also photographed these large white caterpillars feeding on garlic mustard.