SHOWY HAIRSTREAK

A white-letter hairstreak was photographed beside Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane on Thursday 6th by Andy Field. The butterfly was providing nice views to a number of people during the day as it nectared on the bramble flowers beside the path. This appears to be a better marked individual than the one seen in the same spot the previous week. 

Also photographed by Andy on Thursday on the same walk to the Shop Lane seawall was this southern migrant hawker, also seen was a migrant hawker too.

A hornet hoverfly photographed by Andy near Fishponds Wood on Thursday.

Ian Black reported seeing two of these in his West Mersea garden the previous day.

Birds noted by Andy from the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday included 18 avocets, 12 black-tailed godwits, 25 curlew, seven whimbrel, five golden plover, six greenshank, green sandpiper, buzzard, yellow wagtail and a corn bunting.

There was a nice variety of butterflies seen in the sunshine on Thursday between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane such as this peacock feeding on burdock flowers.

This small tortoiseshell was also seen on the burdock flowers in Meeting Lane.

Other butterflies noted were a purple hairstreak, two small coppers, brimstone, comma, red admiral, meadow brown, gatekeeper, small heath, Essex / small skipper sps, speckled wood, large white, small white, brown argus and common blue.

Birds seen between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane included buzzard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, singing yellowhammer, blackcap, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and chiffchaff.

A back of the camera picture by Steve Entwistle of a small copper seen near Meeting Lane on Thursday, also three common blues and two brown argus.

 Angela Buckley visited Shop Lane on Thursday and saw speckled wood, peacocks, holly blue as well as the white-letter hairstreak.

Several marmalade hoverflies were photographed by Michael Thorley on the anthers of the regal lily in his East Mersea garden.

A helophilus species of hoverfly seen in Michael's garden near his pond.

A willow warbler was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Wednesday 4th.

Another picture of Michael's willow warbler in his garden.

Michael reported seeing at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday a wheatear, two ringed plovers, whitethroat, linnet and two common terns.

A visit to the Rewsalls marshes beside the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday 4th revealed a greenshank, three common sandpipers, 15 little egrets, 25 golden plover and 30 redshank. Also a Cetti's warbler sang at the front of the lake, two buzzards seen and ten Mediterranean gulls and a painted lady.

Several large clumps of sea holly were in flower on the beach by Waldegraves caravan park on Wednesday. Offshore two Sandwich terns were with thirty common terns on the shingle island just after high tide, also ten Mediterranean gulls and eight common gulls on the foreshore.

Two juvenile sparrowhawk chicks were calling from the copse at the bottom of Cross Lane, ten swifts flew west and a buzzard perched near Cross Lane.

On Tuesday 3rd a garden warbler was seen by the side of the Firs Caravan park, as were two willow warblers, two blackcaps and two lesser whitethroats. 

Four buzzards were seen heading south-west, including one calling as it flew past the top of The Lane, where there was a young sparrowhawk also calling. Five swifts flew west, while along the Strood were 100 redshank, 3 lapwing also 20 turnstones on boats near the Hard at high tide.

Five common terns were seen along the Strood channel, including this ringed bird.

An unexpected sighting was a red squirrel running down the path beside the Firs caravan park towards the seawall on Tuesday.

Two of four migrant hawkers seen by Andy Field in his High Street North garden on Tuesday.

Steve Entwistle photographed this brown argus on Tuesday, one of three seen in Feldy View.

Earlier on Tuesday Steve found a garden warbler from the new bird hide at Cudmore Grove country park, also six mistle thrushes feeding on rowan berries at the back of the park pond. Two pairs of brimstone butterflies were in front of the hide, also comma, red admirals and peacocks buzzing in the area along with migrant hawkers, ruddy darters and an emperor dragonfly.

On Tuesday evening at Reeveshall Steve saw a green sandpiper, 28 avocets, four black-tailed godwits and fifty lapwing.

A walk through Feldy View on Tuesday morning disturbed this micro-moth, the sulphur pearl, or carrot seed moth Sitochroa palealis, one of its foodplants is wild carrot which it was next to here.

FELDY VIEW BLUES

A common blue butterfly was flying about Feldy View on the sunny morning of Monday 2nd.

A couple of brown argus butterflies were also in Feldy View on Monday, also a painted lady, peacock, comma, small white, ringlet, meadow brown, gatekeeper and skippers sps. Inside the Strood seawall a clouded yellow flew along the middle section before settling among some yellow flowers of bristly ox-tongue.

A skylark was gathering a mouthful of food by the Strood seawall on Monday. Two corn buntings, four yellow wagtails, six whitethroats and a mallard in the dyke with five ducklings were seen from the seawall. Along the channel were five common terns, 200 redshank, whimbrel, tufted duck and a lapwing. A peregrine flew past the front of the Firs Caravan park, then passed over the jetty at the Hard and onto Old Hall. A young sparrowhawk was calling in The Lane, ten swifts were over the houses with another 30 heading north-west off the Island, and two willow warblers were feeding in Feldy View.

At East Mersea on Monday morning, Martin Cock reported a green sandpiper and three little egrets on the Reeveshall pool, also two greenshank, four turnstones, two avocets in the Pyefleet while two yellow wagtails and two willow warblers also noted.

At Maydays on Monday, Steve Entwistle reported  two common sandpipers, eight little egrets, ten curlew, two whimbrel, yellowhammer, five reed buntings, whitethroat, five common terns, buzzard, marsh harrier, greylag goose, two avocets and five stock doves.

Earlier in the day the willow emerald was seen by Steve at Maydays again, as well as migrant hawker, southern hawker, emperor dragonfly and ruddy darters.

A record shot taken with the phone of three red squirrel siblings on the cedar tree in the Firs Chase garden late afternoon on Monday. One individual is sticking its head out of the squirrel nest-box, the other two siblings on the limb beneath.

Another phone-shot of two red squirrels, what looked like the mother appeared as usual at the feeder, but here one of the youngsters is lying on top of the nut feeder. The other two youngsters were higher up the tree. The mother is a regular visitor but these grown up youngsters didn't appear to have been here before and spent lots of time exploring and smelling the trunk and branches.

A male willow emerald damselfly was found resting on a bush at Maydays farm on Sunday 1st.

A painted lady was seen along the Maydays seawall - as was a stoat briefly before it disappeared into the long grass.

A walk from Maydays taking in part of the Reeveshall seawall produced in the Pyefleet eight greenshank, two common sandpipers, whimbrel, 150 redshank, three knot, five black-tailed godwits, snipe calling overhead, four common terns, three great crested grebes, 100 grey plover and two shelduck with nine ducklings.

Three marsh harriers were on Maydays and Reeveshall with another two seen on Langenhoe, two buzzards on Reeveshall, two corn buntings, yellowhammer, twelve stock doves, reed warbler and ten little egrets were also noted.

In Shop Lane the white-letter hairstreak was seen by Martin Cock on Sunday morning near Fishponds Wood, also two teal seen on the Reeveshall pool.

A great white egret was seen flying over the Strood causeway by Oliver Cottis as he drove across on Sunday afternoon.

The two swift chicks continue to grow well inside the nestbox on Andy Field's house in High street North. They appeared to be doing press-ups in readiness for them leaving soon.

On Saturday 31st along the Strood a hobby was seen circling high in the sky with a buzzard. A female pochard flew down channel and two mallard broods were in the dyke with five and seven ducklings. In the channel were two avocets, four black-tailed godwits, four common terns and two whimbrel, while two yellow wagtails and a corn bunting were also noted. Twenty swifts were over the houses with a drifting flock of 80 swifts also seen heading north-west off the Island.

In Shop Lane the white-letter hairstreak was seen by Fishponds Wood by Steve Entwistle on Saturday morning also gatekeeper, holly blue, red admiral, southern hawker and eight southern migrant hawkers. In the Pyefleet were 104 black-tailed godwits, four lesser black-backed gulls and an avocet.

On a very windy Friday 30th this juvenile wheatear with its speckly back was feeding on the top of the Cudmore Grove seawall, trying to keep out of the wind. Nearby a flock of 150 starlings were foraging.

A flock of 60 black-tailed godwits was feeding on the mudflats along with several oystercatchers. In the dyke were a pochard, tufted duck with a couple of ducklings, also a little grebe too.

Thirty sand martins were flying low over the cliff, fields and dyke.

A mistle thrush perched on wires just to the north of the country park on Friday.

A male linnet perched on wires over a horse paddock to the north of the country park on Friday.

REEVESHALL WHEATEAR

A wheatear was photographed by Andy Field on the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday 29th. This is the first returning wheatear of the autumn seen on the Island. Andy also saw along the Pyefleet channel three greenshank, four dunlin, 50 grey plover, two knot, black-tailed godwit, 20 lapwing, 30 curlew and four avocets while a male marsh harrier was over Reeveshall.

A green sandpiper was found by Andy on the Reeveshall pool but flew off. Later on Thursday morning three noisy green sandpipers were flying about, chasing each other before heading over to the nearby Broad Fleet. A little egret was seen briefly feeding on the pool.

Also later on Thursday morning a corn bunting was singing by the Reeveshall seawall, five stock doves were in the field, five sand martins, ten swallows and a kestrel was flying over the fields, while in the Pyefleet a mute swan landed briefly in the channel. At least two recently fledged sparrowhawk juveniles were calling loudly in Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane with an adult seen too.

A southern migrant hawker was photographed by Andy as it rested by the field near Fishponds Wood, at least four males and two female types were seen.

Two southern migrant hawkers were resting out of the wind behind a sallow bush in the hedge near Fishponds Wood. Also some ruddy darters were on the wing.

A surprise white-letter hairstreak was seen alongside Fishponds Wood near the old decoy bunker on Thursday. Without my glasses I couldn't identify which hairstreak I was watching until I got back home! I was expecting the more widespread purple hairstreak so very pleased to see my first white-letter hairstreak on the Island. One was also seen half a mile to the west at Gyants Marsh earlier in the month by Martin Cock.

A painted lady was sheltering out of the wind below the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday. Other butterflies seen included meadow brown, gatekeeper, Essex / small skipper, speckled wood, small heath and small copper.

This female ruddy darter was photographed by Angela Buckley on Feldy View on Thursday.

A colourful rose chafer was photographed by Andy Field in his West Mersea garden.

A red squirrel was managing to eat the peanuts from this bird feeder in the Firs Chase garden, the picture taken through the kitchen window. In East Mersea there was the sad sight of a red squirrel dead in the road near Mersea Barns.

On Wednesday 28th along the Strood channel were seen two great crested grebes, common tern, eleven avocets, greenshank, whimbrel, while inside the seawall were a corn bunting and yellow wagtail.

A walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 27th produced three greenshank, golden plover, 140 redshank, ten avocets, four common terns, ten little egrets, corn bunting and two kestrels. A family of three great spotted woodpeckers were at Feldy View and there were twenty swifts over the houses.

Andy Field on Monday 26th walked the the Pyefleet seawall from Shop Lane to Maydays and noted four green sandpipers, five whimbrel, forty curlew, thirty grey plover, twenty lapwing, fifty redshank, five dunlin, two greenshank, five turnstone, marsh harrier, corn bunting and a yellowhammer.

Steve Entwistle photographed this migrant hawker in Cross Lane on Monday, also seeing buzzard, sparrowhawk and great spotted woodpecker. In Firs Chase there was the rare sight of a rabbit hopping down the road and then seen in the front garden on Monday.

In the evening at Cudmore Grove Steve reported six turnstones, grey plover, two whimbrel, eleven black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, 38 dunlin, twelve Mediterranean gulls, two common terns, four little terns. Butterflies noted were common blue, five small skippers, and ten gatekeepers.

Birds seen from the Maydays in the Pyefleet channel included six greenshank, three common sandpipers, two whimbrel, two knot, 12 dunlin, 12 black-tailed godwits, 65 grey plover, 90 redshank, 30 curlew, tufted duck in flight and two great crested grebes. 

A juvenile stonechat was along a ditch, a mixed flock of 500 jackdaws and rooks were on Reeveshall, two buzzards, two sparrowhawks, two singing corn buntings, yellowhammer and a singing meadow pipit over the saltmarsh.

Glyn Evans watched from Alresford a spoonbill flying over the Langenhoe ranges towards Maydays.

Two gatekeepers were paired up on a flower head on the Maydays seawall on Sunday.

A common seal rested on the pontoon in the Pyefleet channel on Sunday.

Later on Sunday at Maydays Steve Entwistle saw four common sandpipers, yellowhammer, 12 lesser black-backed gulls, two black-tailed godwits, bar-tailed godwit, five greenshank, 25 curlew, four whimbrel, ten dunlin, great crested grebe, fifty redshank.

Martin Cock reported on Sunday he'd seen along the Strood three yellow wagtails, sedge warbler, whitethroat, corn bunting, plenty of linnets, two grey herons, three turnstone, three whimbrel, greenshank, 100 redshank and a great crested grebe.

Over West Mersea on Sunday a hobby flew over Steve's Empress Drive garden, a buzzard flew over the Firs Chase garden while Ian Black had two green sandpipers flying over the High Street calling.

A walk along the East Mersea seawall between the Reeveshall pool and the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools on Saturday 24th produced a peregrine, little tern, five common terns, 8 Mediterranean gulls, common gull, five shelduck-lings, fifty sand martins, 60 black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, 40 dunlin, 35 turnstone, 13 avocets, five lapwing, 50 curlew and 80 redshank.

Steve Entwistle on Saturday evening at Maydays saw seven common sandpipers, green sandpiper, red knot, bar-tailed godwit, 19 dunlin, 9 grey plover, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 25 curlew, 3 whimbrel, 10 lesser black-backed gulls and 30 redshank. The highlight was a short-eared owl flushed off the seawall.

Along the Strood seawall on Saturday. Jonathan Bustard saw a common sandpiper flying over to Ray Island, hobby, yellow wagtails, corn bunting, whitethroat, linnet, stock dove and a kestrel.

RECENT MOTHING HIGHLIGHTS

Moth trapping took place in the Firs Chase garden eight times during July with a nice selection of species recorded. This colourful Orange moth was seen on the 26th- none seen in the garden last year.

A large female oak eggar was noted on the 26th, laying some eggs in its container.

The first two tree-lichen beauty moths of the season were noted on the 26th.

The distinctive micro Dasycera oliviella has been slowly spreading in recent years.

The first rosy footman for the garden was seen on the 22nd, a pretty salmon pink colour.

A plumed fan-foot was noted on the 22nd - first garden record last year.

Box moths continue to appear in increasing numbers with sixteen counted on the 26th July.

A magpie moth was recorded on the 7th July - becoming fewer each year.

A scarce silver lines made an appearance on the 2nd.

A beautiful hook-tip was noted on the 2nd, has become more widespread recently.

Two Clancy's rustics showed on the 18th and a single earlier on the 28th June. First garden records last year.

The only blotched emerald seen was on the 28th June.

A small elephant hawkmoth was noted on the 28th June, slight upturn in fortunes recently.

Pine hawkmoth was seen on four nights in July.

A single maple prominent was noted on the 28th June.

The only bordered white appeared on the 28th June.