SPOT FLIES STOP-OVER

A spotted flycatcher was photographed by Shaun Bater beside Meeting Lane in East Mersea late afternoon on Saturday 14th. This was one of two spotted flycatchers first found by Steve Entwistle late morning. The birds have stopped off here briefly during their migration north.

Andy Field also photographed one of the two spotted flycatchers as they were feeding along the hedgeline at the bottom of Meeting Lane.

Andy Field also captured this male yellowhammer in full song along the path between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Saturday morning. Also noted were two marsh harriers, buzzard and lots of whitethroats, while a male cuckoo provided a close fly-past near the Shop Lane seawall, earlier four whimbrel were seen on the Coopers Beach saltings.

Two common terns were fishing along the Pyefleet channel beside Maydays on Saturday, sometimes resting on a floating pontoon. A hobby was hunting over Langenhoe and ten buzzards were also in the air there, five marsh harriers were seen too. Eight greylag geese, three lapwing, two redshank, and whimbrel were noted.

A cuckoo was heard calling at Maydays and another one calling from Langenhoe. Beside the seawall were heard six reed warblers, six whitethroats, Cetti's warbler and a corn bunting, while five house martins were over the farm buildings.

A small heath butterfly was resting along the Maydays seawall on Saturday, also small white and peacock on the wing.

An avocet was feeding on the side lake beside the East Mersea boating lake on Friday 13th.

This pair of avocet is the only pair on the Island at the moment, following the recent disappearance of the handful of birds from the Golfhouse pools.

Also on the side lake was a pair of common terns, seen resting on a small island on Friday.

Two common sandpipers were along the broken down seawall at Rewsalls on Friday before one of the presumed same birds was seen feeding on the nearby side-lake. Also present on the Rewsalls marshes were a pair of shelduck, whimbrel, little egret, sparrowhawk and a swift over, also singing reed warbler, lesser whitethroat, three whitethroats and a yellow wagtail. A wheatear was seen along the beach frontage of the Youth Camp.

In the Waldegraves and Cross Lane area two common terns, kestrel, two sand martins, two house martins, three chiffchaffs, two blackcaps, three whitethroats and 12 linnets were noted on Friday.

An orange-tip butterfly was seen near the East Mersea Youth Camp and a brimstone butterfly in Cross Lane on Friday.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday, Steve Entwistle reported two pairs of pochard on the park pond and a pair of greylag geese, pair of mute swans and six singing whitethroats. The first hairy dragonfly of the season and three brimstone butterflies were also seen at the park. In Shop Lane a chiffchaff was singing.

Two green hairstreaks were tussling with each other in the Firs Chase garden on Friday afternoon.

On Thursday 12th a green hairstreak was resting at Cudmore Grove alongside the main track through the middle of the park. A broad-bodied chaser dragonfly was seen by the park pond.

At the park pond a sedge warbler was singing in front of the bird hide on Thursday morning.

Two pairs of tufted ducks and three pochard were on the park pond while the greylag goose was still on her nest. 

Birds noted at the park were three Canada geese, four greylag geese, nine ringed plover including a pair prospecting at the Point, whimbrel, two common terns offshore, ten shelduck, five lapwing, six sand martins, three reed warblers, sparrowhawk, lesser whitethroat and sedge warbler along the dyke. Two house martins and 15 swallows were to the north of the park.

A pair of mute swans was still on the park dyke but not breeding this year.

A patch of brackish water crowfoot was in flower along the park dyke.

A few immature azure damselflies were resting beside some bushes at the park on Thursday.

A grey heron was stalking along the edge of the Strood dyke on Wednesday 11th, also four little egrets seen during a walk along the Strood seawall.

A hobby raced up the Strood Hill and over the houses, where 20 swifts were circling in the sky. Along the Strood channel were ten whimbrel, four dunlin, ringed plover, greylag goose and two brent geese, four common terns. A sedge warbler and three reed warblers were singing also a yellow wagtail and 13 linnets noted.

In East Mersea on Wednesday morning a garden warbler was heard singing by Adrian Amos near Ivy Farm.

On Tuesday 10th in the afternoon Steve Entwistle at Maydays saw fifty dunlin and thirteen grey plover, also great white egret on the saltings, three whitethroats, reed warbler, Cetti's warbler and a pair of greylag geese.

A pine beauty moth was in the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 12th.

A pale tussock was also noted on the 12th.

A rustic shoulder knot was noted on the 12th, also angle shades, willow beauty, yellow-barred brindle, shuttle-shaped dart, garden carpet and a white ermine.

KNOT STILL HERE

The knot was photographed again at the East Mersea Point on Monday 9th by Andy Field during his visit to Cudmore Grove Country Park. It has been around for almost three weeks and the lack of red plumage indicates it is a non-breeding bird this year. Other waders were four whimbrel, greenshank on the mud, while a wheatear, five sand martins, 20 swallows, marsh harrier and a cuckoo were noted, also a pair of red-legged partridge seen.

A coot family on the country park dyke was photographed by Andy on Monday. One of the coots had a go at one of the mute swans for showing too much interest in the small chicks.

On the park pond were five pochard, also at the park were lots of whitethroats and blackcaps and three lesser whitethroats.

Thirty whimbrel flew over Martin Cock's West Mersea house on Monday afternoon, while Andy had a swift newly entering the swift box on his house in High St North on Monday evening. Earlier, five swifts were flying over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive.

At Maydays on Sunday 8th, Martin Cock reported a hobby, three buzzards, two reed warblers, two Cetti's warblers, twenty dunlin, twelve grey plover and two whimbrel.

A swift was seen flying high over Andy Field's garden in High St North.

In the Feldy View area on Sunday morning, Steve Entwistle reported a lesser whitethroat, blackcap, chaffinch and goldfinch.

An orange-tip butterfly was photographed by Mike Wadham at Reeveshall farm on Saturday 7th.

At Rewsalls marshes on Saturday a wheatear, three avocets, three lesser whitethroats and two reed warblers were noted by Martin Cock.

Two swifts flew over Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden on Saturday.

On Friday 6th Martin Cock walked between the East Mersea Golfhouse and the Oyster Fishery and noted five Cetti's warblers, four lesser whitethroats, many whitethroats, four avocets, whimbrel, four common terns, cuckoo, two male marsh harriers, buzzard, two sedge warblers and three reed warblers.

A hedgehog appeared early evening in Ron Harvey's garden in Whitaker Way on Thursday 5th, a regular visitor to the garden.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday, Steve Entwistle reported 11 sand martins along the cliff, six pochard, four tufted ducks, sedge warbler and a little grebe on the park pond, also three whitethroats and a blackcap in the bushes and trees.

A swift was over Andy Field's garden end of Thursday afternoon, the first swift seen on the Island this spring.

A pair of mute swans was seen flying over the Strood by Shaun Bater.

On Wednesday 4th Martin Cock at Maydays farm noted seven reed warblers, corn bunting, four whitethroats, six house martins, 13 grey plover, three common terns and two marsh harriers.

Andy Field walked between Shop Lane and Gyants Marsh and reported no sound of either of the two nightingales, but lots of chiffchaffs, blackcaps and whitethroats, two Cetti's warblers, three lesser whitethroats, nine swallows, two song thrushes and two yellowhammers. A marsh harrier flew over field by the East Mersea Road.

Two turtle doves were accidently flushed off the saltings at Maydays by Steve Entwistle when he walked up onto the seawall on Tuesday 3rd. The first sighting on the island for two years.

Also at Maydays were two grey partridges, two red-legged partridges and a common sandpiper.

In the Shop Lane area on Tuesday morning, two yellowhammers, three yellow wagtails, cuckoo, blackcap, many whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, marsh harrier, and nightingale still singing, were all noted by Martin Cock.

Two willow warblers were heard by Shaun Bater singing in his Estuary Park garden on Tuesday morning.

 

Shaun Bater photographed this green woodpecker on Monday 2nd during a walk at Cudmore Grove.

Also seen by Shaun at the country park were a pochard, mallard with seven ducklings, coot with one young, seven greylag geese, one Canada goose, cuckoo at the back of the pond, reed warbler, sand martin, dunlin, nine turnstone, ten ringed plover, four avocets, Mediterranean gull, 18 brent geese, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat, blackcap and whitethroat.

A whimbrel was photographed by Shaun at the Strood channel on Monday also a cuckoo heard.

At Maydays on Monday Steve Entwistle reported a house martin, eleven grey plover, 56 dunlin, two swallows, three whitethroats, two Cetti's warblers, yellowhammer, yellow wagtail, seven whimbrel, two buzzards and three marsh harriers.

EGRET TRIO

 

A little egret trio stood in one of the Strood fields during the high tide period in the middle of Sunday 1st. Another two little egrets were standing on the Ray island saltmarsh.

Also seen along the Strood seawall were 20 whimbrel, four common terns, pair of shoveler, pair of gadwall, seven pochard and two mute swans in the dyke. Three reed warblers, sedge warbler, lesser whitethroat and a corn bunting were all heard singing and eight stock doves were feeding in a field.

Roosting on a couple of boats near the West Mersea hard on Sunday were 65 turnstones.

Butterflies seen in Martin Cock's garden on Sunday included a green hairstreak, comma, speckled wood and a holly blue, while Andy Field watched a brimstone and orange-tip in his garden.

It was nice to feel the warmth in the sunshine again along the Maydays seawall, after several chilly and grey days recently on the Island. The first look at a cuckoo this spring was a female doing its bubbling call as it flew across a field. Later a male cuckoo was heard on the Langenhoe marshes opposite.

The warm weather also saw lots of marsh harrier activity with seven noted, especially displaying males calling while flying way-up high in the sky. Also a couple of buzzards seen, two sparrowhawks over Maydays, while a hobby was watched flying about over Langenhoe.

In the Pyefleet channel birds noted were four common terns, two Mediterranean gulls, four great crested grebes, 30 grey plover, ten whimbrel, three bar-tailed godwits and 20 dunlin. Two sedge warblers, six reed warblers, two whitethroats were heard singing, three yellow wagtails and a meadow pipit were noted from the seawall while a Cetti's warbler sang near the Haycocks yard. An adder, two common seals, brown hare and brimstone butterfly were also of interest.

Andy Field walked from Shop Lane, meeting up with me along the Reeveshall seawall and had noted two Canada geese, six corn buntings, six swallows and a corn bunting.

A female siskin visited the bird feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 29th for the second day running. A closer look at the pictures taken of it, showed it had a metal ring on its right leg - unfortunately too far off to read.

Eight avocets were seen on the Golfhouse pools on Friday morning, including this bird sitting presumably on a nest. Also three redshank on the pool, two marsh harriers flew over the fields.

A knot was present on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Friday, although no sign of its mate.

In the Colne were five great crested grebes.

A pair of reed buntings was seen in the sea-blite bushes at the Point.

A wheatear was feeding in the horse paddock at the Golfhouse on Friday. Two Cetti's warblers were singing at the park, also willow warbler by the park entrance, three sedge warblers, three lesser whitethroats, and three whitethroats singing too.

A male wigeon was still in the park's grazing fields, with five teal also noted.

A pair of shelduck was on the park pond on Friday, also four pochard and four tufted ducks, eight greylag geese were doing lots of squabbling with one of the females still sitting on her nest. A water rail was heard calling, while the long-tailed tit nest by the park pond was lost to a marauding magpie.

Steve Entwistle on Friday noted at the Strood fishing lakes two yellow wagtails and two skylark nearby, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat and two swallows. Later Steve managed to catch a distant glimpse from St Peters of a long-tailed duck at the entrance to Tollesbury channel, also a distant peregrine on Bradwell power station, while a pale-bellied brent goose, seven brent geese were at Cobmarsh and a Cetti's warbler singing at St Peters.

Martin Cock noted along the Strood seawall early on Friday morning three sedge warblers, one reed warbler, whitethroat, two Canada geese, four whimbrel and the shag on a pontoon.

A female siskin was first spotted at the bird feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 28th. It made at least a couple of visits during the afternoon, feeding on the sunflower hearts.

A cuckoo was heard calling at the back of the Strood fields, also a whimbrel, two buzzards, two Mediterranean gulls, two common terns, lesser whitethroat noted. Later a sparrowhawk and a buzzard were chased by crows in the afternoon over Feldy View, also four linnets here.

A buzzard flying low over Reymead wood on Thursday was mobbed by crows.

A pair of Egyptian geese was seen on Cobmarsh Island by Steve Entwistle on Thursday, also two common terns and 31 sanderling there. Along the Strood were noted a bar-tailed godwit, five whimbrel, cuckoo on wires, reed bunting pair and three swallows.

Shaun Bater noted in Cross Lane on Thursday whitethroat, chiffchaff, blackcap, while on the Rewsalls side-lake was one avocet.

A little owl perched in a couple of trees near the pond close to the Waldgraves seawall on Wednesday 27th. A sedge warbler and Cetti's warbler were singing close to the main fishing lake at Waldegraves.

At the Rewsalls marshes an avocet briefly landed on the side-lake, six whimbrel flew over while four little egrets were also noted. A lesser whitethroat and whitethroat were heard singing here.

Looks like a new pond is being excavated alongside Cross Lane as part of the new housing development. Birds noted along Cross Lane on Wednesday were a sparrowhawk hunting low down along the lane, lesser whitethroat, two whitethroats and three blackcaps. Five common terns were flying along the coastline.

In the Shop Lane and Oyster Fishery area Martin Cock reported on Wednesday morning the nightingale still singing, cuckoo, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, two Cetti's warbler, six pochard, three marsh harriers, two buzzards.

The previous day Martin saw the shag and two common terns opposite the Dabchicks.

SINGING SEDGES

 

A sedge warbler posed nicely to be photographed by Andy Field as it sang from the reedbed beside the Strood seawall on Tuesday 26th. A second sedge warbler was also heard singing further along the Strood dyke.

Apart from the sedge warbler showing its back to Andy, two reed warblers were heard singing along the Strood dyke, a yellow wagtail, six whimbrel, three Mediterranean gulls, as well as the shag on a buoy opposite the Firs caravan park were seen.

The most notable bird found by Andy on Tuesday morning was a female black redstart seen briefly beside the Firs caravan park. It perched up briefly on a bush but disappeared presumably into the caravan park and not seen again.

Thousands of St Marks flies were flying about during Andy's walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday.

At Coopers Beach on Tuesday morning, a sedge warbler and Cetti's warbler were singing by the football pitch. Also noted were three whitethroats singing, grey heron, two swallows while offshore was a marsh harrier flying east to Colne Point and also two great crested grebes on the sea.

The green-winged orchids were putting on another nice display in Dave Chadwick's back garden on the Esplanade on Tuesday. However the very dry spring appears to have brought the flowering season forward a fortnight and also most plants looked very stunted and shorter than in previous years, presumably due the dry soil.

There were probably over 300 flowering spikes of the green-winged orchids while the distinctive leaves of the common spotted orchids were getting ready for their flowering season later next month.

 

The immature shag was perched on a buoy behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Monday 25th, the bird was last seen about three weeks previously.

Birds seen during a walk along the Strood seawall included a pair of gadwall, 11 whimbrel, black-tailed godwit, four Mediterranean gulls, greylag goose, two sedge warblers, Cetti's warbler, reed warbler, lesser whitethroat, house martin, yellow wagtail, five corn buntings, 42 carrion crows in a field, also two jays flying high to Ray Island. 

At Maydays farm on Monday Steve Entwistle reported a pair of grey partridge, common tern, reed warbler, greylag goose, two cuckoo, three whimbrel, two whitethroat and a hobby perched on a sign on Langenhoe marshes.

Martin Cock walked from the East Mersea church to the Rewsalls boating lake on Monday and noted a willow warbler, three lesser whitethroats, many whitethroats, two yellow wagtails, five whimbrel, six turnstones, two great crested grebes offshore and a Cetti's warbler near the church.

On Sunday 24th along the north side of the Island there were 11 whimbrel seen in the Pyefleet channel and another ten in the Strood channel just prior to the high tide. Also along the Pyefleet were 120 shelduck, ten grey plover, two bar-tailed godwits, while a hobby was swooping after insects on the Langenhoe seawall and a cuckoo heard calling from there too. Also five marsh harriers, two buzzards, five lapwing on Reeveshall and a nightingale still singing in Shop Lane. 

Lots of scurvy grass was in flower on the saltmarsh below Bower Hall farm on Sunday. Also two yellow wagtails, buzzard, lesser whitethroat, singing corn bunting and two reed buntings on this section.

Steve Entwistle walked the Shop Lane section of seawall on Sunday afternoon and noted three Canada geese, two greylag geese, two marsh harriers and a buzzard.

A green hairstreak butterfly rested beside the back door of the Firs Chase garden on both Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th, sheltering from the wind whilst enjoying the sun.

The nightingale was heard singing from the scrubby field near the north end of Shop Lane on Saturday.

Steve the red squirrel was busy handing out small hazel trees to local residents outside the Life in Eco shop on Saturday. As well as some home deliveries, 650 hazels were eventually handed out to help the red squirrel population to thrive.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday 22nd, Andy Field photographed one of the two knot seen close into the beach at the East Mersea Point. Also at the park were four avocets, buzzard, kestrel sitting in the box, two lesser whitethroats, two swallows and seven pochard.

Andy photographed the sedge warbler when it appeared on a bramble bush in front of the park pond.

In Shop Lane a sparrowhawk and kestrel was seen over Chris Burr's garden on Friday as well as an adder heading to a pile of brash.

A male pied wagtail stood on the edge of the Strood saltmarsh on Thursday 21st.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall included a whimbrel, brent goose, yellow wagtail, corn bunting, yellowhammer, three black-tailed godwit, Cetti's warbler, 30 linnets, buzzard, sparrowhawk, 16 Mediterranean gulls and three common terns.

Martin Cock also walked the Strood seawall on Thursday and noted six whimbrel, two yellow wagtails, two Mediterranean gulls, whitethroat and Cetti's warbler.

Steve Entwistle photographed this green hairstreak at St Peters by the well decking on Thursday, also the Cetti's warbler showing well there too, 54 brent geese and greylag goose on Cobmarsh Island. Over Old Hall were seen two marsh harriers and two greylag geese.

Later on Thursday Steve noted at Maydays two great white egrets flying over, two grey herons, 32 stock doves and nine yellowhammers.

Moth trapping continues to be very quiet in the Firs Chase garden due to the cold nights. This purple thorn was one of only half a dozen moths seen in the evening of Wednesday 20th.

A coronet was an unexpected early sighting for the season in the moth trap on Wednesday 20th