PLOVER FAMILY

A pair of ringed plover was keeping a close eye on at least one chick on the beach near the East Mersea Point on Monday 11th. 

Crouching low on the beach was a tiny ringed plover chick with markings similar to the nearby pebbles. The chick didn't have much safe beach to use during the high tide period. I watched from the nearby seawall path so as not to disturb the birds.

A redshank was looking anxious on the saltmarsh by the Golfhouse pools suggesting there was a chick nearby. Two small chicks had last been spotted in this same area a month previously.

Two common terns were seeing flying in the Colne and a Mediterranean gull was in the small saltmarsh gull roost.

At the park pond seven little egrets perched on bushes, a sedge warbler was singing here and another one singing from the middle of the clubrush thicket in the first grazing field - a new location for one. The top of a barn owl head was glimpsed in the nestbox at the back of the park pond.

At least three bee-wolves were watched carrying their prey back into their burrows in the sand at the East Mersea Point on Monday.

Two kestrels perched on wires over a field on the north side of the country park on Monday.

Nine sand martins perched on wires to the north of the park - another bird was seen by the park cliff.

The sand martins lined up on the wires after having a fly around with 30+ swallows over some horse paddocks.

Pleased to see a female red squirrel at the garden feeder in Firs Chase on Monday. This is the first female seen here for about six months. The teats of the female's chest can usually be seen when the squirrel reaches up into the feeder.

A white-letter hairstreak was feeding on bramble flowers near the old decoy bunker in Shop Lane on Sunday 10th. This individual is missing a corner of its hindwing. Steve Entwistle watched a different individual later which was in better condition.

A couple of buzzards were seen during a walk on Sunday along the path to the west of Shop Lane. Also two green woodpeckers, great spotted woodpecker, singing yellowhammer, whitethroat and 20 swallows.

Two buzzards, marsh harrier on Langenhoe and a lapwing were seen by Steve during his walk to the Shop Lane seawall late Sunday morning.

Andy Field reported on Sunday coming back from his holiday to find a nestbox full of swifts on his High Street North house - at least a couple of chicks inside with parents.

A pair of corn buntings was near the Maydays seawall on Saturday 9th, the male singing from one of the bushes. Also singing along the dyke were a sedge warbler, four reed warblers, whitethroat and a reed bunting. Twenty shelduck, two great crested grebes, 25 curlew, common tern and Mediterranean gull were along the Pyefleet. A marsh harrier was hunting fields at the back of Reeveshall.

One common seal was resting on a pontoon in the Pyefleet and another one rested on the saltmarsh on Saturday.

Steve Entwistle reported two sparrowhawks, kestrel, little grebe, five redshank and a reed bunting during his walk on Saturday from Feldy View down to the Strood seawall.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen in the Firs Chase garden briefly on Saturday.

The juvenile cuckoo was seen for the second day running on Friday 8th, as it perched on wires beside the Firs Chase caravan park. It seemed to be watching its dunnock foster parent that was in the wheat crop below it.

After a few minutes the cuckoo flew into the nearby trees, before disappearing.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday were 15 curlew, 50 redshank, two common terns, marsh harrier, kestrel, little grebe, sedge warbler, reed warbler, ten swallows and two yellow wagtails.

Martin Cock reported from Maydays on Friday morning seeing 45 redshank, greenshank, three common terns, yellowhammer, yellow wagtail, buzzard and a grey seal.

A white-letter hairstreak was seen in Shop Lane on Friday by Steve Entwistle.

CUCKOO CHICK

 

A recently fledged juvenile cuckoo was perched in bushes down the side of the Firs Chase caravan site on Thursday 7th July.

The cuckoo was seen being fed by a dunnock at one point - the cuckoo chick dwarfing the little adult foster parent!

Along the Strood seawall that morning were a marsh harrier, kestrel, two whitethroats, two corn buntings, four yellow wagtails, while along the channel were 30 curlew, six little egrets and 130 redshank.

A red squirrel was seen doing a high-wire balancing act as it ran along an overhead cable above Firs Chase.

On Wednesday 6th Martin Cock visited the Reeveshall seawall and noted 85 black-tailed godwits, 20 curlew, 32 avocets, buzzard, three marsh harriers, yellow wagtail and a pair of shelduck with six young.

In Shop Lane on Tuesday 5th two white-letter hairstreaks were seen in Shop Lane by Steve Entwistle as well as one in the south-west corner of Cudmore Grove country park. The barn owl was seen sitting at the entrance to the nestbox behind the park pond by Steve in the morning.

A four-spotted chaser was photographed by Steve Entwistle at the country park on Monday 4th. A white-letter hairstreak was seen in the southwest corner of the country park and possibly three maybe four of them in Shop Lane near the old decoy bunker.

At least four white-letter hairstreaks were seen in elms chasing each other on Sunday 3rd by Simon Patient, in the south-west corner of the country park - the first park record of them.

On Friday 1st Steve Entwistle walked the Cudmore circuit past the Point and the Golfhouse and noted three sand martins, pair of ringed plovers with two chicks, four reed warblers, two male reed buntings, pair of linnets, nine long-tailed tits, female pochard with two ducklings in the dyke, three blackcaps and chiffchaff. Later a hobby was seen near Blue Row.

A purple hairstreak was seen by Martin Cock in Meeting Lane on Friday.

At East Mersea Point on Wednesday 29th June four ringed plover chicks with two adults seen by Martin Cock. Also in the area ten curlew, seven avocets and two common terns.

On Tuesday 28th in Shop Lane area Martin reported three Cetti's warblers, lesser whitethroat, common whitethroat, buzzard as well as ringlets and a small skipper.

Gary Petley reported on Tuesday three sparrowhawk chicks were close to flying their nest just inside the main entrance to Mersea Park. The birds were flapping their wings in preparation for them fledging

Michael Thorley photographed this sputnik gall wasp Diplolepsis nervosa, on the underside of hybrid T-rose leaves in his East Mersea garden on Monday 27th.

A singing corn bunting was the only bird of note reported by Martin Cock after his visit to Maydays farm on Monday 27th.

On Friday 24th at East Mersea Point, three sanderling, two ringed plovers with four small chicks (hatching against all the odds on the busy beach) and a golden plover on the Golfhouse pools were noted by Martin Cock. The same birds were seen later by Steve Entwistle along with four common terns.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen feeding on red valerian by Andy Field in his High St North garden on Thursday 23rd.

Two barn owls were seen by Martin Cock on Monday 20th hunting the Cudmore Grove grazing fields in the morning. The ringed plover pair was still sitting on four eggs at the Point, five sand martins and small skipper seen too.

On Sunday 19th at Maydays Martin reported a new sedge warbler singing, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, yellowhammer, six curlew as well as large skipper and small skippers.

GARDEN HUMMER

A hummingbird hawkmoth was photographed by Michael Thorley when it visited his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Sunday 19th June.

The hummingbird hawkmoth was first seen in the morning and then again four hours later when it visited some sweet William flowers. 

There haven't been many sightings so far this summer on the island of hummingbird hawkmoths, although Martin Cock saw one the previous day on Saturday 18th in his West Mersea garden in The Coverts feeding on lavender and another one that day seen by Kate Entwistle in her Empress Drive garden.

On Friday 17th Steve Entwistle visited the East Mersea area by the Golfhouse and reported a stonechat which was either a juvenile or tatty female near the dyke, redshank, ringed plover on the Point, three lesser whitethroats, linnet, two reed warblers, yellow wagtail, two sand martins, four swallows and two emperor dragonflies.

Andy Field photographed the kestrel nestbox at Cudmore Grove on Friday 16th, which appears to show at least three chicks. Also that morning the barn owl was hunting the park, grazing fields and the pond meadow and taking a vole back towards the nestbox at one point.

Three pochard were on the park pond, two Cetti's warblers, two sedge warblers and six reed warblers, also a family group of 6 lesser whitethroats, three chiffchaffs, common tern but no birds on the Golfhouse pools after a recent high tide.

Andy also photographed this bumblebee hoverfly Volucella bombylans at the park on Friday.

An immature blue-tailed damselfly at the park photographed by Andy.

At Maydays farm on Friday, Steve Entwistle watched a great white egret flying close to Bower Hall marsh as it headed towards Reeveshall marsh.

Also seen were a hobby, pair of grey partridge, cuckoo, two great crested grebes, Mediterranean gull, two reed warblers, whitethroat, curlew, redshank, oystercatcher and four house martins by farmhouse.

A rose chafer was photographed by Rusty Marshall in his Firs Chase garden on Thursday 16th.

On Wednesday 14th a spoonbill was seen by Paul Rowe from Old Hall, as it flew from Bradwell and over the Mersea Quarters.

Steve Entwistle walked the Strood seawall on Wednesday and noted common tern, six curlew, ten swallows in wires and sedge warbler by dyke.

There was the eye-catching sight of a bright moon-set over the Mersea Quarters at 3.40am from the Hard on Tuesday 14th June.

A cuckoo was heard calling in Empress Drive at 3.20am in Steve Entwistle's back garden.

Later on Tuesday Steve reported seeing from Cross Lane male marsh harrier, two house martins, three swifts, cuckoo, jay, blackcap, two greenfinch and two chiffchaffs.

ANXIOUS OYSTERCATCHERS

An oystercatcher chick was being anxiously watched over by the parents by the beach behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Monday 13th. The chick has left the dinghy but the high tides don't leave it much dry land to get onto that's safely away from walkers and their dogs. One dog walker was asked to put his dog on a lead after it ran along the shoreline chasing after the oystercatcher parents.

Along the Strood seawall on Monday a hobby was seen briefly catching insects, a male marsh harrier and a buzzard were seen over the fields, while a yellow wagtail, corn bunting, three reed warblers and two reed buntings were noted. Five common terns were fishing along the channel, five little egrets, 15 curlew, two lapwing and a pair of redshank were on the Ray saltings. A buzzard and a marsh harrier flew over Coast Road.

A female ruddy darter was seen in Feldy View on Monday - the first report of the season for the Island. Two holly blues, three small tortoiseshells and half a dozen meadow browns were also seen.

Steve Entwistle saw a painted lady, black-tailed skimmer, emperor dragonfly, along the Strood seawall on Monday, also two linnets, reed warbler and two whitethroats.

On Monday afternoon Steve visited Cudmore Grove and noted eight sand martins, mistle thrush, Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers, a pair of pochard and three tufted duck on the pond, two meadow browns, male brimstone, black-tailed skimmer dragonfly.

The regular cuckoo was calling again in Firs Chase early evening on Monday. It has been calling very early in the mornings recently and throughout the day too, then some late calling just before dark.

On Saturday 11th a common tern was fishing up and down the Maydays creek at high tide.

The common tern dived down several times into Maydays creek after small fish.

Also seen were a male marsh harrier, buzzard, cuckoo, great crested grebe, two redshank, lapwing, displaying meadow pipit, four reed warblers, five whitethroats, three reed buntings, also three house martins over the buildings and a Cetti's warbler singing at Haycocks yard.

A common seal was resting on saltmarsh, also four small heaths and five meadow browns.

Andy Field photographed a crab spider with prey on a common spotted orchid near Shop Lane on Saturday morning. The nightingale was calling by Shop Lane, also two chiffchaffs, ten swallows, three reed warblers in the dyke, two marsh harriers, two buzzards and a yellowhammer on the walk to Reeveshall.

Andy Field photographed this aptly named swollen-thighed beetle on a rose flower.

A bit horrified to see a grey squirrel at our bird feeders in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday evening. A trap was quickly set even while the grey squirrel was hiding in the tree, although it still remains at large.

Only about thirty moths in the trap in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday night including this strikingly marked barred yellow.

The once scarce evergestis limbata has become a regular through the last couple of summers.

The beautiful plume was also seen.

ORCHID SPOTTING

Managed to track down the common spotted orchids in a field near Diary Lane off Shop Lane on Friday 10th - first found the previous week by Andy Field.

The three common spotted orchid spikes were still in full flower, surrounded in the grass by the the small red-pink flowers of grass vetchling.

Several meadow brown butterflies were seen in the grassland as well as small heath, common blue and a burnet companion day-flying moth.

A buzzard perched on the north side of Gyants Marsh near Shop Lane on Friday, another buzzard was seen flying over fields, a sparrowhawk was being mobbed by 15 swallows, two green woodpeckers, Cetti's warbler, yellow wagtail, six whitethroats and four blackcaps were noted.

A chiffchaff singing in Shop Lane on Friday was one of three heard singing on the walk.

A muntjac deer ran through a crop of wheat.

At Cudmore Grove the barn owl was seen by Simon Patient hunting over the field near the park pond before entering the nestbox carrying prey at 9.30 on Friday morning.

At St Peters on Friday Steve Entwistle noted a greylag goose on Cobmarsh Island, 3 common terns and also a distant peregrine perched and flying about the Bradwell power station.

On the Rewsalls marshes from Coopers Beach on Thursday a pair of avocets, two oystercatchers, six shelduck, three little egrets and a reed bunting were noted, while five common terns were offshore.

One of the shelduck having a rest on the marshes near Coopers Beach on Thursday.

A male linnet was singing from a bush on Thursday by Coopers Beach, three others seen too. The Cetti's warbler was singing as were three whitethroats heard too, a grey heron flew over.

A female common blue butterfly was resting on some birdsfoot trefoil by Coopers Beach on Thursday.

The day-flying Mother Shipton moth was also seen on Thursday at Coopers Beach.

At West Mersea three buzzards drifted north-west over the Firs Chase garden with the resident crows chasing them onwards, also the cuckoo was calling regularly and the blackcap singing.

A house martin was seen going to its nest on a house opposite the vets near Queens Corner.

On Wednesday 8th one of the oystercatcher chicks was visible in the dinghy by the Dabchicks sailing club. The rusty swallow was flying about the Dabchicks area too.

Along the Strood seawall on Wednesday were two cuckoos, 25 curlew, buzzard, sedge warbler singing, three reed warblers singing and one whitethroat too. A meadow pipit was displaying over the saltmarsh, two pairs of yellow wagtail and two reed buntings singing. Two green woodpeckers were in Feldy View.

Twenty four swifts were over the West Mersea houses, while a buzzard flew over Firs Chase and the cuckoo calling through the day here. A painted lady was briefly seen in the garden.

A corn bunting perched beside the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

An elephant hawkmoth was the first hawkmoth of the season in the Firs Chase garden on the night of the 10th.

Beautiful hook-tip

Miller moth