STROOD BEARDED TIT

 

A male bearded tit put in a very brief appearance in the corner reedbed by the Strood seawall on Thursday 11th. The bird was heard pinging and was seen flying low over the tops of the reeds, perching for a few seconds for this picture to be taken, before it flew over the reeds not to be seen again. 

It is an unusual time of year to see a bearded tit on the Island, as they've mainly stopped off previously during the autumn. One wintered in the Strood dyke three winters ago, while the last breeding on the Island took place in 1988 in the Maydays borrowdyke.

Three marsh harriers were seen hunting at various times over the Strood seawall on Thursday morning with this male passing over the corner reedbed where the bearded tit had gone into hiding. This male had paler underwing coverts compared with an earlier male, also a female seen over the wheat field.

The male marsh harrier circled up high and then drifted over the Strood channel to Feldy marsh while a distant buzzard was circling too and a sparrowhawk flew over the Strood fields.

Along the Strood were nine avocets, 18 whimbrel including one flock of 15, five lapwing flying, eight black-tailed godwits, pair of redshank, five common terns, great crested grebe and ten turnstones near the Hard. In the fields were a gadwall, four shelduck and 20 stock doves with eleven swifts over the houses and a cuckoo calling from the Peldon side.

Two whitethroats were singing along the Strood dyke with another one singing in Feldy View on Thursday. Three sedge warblers and three reed warblers were along the dyke as were four singing reed buntings.

A male yellow wagtail was watched puffing out all its feathers in a bright yellow display to a nearby female, on the seawall behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Thursday 11th. The male was strutting about with quivering wings and bill pointing skywards.

The female yellow wagtail didn't seem to be taking any notice of the male and carried on collecting nest material!

In Firs Chase two swifts flew over and butterflies seen in the garden included holly blue, orange-tip, small white and peacock.

There was a fine display of green-winged orchids in Dave Chadwick's garden on the Victoria Esplanade when I called in with Dave's permission for my annual visit. In total there were probably about 500 flowering spikes most in the back garden but some in the front garden too. It seems as if the wet spring has provided ideal growing conditions for the orchids and they seemed as profuse as before. Several common spotted orchids are also coming into leaf and will be flowering in a couple of weeks time.

At least fifty flowering spikes of the green-winged orchids were on show on the front lawn too.

There was the pleasing sight of a solitary green-winged orchid in the Willoughby car park in the same place where one was seen three years ago but which didn't appear the last two years.

Andy Field welcomed a pair of swifts both back inside the nestbox on his house in High Street North on Wednesday 10th. The first swift had been seen inside the box the previous evening.

In Firs Chase two green hairstreaks were seen spiralling madly together at times around a lilac bush in the garden on Wednesday, also a speckled wood, orange-tip, holly blue, small white and peacock noted.

A green hairstreak and a holly blue were seen in Martin Cock's garden in The Coverts.

A speckled wood was flying about beside the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday.

The nightingale was heard singing from Ray Island for the second day.

Along the Strood channel were nine avocets, four whimbrel, four black-tailed godwits, redshank, common tern, two great crested grebes while ten brent geese were seen by Cobmarsh island. Five buzzards, sparrowhawk, two sedge warblers, three whitethroats, two yellow wagtails were noted from the seawall, a cuckoo was calling near the Strood Hill and another on the Peldon side.

A whimbrel was seen flying east in the afternoon over the Firs Chase garden calling as it went.

At Maydays on Wednesday Martin Cock reported three gadwall, three pochard, three great crested grebes, six whimbrel, two marsh harriers, yellow wagtail, two cuckoos, three common terns, reed warbler, sedge warbler and lesser whitethroat.

Caroline White visited Cudmore Grove on Wednesday evening and reported yellow wagtail on the Golfhouse track, avocet on the saltmarsh pools, swallows by the hide area and a soundtrack of reed warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, song thrush and whitethroat. There was a brief view of the barn owl as it headed out from the nestbox behind the pond.

At Michael Thorley's East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Wednesday, a buzzard circling overhead was being mobbed by carrion crows, a peregrine diving down and then rising up again several times in some sort of display, also four goldfinches, chaffinch, wren, whitethroat, blackcap and robins with food.

On Tuesday 9th there were two kestrels hunting along the Strood seawall, also two buzzards over the fields and a sparrowhawk by the caravan park. The loud song of a nightingale was being carried in the slight breeze 500m from Ray Island over to the Strood seawall. One was heard singing on Ray Island last spring too. 

On the flooded fields by the Strood seawall a pair of lapwing was flying about displaying, with one bird dropping down to the water's edge while the other flew off, possibly to the Peldon side. Ten shelduck, a male gadwall, grey heron and two little egrets were seen in the fields.

Along the Strood Channel were six avocets, three whimbrel, eight black-tailed godwits, two turnstone, common tern, while the sound of a cuckoo was heard from the Peldon side.

A reed warbler was flitting through the reeds by the Strood seawall on Tuesday, four of them heard singing, also sedge warbler, Cetti's warbler by the Strood reservoirs and another one on Ray Island, as was a blackcap heard singing loudly too. A lesser whitethroat, three yellow wagtails were seen and six swifts were flying over the houses.

Six linnets were noted during the walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday, mainly in their pairs.

FOX-WATCH

This fox found itself being watched and photographed by Caroline White from the bird hide at Cudmore Grove on Monday 8th. 

A buck muntjac deer was also photographed at Cudmore Grove on Monday.

Birds seen at the park by Caroline were whimbrel, yellow wagtail, sedge warbler and common tern, as well as a painted lady butterfly.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Monday morning and reported five lesser whitethroats, ten whitethroats, six blackcaps, eight reed warblers, possible willow warbler, four chiffchaff, lapwing pair in the fields with two chicks, seven pochard on the pond, three Cetti's warblers and two common terns off the Point. Butterflies noted included brimstone, speckled wood and orange-tip.

Two shelduck were seen resting in a field beside the East Mersea footpath from Shop Lane to Meeting Lane on Monday. The nightingale was singing loudly at the north end of Shop Lane and there was lots of calling of hooetting and croaking notes which might suggest a second bird was involved.

A willow warbler was singing from birch trees to the west of Shop Lane, this bird now present here for four days. Three Cetti's warblers, three lesser whitethroats, five whitethroats, yellowhammer, three linnets, buzzard and ten swallows were noted in the area.

Several butterflies were seen along the path west of Shop Lane such as this holly blue.

A couple of red admirals were seen, also peacocks and small white.

Half a dozen latticed heath moths were seen on the wing during the walk, which seemed more than usual.

A large furry Oak Eggar moth caterpillar was resting on a bramble bush near Gyants Marsh on Monday.

Several painted lady butterflies were seen on Sunday 7th during a walk along the north side of the Island with one at the Oyster Fishery, two at Reeveshall both continuing north off the island, one at Maydays and another along the Strood seawall. This spread of individuals must be due to a small influx from the continent, although there don't appear to many other reported sightings of them elsewhere.

A brimstone was seen at Reeveshall and also at Maydays where an orange-tip was also on the wing.

Lots of whimbrel seen along the back of the island on Sunday with four near Ivy Farm, twelve along the Pyefleet and another twelve in the Strood channel. Other waders seen were two ringed plovers on mud at Cudmore Grove, two lapwings on the fields there, pair of avocet on the Reeveshall pool, eighteen black-tailed godwits on Reeveshall and nine avocets in the Strood.

Nine greylag geese and a pochard were at Cudmore Grove, two Canada geese and five greylag geese in the Pyefleet, cuckoo flying at Reeveshall, also seen from there were four Mediterranean gulls, four marsh harriers, two buzzards and a pair of gadwall. Two hobbies were hawking after insects over the Langenhoe ranges - one of the hobbies hawking over the Reeveshall seawall briefly.

Several pairs of common terns were seen along the north side of the island on Sunday with 3 in the Colne, six along the Pyefleet and three in the Strood channel.

Four brown hares were running about the field beside the Strood reservoirs on Sunday afternoon, two were also seen on Bower Hall, while at Reeveshall a Chinese Water Deer was seen grazing one of the grass fields for the second day running.

A corn bunting was singing from a bush by the Strood seawall on Sunday, earlier six had been seen flying off the Bower Hall saltmarsh.

Three pairs of red-legged partridges were seen in the fields either side of the Strood Hill on Sunday, also thirty stock doves were feeding, while a dozen swifts flew over West Mersea.

At Cudmore Grove the barn owl was seen by Shaun Bater flying from the grazing field and went straight into the nestbox by the pond without reappearing on Sunday.

At West Mersea nine swifts were seen by Andy Field flying over Upland Road on Sunday.

On Saturday 6th birds seen at Maydays included a cuckoo calling from Maydays and another one calling from Langenhoe. A short-eared owl was hunting along the Langenhoe seawall, while three marsh harriers and a buzzard were seen. Also two Canada geese flew over, as did a gadwall, along the Pyefleet were six whimbrel, eight grey plover, two great crested grebes and an avocet.

A Cetti's warbler was singing near the Maydays seawall and another at the top of Haycocks Lane on Saturday, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, two whitethroats and a yellowhammer were also at Maydays. 

Two swifts were heard squealing high over Andy Field's garden in High Street North on Saturday.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday Caroline White reported two shelduck, Cetti's warbler, five reed buntings, two reed warblers, three whitethroats, two lapwing chicks with an adult, four greylag geese, two pairs of tufted ducks, greenshank in the grazing field, mute swan pair, two greylag geese, three pochard, two linnets, five blackcaps towards hide and another pair there, three chiffchaffs, sparrowhawk and two little grebes on the pond.

On Friday 5th at Maydays, Martin Cock saw a probable ringtail hen harrier seen briefly which was also seen at East Mersea by Andy Field but too distant to confirm an ID. Also at Maydays were a cuckoo, Canada goose, four whimbrel, three Cetti's warblers, sedge warbler and reed warblers. A Chinese water deer was flushed from the dyke at Maydays and then ran across the fields.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday morning Andy Field saw the usual whitethroats and lesser whitethroats, two lapwing chicks on the grazing field, greenshank still on one of the fields, cuckoo calling distantly to the west of the park, 50 ringed plovers and 84 dunlin.

Caroline Wilson visited Cudmore Grove on Friday evening and reported a great spotted woodpecker on the Golfhouse path, three whitethroats and one lesser whitethroat beside the fields and dyke, two lapwings, mute swan pair, nine greylag geese, six shelduck, 3 pochard, tufted duck pair, sparrowhawk, kestrel, reed bunting along the dyke. At the pond the barn owl perched on a post for quarter of an hour before flying off to the grazing fields. A whitethroat and a pair of blackcaps were near the hide.

Steve Entwistle on Friday reported two red-legged partridge near the East Mersea Road below Island House, also three swifts, swallow and cuckoo flying over his house in Empress Drive.

On Thursday 4th fifteen brent geese were still in the Mersea Quarters near Cobmarsh Island, while along the Strood seawall were seen two whimbrel, three turnstones, great crested grebe, marsh harrier, buzzard, two swifts, house martin, red-legged partridge, two yellow wagtails and a corn bunting.

At Maydays farm on Thursday Martin Cock reported a peregrine, male marsh harrier, greenshank, whimbrel, sedge warbler, reed warbler, Cetti's warbler, whitethroat and a blackcap.

A red kite circled high over the Firs Chase garden which upset the local carrion crow pair on Wednesday 3rd. 

A male marsh harrier was quartering over the Strood fields on Wednesday, four buzzards, sparrowhawk and two kestrels also noted. Two grey herons flew over to the small pond at the back, while in the fields were ten shelduck, male shoveler, pair of gadwall, pair of red-legged partridge, 22 stock doves, fifty carrion crows and three yellow wagtails. Three whimbrel and four common terns were along the Strood channel and a swift flew over the houses.

Between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Wednesday Martin Cock reported the nightingale still singing in Shop Lane, willow warbler singing, four lesser whitethroats, five whitethroats, four blackcaps, Cetti's warbler and three chiffchaffs.

Moth trapping this spring continues to be very poor because of the cold and wet spring. 

Four brimstone moths in the trap on the night of Sunday 7th added a bit of colour to the proceedings.

The migrant silver Y moth was also in the trap on Sunday evening, as was a yellow-barred brindle, shuttle-shaped dart and a double-striped pug.

A least black arches came to the Firs Chase garden trap on Sunday evening.

A large cockchafer was resting on the outside of the moth trap. Several usually turn up at the trap during the spring.

Inside the moth trap was this large and active sexton burying beetle.

SEAWALL WARBLERS

 

There were three singing whitethroats noted during a walk along the Strood seawall and another one singing by Feldy View on Tuesday 2nd. Three sedge warblers, three reed warblers were along the Strood dyke, while a lesser whitethroat was singing by the fishing reservoirs. Two yellow wagtails were over the fields and a swift flew over the houses.

A buzzard stood in an old nest in some trees at the back of the Strood fields and then flew away, circling over the fields with another buzzard on Tuesday. Two others were also seen as were two marsh harriers.

In the recently sown Strood hill field, 20 stock doves and 80 carrion crows were feeding. In the other fields were a pair of gadwall, ten shelduck and a grey heron.

Two great crested grebes were in the Strood channel on Tuesday, five whimbrel, common tern while thirty brent geese were in the Mersea Quarters near the entrance to Salcott channel.

Two brown hares were seen jogging through the grass fields by the Strood seawall on Tuesday.

In East Mersea Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Tuesday and noted lots of whitethroats and blackcaps, three lesser whitethroats, three chiffchaffs, Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers, sedge warbler, whimbrel, greenshank on the fields, lapwing pair with two chicks, two ringed plovers at the Point, common tern in the Colne, six swallows, two sand martins and three pochard.

A pair of avocets was at the Rewsalls side-lake on Monday 1st, one of the birds trying to scrape out a shallow nest with its legs on one of the islands. The only other birds noted here were ten turnstones, two redshank, four shelduck, little egret, while nearby were a singing Cetti's warbler, two lesser whitethroats, two whitethroats and three swallows.

A moorhen was on its nest on one of the Waldegraves fishing lakes on Monday morning. A sparrowhawk was seen nearby while in Cross Lane were a singing willow warbler, Cetti's warbler, three lesser whitethroat and three house martins.

On Monday morning a cuckoo flew past Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive house calling while Jack Hoy heard one calling at Maydays farm for the second day running, also one on Langenhoe calling too. A pair of grey partridge was seen at Maydays too.

On Sunday 30th a greylag goose was sitting in the grass by the Reeveshall seawall.

In nearby Shop Lane the nightingale was singing from a scrubby overgrown field while a siskin called several times but not seen from the tops of the pine trees in Fishponds Wood.

A pair of Canada geese was feeding at Reeveshall on Sunday, other birds noted from the seawall were ten whimbrel, two gadwall, three marsh harriers, two buzzards, and two hobbies catching insects over the Langenhoe ranges.

At Maydays five more whimbrel, red-legged partridge, two shoveler, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and also a hairy dragonfly.

A male yellow wagtail perched on a bush along the Bower Hall seawall on Sunday, a cuckoo was heard calling, red-legged partridge, two corn buntings and a yellowhammer also noted.

At the top end of the Pyefleet channel opposite Bower Hall on Sunday were ten whimbrel on the mud and two greenshank.

A buzzard carrying some prey circled over the Bower Hall seawall and later joined by a second bird on Sunday.

Along the Strood seawall on Sunday afternoon were ten avocets, ten whimbrel, 120 carrion crows, 52 stock doves, two shoveler, two gadwall common tern, swift over the houses, 13 corn buntings and a yellow wagtail.

A brimstone butterfly rested on a dandelion flower in Shop Lane on Sunday.

A speckled wood butterfly rested beside the track near Fishponds Wood on Sunday.

Caroline White walked the Cudmore circuit on Sunday morning and noted two whitethroats, two house martins, pair of lapwings, shelduck, greylag goose, grey heron, two reed warblers, reed bunting pair, three pochard, mute swan pair, three blackcaps, two chiffchaffs, greenfinch, two little grebes and a song thrush.

A male wheatear perched on railings on the Maydays seawall sluice on Saturday 29th. 

Across on Langenhoe two ravens were being mobbed by some smaller sized carrion crows, a red kite and two Egyptian geese were also seen over the ranges by Martin Cock and I.

Along the Pyefleet were three great crested grebes, 20 whimbrel, 60 dunlin, grey plover, two common terns, also a sand martin, two Cetti's warblers, two sedge warblers, two lesser whitethroats, four whitethroats, yellow wagtail, displaying meadow pipit and a yellowhammer.

A male marsh harrier flew over Maydays farm on Saturday, one of the five noted during a walk along the seawall. Also fifteen buzzards were seen, some passing over, others on the mainland and some on the island, also two kestrels seen.

In East Mersea the sound of a nightingale was heard in Shop Lane on Saturday morning by Andy Field as it sang from the same scrubby field as last year's nightingale. Nicola and Charlie Pollard enjoyed listening to the nightingale singing opposite their house for several hours the previous evening.

Andy also walked Shop Lane, Reeveshall and to the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Saturday morning and noted 6 swallows, two buzzards, marsh harrier, great white egret, four whimbrel, ten whitethroats, four lesser whitethroats, Cetti's warbler, two blackcaps and a sparrowhawk. Mammals seen were a red squirrel and a grey squirrel in Shop Lane and a common seal in the Pyefleet.

Caroline White walked between Coopers Beach and Rewsalls Lane on Saturday and reported two swallows, two blackcaps, three chiffchaffs, four whitethroats, one lesser whitethroat and a buzzard. At Coopers Beach eight whitethroats, Cetti's warbler and two shelduck were also seen. As well as hearing the nightingale in Shop Lane, a kestrel was in Chapmans Lane and swifts over Stable Close in West Mersea. 

Five swifts were seen over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive on Saturday morning and another swift was seen over Andy Field's house in High Street North. 

Martin Cock saw two buzzard over his West Mersea house in The Coverts also two blackcaps in the garden including one with a metal ring on the leg.

Also seen in East Mersea on Saturday were four blackcaps, two chiffchaffs, six goldfinches, two swallows and a whitethroat in Meeting Lane by Steve Entwistle. 

Michael Thorley reported whitethroat, greenfinch pair, goldfinch, chaffinch, robin and a tame pheasant visiting his garden near Meeting Lane. Late morning at Coopers Beach were eleven turnstone, four little egrets, four redshank, five mallard, four whitethroats, two blackbirds, lots of wood pigeons and two jackdaws on East Mersea church.

A grey partridge was seen at Maydays on Saturday by Jack Hoy.

An orange-tip butterfly photographed in Shop Lane on Saturday by Caroline White.

A hummingbird hawk-moth was seen by David Nicholls on Saturday morning feeding on the wall-flowers in his Queen Ann Road garden.

Rob Smith visited the Island on Saturday and walking along the Strood seawall saw two sedge warblers, two wheatears, four skylarks, a kestrel, also a small copper, two brimstones and 12 peacock butterflies. Later at Cudmore Grove five adders seen courting with males scenting and clashing with each other. Two peacocks and a male and female brimstone nectaring on bluebells.

An anxious calling lapwing betrayed the presence on the Cudmore grazing fields of two very tiny chicks on Friday 28th. Two swifts flew west over the bus turning circle and a sparrowhawk flew over the horse paddocks. A sand martin, four reed warblers, two lesser whitethroats, four whitethroats were noted during the walk.

A pair of mute swans was resting in the park fields on Friday, other wildfowl were two greylag geese, eight shelduck, four shoveler, four teal, four pochard, six tufted duck and a water rail calling at the park pond.

Two ringed plover eggs were well camouflaged in the shingle and shells at East Mersea Point on Friday.

On the mud near East Mersea Point were ten ringed plovers, 24 dunlin, 12 whimbrel, one black-tailed godwit in the fields and a pair of avocets on the Golfhouse pools.

At West Mersea a marsh harrier and two swifts flew over the Firs Chase garden on Friday afternoon.

Steve Entwistle reported a pair of red-legged partridge near the north end of Dawes Lane on Friday.

One of the regular red squirrels seen at the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday.

A red squirrel in the Firs Chase garden crossing a roof on its way to a peanut bird feeder on Monday.