FRESH PEACOCK

A fresh looking peacock butterfly was resting on a bench in Feldy View on sunny Monday 15th.

A brown argus was also in Feldy View on Monday - the first one of the summer here. Other butterflies seen were meadow browns, gatekeepers, Essex/ Small skippers, red admiral, small white and a small heath.

A skylark perched on a bush by the Strood seawall on Monday. A stonechat was at the back of the weedy fields, a corn bunting was singing and three yellow wagtails were seen flying. Two buzzards, two kestrels, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk were noted. There was a big feeding flock of swifts seen over the houses with 110 counted.

Two whitethroats were singing near each other beside the Strood seawall on Monday, also three sedge warblers and a reed warbler heard too. In the dyke was a mallard with six ducklings, also a little grebe here too. Along the channel were 50 curlew, four lapwing, 200 redshank, two common terns, whimbrel, two Mediterranean gulls and also 13 black-tailed godwits near the Dabchicks sailing club.

On Sunday 14th a male yellowhammer was seen on bushes by the Maydays seawall.

Two male yellowhammers were singing their distinctive song - "little bit of bread and no cheese". A Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers were along the dyke, ten stock doves flew over, five swifts and five sand martins were seen and a house martin by the farmhouse. A hobby was seen chasing a sand martin for short while before giving up.

A male stonechat seen against the bright sunshine at Maydays on Sunday with two others noted too. In the Pyefleet were a family of ten shelduck, three common terns, four Mediterranean gulls, four little egrets and two marsh harriers over Langenhoe.

A pair of six-spot burnets was mating beside the Maydays seawall on Sunday.

Three brown hares were in a field while in the Pyefleet were two mum common seals each with a pup.

On Saturday 13th at Cudmore Grove Country Park, Andy Field photographed these two barn owl chicks standing on the ledge and nearly ready to leave their nest-box. A third chick was also seen while a fourth chick stayed inside.

At West Mersea on Saturday there were sixteen black-tailed godwits on the mud near the Dabchicks sailing club.

On Friday 12th Martin Cock visited Maydays and reported a greenshank, fifty redshank, two stonechats, nine young shelduck, marsh harrier, five common seals and a Chinese Water deer.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday 15 common terns and a Sandwich tern were seen by Mollie Kirk. Later in the day a marsh harrier and a barn owl were seen over the grazing fields, and a badger was seen on the park horseride by Caroline White.

An immature male southern migrant hawker was seen beside the path down the side of the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday 12th.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall were marsh harrier, two common terns, 100 redshank, 16 black-tailed godwits, two shelduck, Cetti's warbler singing, three sedge warblers, reed warbler, lesser whitethroat, also 30 swifts over the houses.

A common sandpiper was feeding on the edge of the mud near the sluice on the Strood seawall on Thursday 11th. Other waders noted were a greenshank, 90 redshank, 14 black-tailed godwits, ten curlew and a lapwing, also three common terns, Mediterranean gull and four shelduck.

A skylark was trying to hide on the path on the Strood seawall on Thursday. A corn bunting was singing, 4 yellow wagtails over, two marsh harriers, four buzzards and 43 carrion crows were noted. A nightingale was heard calling loudly from the scrub on Ray Island - the loud wheet call carrying across in the breeze. Forty swifts were seen over the houses.

Andy Field visited Reeveshall on Thursday and photographed this immature Southern Migrant Hawker dragonfly in its teneral stage. Also noted were four black-tailed godwits, a very pale bar-tailed godwit, two whimbrel, two turnstone, six marsh harriers, two common terns and two singing corn buntings.

On Wednesday 10th a very white black-headed gull caught the eye as it fed on the mud along the Strood Channel. There was still a greyish patch on the head but not the full black like other black-headed gulls also feeding in the Strood.

This leucistic black-headed gull is the first time one of these variants has been seen on the Island. It should be easy to spot in future as it lacks the grey wings, so appearing very white.

Also along the Strood were a greenshank, 30 redshank, 11 black-tailed godwits, whimbrel, two shelduck, three turnstones, two common terns, sparrowhawk, five sand martins, singing corn bunting, three sedge warblers and a little grebe. Thirty swifts were flying over the houses.

In East Mersea on Wednesday, Martin Cock walked the Shop Lane seawall and reported four marsh harriers including a juvenile, brent goose and a probably cattle egret with the cows on Reeveshall. The previous night a barn owl was seen on the Strood railings by Martin.

At Cudmore Grove Daniel Woollard saw 200 starlings on Wednesday evening also reed warbler and whimbrel.

On Tuesday 9th two green sandpipers appeared to fly off the saltmarsh by the Firs Caravan park calling as they circled over the Strood channel before disappearing over to Feldy. Also noted were three shelduck, lapwing, 8 curlew, 12 black-tailed godwits, 50 redshank, six common terns, marsh harrier and 400 starlings feeding in the fields.

BOAT SURVEY

I joined the RSPB on Monday 8th to help with one of their breeding bird survey sessions on-board Stacey Belbin's Lady Grace boat. Along with Kieren Alexander, Steve Hunting and Adam Nixon, we counted any nesting birds and chicks on Cobmarsh and Packing Shed Islands, Old Hall Point and Shingle-head Point at Tollesbury Wick.

There were plenty of herring gulls nesting on the islands with this family on Packing Shed. Hopefully we can track where this adult has been ringed as the number Y6PT can be clearly seen on the red ring on the leg. Ringed plovers, lesser black-backed gulls and oystercatchers were the other birds nesting on some of the beaches - final numbers still to be confirmed.

 

One herring gull was happy to ignore the sign instructions on Packing Shed island!

Other birds seen during the boat trip included a peregrine sitting on the Old Hall Point beach, ten common terns, two whimbrel, Mediterranean gull, great crested grebe, ten sand martins and a yellow wagtail.

Earlier on Monday morning a kestrel was seen perched in a tree in Feldy View surveying the grasslands below it. Two buzzards were later seen during the walk along the Strood seawall. Thirty swifts were flying over the nearby houses.

Three sedge warblers were singing along the Strood dyke on Monday, also two reed warblers heard.

A little egret was feeding near the Strood sluice outflow on Monday, also two others along the channel and a common tern feeding.

Two black-tailed godwits fed along the water's edge on Monday, also a whimbrel, 45 curlew, three shelduck, two lapwings and 44 redshank.

A comma butterfly rested beside the path near Feldy View on Monday.

Andy Field photographed this sand martin looking out of its nest-hole in the cliff at Cudmore Grove on Monday, two others noted too. Also seen on Cudmore circuit were six common terns, 14 Mediterranean gulls, two juvenile ringed plovers and a barn owl at the box.

A Beewolf at Cudmore Grove photographed by Andy.

A Mason Wasp at Cudmore Grove photographed by Andy on Monday.

A Small Skipper photographed at Cudmore Grove by Andy on Monday.

An Essex Skipper photographed by Andy at Cudmore Grove on Monday.

At Maydays on Monday, Martin Cock reported a peregrine, buzzard, marsh harrier, yellowhammer, pair of stonechat and a sedge warbler. Later a Painted Lady and a song thrush were seen by Martin in his West Mersea garden.

On Sunday 7th Martin Cock visited Maydays and saw a red kite, three marsh harriers, probable cattle egret with the cows on Reeveshall, stonechat, yellowhammer, two sedge warblers singing, reed warbler, two blackcaps, whitethroat and three common seals.

Two red kites were seen over Barrow Hill on Sunday by Rob Lee.

A six-spot burnet moth was seen at Cudmore Grove by Caroline White on Sunday.

Several clumps of Sea Holly were in flower on the beach just west of Waldegraves Holiday Park on Saturday 6th. There was a steady westward flow of seventy swifts during a half-hour period near midday. Four Mediterranean gulls and two linnets were noted by the beach. Two tufted ducks, moorhen and a mallard with five ducklings were on the pond by the new estate beside Cross Lane. 

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday afternoon Daniel Woollard saw 75 curlew, 14 Mediterranean gulls, 50 swifts, 20 sand martins with at least two chicks seen in the cliff, grey heron with four little egrets at the park pond.

Michael Thorley saw six tufted ducks and a dabchick with two young at Cudmore Grove on Saturday.

Steve Entwistle reported a song thrush and little egret from his West Mersea garden on Saturday.

STROOD SANDPIPER

A common sandpiper was seen briefly alongside the Strood seawall on Friday 5th during the high tide. It stopped off a couple of times to feed beside the edge of the water. This is the first returning bird of the autumn. A great white egret flew down channel towards Salcott, two common terns and 15 black-tailed godwits were also noted.

A large feeding flock of 400+ swifts was circling over the fields on the Peldon side with many birds crossing over from the island to join the flock. Other birds noted during the seawall walk were two buzzards, two yellow wagtails, eight linnets and a singing reed warbler.

A red admiral rested on the path beside the Firs Caravan park on Friday.

An Essex Skipper was feeding on a scabious flower in Feldy View on Friday.

Along the Strood seawall an emperor dragonfly fed on a small white butterfly it had just caught.

Forty swifts were seen over Willougby car park on Friday morning by Martin Cock.

Six mute swan cygnets with a parent photographed by Caroline White at the Cudmore Grove pond on Thursday 4th.

The family of oystercatchers behind the Dabchicks sailing club continue to grow with these three chicks resting on the saltmarsh with a parent during the high tide on Thursday 4th.

Along the Strood seawall were 80 swifts, 15 redshank, Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, two common terns, two kestrels, sedge warbler, reed warbler, yellow wagtail and a whitethroat in Feldy View.

Two gatekeepers were seen on the bramble bushes near Feldy View on Thursday.

A spotted longhorn beetle was also on a bramble bush near Feldy View on Thursday.

At Cudmore Grove five stoats were seen by Mollie Kirk playing in the back garden of her bungalow on Thursday morning.

An oystercatcher nest was found on the beach at East Mersea Point with one egg in it.

On Wednesday 3rd the family of oystercatchers with chicks was feeding close to the path behind the Dabchicks during the high tide period.

During the walk along the Strood seawall on Wednesday three common terns were seen, ten lapwings, 15 curlew, three redshank, Mediterranean gull, pochard flying down channel, two marsh harriers, four buzzards, two reed warblers, sedge warbler, yellow wagtail and 30 swifts over the houses.

On Wednesday evening Steve Entwistle reported noting at Cudmore Grove whitethroat, three green woodpeckers, two sand martins, 43 swifts flying south west over the pond and a barn owl over the grazing fields. A little owl was seen later near Bocking Hall perched by the East Mersea roadside.

A summer chafer was photographed at Cudmore Grove by Caroline White.

A young pipistrelle bat was found looking a bit lost inside the house of Rusty and Michelle Marshall in Firs Chase on Tuesday 2nd. A call to the Essex Bat Rescue allowed the bat to be collected and cared for overnight.

The following evening the young pipistrelle bat was later returned to the Rusty and Michelle's house on Wednesday - thanks to Martin Pugh climbing a ladder onto the roof and placing the bat back in the bat roost up behind the soffits. Thirty common pipistrelle bats were watched emerging from their roost going out to forage. Hopefully the young bat will be found back inside the roost by its mother.

A fledged ringed plover chick was photographed by Lea Merclova at East Mersea Point on Wednesday. 

A barn owl was seen hunting the fields at Cudmore by Lea.

Martin Cock saw a pair of presumed stonechats at the back of the Golfhouse pools on Wednesday. Earlier a shelduck along with her five ducklings were seen by Martin walking along the East Mersea road down towards the Golfhouse.

On Tuesday 2nd a lapwing was feeding on mud near the path behind the Dabchicks sailing club just after the high tide. The only other birds seen during a brief visit to the Strood were five curlew, five redshank, two common terns, yellow wagtail and a sedge warbler, while 60 swifts were noted flying west.

ELEPHANT HAWK HAUL

Eight elephant hawkmoths were noted in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase during the night of Monday 1st. 

A pair of goldfinch was feeding on the sea purslane beside the Strood seawall on Monday. Other birds noted included a hobby racing low north-east over the fields, two red kites slowly circling over the Strood causeway with one bird spending more time over the paramotor fields, four marsh harriers were noted including one flying over Feldy View and a buzzard also flew over Feldy View being mobbed by gulls.

Fifteen curlew and nine redshank were seen, two common terns, ten lapwings on the Peldon side, three shelduck, two sedge warblers singing, yellow wagtail, ten linnets, while fifty swifts over the houses and fields were also noted.

A pair of meadow brown butterflies was seen on a yarrow flower in Feldy View on Monday - ten others were seen on the wing here, also small heath, Essex Skipper, holly blue, speckled wood and small white. A handful of ruddy darters were seen here too.

A crab spider was lying in wait on a yarrow flower in Feldy View.

In East Mersea on Monday morning Martin Cock visited the Oyster Fishery seawall and saw two marsh harriers, two sand martins, four common terns, four Essex Skippers and a gatekeeper.

One of the micro-moths noted in the Firs Chase garden on Monday night was the nicely marked Orange Pine Tortrix.

A cinnabar moth was photographed by Caroline White on Friday 28th at Cudmore Grove.

A cinnabar caterpillar was photographed by Caroline at Cudmore Grove feeding on ragwort.

At least eight Essex Skippers were seen at Cudmore Grove by Caroline on Friday. Also noted during her visit were the barn owls active, chiffchaff, blackcap, Cetti's warbler, dunnock, green woodpecker, little egret roosting at the pond, 12 swallows and kestrel over the fields, five linnets and eight reed buntings along the dyke, pair of tufted ducks, two pairs of mallard and two little grebes.

Martin Cock walked the Shop Lane /Reeveshall seawall on Friday morning and reported three teal, brent goose, 26 black-tailed godwits, six lapwing, pair of corn buntings and a probable osprey on the distant post on the Geedons.

A short-eared owl was seen over the Feldy seawall by Rob Lee on Wednesday 26th.

On Monday 24th at Maydays, four common seals, four stonechats, sedge warbler and three Essex/Small skippers were seen by Martin Cock.

At East Mersea Point the ringed plover was seen by Mollie Kirk still sitting on its nest with a parent close-by, while the other pair still had their chick wandering around the Point.

On Tuesday 18th the barn owl was seen showing well at the country park by Daniel Woollard, also a grey heron roosting at the park pond. Two pairs of ringed plovers were seen at the Point by Lea Merclova -one pair sitting on three eggs and the other pair still looking after a chick. The previous day on Monday two ringed plover chicks were seen by Andy Field at the Point.

A ruddy darter was photographed at the country park by Andy Field on Monday 17th.

A new ringed plover nest was found at East Mersea Point on Saturday 15th by Mollie Kirk.

On Friday 14th a barn owl was seen by Jack Hoy hunting the Cudmore Grove fields during the morning. In the evening a pair of barn owls was seen taking food into the box by Caroline White. Also seen were a grey heron, chiffchaff, blackcap, Cetti's warbler, Green woodpecker, sparrowhawk and also two common terns by the Golfhouse pools.

In Empress Drive on Friday, Steve Entwistle reported the first song thrush in his garden for a few years, also a cuckoo heard calling for the second morning running and six swifts overhead.

At Maydays farm on Thursday 13th Martin Cock reported a male stonechat, yellowhammer, marsh harrier, 20 stock doves, 12 Canada geese, ten curlews, sedge warbler, reed warbler, and Cetti's warbler.

Andy Field reported that the swift eggs had been ejected from the nestbox by the parent birds. A closer inspection of the egg found below the box revealed no chick forming inside. The swift pair was still about so it's hoped they will have a second attempt at nesting.

A barn owl was photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 12th after the bird had been hunting the grazing fields. Other birds seen during his Cudmore Grove circuit were two plump black-headed gull chicks on the Golfhouse pools, common tern still sitting with another six common terns in the Colne. Two ringed plover chicks and parent were at the Point while a marsh harrier over the fields was mobbed by a common tern.

Daniel Woollard saw the barn owl perch on his garden fence of the bungalow in the park on Wednesday. A grey squirrel was dead on the East Mersea road on Wednesday.