SOME SUMMER MOTHS

Moth trapping has been carried out in the Firs Chase back garden nearly a dozen times in the last month. Numbers of individuals and species have dropped a bit since mid July. The highlight was this nationally scarce Marbled Clover on the 3rd August, which had only been recorded ten times in Essex up to end of 2023. There have been several others recently recorded in Essex in the previous fortnight. The Brecks is the national stronghold for them, so most likely from there, but could be an immigrant.

The White-spotted Pinion is a UK Priority species and listed as nationally scarce. The Colchester area is one of the strongholds in the UK. This individual was trapped on the 3rd and is the second garden record after the first two years ago.

Scalloped Oak on the 3rd.

Nutmeg on 3rd.

Scorched Carpet on 3rd.

Iron Prominent on 30th July.

Broad-barred White on 30th.

Cream-bordered Green Pea - on 30th.

Webb's Wainscot on the 28th July.

Lime Hawkmoth larva late on 30th July - accidentally brought inside the house, after clinging to the bare ankle of my wife. Probably hitched a ride from our driveway!

Oak Processionary on 25th and 28th July.

Brimstone Moth

Comfrey Ermine

Tufted Oak Knot-horn

Saltmarsh Knot-horn

WILLOW WARBLERS STOP OFF

Several willow warblers have been stopping off on the Island in recent days during their autumn migration south to Africa. Five were seen in hedgerows beside the East Mersea boating lake on Tuesday 5th. Also on autumn passage were 12 yellow wagtails heading west, 8 swifts,  20 house martins, 25 swallows and two sand martins. Also seen there were two reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, three whitethroats, ten linnets and ten goldfinches. 

Next to the boating lake were a common sandpiper, 70 redshank, 30 turnstones, five little egrets, 7 little grebes, while offshore were 15 common terns.

Three willow warblers were also seen on Tuesday 5th at Feldy View and photographed here by Jon Ward.

Another willow warbler photographed by Jon Ward in Feldy View on Tuesday.

A lesser whitethroat photographed during Jon's visit to the island by Jon on Tuesday.

Sparrowhawk on the island photographed by Jon on Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon at Maydays farm, Steve Entwistle reported a great white egret, greenshank, pair of stonechats, yellowhammer, four whimbrel, 8 curlew, grey plover and also three house martins on the farmhouse. Ten house martin pairs have nested on the farmhouse this summer.

There was a nice show of butterflies on buddleia beside the East Mersea church on Tuesday with ten red admirals and eight commas noted.

The big buddleia bush by the East Mersea church is always worth a look on a sunny day when it's in flower.

On Monday 4th a pair of Sandwich terns rested on the mud near East Mersea Point along with their fledged juvenile. At least 26 common terns were seen on the mud too, although there was a continual to-ing and fro-ing out to sea to fish.

A ringed plover that was presumed fledged was on the mud by the Point on Monday, although it was still being watched over by a parent close-by. Other waders noted as the tide receded were 150 black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, whimbrel, 50 curlew, 30 turnstone, four dunlin, two grey plover and and avocet.

Twenty Mediterranean gulls were feeding on the mudflats by the Point on Monday. A hobby was seen chasing after a sand martin over the middle of the Colne river. In total ten sand martins, 20 swallows and a house martin were noted. A buzzard and kestrel were seen over the park fields, while along the dyke was the pair of mute swans and two cygnets and a tufted duck with two ducklings.

In Feldy View on Monday Andy Field noted 3 willow warblers, two lesser whitethroats and a swift overhead.

On Sunday 3rd a clouded yellow butterfly was photographed on the seawall at Maydays farm. 

One of the six common sandpipers seen along the Maydays creek on Sunday, also a greenshank over the saltmarsh. A cattle egret was with the cattle on Reeveshall, a hobby flew low over the fields at Maydays. two marsh harriers, five stonechats and a yellowhammer were noted in the area too. Three house martins were circling over the farmhouse. An adult shelduck was with six well grown ducklings in the Pyefleet and a flock of twenty grey plover was also seen.

Michael Thorley reported seeing ten turnstones, pied wagtail and five greylag geese flying west at Coopers Beach on Sunday afternoon.

A mass of peacock butterfly caterpillars was clustered around a nettle-head near the Firs Chase caravan park on Saturday 2nd. In Feldy View there were three willow warblers, while in the fields were three kestrels and along the channel were 30 black-tailed godwits, two common terns, eight little egrets, ten great black-backed gulls by the Hard, while 15 swallows were flying near the caravan park.

A male ruddy darter was in Feldy View on Friday 1st.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall included marsh harrier, four kestrels, fifty black-tailed godwits, four golden plover, whimbrel, ten little egrets, three sand martins flying west, 150 linnets in the weedy fields and also six swifts over the houses.

Andy Field photographed this whitethroat on Thursday 31st during his walk around the Cudmore Grove circuit. Birds noted were ten whitethroats, four lesser whitethroats, four reed warblers, three willow warblers, chiffchaff, twenty swallows, twenty sand martins and six house martins.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Thursday included this peregrine that passed overhead, also buzzard, eight Mediterranean gulls, ten black-tailed godwits, whimbrel, three golden plover and three common terns.

A kestrel perched up beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday, two others were seen on the nearby telegraph wires over the fields.

A corn bunting perched in a bush along the Strood seawall on Thursday, also twenty linnets in the weedy fields.

PEREGRINE OVER FELDY VIEW

A peregrine glided low over the Firs Chase caravan park, then passed over Feldy View before heading over the fields to the Strood channel on Wednesday 30th. In Feldy View there were two willow warblers and a lesser whitethroat. Along the Strood seawall a marsh harrier, three buzzards and four kestrels were seen, along with three common terns, whimbrel, four little grebes and forty turnstones roosting on boats near the Hard. 

Butterflies in Feldy View included 6 common blue and ten brown argus mainly nectaring on the lavender.

A banded demoiselle was an unexpected sight as it fluttered low over the saltmarsh in front of the Firs caravan park on Wednesday.

A recently fledged swallow was perched behind the Dabchicks waiting to be fed on Wednesday.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday morning, Martin Cock saw three red kites, marsh harrier, buzzard, three common sandpipers and a greenshank that was heard calling.

In Cross Lane Steve Entwistle reported on Wednesday seeing two chiffchaffs, song thrush, two juvenile robins, also an emperor dragonfly, ruddy darter and eight common blue damselflies.

Pleased to find this tiny toadlet crawling across the grass in the Firs Chase back garden late at night, maybe attracted by the bright light of the nearby moth trap!

A House Cricket was heard chirping loudly from a Firs Road front garden around midnight on Wednesday evening.

Birds along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 29th included a hobby, four kestrels, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk over the houses, as were six swifts. In the channel were 40 lapwing, grey plover, golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, greenshank, whimbrel, ten little egrets, three little grebes and two common terns. Inside the seawall were thirty linnets, three reed warblers, two sedge warblers, stonechat and two whitethroats.

Steve Entwistle visited Shop Lane and saw two marsh harriers, three grey herons, 12 black-tailed godwits and four curlew on Tuesday late afternoon.

There were seven southern migrant hawkers seen along the Strood borrowdyke on Monday 28th. Most were the males hawking up and down the path below the seawall beside the reedbeds.

Along the Strood channel were 300 redshank, 20 black-tailed godwits, 40 curlew, two grey plover, whimbrel, five Mediterranean gulls, and ten great black-backed gulls by the Hard.

Two red kites passed over the channel onto the island, three buzzards were seen too while along the dyke were two reed warblers, two whitethroats, sedge warbler and 15 linnets in the fields. A willow warbler was in Feldy View and three swifts over the houses.

The summering West Mersea brent goose was photographed by Peter Marchington near the Monkey Beach on Monday 28th.

Eleven cattle egrets were seen on Reeveshall with the cows, seen by Martin Cock on Monday.

At Cudmore Grove a barn owl was seen by Steve Entwistle flying about near the bird hide and then perched in trees before flying off east on Monday evening.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Sunday 27th and photographed this female tufted duck with three ducklings in the borrowdyke. Also seen were 150 black-tailed godwits, bar-tailed godwit, 20 common terns, barn owl, red kite, marsh harrier, 50 swallows, six house martins, reed warbler and plenty of whitethroats and lesser whitethroats. A green sandpiper was heard calling near the Point.

A stock dove was photographed by Andy Field during his walk on the Cudmore circuit on Sunday.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Sunday morning and reported three red kites, buzzard, marsh harrier, three common sandpipers, four yellowhammers and six common seals.

Ten black-tailed godwits were feeding along the Strood channel on Sunday, also 200 redshank, four golden plover, 30 lapwing, five whimbrel, 30 curlew, 20 Mediterranean gulls, two common terns, eight little egrets, grey heron and two little grebes. Twenty-two cormorants were seen flying north-west to Abberton reservoir.

A hobby flew over, red kite, two buzzards, marsh harrier and four kestrels. A stonechat was along the dyke and 15 swifts were seen over the houses. A willow warbler was seen in Feldy View.

A recently deceased Southern Migrant Hawker, also aptly named Blue-eyed Hawker, was found by Feldy View on Sunday. This provided a good opportunity to admire the bright blue eyes close-up.

Three goldfinches were feeding on the lesser knapweed flowers that have recently gone to seed in the Firs Chase back garden on Saturday 26th.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Saturday included marsh harrier, buzzard, whimbrel, eight black-tailed godwits, 20 lapwing, two common terns, and five sand martins heading north-west. Also willow warbler in Feldy View, two lesser whitethroats nearby and thirty swifts over the houses.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday, three cattle egrets were seen by Daniel Woollard, feeding with the cattle, before flying round the back of the island.

At Maydays Martin Cock reported a great white egret and two common sandpipers on Saturday.

Four willow warblers were feeding in Feldy View on Friday 25th, also a lesser whitethroat and two chiffchaffs present. A family of Cetti's warblers was busy in the bramble bushes alongside the Feldy View path next to the caravan park.

On the Strood seawall a red kite flew directly over the pair of oystercatcher with their chick which upset the parent birds. A marsh harrier and the red kite were seen briefly together over the grass field, also a buzzard and four kestrels seen in the area. A common sandpiper was seen in the channel, two common terns also, while 18 turnstones rested on a pontoon.  

A freshly marked painted lady was feeding in Feldy View on Friday, also six common blue butterflies and ten brown argus, while two migrant hawkers and ruddy darters were seen too. A common darter was seen beside the caravan park.

A worn looking sulphur pearl moth was feeding on a knapweed flowerhead in Feldy View on Thursday 24th. It's been seen in here before as there's a lot of the wild carrot, the foodplant for the caterpillars.

Two willow warblers were in Feldy View on Thursday and twenty swifts were flying over the houses. By the Strood were a red kite, buzzard, whimbrel and eight turnstones resting on a boat.

A ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking loudly as it passed over Firs Chase early on Thursday morning. Probably the same bird reported by the Timns in their Firs Chase garden two days earlier.

Good numbers of butterflies were on the wing in Feldy View on Wednesday 23rd, including several of these gatekeepers.

Ten brown argus were feeding on the lavender bushes, also six common blues.

A tatty small copper was also on the lavender.

A handful of ruddy darters were seen in Feldy View on Wednesday.

A young swift was reported to be nearly ready to leave the nestbox on the side of Andy Field's High Street North house on Wednesday 23rd.

There were 42 swifts seen flying over the houses on Wednesday morning, also sparrowhawk circling high.

Birds noted during a Strood seawall walk on Wednesday included red kite, marsh harrier, family of six kestrels, common sandpiper, two common terns, whimbrel, ten black-tailed godwits, ten Mediterranean gulls, little grebe, three reed warblers and 30 linnets.

Two cattle egrets were seen on Reeveshall feeding with the cattle by Martin Cock on Wednesday, also two marsh harriers, 60 black-tailed godwits, four avocets, forty curlew and also willow warbler the in Shop Lane wood.

Later on Wednesday afternoon five cattle egrets were seen by Steve Entwistle as they fed with the cows on Reeveshall