MAYDAYS WHEATEARS

At Maydays farm on Saturday 30th, three wheatears were seen on the seawall.

Two of the wheatears were keeping together, while the third was 100m further along the seawall. No sign of any whinchats and only one stonechat seen.

A kingfisher seen by the Maydays sluice is the first sighting for the autumn.

Three buzzards were noted, this one circling over the Maydays saltmarsh and seawall. One marsh harrier was seen and also a hobby circling high over Reeveshall.

On Reeveshall around 15 yellow wagtails were feeding amongst the cattle as they grazed. Flying low over the fields were 100 swallows and three sand martins. A house martin was seen over the Maydays farmyard.

The only waders noted along the Pyefleet channel were ten grey plover, 80 curlew and fifty redshank.

A male yellowhammer perched along a hedgeline, a lesser whitethroat was noted in nearby bushes.

Four common blues were flying along the Maydays seawall on Saturday, also ten small heaths and a clouded yellow.

A handful of migrant hawkers were hunting out of the wind behind bushes at Maydays on Saturday.

Three willow emerald damselflies were also resting out of the wind along a hedge at Maydays on Saturday.

This leaf-beetle seen at Maydays, the Bronze Beetle Chrysolina bankii is a resident on the island and is noted most years.

At Chapmans Lane a buzzard was perched on a telegraph pole by the roadside on Saturday.

At West Mersea an osprey was seen flying near the Dabchicks sailing club on Saturday by Colin MacKenzie-Grieve looking from Old Hall just after mid-day.

At East Mersea on Saturday at 1pm, an osprey was seen by Martin Cock heading up the Colne towards Fingringhoe, also in the Ivy Dock area were 28 Sandwich terns, 20 common terns, whinchat, stonechat and a buzzard.

A water rail was showing well on Saturday in the East Mersea Golfhouse paddock, seen by Daniel Woollard, also nine Sandwich terns and twelve common terns on the nearby mudflats.

There was a nice variety of waders at the East Mersea Point on Friday 29th, with many of the forty grey plover still with their striking summer plumage black-bellies.

As well as the grey plovers on the mud by the Point on Friday, there were 200 black-tailed godwits, one bar-tailed godwit, whimbrel, four ringed plovers and an avocet.

Two little terns were seen flying along the edge of the Colne as the tide came in, later dropping down to rest with other terns on the mud behind the Point. Also thirty common terns and ten Sandwich terns were resting here too. Two Mediterranean gulls, common gull, fifteen little egrets were noted.

Water levels at the park have dropped enough this summer that there's enough mud showing for this black-tailed godwit to feed along the park's borrowdyke on Friday. The roost of 200 black-tailed godwits on the Golfhouse saltmarsh was put into the air when a low-flying hobby came over the river from Brightlingsea. A buzzard was seen circling over the Ivy Farm, five teal and one tufted duckling were in the dyke.

In the grazing fields on Friday a whinchat, three stonechats and a wheatear were seen, while two yellow wagtails flew over and 20 linnets were at the Point. Warblers noted mainly around the Golfhouse paddock included four lesser whitethroats, reed warbler and a whitethroat.

Steve Entwistle saw three Sandwich terns on the mud near the Golfhouse saltings on Friday, as well as the two little terns flying past the Point heading into the Colne before heading back out and then west in front of the park. A short while later Mollie Kirk reported seeing one of them sitting on a buoy opposite the park.

Steve also photographed this avocet by the East Mersea Point on Friday, a whimbrel, also two whinchats, two stonechats in the fields, wheatear on seawall and good views of a water rail near the Golfhouse paddock and dyke.

At West Mersea the hummingbird hawkmoth was seen again on Friday in the Firs Chase garden.

AUGUST BACK-GARDEN MOTHS

Moth trapping took place in the Firs Chase back-garden on twelve nights during August. Two of the month's highlights - Marbled Clover and White-spotted Pinion were described in an earlier post at the start of the month. Pictured here is Dewick's Plusia on the 17th, the second garden record.

Gold Spot on 17th - first one here was last year.

Bordered Straw on 17th, first garden record of this immigrant.

Maple Prominent on 17th.

Delicate on 17th, 26th and 31st - regular immigrant which has recently colonised the county.

Olive-tree Pearl on 17th - this migrant is less than annual here.

Unusually large influx of 130 Latticed Heaths on 8th.

Buff-tip on 9th.

Jersey Tiger on 11th, just the second one this summer. Numbers increasing each year across the county.

Coastal species Sandhill Rustic on 11th.

Rusty Acorn Piercer on 11th - first garden record of increasingly widespread species across Essex.

Straw-barred Pearl on 18th.

Four-spotted Footman, female on 22nd - a male recorded on 12th June, First garden records.

Centre-barred Sallow on 23rd.

Pebble Hook-tips on 26th.

Light Emerald which alighted on my hand on 26th.

Orange Swift on several nights including 26th.

Clancy's Rustic on 31st.

Straw Underwing on several nights including the 31st.

Square-spot Rustic, left, and a Small Square-spot for comparison, on 31st.

The migrant micro Rusty-dot Pearl on three nights including the 31st.

Saltmarsh Knot-horn on three nights including 31st.

At least twenty Toadflax Brocade caterpillars were still feeding on the Purple Toadflax in the garden at the end of the month. However none of the adults have been recorded this year at the nearby moth trap.

WHISTLING WHIMBREL

A whimbrel was feeding along the Strood channel on a sunny but breezy Thursday 28th. After a while it took off, whistling the distinctive seven notes as it disappeared down channel. There were 110 black-tailed godwits on the mud by the Dabchicks and another twenty by the Hard.

Two Sandwich terns stopped off briefly along the channel on Thursday before flying back towards the Hard. Two Mediterranean gulls were noted too, also a marsh harrier and buzzard, while eight swallows, and a corn bunting were also in the area and a willow warbler in Feldy View. Two brown argus and three small heath butterflies were in Feldy View.

At East Mersea Andy Field photographed this black-tailed godwit feeding in the Golfhouse paddock on Thursday morning. Also noted during the Cudmore circuit was a wheatear, 12 Sandwich terns and 20 common terns.

Andy photographed this wasp nest in a bush by the Golfhouse borrowdyke on Thursday.

Michael Thorley saw 50 black-tailed godwits and a common gull roosting on the Ivy Dock saltmarsh in East Mersea on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday evening the ring-necked parakeet was heard calling again in Firs Chase.

Two wheatears were at either end of the Strood seawall on Wednesday 27th - this one perched on a seaweed-covered post in the mud. The other wheatear was on the seawall near the shooting butts, where two had been for a few days previously. Ten linnets were feeding in the fields.

Along the Strood channel were 114 black-tailed godwits, 47 grey plover, 20 golden plover, ten Mediterranean gulls, three common terns, grey heron and mute swan over the Ray Channel.

Twenty swallows and two house martins appeared to be moving through, while a chiffchaff was seen in Feldy View.

A tatty-winged Wall Brown butterfly was resting on the edge of the field beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday. Probably it's one of the individuals seen recently in the nearby Feldy View.

At East Mersea a water rail was seen by Martin Cock on Wednesday, out in the open by the Golfhouse borrowdyke.

Birds noted along the Strood channel on Tuesday 26th, included this lapwing feeding near the seawall, also 80 black-tailed godwits, 10 grey plover, 10 golden plover, whimbrel, common tern, 20 Mediterranean gulls and five little grebes.

One wheatear was present again on the shooting butts, two buzzards, two kestrels were seen, also a yellow wagtail and twenty swallows seen passing through, 20 linnets, a reed warbler heard in the reeds, while a chiffchaff and blackcap were in Feldy View.

A ring-necked parakeet was seen flying over the Firs Chase garden calling noisily as it headed north towards The Lane. A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen during the day in the garden.

At East Mersea late Tuesday afternoon, Steve Entwistle couldn't locate the guillemot seen earlier swimming down the Colne by Ed Bateman at Fingringhoe. Steve did see from East Mersea Point a great crested grebe, six cormorants, six Sandwich terns, 3 Mediterranean gulls, three yellow wagtails by the Golfhouse seawall, a single avocet, two bar-tailed godwits, 300 redshank, 100 curlew, 22 ringed plovers, 22 turnstones and 28 linnets.

Two Sandwich terns were fishing along the Strood channel on Monday, hovering over the water every so often looking for fish. Two common terns were also seen, both seen flying across the fields towards the Strood fishing lakes. Seventy Mediterranean gulls were feeding in the stubble field on Strood Hill. A red kite was over Peldon, three buzzards and a marsh harrier also noted.

 

Forty black-tailed godwits were feeding along the Strood channel on Monday, also there were greenshank, 25 grey plover and 22 golden plover. Five wheatears were seen, three in a stubble field and two still by the shooting butts, also a whinchat and two stonechats at the back of a field. Four corn buntings were in a weedy field, 25 swallows passed through, Cetti's warbler sang by the Strood lakes and two lesser whitethroats were in Feldy View. Butterflies in Feldy View included brown argus, two small coppers and four small heaths.

Andy Field also walked the Strood seawall and as well as seeing most of the birds listed above, saw three yellow wagtails drop in the weedy field.

At Maydays on Monday, Martin Cock reported three hobbies including two juveniles, two buzzards, greenshank, wheatear, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff and two yellow wagtails.

Mollie Kirk at Cudmore Grove reported seeing on Monday a pair of lesser whitethroats, fall of blackcaps, two calling water rails, wheatear and four reed buntings at the Point, four Sandwich terns, ten yellow wagtails over and also two ravens calling as they flew over the Golfhouse.

Later on Monday afternoon Steve Entwistle reported at Maydays seeing between two and four hobbies flying low over the fields with a juvenile dropping low over the saltings, then two circling over the creek before flying back on the farmland. Also a yellowhammer, six long-tailed tits, lesser black-backed gull and six red-legged partridges.

A golden plover was feeding close to the Strood seawall on Sunday 24th. Thirty black-tailed godwits were near the Dabchicks, common tern, sparrowhawk, buzzard, kestrel and 20 linnets were also noted during the walk along the Strood seawall. In Feldy View there was a large mixed tit flock of 50+ involving long-tailed tits, blue tits and great tits feeding in the trees and along the hedgelines, with only a lesser whitethroat also of interest there. Brown argus and small heath were butterflies seen.

Steve Entwistle visited Maydays farm on Sunday and reported a yellowhammer, chaffinch, kestrel, lesser black-backed gull and five little egrets.

A sparrowhawk was seen by Jack Hoy visiting his garden after the colony of house sparrows there.

A ring-necked parakeet was seen in a Blackwater Drive garden on Sunday morning.

A wheatear was on top of a mound of earth at Maydays farm on Saturday 23rd. Three hobbies were seen circling high together over the Reeveshall farm, three swifts were also high overhead with 30 swallows. At least three house martins were flying over the Maydays farmhouses. Three yellow wagtails flew over calling.

A whinchat perched up by the Maydays dyke on Saturday with two stonechats, while a whinchat and stonechat were on a Reeveshall hedgeline.

Three green sandpipers and three greenshank were seen dropping down to feed in the Maydays saltmarsh, later three more greenshank also dropped into the marsh. Along the Pyefleet were 100 grey plover, whimbrel, six black-tailed godwits, Sandwich tern and two common terns. Two red kites were circling over Langenhoe, also a marsh harrier and buzzard noted too.

A common seal was basking on the mud in the Pyefleet channel on Saturday, before slipping back into the water and heading up-channel where it joined two others on the saltmarsh for the high tide.

In West Mersea the house martin was seen still visiting the nest in the eaves at Queens Corner opposite the vets on Saturday.

On Friday 22nd a whinchat was seen during the walk along the Strood seawall, feeding along the hedgeline with stonechat, 70 linnets, 15 corn buntings, five reed buntings, three whitethroats, while three reed warblers and a sedge warbler were in the reeds.

The stonechat seen on Friday along the Strood seawall. Also noted were three common terns, two buzzards, two kestrels and thirty black-tailed godwits. In Feldy View five willow warblers and two lesser whitethroats were present. Butterflies of note were a common blue, three brown argus, five small heaths and a gatekeeper in Feldy View.

A firebug nymph was seen on the Strood seawall on Friday. This follows the first presumed sighting for the island the day before by Waldegraves Holiday park. This species has been rapidly spreading around the Essex coast and inland in places too, since the first record in 2019.

A female pochard was on the pond by Sanderling Reach on Thursday 21st.

A female teal was also on the pond keeping the pochard company. A small red-eyed damselfly, common blue damselfly and common darter were also noted on this pond.

Amongst the gulls roosting on the shingle island off Waldegraves Holiday park on Thursday were seventy common terns with a further thirty fishing offshore, along with two Sandwich terns.

At the East Mersea boating lake on Thursday were 100 redshank, 100 turnstones, five ringed plovers, ten little grebes, three dunlin, 12 little grebes, four golden plover, two Mediterranean gulls, while 15 house martins and twenty swallows were passing over.

There was an unconfirmed report on Birdguides of a pectoral sandpiper seen at Coopers Beach with twenty golden plovers on Thursday. Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock went to look for the bird later in the evening but could only find ten dunlin and 30 golden plovers.

Four bee wolves were seen in the dune-type area in front of Waldegraves park on Thursday. This is a new location on the island for them, after the Cudmore Grove cliff and the East Mersea Point.

Half a dozen firebugs were crawling amongst the sand dune vegetation to the west of Waldegraves on Thursday. Apparently this species hasn't been officially recorded from the Island before.

Lots of clumps of sea holly along the beach to the west of Waldegraves, including this plant that had very blue-purple stems.