EMPEROR EXCITEMENT

The appearance of an emperor moth in the trap is one of the mothing highlights of the year at the country park. This female turned up at the trap late at night on Monday 5th. Aside from the big hawkmoths, this is one of the biggest and most striking of moths at the park and with four big eye-spots on its wings, it is a spectacular moth.

The previous emperors noted at the park were two in 2010 and one in 2007. It's scarcity here makes a sighting all the more exciting. The foodplant of the larvae includes woody plants such as bramble and blackthorn. A caterpillar was once found at the park in the 1980's feeding on a young oak bush.

The waved umber is a common moth of parks, woods and gardens with four individuals being seen on Monday night. The foodplants of the larvae include privet and lilac - although neither of these are at the park.

Amongst the fifty or so moths at the trap on Monday night were least black arches, maidens blush, white-pinion spotted, common swift, cinnabar, red twin-spot carpet, common marbled carpet, brimstone, oak-tree pug, Chinese character, coxcomb prominent, swallow prominent, hebrew character, spectacle, bright-line brown-eye, shuttle-shaped dart and muslin moth.

The green carpet, pictured above was the only moth of note on a windy Tuesday night at the park. This is the first of the spring noted so far - a common moth in the spring and again in the summer.
Only fifteen moths made it to the trap during the night.
The Shop Lane nightingale could be faintly heard in the distance whilst checking the moth trap around midnight.

The many hawthorn bushes around the park at the moment are laden down with the white May-blossom. Many are like the bush in the picture, covered in white flowers.

It was windy at times today on Wednesday 7th and much of the wildlife was either keeping a low profile or was having to battle with the wind.
The first swifts seen at the park flew over the car park with at least five seen flying westwards mid morning. The first house martin seen at the park also passed over the car park in the middle of the morning along with a few swallows. At the end of the day five swifts were seen flying over Firs Chase in West Mersea.

Members of the local Conservation Volunteer group who visited the park in the morning reported seeing the cuckoo as it called at the back of the grazing fields. Also a green hairstreak and hairy dragonfly were seen at the park too.
Out of the breeze orange-tip, speckled wood and holly blue were on the wing.

Enjoyed an evening stroll along the path between Meeting Lane and Shop Lane on Tuesday 6th. Birds of interest included male and female marsh harriers, kestrel, yellow wagtail, Mediterranean gull, pair of stock doves, one of the two male yellowhammers singing, 4 blackcaps singing and two whimbrel flying low over Meeting Lane.

There was no sign of the two turtle doves seen by Steve Entwistle on Sunday 4th near Gyants marsh. He also watched two little terns at Reeveshall the next day on Monday 5th.

The first swifts seemed to arrive on Sunday and were seen flying over West Mersea in the early evening by several observers, being noted by David and Georgina Nicholls who saw nine birds, also Steve saw some too and I also saw a couple over the usual Upland Road area.

At the park in recent days Andy Field saw the kestrels swopping over incubating duties at their nestbox at the back of the fields on Tuesday. A reed warbler was singing from the edge of the dyke. The stock doves have been seen going into their new nestbox near the pond.

The wheatear was seen at the Point on Sunday and Monday mornings, presumably the same bird from Friday. Eight brent geese were on the mud near Batemans Tower on the Colne, 10 common terns and a sparrowhawk were seen on Monday.

One of the three green hairstreaks seen on Monday at the park was at the eastern end of the seawall. Stuart Read also saw one amongst all the bank holiday crowds. Blue-tailed damselfly and azure damselfly were the first damselflies of the spring on the wing here.

SINGING IN THE SUNSHINE

This little chiffchaff would've felt the chilly breeze from the north-east whilst singing from the top of a dead tree, close to the car park on Saturday 3rd. There are at least two other chiffchaffs singing around the country park this spring.

Other warblers heard at the park today were five whitethroats, 2 lesser whitethroats, 3 blackcaps and two reed warblers. Ten swallows were flying over the fields.


On the park pond 5 male pochard were squabbling over three females while 8 tufted ducks were watching nearby. On the fields 20 black-tailed godwits were feeding in the main pool, with 4 teal, 2 gadwall, 8 shelduck, and two redshank. Five lapwings are still sitting on nests in the fields.

Two male reed buntings were singing their rather monotonous song from the tops of the sea-blite bushes at the Point. Ten linnets were also around the bushes and there was a surprise of a lapwing on the grassy sward at the Point. No sign in the morning of the wheatear seen yesterday afternoon.

At least fifteen common terns could be seen hawking up and down the estuary with some of the birds resting on the buoys in the river. A whimbrel was the only wader of note and a common seal was seen in the river too.

It stayed a bit too chilly for butterflies throughout the day. This green hairstreak was discovered by chance soaking up the early morning sunshine and wasn't actually seen in flight. It was resting on the buddleia bush beside the information room - at least two months too early for the flowers!


The only other butterflies seen in the morning were a speckled wood, green-veined white and an orange-tip.
An adder was basking low down in a dry part of a ditch, in the sunshine but out of the chilly breeze.

The only clump of cuckoo flowers on the Island is in the fields near the park pond. On cue it flowers when the cuckoo can be heard calling. One was heard in the morning to the north of the park.
In West Mersea one flew over Firs Chase at 6am calling and one was also heard shortly after in the Garden Farm area.

STALKING THE SHALLOWS

 Two grey herons and a couple of little egrets have been stalking the shallow watercourses on the park's grazing fields over the last week or so. This one pictured above was along the edge of the main dyke.

There has been a regular flock of black-tailed godwits in the fields with thirty noted on Friday 2nd and fifty-five present on Thursday 1st. Two pairs of redshank have also been feeding around the pools and showing an interest in breeding in the general area.

Managed to see a cuckoo for the first time this spring when one perched atop the kestrel tree, calling out for five minutes around the middle of the day. Earlier in the morning it had been heard from the park calling near North Farm and later near the Golfhouse on its circuit around the eastern end of the Island. The cuckoo was also heard near the park on Tuesday 29th.

In the fields on Friday there were 8 greylag geese, 4 Canada geese, 14 shelduck, 2 gadwall, 4 teal, 4 shoveler along with a mallard with ten ducklings - the first ones of the season here. Five pochard and up to 14 tufted duck commute between the park pond and the nearby dyke.

Twenty swallows hawked up and down the dyke at the park, swooping low over the yellow flowers of the Alexanders, pictured above on the seawall. A slight increase in number from yesterday's 12 swallows which also included a brief flypast by a sand martin. A reed warbler was singing from the reeds beside the dyke.

Seen at the Point on Friday late afternoon was a wheatear, the first one seen at the park this spring. Also two avocets noted, 10 ringed plover and 25 dunlin as the tide receded. Four common terns flew past the Point, four had also flown over the car park in the morning.

On Tuesday 29th at the end of the afternoon three eider including a male were seen in the river towards Colne Point. Ten common terns and nine little terns were seen flying along the river as were two Mediterranean gulls and a whimbrel.

On Wednesday 30th the sparrowhawk was seen twice during the day flying away from the copse behind the park pond, scattering wood pigeons as it passed by. A pair of stock doves was showing interest in the new nestbox near the pond, one bird dropping inside. The red-legged partridge was heard calling during the week again from the fields near to the car park.

Ian Black reported seeing a grey wagtail beside the East Mersea road near Meeting Lane on Wednesday 30th.

Other wildlife at the park of interest in the last few days were three green hairstreaks beside a hedge on Tuesday 29th - the first sighting at the park this year.

Lyn Pickering reported seeing part of a harbour porpoise washed up on the Monkey beach, West Mersea, which appears to have been here since last week.

Moth trapping has continued at the park and it was nice to see the first poplar hawkmoth of the year on Wednesday night. Two were then noted on Thursday night.

While the first hawkmoth was making its first appearance at the country park in East Mersea, this eyed hawkmoth made an appearance, clinging to the side of the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden in West Mersea on Thursday night. Only a dozen or so other moths at this trap such as brimstone, hebrew character and shuttle-shaped dart.

This neatly marked pebble prominent was at the park trap,a regular in the spring here - the larvae feed on sallows and poplars.

The dainty latticed heath is a common moth here both in the spring and again in late summer.

The white ermine with its fluffy white head is a common spring moth with the larvae feeding on a variety of herbaceous plants.

A couple of muslin moths one pictured above, were also in the park trap along with common swift, red twin-spot carpet, water carpet, shuttle-shaped dart, heart and dart, hebrew character and oak-tree pug.

BACKYARD WILDLIFE

There was plenty of wildlife activity to enjoy in the Firs Chase garden during both Sunday 27th and Monday 28th. This long-tailed tit was busy trying to find food to feed the recently fledged chicks which were resting up in a bush in the garden.

The tight bunch of long-tailed tit chicks huddled together on a branch above the driveway waiting to be fed. Seven chicks were counted and certainly at one point, all were bunched up in one big fluffy ball.

Also noted was a male blackcap which dropped in for a bathe, as did a song thrush while the rattle song of a lesser whitethroat could be heard in a nearby garden. A Mediterranean gull flew over Firs Chase calling first thing on Sunday morning.

The butterfly highlight of the garden was the sight of two green hairstreaks spiralling rapidly round and round so fast it almost made me dizzy watching them! Both individuals were putting on a great show right by the backdoor of the house. Late in the day this male had settled down on a bush to soak up the early evening sun.

Both green hairstreaks were tussling with each other again on Monday morning. This individual rested on a rose bush beside the house at this very odd angle, hanging down so that the wings were almost flat on the leaf, catching the full rays of the sun.

This is the second time green hairstreaks have been seen in the garden following the sight of two males two years ago in the same spot by the backdoor.

Other butterflies noted in the garden over the two days included peacock, speckled wood, holly blue, orange-tip, large white and small white.

Resting high up in the same ivy bush on Sunday evening as the green hairstreak, was this hairy dragonfly. Another interesting sighting although they have been noted here before.

There were a couple of these tiny but colourful mint moths flying around the catmint and mint plants in the garden.

The moth trap operated over Sunday night and pulled in this silver Y moth amongst a small group of about 20 moths. Some silver Y moths are immigrants, so this one may have just arrived from the continent.

This first spectacle moth of the season was found in the trap. Most of the other moths were shuttle-shaped darts, along with brimstone, Chinese character, and hebrew character.

This spruce carpet was also noted for the first time this season.

STROOD WALK

Parts of the Strood seawall have a good covering of the white-flowered hoary cress which adds a bit of colour to the area. It was high tide during a brief walk along the wall during the middle of Monday 28th.

Two reed warblers were singing from the reeds in the dyke as were a couple of reed buntings. A yellow wagtail flew low over the seawall heading towards the pond at the back of the fields, as did a grey heron. Two little egrets flew out of the dyke, while five linnets were seen flying about the fields.

Along the Channel six common terns were noisily hawking up and down, sometimes resting on the buoys and yachts. A handful of shelduck were seen on the Ray saltings and a whimbrel was heard calling.

Two common lizards were resting on a fencepost near the Feldy View field, soaking up the sun.

Several butterflies were noted on the walk especially beside the hedges out of the wind, such as this small tortoiseshell, also speckled wood, holly blue, peacock, small white and orange-tip were seen.

Crossing one of the paths was this caterpillar of the oak eggar moth.

LAYING OUT TO DRY

 

There was a common seal at its usual location on the saltmarsh by the Maydays seawall on Sunday 27th.

 There was a noticeable difference in the colour of the coat after the seal had clambered onto the saltmarsh and dried out. These pictures above were taken about an hour apart with the seal becoming much paler and with a whiter face in the second picture.

There was the nice surprise of seeing a pair of red-legged partridge running along the Haycocks Lane near Maydays farm - and a nice bonus that one posed in front of the car for this picture.

Two common buzzards perched up on hedges near Maydays farm and two marsh harriers were seen over Reeveshall. On Langenhoe a common buzzard was also seen flying around and three marsh harriers there too.

It was high tide along the Pyefleet channel so no mud on show. Two whimbrels and a greenshank were the main waders of interest although two or three pairs of lapwing appeared to be nesting in the nearby fields. Two little egrets, twenty greylag geese and 30 shelduck were noted in the area.

Two male yellowhammers were nice to see, while 3 reed warblers sang from the dyke and a lesser whitethroat from some scrub.

Steve Entwistle visited Maydays farm on Sunday afternoon and saw 5 common buzzards, 3 house martins, 4 whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, reed warbler, greenshank and also five orange-tip butterflies.

Found this very colourful large red damselfly during an afternoon stroll through the middle of West Mersea, as it rested in the churchyard in the High Street. A hairy dragonfly was seen flying over Coast Road on Sunday afternoon.

SAILING CLUB SWALLOWS

Many of the Island's swallows have returned to their traditional nesting sites including this pair behind the Dabchicks Sailing Club at West Mersea. These two were seen perching at the entrance to their shed on Friday 25th.

One of the swallows seemed to get very excited when its mate flew in to join it, squawking briefly at it. Also in the area were another half dozen swallows.

A couple of walks along the Strood seawall during Friday were the first visit to the area for almost six weeks. A male wheatear flew off the seawall and landed on the brushwood breakwaters on the mud - the first wheatear sighting on the Island this spring. Also noted were a singing reed warbler, 3 singing reed buntings, 2 lesser whitethroats, a common whitethroat, five linnets and a corn bunting.

In the Strood Channel 6 common terns hunted up and down with some visiting the Ray Channel too. Also 3 avocets, 10 black-tailed godwits, 4 grey plover, 4 whimbrel, 20 dunlin, 20 redshank, 10 oystercatchers and 5 turnstone. A pair of gadwall in the channel were unusual for here with shelduck numbers down to six birds. Two little egrets flew out of the borrowdyke.

There was a report from Colin Mackenzie-Grieve at the nearby Old Hall RSPB who had seen ten little gulls fly past Old Hall towards the West Mersea esplanade beach area on Friday morning.
A lesser whitethroat was singing from gardens near Firs Chase on Friday.

Last week's high spring tide-line has left hundreds of thousands of moulted shore crab shells littered along the shore.

The annual spring moult coincides with a high spring tide with some areas thick with empty crab shells.

All along the bottom of the whole seawall were these shell remains wherever you looked.