Wednesday 4 October 2017

STINT ON SALTMARSH

A little stint was found roosting on the saltmarsh lagoon near the East Mersea Golfhouse by Martin Cock on Tuesday 3rd. After Andy Field took this photograph of the bird, it soon took off and was joined in the air by a second little stint that had been resting nearby.

A Sandwich tern was seen flying in the Colne and a pair of stonechats seen near Ivy Dock by Martin on Tuesday morning.

 Three wheatears were seen along the park beach and seawall on Tuesday by Andy who took these two photos of the birds. A stonechat was also seen at the start of the park seawall walk.

Charlie Coltman visiting the park reported seeing one of the wheatears at the Point earlier on Tuesday morning, also reporting seeing a kingfisher at the park pond and ten brent geese at the Point.

A small flock of six lesser redpolls landed briefly in trees near the bird hide at the park on Tuesday morning, flying off briefly before settling back down on some other trees. A pair of redpolls had also flown north-west over the park entrance a short while earlier and five redpoll sps were also seen flying over Kingsland Road in West Mersea, calling first thing on Tuesday morning.

Also noted at the park on Tuesday morning were 25+ swallows, 6 house martins and a sand martin while a flock of 20 goldfinches were seen by alders by the pond and 25+ meadow pipits flying west. On the pond were 36 wigeon with 22 little egrets roosting in the trees, while 6 chiffchaffs, 2 goldcrests and two blackcaps were in nearby bushes. Roosting in the park's grazing fields on Tuesday were 70+ curlews at high tide. A marsh harrier flew west over the car park on Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday evening after dark, a muntjac deer was seen in Bromans Lane and nearby another muntjac with a young one at the top of Bromans Lane. A muntjac deer with a youngster has also been reported recently in gardens near Meeting Lane.

Six swallows and two house martins flew over the park on Monday 2nd and two goldcrests in the bushes. Two sparrowhawks were together over Oakwood Avenue on Monday morning.

Recent birds seen around the Island in the last three weeks by Martin included 80 wigeon, curlew sandpiper, hobby and 2 blackcaps near the Golfhouse and Ivy Dock area on 27th September. Six brent geese flew past the Esplanade on 23rd while a grey wagtail and greenshank were at Maydays on 22nd. A curlew sandpiper and 6 Sandwich terns were seen from Ivy Dock as was a clouded yellow, while 12 Sandwich terns seen in the Colne on the 17th is probably the biggest flock seen from the Island. Six Sandwich terns were also seen by Martin in the Colne on 16th and a whinchat was at the park.
Andy Field reported two gannets off Cross Lane on 16th while at Rewsalls there were 4 willow warblers, 20 meadow pipits, 50 house martins, 16 little egrets and a harbour porpoise offshore.


Helen Shore reported a red squirrel in Beach Road in West Mersea on Frday 15th.



Two small coppers kept low out of the breeze on a sunny Tuesday 3rd at the park, also ten small whites, large white and a couple of red admirals too.

Cold and breezy nights at the start of October have kept moth numbers low at the park with 35 individuals on Monday night and 55 individuals on Tuesday night, together about 12 species noted.
This widespread barred sallow pictured above was the most brightly marked.

This herald moth was discovered resting inside the park toilets, a place where the occasional herald has been seen resting before in late autumn.

Lots of lunar underwings outnumbering the other moths in the trap at the moment, most of them a darker olive colouration than this brown one.

Three feathered ranunculus were in the trap on Tuesday night, a typical autumn moth here.

Three very plain looking dark-brown darts were noted on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Also noted were setaceous Hebrew character, large yellow underwing, lesser yellow underwing, black rustic, square spot rustic, flounced rustic, mallow and brindled green.

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