September 2010

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September is a rewarding month for wildlife watchers and recorders. There's a two-way flow of bird travellers. Our summering nesting birds which head south to Africa and the Mediterranean for winter are on the move and towards the end of the month species which spend the winter months with us are beginning to arrive, mainly in coastal areas.

The vanguard of brent geese, woodcock, and short-eared owls may be seen by the end of the month with the main influx in October. The southward-bound birds such as warblers, swallows and martins, wheatears and whinchats should be looked for along the coast with Walton Naze, Colne Point and Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea being favourite places to look for them.

Hobbies can be seen at coastal marsh areas such as Old Hall Marshes RSPB reserve, Tollesbury Wick and Abberton Reservoir as these dashing little falcons, looking for all the world like giant swifts, catch dragonflies and even hirundines such as house martins and sand martins. I have already had reports of pied flycatchers, redstarts and warblers passing through Walton Naze. Often there are many lesser and common whitethroats in the bushes and bramble clumps at the Naze, the lesser whitethroats being fond of eating the over-ripe blackberries as well as insects and spiders.

Lots of wader movements this month with whimbrel, greenshanks, spotted redshanks and common sandpipers moving southwards in the estuaries of Colne, Stour and Blackwater and also at local reservoirs. Black tailed godwits are already back in numbers from their breeding places in Iceland and one of the best places to look for them is Mistley where you can see big numbers, many still in their chestnut nesting "livery" as well as many other waders such as redshank, dunlin, knot, ringed plover and golden plover. You can watch all these as well as many ducks and swans from the comfort of your car parked on the road alongside the Stour estuary.

It has been a good season for a number of butterfly species especially ringlets, small heaths, meadow browns and the lycaenid species such as common blue, brown argus and small copper. Second—brood common blues, brown argus and small coppers were still flying plentifully at Copt Hall, Little Wigborough; the Woodland Trust's Fordham Hall Estate and a number of other sites in north Essex into mid September along with a large second brood of small heaths.

This has also been a remarkable year for silver-washed fritillary and white admiral records. The successful reintroduction of silver-washed fritillaries under the Biodiversity Action Plan at Marks Hall, Coggeshall, has enjoyed a good season with double-figure sightings on many days in July and August but there have been a number of other sightings obviously not connected with the Marks Hall colony. Two were seen at Stour Wood RSPB reserve, Wrabness in July and there were other sightings at Donyland Wood, south of Colchester and at Brooks Wood, Stisted nature reserve though these may well be from the expanding Marks Hall colony.

New white admiral records have come from widely-scattered sites at Donyland Wood; Alresford; Tiptree; Stisted and Earls Colne as well as from known colonies at Stour Wood, Wrabness; Friday Wood, Berechurch, Colchester and High Woods Country Park, Colchester.

Ivy bloom is very attractive to butterflies, moths, wasps and hoverflies in September. Red admirals and commas are frequent visitors and second-brood female holly blue butterflies will have laid their eggs on the ivy bloom buds, the larvae feeding up to pupation on the blooms. The first brood of a new season will be on the wing in May and the females will lay their eggs on holly blooms and buds.

It’s the season for fungus foraying and our local expert Ian Rose will be very busy leading woodland searches with his famous trug. Last year after prolonged dry conditions flushes of fungi were sparse and late. Ian is hoping that this year conditions will be better and after rains in early September there are already some good showings of fungi including field mushrooms, parasols, puff balls, blewits and several other popular "edibles”.

Note in your diary that Ian is leading Colchester Natural History's annual fungus foray in Rendlesham Forest, east Suffolk, on Sunday October 16th. This is a coach trip and is open to non-members so if you'd like to join us telephone Carol Rogers on 01206 853942 for details and bookings. Ian Rose is also leading a fungus foray at wivenhoe Woods on Sunday, October 31st and also at High Woods Country Park on Sunday, November 7th.

UPDATES

Death's Head Hawk Moth

A Death's Head Hawk Moth was found at Tolleshunt Darcy by Essex Moth Group member Andy Cook on September 1st. This followed a spell of easterly winds. This may be an immigrant but larvae feed on leaves of potato after immigrant females lay eggs so it could be "home-bred". September is also the month when immigrant convolvulus hawkmoths arrive along the east coast. [06/09/10]

Ospreys bring bird watching bonus

The end of the first week of September brought a bonus batch of osprey sightings. These charismatic raptors are heading for winter quarters in Africa and the Mediterranean from northern nesting quarters including the UK. Birdwatchers made for Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve; Langenhoe; Abbotts Hall Great Wigborough and the Blackwater Estuary to get views of these fish-eating birds. The nearest nesting site to Essex is the reservoir at Rutland water but Scotland still claims the largest number of breeding pairs. [09/09/10]

Convolvulus hawk moth at Lawford

Reg fry reports that a convolvulus hawk moth came to his garden light trap at Grange Road, lawford on the night of September 25. This is a spectacularly big immigrant from southern Europe and North Africa. Larvae feed on convovulus and field bindweed leaves and the moths are particularly fond of nectaring on the fragrant blooms of tobacco flowers. Reg had another convolvulus to his moth lamp in September 2006. In recent years convolvulus hawk moths have come to moth lamps and traps operated by Doughal Urquhart at Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea.

Death's Head Hawk Moth larva at West Mersea

A larva of the Death's Head hawk moth was found in a garden at West Mersea on September 22. It was handed to Doughal Urquhart, senior ranger at Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea and has since tunnelled into earth to pupate in a plastic box. Dougal hopes to photograph pupa and also the moth when it emerges, possibly within a few weeks. It's the second Death's Head record in Essex (see item in current report). Death's Head larvae are found in potato leaves in gardens and fields after immigrant females have laid eggs.

Lapland bunting at East Mersea

A lapland bunting was present on beaches at Cudmore Grove Country Park in the third and last weeks of September.

The large Death's Head Hawk Moth, one of which arrived on September 1st only 200 yards from the home of Essex Moth Group member Andrew Cook after a spell of easterly winds when more immigrant moth species can be expected especially in coastal areas.

The vanguard of dark-bellied brent geese will be back in coastal Essex by end of September from their breeding sites on the Siberian tundras.

Pied flycatchers are being seen in coastal areas of north Essex including Walton Naze.

Among the many wading birds to be seen moving south to winter quarters is the greenshank.

A good year for the white admiral butterfly which is reappearing in a number of Essex woods from which it disappeared in the 1950s and 1960s. Photo Joe Firmin

Short-eared owls start to arrive at Essex costal marshes and pastures in late September and October from across the North Sea.

No wall brown sightings in north Essex as this once common species is ranked as a rarity in serious decline.

The brown argus butterfly has been common this year in two broods. Photo: David Barnard.

Towards the end of September woodcock will be arriving from the Continent to winter with us in damp woodland. Holland Haven nature reserve is a good place to look for new arrivals.

The convolvulus hawk moth, a spectacularly big immigrant from southern Europe and North Africa.

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