June 2011

Click here to view the Watching Wildlife archive

Now we move into summer with the bounty of a myriad of colourful insects and the true seasonal flowers which will include such welcome stars as field poppies, ox-eye daisies, Knapweed and bird’s-foot trefoil.

 

This year in Essex, everything was affected by the drought which persisted through spring seriously inhibiting the growth of farm crops, pastures, gardens and allotments. It also meant the early appearance of many flowers, butterflies and some moths as well as dragonflies and damsels including some of our very uncommon species such as the beautiful demoiselle (pictured left). Some were flying along the stream on the edge of Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt, by mid-May when they usually emerge in June. The beautiful demoiselle is found in only three locations along the Roman River valley south of Colchester at Copford, and at West Bergholt.

 

Also on the wing early was its commoner relative the banded demoiselle. There are very big colonies of this pretty damselfly along the River Stour and also on the Colne at Colchester with a very large number in Sheepen meadows.

 

There is continuing anxiety over the decline of several summer breeding birds. This is especially true of the spotted flycatcher and the turtle dove, both of which are on the Essex Red Data List. Like other birds which winter in Africa and have to undertake hazardous journeys to breed, they are no longer familiar in our countryside and we miss the crooning call of the male turtle doves. Many fall victim to the ruthless gunners in the Mediterranean countries.

 

Sadly some of our once-common resident birds are now also on the Red Data List. The “jangling keys” song of the corn bunting is seldom heard in our Essex cereal fields, a victim of agricultural intensification and the decline of winter stubbles.

 

Also worryingly scarce as a nester is the yellow wagtail (pictured left)which has suffered from the scarcity of grassland and pasture although some pairs have adapted to nesting in cereal fields.

 

These are not good times, either, for some of our water and shore birds. Little terns (pictured below), which winter in Africa and attempt to breed on our beaches, have suffered badly from tidal erosions and continuous disturbance from humans and predatory animals and birds. They hang on at Colne Point; PewitIsland; Old Hall Marshes and the Langenhoe Ranges. Other beach-nesting species such as ringed plover and oystercatcher, find it hard to nest successfully with the ever increasing disturbances although some efforts are being made to protect beach nesting and shingle nesting areas with selective fencing.

 

Swifts and house martins are back at their traditional nest sites locally but both species are suffering from a fall in buildings where they can successfully establish regular breeding. Many of the old buildings and towers where swifts nest, have been demolished or modified, excluding suitable entries. Near my home in West Bergholt swifts still nest under the eaves of some council flats and it’s good to see parties hurtling through the air at great speed uttering their shrill scream. House martins do not seem able to build their mud cup nests under the eaves of modern houses and sizeable colonies are few and far between.

 

However it is not all bad news. Many butterfly species will appear in June in grassy meadows and woods. Locally the star is the white admiral, a graceful woodland species which is currently undergoing a welcome extension of range throughout Essex and Suffolk. You can be sure of seeing it towards the end of the month at Stour Wood, Wrabness;  Friday Wood, Berechurch, Colchester; High Woods Country Park, Colchester and in woods at Tiptree and on the Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall.

 

Wood warbler spotted at Hillhouse Wood

Nigel Rayner, West Bergholt naturalist, found a singing male wood warbler in Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt on May 22. This beautiful olive green warbler with yellow upper breast, which is a relative of the chiffchaff and willow warbler, doesn’t breed in Essex normally. It is more familiar in beech and oak woods in southern and western counties and is known in Suffolk and Essex as an uncommon bird of passage. It has a distinctive shivering trill song.

 

Hummingbird hawk moth at Mistley

Ian Rose had a hummingbird hawk moth nectaring on red valerian in his garden at Mistley on May 28th. Last year Ian had several of these attractive little immigrants from Southern Europe and the Mediterranean in his garden. Appropriate as Ian is a leading member of Essex Moth Group.

 

Early season for special butterflies

Several silver-washed fritillary butterflies were seen on June 15 at Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall. This is one of the woodland butterfly species successfully reintroduced at Marks Hall under the Essex Biodiversity Action Plan. Normally they are not seen until the end of the month and in July but this is proving an exceptionally early season for several butterflies.

 

Spotted flycatchers nest in Fordham

A spotted flycatcher has built its nest under the porch of a house in Fordham Heath that overlooks the heath itself. This is now quite a rare occurrence and it remains to be seen whether the pair successfully rear a brood but is certainly good news for the area.