Dull, big grey sky, chilly breeze and a sea that got choppier as the day wore on. Wrapped up warm and the sight of wintering waders and wildfowl soon warmed the spirits up. 15 hardy souls headed out from the park, along the seawall to the Oyster Fishery on the north side of the Island. Several times huge flocks of 500 lapwing and 1000 golden plover rose into the air, climbing high, circling round before gliding back down. The goldie-flocks seem to find it hard to settle in one place for long. Passing like wisps of smoke, they regularly passed overhead, heading to newer pastures elsewhere in the Colne estuary. Maybe there was a peregrine around but we couldn't find it.
In the river a handful of red-breasted mergansers were watched with some of the spiky crests on the heads of the males looking as if they had the hair gel treatment. Brief glimpses were had of two distant common seals also in the river.
Ten yellowhammers added a splash of real colour to some bushes with the yellow heads of the males easily spotted amongst the bare branches.
Patrolling the large lagoon at Langenhoe Point on the opposite side of the Pyefleet Channel were up to 5 marsh harriers. Wonderful sight to see these large raptors hawking over the marshes. One seemed to swoop down and snatch at a bird which may have been a teal.
In the country park fields 300 wigeon woddled across the pasture, grazing as they went. The fields have filled up recently with recent rains and even the waders were coming into feed. On the pond there was a good count of 24 gadwall - a very grey bird for a very grey day!
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