ANNUAL CARNAGE ON ROAD

Rather unexpected in the early evening of February 20th was finding part of Firs Chase the scene of carnage with the newly emerged toads trying to make their way to the local pond to breed. The toads obviously feel winter is over and it's time to run the gauntlet to cross roads and streets on this mild and drizzly evening.

By 7.30pm Nolly and I had found ten were already dead on the road, ten were collected in the blue bucket and carried closer to the pond while a further 50 were counted along a little muddy path leading to the nearby garden pond. There was the soft continuous chirping sound coming from many of the toads as their excitement mounted as they met up with more of their mates and they got closer to the pond.

There was the cruel sight of several males clinging tightly onto the backs of the large females as they struggled to make their own arduous journeys across roads, along paths and crawling through wet ditches. Desperate males couldn't wait for the females to reach the pond or maybe they're just down-right lazy and wanted a piggy-back ride.

At East Mersea Point, the Dartford warbler was seen and heard even at the end of the afternoon as the light faded in the dreary conditions. Within a few minutes of searching, the quiet scolding calls of the warbler were heard. For over 20 minutes the bird called occasionally and was seen a few times but only once did it perch up. It did provide flight views a few times but the little dark bird was quickly lost in the darkening conditions each time it landed in a bush.
A couple of red-breasted mergansers flashed past the Point as the tide went out, a little egret looked as if it was heading to its night-time roost, while on the mud 70 knot were seen feeding.