GREY SKIES ABOVE PYEFLEET

An evening stroll on Monday 21st along the Pyefleet may have been under dull skies but there were plenty of highlights to make the walk enjoyable. Walking along the Reeveshall seawall provides you with a tranquil setting where almost as far as the eye can see, you have the place to yourself. Even the sheep and the cows seem surprised to see anyone in this area.

The tide was out and the amount of passage waders seen were counted on just the one hand - one grey plover and four dunlin. The other waders seen such as redshank, oystercatcher, ringed plover and lapwing will all be local breeders. Two pairs of great crested grebes fishing in the channel is unusual for this area in the spring. A pair of Canada geese clambered into the water keeping an anxious watch over their three very young goslings, swimming them across to Pewit Island to safety. Dotted along the Pyefleet were up to 50 shelduck feeding on the mud.

On Langenhoe, the marsh harriers were very active even up until almost dusk. On a couple of occasions up to four harriers could be seen together in the same field of view through the binoculars. One female seemed to relish upsetting the vast gull colony on the nearby Rat Island whenever it flew over. Upwards of 3000 birds all rose as one huge white-out, like shaking one of those toy snow scenes. The harrier dropped onto the ground on several occasions but never seemed to rise up with any gull chicks or other food.

Reeveshall was almost silent except for the sporadic bleating of the lambs. Thirty grey lag geese and 12 Canada geese had a whole pasture to themselves with one or two brown hares keeping a low profile. A male corn bunting sang from one of the very remote hedges near the Maydays / Reeveshall seawall, so remote there didn't seem to be any other corn buntings around to admire his song.

As dusk approached 20 sand martins and a few swallows dashed back and forwards across the Pyefleet as if checking out suitable reedbeds to spend the night in. The best bird was saved till last when the ghostly sight of a barn owl was seen flying high over the seawall, heading over the water to hunt on the Langenhoe side. I watched it for several minutes as it made the crossing safely although one gull was brave enough to mob it half-heartedly.

Driving past the field at the south end of Shop Lane, a vixen fox was seen trotting back to the woodland where I realised three young cubs were exploring their surroundings.

The previous day Steve Entwhistle had a whinchat and two wheatears here at Reeveshall, both migrants on their way north.