EVENING TIDE

The gremlins had been interfering with the previous posting whilst I had a week away from Mersea. Not sure why the photos didn't show but normal service has now been restored.

Back into the swing of striding along the seawalls and on Saturday 22nd there was a fleeting sunset to catch the eye, rounding off a hot day on the Island where the temperature in mid afternoon was 24 degrees C.

It was a tranquil walk along the Strood seawall in the early evening with the tide creeping slowly in. A couple of common terns in the Strood Channel took a few minutes rest on top of some boat masts. The regular wintering group of little grebes is slowly building up with seven seen not far from the aptly named Dabchicks Sailing Club. A little bit more unusual for this spot was a great crested grebe in the Channel.

Although the light was fading, the familiar calls of the redshank, curlew and grey plovers could be heard across the marshes. Two greenshanks would've been missed on the opposite side of the Channel if their loud "tew-tew-tew" calls had not been noted. Towards the Strood causeway, there were lots of gulls gathering on the edge of the saltmarshes ready for the evening roost as the tide came in.

As usual around ten little egrets were feeding along the water's edge of the Channel in different places. One by one and occasionally in pairs, they flew off to roost but strangely in different directions. Some egrets headed west as if maybe heading for the nearby Abberton reservoir, whilst other egrets went eastwards in the direction of the old priory at St Osyth about three miles to the east of the Island, where there is a regular egret roost.

In the stubble field a flock of 200 golden plovers crouched low amongst the tussocks and blending in well. A similar sized flock of more golden plover were also resting on the mudflats and no doubt would be moving soon as the tide edged nearer.

It was pleasing to see the large corn bunting flock of around 50 birds were still gathering along the reedbed beside the seawall. They seem to arrive just as the sun sets but they seem very wary and nervous and take a while to settle down. In near darkness one corn bunting appeared to fly off the side of the grassy seawall as if it was going to spend the night on the ground.
Also in the reedbed ten pied wagtails dropped in once the sun had dropped below the horizon.
The only other small birds seen were 10 meadow pipits and a reed bunting.

The last bit of daylight along the Strood with the incoming tide starting to cover the brushwood breakwaters in the picture above.

Other recent news from the Island includes a hummingbird hawkmoth seen in Andy Fields garden in West Mersea on the 20th and a good variety of birds seen by Glyn Evans whilst walking along the north side of the Island on Monday 17th.
The most unusual was a long-eared owl at Reeveshall, a water rail near the Oyster Fishery, also merlin, 4 wheatears, whinchat, 2 whimbrel, spotted redshank, 310 golden plovers, 3 marsh harriers on Mersea and 3 on Langenhoe. Two common seals were seen on the mud near Maydays.