BLUE SKIES RETURN

The cool north-easterly winds of recent days gave way to warmth and clear blue skies on Thursday 4th. This branch of a white poplar tree shows the bright blue sky contrasting nicely with the silvery white undersides of the leaves. Many leaves on the trees are not only changing colour but many are already falling to the ground.

Also enjoying the afternoon sunshine from the tops of some trees was a "charm"of about 30 goldfinches, happily twittering to each other. A small flock of 10 chaffinches fed near the edge of the car park in the morning. The first redwing of the autumn here at the park passed over the car park in the morning followed by the first rock pipit of the season here. Five swallows flew rapidly across the park.

Three little egrets perched up in their usual vantage points in the willow tree beside the park pond. The regular teal, shoveler, gadwall and mallard were busy feeding or snoozing round the edge of the pond.
A red admiral fluttered very low across the water whilst in the trees nearby lots of migrant hawkers, southern hawkers and common darters were either sunning themselves or dashing after the flies.
The moth trap was checked earlier in the morning and about 50 moths of 11 species is probably an average catch for this tie of year. There seemed to be just as many moths resting up in the grass near the trap, rather than actually inside the trap. The most colourful is pictured above and is the barred sallow, a regular visitor to the trap over this next month.

The first feathered ranunculus of the autumn was noted, the first of several no doubt that will be seen over the next month or so. Familiar autumn moths in the trap and similiar to the catch on Sunday night.

The clear skies during the day provided a bright sunset to enjoy from the country park. As the light faded the calls of the local little owl and the local tawny owl in Bromans Lane could be heard in the park.

On Wednesday 3rd the kingfisher was seen flashing along the dyke heading back to the park. Bobbing on the high tide at the Point were six brent geese.

The most unusual bird of the autumn so far was a ring ouzel that turned up in the garden of Martin Cock and fed on the rowan berries.The bird kept returning to the garden with a couple of blackbirds during the morning but was not seen in the middle of the afternoon.
There seemed to have been quite an influx of thrushes from the continent in the morning as Martin saw about 30 blackbirds in the bushes along Shop Lane, also 2 redwings here. By the seawall the male bearded tit was seen and lots of swallows passing through.

Martin visited the East Mersea Youth Camp area and saw a turtle dove which is a late sighting and also the unusual sight of 4 green woodpeckers together.