RAINS NEVER CAME

The weather forecast for Sunday 13th was wet and windy, which sounded like it was a day to spend inside by the fire. As it turned out there was no rain at all and the sun broke through the clouds to make it a pleasant afternoon despite the wind.

Opted for a walk along the Maydays seawall to check up on some of the small birds that were seen in good numbers on my last visit a fortnight ago. However there was no sign of the large mixed bird flocks in the various hedges and game cover crops.

Clinging tightly in the wind to an exposed bush near a set-aside crop were 18 corn buntings. A handful of chaffinches and a reed bunting were the only other finches and buntings seen around the fields. However a group of 20 linnets flew around the big expanse of Maydays saltmarsh, feeding on the seeds of the plants. Also feeding on the saltmarsh were four skylarks and two rock pipits.

Unfortunately the walk coincided with the high tide which meant there were no waders to look at on the mud. There were the usual small numbers of curlew and redshank, along with a few little egrets gathered on the saltmarsh. In the Pyefleet there were 11 red-breasted mergansers, two great crested grebes, 50 shelduck and several hundred wigeon.

The most interesting flocks noted were huge plover flocks both on fields by Maydays farm and on one of the main grass fields of Reeveshall. This latter group was the biggest involving about 2000 lapwing and about 1000 golden plover, whose numbers were only appreciated when they all rose into the air.

The marsh harriers were thin on the ground today with only one female seen as it quartered the fleet at Reeveshall. Two kestrels were seen at Maydays and another three on Langenhoe.

Elsewhere at East Mersea, a flock of 70 fieldfares were seen in fields between the shop and the pub.

Adrian Kettle had a rewarding visit to the Langenhoehall marshes on Sunday morning with 5 short-eared owls, male marsh harrier, ringtail hen harrier, common buzzard, 4 kestrels and a sparrowhawk. This area is still demonstrating that it's the number one site in north Essex for birds of prey this winter.