FINDING THE GEM

Although there was a lot of rain during the night of Wednesday 26th, it was only measured at about 12mm. However there was a lot of surface water everywhere, especially on the already saturated grazing fields. The picture above shows the water pouring out of the "plug-hole" in one of the fields. This control pipe was installed about three years ago to keep water backed-up along the course of a winding old creek.

The backed-up water in the photo above, has filled up the course of this old meandering creek. Two hundred years ago this field would've been saltmarsh with lots of creeks, before the seawall was built.

Birdlife was scattered across the fields in many of the pools and creeks. 300 wigeon, 50 teal and 15 shoveler, 20 mallard and 10 shelduck were the wildfowl seen. Ten redshank, 15 black-tailed godwits, 20 curlew, 8 lapwing and 5 snipe were the waders noted.

A pale male stonechat fed along the central ditch and 200 starlings fed amongst the grassland with the ducks. Three pairs of reed buntings were seen in different localities getting ready for the breeding season and so were a few meadow pipits with their parachute displays.

At the Point there was the brief view of a male snow bunting, its paleness providing good camouflage amongst the white shells on the beach. Two avocets were along the edge of the mud while in the river there was a male common scoter, along with 10 great crested grebes and one common seal.
Having enjoyed the sight of a snipe by the pond and 5 redwings and a pair of siskins along a nearby hedgerow,

However the real gem was waiting to be found on my walk round the park. My ears pricked up at the thin high pitched song coming from some nearby bushes. This was the barely audible song of the firecrest - one of Britains smallest birds. It is also has one of the most striking head patterns of any small bird. The bird flitted from branch to branch in bushes close enough so that the bright orange stripe on the top of the head could be clearly seen.

The firecrest is usually an annual visitor to the Island in the spring and in recent years has been regular at the park. It is best tracked down by listening for the distinctive song and luckily this time there were no leaves to obscure the views. The local bird-news grapevine flickered into life and before the end of the day, Andy Field, Steve Entwhistle and Michael Thorley enjoyed views of the bird near the car park.

The final bird highlight of the day was just before dusk when a barn owl was seen hunting along the East Mersea road as I drove along near Weir Farm. The bird perched briefly in the roadside hedgeline but flew off when I stopped to admire the close view. We both continued on our parallel journeys with the owl hunting along the opposite side of the hedge to the road, as I drove slowly along.