GREY AND WET

It rained throughout Saturday night into Sunday 16th, leaving great pools of water everywhere, especially in the grazing fields at the park, pictured above. The ducks seemed to love it and large groups of up to 400 wigeon were concentrated closest to the wettest patches. Amongst the various wildfowl here were also 20 mallard, 12 shoveler, 25 teal, 10 shelduck on the fields, 10 tufted duck in the ditches and 3 pochard on the pond. A pair of greylag geese were also on the fields.

Despite the cold north-easterly wind and low cloud, the two chiffchaffs were still seen, keeping low down out of the wind in willow bushes over the park pond.


Conditions were so grey out on the mudflats, it was difficult to recognise the horizon with the mud and the sea the same colour as the sky. The tide was just heading out in the morning but the only waders of note other than the noisy oystercatchers, were eight very pale-looking sanderling. In the distance a pair of pintail were seen flying into the Colne - a surprisingly scarce duck at the park.

Martin Cock had four Mediterranean gulls by the Youth Camp and heard a singing corn bunting near there too. He also had his first chiffchaff of the spring in a garden in the Lane in West Mersea yesterday.
Richard Allen had a merlin along the East Mersea beach.