ORANGE-TINTED MUDFLATS

The change to British Summer Time seemed to encourage the sun to radiate a bit more warmth on Sunday 30th, in contrast to the wind and rain of recent days. Made the most of the extra light in the evening with a walk along the Reeveshall seawall. The day finished with a wonderful orange glow across the Pyefleet. The tide was just on its way out and left a memorable view of about 2000 waders all in silhouette against the orange-tinted mudflats.

At first the waders were close in, with this typical group showing a mixture of grey plover and knot with a couple of dunlin as well. Also in this area were 150 black-tailed godwits, 200 redshank, a few oystercatchers and turnstones and at least one bar-tailed godwit. In the Pyefleet Channel were 10 great crested grebes but not much else on the water.

On Langenhoe four marsh harriers were seen either perched up or quartering the marshes. A Mediterranean gull was heard calling as it crossed the Pyefleet.
On Reeveshall a female marsh harrier was seen by the reedbed, also 24 greylag geese, 6 Canada geese on the fields while 4 pochard were the only birds of note on the pool.

As the light faded 400 brent geese flew off the field by North Farm to roost in the river Colne and 2 little egrets were seen roosting for the night on the edge of the Shop Lane conifer wood. On the mammal front, 5 brown hares were seen crouching low in the grass field and the first pipistrelle bat of the spring was unexpectedly seen hawking over the saltmarsh.

Earlier in the day, Richard Brown and his father found a firecrest in the clifftop trees at the park. This bird was feeding with other small birds including blue tits, long-tailed tits and a goldcrest - which is slightly different behaviour and location to the firecrests seen on previous days. This could be the third firecrest at the park in the last few days. One firecrest was still seen close to the dell area near the car park yesterday. A siskin was also noted on the Saturday flying over the car park.

At the park pond the first willow warbler onto the Island was heard singing as was a chiffchaff. A female sparrowhawk was also noted as being close to the area where they nested last year.

The dull start delayed the adders coming out in the morning but eventually 3 were seen in the park.

Richard Brown saw the short-eared owl again at the Rewsall marshes, also a wheatear and 4 Mediterranean gulls on Saturday.