BACK ALONG PYEFLEET

After holidaying on the mainland for the last few days, it was back to business along the Pyefleet Channel on Sunday 29th. It was nice and warm along the Reeveshall seawall with patches of blue sky above. The tide was out but only a few birds of note on the mudflats.

As usual it didn't take long to notice a marsh harrier, with a female crossing the Pyefleet from Langenhoe. As I followed it, I noticed another one flying over the Reeveshall pool, frightening all the gulls and waders away. Two avocets, greenshank, 2 oystercatchers, 4 black-tailed godwits, 6 lapwing and 15 black-headed gulls all flew off. A male marsh harrier was later seen hunting further away over the Maydays fields.

Along the Pyefleet mud, there were 2 very black spotted redshanks amongst 18 redshanks and the only other waders of note were 15 more black-tailed godwits. A little tern hunted along the channel and 4 shoveler dropped onto the water from the nearby Ranges.

There must have been lots of insects high up as there were lots of swifts circling high over the fields with about 300 seen. Swift flocks of any size have been scarce this summer so far. Three sand martins also joined the swifts feeding lower down. Two kestrels were seen and two corn buntings were heard singing.

The pink flowers of the spiny rest harrow pictured above, add some colour to the side of the seawall, which helps you to notice the plant before you unwittingly sit down amongst the grass and feel the sharp spines.

A typical seawall walk in the summer, is always memorable for the numbers of brown butterflies disturbed from the grass as you walk along. The summer breeze kept many low down but there were good numbers of meadow browns, such as this male pictured above, lots of small heaths and a few small skippers. A few dragonflies noted were several common darters, black-tailed skimmer, azure damselfly and lots of blue-tailed damselflies.

Last night at the country park, I stumbled across a group of at least ten pipistrelle bats at dusk emerging out between the weatherboarding of the toilet block, ready for the night-time feeding. I've not seen this number roost in this building before, although I have watched a couple appear from the opposite side, about four summers ago.