JELLYFISH JAUNT

Whilst enjoying an early evening jaunt along the park beach on Saturday 2nd, I noticed masses of the common jellyfishes washed up, one pictured above. This regular mass beaching of jellyfish normally occurs in mid-summer during a warm spell of weather. The majority of the jellyfish are usually the common or moon jellyfish but occasionally others such as the compass jellyfish are sometimes seen.

The sand martins were enjoying the early evening sunshine with 50 birds flying around the beach, many perching on top of the wooden breakwater posts, out on the mudflats. Also on the mudflats were 300 black-tailed godwits, most of them dotted along the outer edge of the mud beside the river Colne. Two little egrets, a well marked grey plover still in breeding plumage and a little tern, were some of the other birds to catch the eye.

The long grass around the park has faded to its typical summer brown colour. One or two skylarks and meadow pipits are still feeding in these areas. On the short grass of the overflow car park a group of 3 young green woodpeckers were recognised with their dark spotted bodies. The calls of the young sparrowhawk was heard from the cliff-top trees.

Earlier in the day at the pond a very young brood of about 6 tufted ducklings were seen. This is a new and different brood from the previous one seen a fortnight ago which only had four young ducklings. The noisiest birds on the pond were the two little grebe chicks calling out to be fed by the adults. A little egret stood on a reedmace clump, passing the time while it was high tide.

The butterflies seen included lots of meadow browns, hedge browns, small whites, also speckled wood, red admiral and comma, also the brightly marked six-spot burnet moth.