EVENING WALK TO POINT

Had an evening walk in a cool easterly breeze to East Mersea Point pictured above, on Wednesday 9th at the end of another sunny day. Timed the visit to the Point to coincide with the tide starting to uncover the mud, so that the various waders could be looked at through the telescope.

There was the usual nice seletion of waders gathered by the Point but nothing unusual and numbers weren't as high as expected. Approximate numbers of waders seen were 150 redshank, 15 curlew, 70 black-tailed godwit, 1 bar-tailed godwit, 10 lapwing, 20 grey plover, 20 golden plover, 40 ringed plover, 1 knot, 30 dunlin, 4 turnstone, 2 avocet, common sandpiper and 5 oystercatcher.

Five little egrets stood around a pool on the mudflats and offshore a handful of common terns were seen. In the distance a marsh harrier was seen over Colne Point and another bird over Langenhoe Point. The "resident" family of mute swans with the single cygnet from the dyke, swam back across the river Colne having had a few days away at Brightlingsea.

Four whinchats sat out of the cool evening breeze on a bramble bush near the seawall. Fourteen linnets flew around the sea-blite bushes at the Point. In the grazing fields 20 curlew were seen and 2 yellow wagtails flew over calling. At the park pond a wigeon and a pair of gadwall were recent arrivals.

Martin Cock saw a kingfisher and 2 turtle doves at Maydays Farm and also a spotted flycatcher at the north end of Shop Lane along with one or two whinchats and wheatears by the seawall.