AUTUMN SQUALLS

There were several rainbows seen at the park on a squally Wednesday 26th. The Island seemed to be in the firing line for a variety of weather during the day with hail, thunder, rain, sun and blustery wind. The squalls were brief but torrential with everything getting a good soaking.

On the pools in the park fields at least one jack snipe was still present, and a female pintail early on while a green sandpiper flew west over the pools and pond. At high tide a good roost of 250+ redshank was one of the largest seen here, along with the usual 25+ black-tailed godwits and 15+ snipe.
A chiffchaff called from bushes above the path near the pond, a goldcrest was also heard and a sparrowhawk was seen over a nearby field. Along the hedgerows 300 noisy starlings fed on many of the berries and a fieldfare perched up in a tree. In the morning a male marsh harrier flew up river to Langenhoe while 3 red-breasted mergansers were seen flying out of the estuary later in the day.

Martin Cock saw a great skua fly east over the sea from West Mersea on Wednesday but not much else noted offshore. The glossy ibis was also seen flying onto Reeveshall, so at least one is still around. Two had also been reported being seen by wildfowlers over Maydays four days earlier. Martin saw a peregrine and buzzard during his visit to Maydays farm. David Nicholls has seen the goldfinch flock in his West Mersea garden increase in recent days to 24 birds.


The moth trap operated during Tuesday night with 20 moths of 7 species seen including this species of November moth - one of a handful of individuals.

The chestnut moth slightly paler than the dark chestnut moth, is an annual visitor to the trap in the autumn but only one or two individuals.
Other moths included streak, yellow-line quaker, large wainscot, green-brindled crescent and dark chestnut.