END OF THE DAY

At the end of Thursday 29th, I spent the last hour of the day along the Reeveshall seawall. It had been another sunny day but as the sun dropped down to a hazy horizon, the temperature quickly dropped. There was plenty of water on the Reeveshall pool pictured above but only a redshank and a pair of Canada geese were seen here, although a shelduck and a pair of gadwall flew over.

On the main Reeveshall field 400 brent geese, 50 curlew, 85 golden plover, 3 grey herons and several greylag geese were noted. A marsh harrier flew over the Broad Fleet reedbed. A brown hare stood up and trotted around as the sun dropped.

The tide was just starting to uncover the mud in the Pyefleet with 150 redshank and a few dunlin, grey plover and black-tailed godwits seen. Small flocks of brent geese were dotted along the channel but little else of note in the Pyefleet other than a common seal swimming out. On Langenhoe marshes opposite, 5 marsh harriers were seen as were 4 pochard and several pairs of greylags on the seawall. A pair of Mediterranean gulls flew over the Pyefleet heading to the gull colony on Rat Island. Earlier in the day a pair had flown west along the country park beach.

By the Shop Lane seawall a yellowhammer sang as dusk fell, while a chiffchaff was still feeding in the willow bush near the wood. A red-legged partridge called from a field near the wood.

At the park a blackcap singing from bushes near the car park was the first one of the spring. At the end of the day the little owl was seen again flying into a tree near the park entrance as the park closed.