FOGGY FIELDS

After more rain fell during the night, Wednesday 26th was very damp and foggy. Staying dull all day, the visibility across the park's grazing fields was poor.
The viewing conditions may've been bad but the numbers of birds on the fields was certainly impressive especially during the early afternoon high tide period. The additional saturation has led to lots more surface water lying on the grass.

Amongst the waders and wildfowl were 700 brent geese, 40 greylag geese, 500 wigeon, 500 teal, 400 black-tailed godwits, 450 redshank, 50 lapwing, 100 dunlin, 30 turnstone and 100 golden plover. There was no sign of the pale-bellied brent goose seen the previous day. A male pintail flew across the grazing fields on Wednesday but headed back out to the Colne.

There were no views across the river from the Point although 2000 dunlin, 1000 golden plover, 100 knot, 15 sanderling and 20 bar-tailed godwit were close enough to see.

At the park pond at least one water rail overcame its shyness late in the afternoon to venture away from the reeds and forage on the nearby grass. The Cetti's warbler was calling late in the day from the back of the pond. Roosting in the trees were 8 little egrets with another 6 in the fields.

On Tuesday 25th a male goldeneye and a spotted redshank were seen along the Pyefleet at Maydays by Martin Cock.

Weather conditions on Monday 24th along the Pyefleet were perfect for viewing, especially after the prolonged rain on the previous day. Lots of blue sky and very little wind across the Maydays saltmarsh at high tide.

Birds seen along the Pyefleet included 3 red-breasted mergansers, 3 great crested grebes, 4 snipe flew off the saltmarsh, 12 little egrets, 50 shelduck and a common seal. A short-eared owl flew along the Langenhoe seawall towards Pewit Island, while up to 8 marsh harriers were also noted here. A common buzzard crossed over from Reeveshall towards Langenhoe and a sparrowhawk was seen high in the air over the Pyefleet.

On the Reeveshall / Maydays fields, a stonechat, 30 greylag geese, marsh harrier, 5 fieldfares, 5 redwings, 3 song thrushes, 10 yellowhammers, 10 reed buntings, 25 chaffinches and ten linnets.

The view from Maydays onto the mainland has been changing rapidly in the last month as work proceeds rapidly with the construction of a big solar farm on farmland at Langenhoe. The picture above shows a portaloo amongst a sea of PV panels.

By the West Mersea a black brant was reported in the Strood Channel near the Dabchicks on both  Saturday and Sunday.