MARSHES TURNING BLUE

There was plenty of sunshine with blue skies over the Island on Monday 28th, here even the saltmarshes along the Strood Channel turned blue during the very high tide.

Twenty little egrets were taking advantage of the rising tide covering the saltmarshes along the channel, especially around Ray Island. This bird was wading through the water to feed in front of the Firs Chase caravan site.

An early brent goose was seen flying along the channel on Monday early afternoon.

A female pintail was spotted amongst the teal at the country park on Monday afternoon. It became a bit more recognisable once it stuck it's long thin neck up.

For several minutes the pintail snoozed beside the pools in the fields, before standing up and then flying away. A typically brief visitor to these fields.

Also on the fields were 90 greylag geese, 120 wigeon and 250 teal.
Offshore the first brent geese were seen with twenty birds seen just offshore on a shingly/mud island as the tide receded.

This poorly field vole was found staggering across the grass of the park on Monday. A close look at it revealed a severe tick infestation around its flanks, one tick just about visible in the photo.

A common buzzard flew across the East Mersea road near the church on Monday afternoon.
At West Mersea three little gulls were seen feeding offshore from the Esplanade late on Monday 28th by Martin Cock.

Other birds of note on the Island seen by Martin in the last fortnight have included -
25th - curlew sandpiper, grey wagtail, two common terns and a clouded yellow at Maydays farm; 23rd - 40 wigeon and six chiffchaffs at the country park; 21st - two spotted redshank, green sandpiper and greenshank at Maydays farm; 20th - grey wagtail at the Cross Lane sewage works; 18th - swift over West Mersea; 15th - gannet and harbour porpoise from Coopers Beach while a spotted flycatcher and 2 ruff were at Cudmore Grove.