TON OF EGRETS

The magic figure of 100 little egrets at the park roost was reached for the first time on Tuesday 29th when 110 birds were counted in the willow trees behind the pond. The previous highest count was 95 egrets last year on the 10th September.

A spotted flycatcher was found on top of a bush near the park hide on Tuesday. Pictured here leaning into the strong easterly wind.
Six swallows flew over the fields on Wednesday 30th.

Wigeon numbers are building up each day with 120 seen on the fields on Monday and then 170 by Wednesday. The main pool pictured above is starting to fill up with wildfowl especially with the 300 teal present too.
Nienty greylag geese were feeding in the fields while twenty brent geese were in the estuary.

A kingfisher flew low along the dyke on Wednesday morning and then a second sighting of one arriving at the pond an hour later was probably a different bird. A female pochard was also on the pond while a sparrowhawk was seen a couple of times during the day.

At the Point 30 linnets were flying about, 100 avocets flew back upriver, 40+ cormorants were fishing in a tight group in the river, 2 marsh harriers were over Langenhoe Pt.

Andy Field walked along the Reeveshall seawall on Wednesday and noted a wheatear, common buzzard, 200 golden plover while on Langenhoe were 4 marsh harriers.

This stock dove perched up on a hawthorn tree near the pond on Wednesday.

Three small copper butterflies were seen on Wednesday at the park, one pictured above, also speckled wood, comma, small white and red admiral. Common darters and migrant hawkers also on the wing.

Probably the last common lizard of the summer was glimpsed at the park, here sunning itself.

Recent clear nights have kept moths catches low at the park with this barred sallow one of 28 individuals amongst ten species.