STALKING HERON

The park's grazing fields have become much wetter recently, providing more marshy conditions for more birds such as this grey heron seen stalking round the pools on Friday 16th.

Up to 20 shoveler have been feeding on the main pool in the fields now that it has filled with water. Also 10 gadwall, 150 teal and 500+ wigeon in the fields on Thursday.

Seven pochard were on the park pond on Thursday afternoon along with ten tufted ducks.
A snipe was feeding by the marshy edge to the pond on Wednesday 14th and Friday 16th. A common buzzard flew west over the grazing fields and the pond on Wednesday.

Forty redshank roosted in the fields at high tide on Wednesday, also 5 black-tailed godwits seen on Wednesday and Friday. Two snipe were also feeding among the pools on Friday.
The pair of kestrels were seen noisily mating on their tree at the back of the fields on Friday. A sparrowhawk flew over the car park earlier in the morning.
A common buzzard was seen perched by the water's edge near the Strood causeway on Friday morning.


A barn owl hunted over the park in late afternoon on Thursday 15th, providing good views to some dog-walkers.
A fieldfare was by the car park on Wednesday while on Tuesday the calls of little owl and red-legged partridge were heard to the north of the park.


At West Mersea a sparrowhawk, goldcrest and 500 starlings gathering to roost were seen from the Firs Chase garden on Monday 12th.

 A grey partridge paid a visit to Michael Thorley's garden in East Mersea, near Meeting Lane.

 Michael was practicing camera techniques on a rabbit at the bottom of his garden when the image in his viewfinder changed as this grey partridge appeared into shot.

It's the first time Michael's seen grey partridge here in his garden.