SQUIRREL AT HORNBEAM SEEDS

A red squirrel was feeding on hornbeam seeds again beside the toilet building at the country park first thing on Thursday 6th.
Unfortunately a grey squirrel was seen by Andy Field on Tuesday 4th on the northern edge of Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

Five sanderling were seen at the East Mersea Point on Tuesday 4th, also seen in the area were 400 golden plover, 30 ringed plover and 20 dunlin along with 25 little egrets. Ten teal were on the saltmarsh pools and 14 linnets were flying around the sueda bushes. Eight common terns were fishing in the river and a Med gull flew past.
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Following the baling of the park's grazing fields on Monday, the next day 120 curlew and 80+ black-tailed godwits were feeding in the fields. A hobby raced across the fields past the Golfhouse and headed west up the hill, earlier a common buzzard also crossed the fields being mobbed by crows.
 Four pochard were in the dyke while at the park pond were 50 mallard, shoveler and 10 teal.

On Monday 3rd a cuckoo was seen perched briefly in a tree near the bird hide at the park, two wheatears in the fields, a water rail squealed from the pond, snipe flew over while 30 swallows and 10 house martins also passed over the park.

At the country park on Wednesday 5th Andy Field reported seeing three common scoters offshore, 16 common terns in the outer Colne, nine wigeon, wheatear, 2 willow warblers, a water rail swimming across the pond while in the big fields were 140 curlew and 160 black-tailed godwits.
Also at the park were 30 house martins while 34 little egrets roosted at the pond.

On Thursday 6th a marsh harrier flew over the park and 30 little egrets were roosting at the pond. In the bushes were a blackcap, willow warbler and a lesser whitethroat while 10 yellow wagtails were in the grazing fields. Seven lapwing were feeding in the stubble field near the car park.

A young common lizard soaked up the last of the evening sun on Monday 3rd.

Despite the unexpected drizzle over night on Tuesday 4th, there were 300 moths of 25 species in the trap by the morning including this neatly patterned feathered gothic - a regular in early autumn in small numbers.

Half the catch were setaceous Hebrew characters, while the other interesting moth was a red underwing.