FROSTY XMAS MORN

Happy Xmas - A sharp frost greeted early visitors to the country park on Xmas Day morning. There was a colourful sunrise seen through the trees on the park clifftop. The sun soon thawed the frost away from the park and the thin layer of ice along the dyke soon thawed too.

The shorelark was foraging for seeds along a frosty beach at East Mersea Point early on Tuesday 25th - now present for its 14th day.

A little egret waded through one of the saltmarsh pools by the seawall on Tuesday. Flocks of wigeon and teal began to gather beside the fields as the frost began to thaw with 300+ noted.

A marsh harrier flew downriver to Colne Point and a common seal swam past the Point.

A stock dove was checking out the nestbox by the park pond on Tuesday. Fourteen gadwall and 3 tufted duck were present here while 4 redwing, 15 fieldfare were noted and a flock of 40 skylark flew up from the stubble field by the park's car park.
A sparrowhawk flew over Chapmans Lane on Tuesday morning.