SUBMERGED SALTINGS

Wrapped up warm for the walk along the East Mersea seawall on a chilly and windy Good Friday. The strong northerly wind whipped the tide up very high, submerging all the saltmarshes in the process. The waders had to find alternative roost sites with the park grazing fields and the Point, hosting reasonable numbers.

Over 300 oystercatchers gathered at the Point, which had become inaccessible to walkers with the high water. In the grazing fields there were several compact groups of roosting waders including 150 black-tailed godwits, 50 redshank and about 50 curlew. Most waders were gathered around the large pools at the back of one of the fields. One or two grey plover and snipe were also seen.

A little egret sheltered side by side with a grey heron, up against a hedge. Fifty two shelduck was a reasonable count, whilst wigeon numbers seemed fewer than recent days with only 300 noted. Also seen were teal, mallard, shoveler and a few pairs of lapwing.

All the saltmarshes along the Pyefleet were completely underwater, such as in front of the Oyster Fishery, pictured above. The river Colne was too choppy to see any birds, except for several groups of brent geese and a distant great crested grebe.

A couple of pairs of reed bunting, some skylarks and meadow pipits were the only small birds seen along the seawall.

The main brent geese flock were feeding on the grass field at the north end of Shop Lane, where about 300 birds were seen. Also in this field near some pools of water were small numbers of shelduck and curlew.

Back at the park pond the only activity noted were the 3 pochard and 10 tufted ducks feeding out in the open water. No sight or sound of the chiffchaff which has been present for the last week.

Sheltering behind some bushes away from the chilly northerly wind were two adders in their usual spots.

There was the great sight yesterday over the park of a short-eared owl passing over, being mobbed by a carrion crow as it headed eastwards. This is the first sighting this winter at the park of one of these owls - always an exciting sight.
Andy Field saw the kingfisher briefly in flight near the pond yesterday.