MORE BIG WAVES

More strong waves have been pounding the park's coastline over recent days. The picture above was at high tide on Wednesday afternoon. The picture below taken today Friday 7th shows the collapsed seawall on the same corner.

The sea ripped out the first blocks on New Years Day and strong tides have been loosening more ever since then. Around thirty big blocks have collapsed, the clay inside has been scoured away and part of the tarmac path on top has fallen down.
The Environment Agency have been down to look at it twice this week and don't have any plans to carry out repairs imminently.

The surf breaking onto the beach had covered the sand with masses of foam just like a blanket of snow.

Michael Thorley found this dead guillemot on the beach between Coopers Beach and Fen Farm on Tuesday 4th. Last wekend three guillemots were seen in the Blackwater during a birdwatching boat-trip.

On calmer waters inland, this male pochard was at the park pond along with two females on Wednesday 5th.

An influx of tufted ducks on Wednesday saw a record count of 24 birds on the park pond. Many of the males were swimming around trying to ward off rival males away from the females.

This curlew was enjoying the wet ground by the pond, probing the soil with its long curved bill.

The very wet grazing fields have a good number of ducks and waders on them with 1000 wigeon the main bird. Lots of black-tailed godwits, redshank, lapwings, teal and shoveler as well as some dunlin too. Four snipe dropped down on Friday and two little egrets and a grey heron were noted too.

At Bocking Hall along the East Mersea road a flock of 50 fieldfares were seen by Andy Field on Wednesday while the previous day a corn bunting was perched up on a bush.

This small tortoiseshell has been fluttering around the house for a few days and needed picking up off the carpet before it got stood on. It was released outside where it hopefully won't get blown about too much in the strong winds.

This red-green carpet moth was found resting on the inside of the bird hide at the park earlier this week.