A Trip to East Mersea

22nd October 2023

My first visit of the winter to East Mersea but first a pit-stop at Abberton. A nice bright morning so even the Greylags looked resplendent in the morning sun.

Duck numbers were startng to build up with a sizeable flock of Tufted Ducks. Last year they were concentrated at the Layer de la Haye end, but this year so far just off the Layer Breton causeway

Also nice to see the ducks coming out of their eclipse plumage like this drake Teal and Pintail. The Pintail was also a bit of a surprise as I don't normally see them at this end, being normally concentrated on the main reservoir particulary Wigborough Bay.

Only one Great White Egret on show today but it did perform extremely well considering it was only there for a few minutes.

As has been the case of late the de la Haye causeway was absolutely dead with hardly a duck in sight. The only wildfowl were four female Goldeneyes in with a small flock of Aythya ducks but all very distant. However, by way of compensation 4-5 Meadow Pipts were busy feeding on the concrete banks and not bothered at all by the walkers and birders passing just a few feet away.

So now on to East Mersea. The tide was out so time for a walk along the borrowdyke where I found this lovely pair of Little Grebes and a pair of Stonechats.

Futher along the sea wall I could hear the gurgling of newly arrived Brent Geese and what a lovely sight they were. They leave so late in the spring and arrive back so early in the autumn it seems to be hardly worth going.

And accompanying them was some also newly arrived Wigeon still coming out of eclipse plumage.

Back to Stone Point, and now three hours after low tide much of the mud was covered and the waders were getting pushed closer. This juvenile Oystercatcher  had been feeding over the low tide so decided it was time to head off for the high tide roost.

There was also a couple of Grey Plovers on the water's edge...............

........................but the stars of the show today were a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits in the bay by Stone Point. Very pleased with this as I don't normally see Bar-tailed Godwits at close range at East Mersea.

Well, still a bit quiet as there hasn't been enough cold weather yet to push the waders south, but there will be several more visits during the winter. Also nice to bump into Dougal Urquart obviously enjoying his retrement.