34
Waders included the Sanderling racing along
the tideline plucking prey from retreating
waves. Turnstone and Oystercatchers joined
Common, Herring and Black-Headed Gulls on
the beach.
The saltings held Dunlin, Curlew, Snipe,
Lapwing, Grey and Ringed Plover with small
numbers of Brent Geese, Shelduck, Teal and
Mallard. A Red-Breasted Merganser flew
over that afternoon, but there were no signs
of the 300 Eider that had been resident off
the Point most of the winter.
The birds that made the trip worthwhile were
undoubtedly the Merlin that dashed across
the salting causing panic among waders and
larks, and two Snow Bunting, remnants of
a flock of 30 in January, that flew over our
heads.
IAN MISSELBROOK
GENERAL MEETING 1319
SOME P0ND5? OF EPPING
FOREST, 13th April, 1986
Six of us visited more than ten ponds on
our leisurely ramble. They were all man-
made, formed by damming streams for water
supply or in the construction of roads, or
in the holes left by gravel digging.
Starting from the "Stubbles" we went to the
ponds of Strawberry Hill. The main pond is
always cloudy, but the clear small overflow
stream trickles down to the smaller gravel
diggings. These were cleared last year by