BLACK SKIES

Typical bank holiday weather on Monday 7th meant big black threatening skies. Being such a flat county, Essex does big wide skies well. Every shade of dark sky was on display from the menacing black, through shades of grey to the pale white with the sun trying to shine through. Despite the threat of rain, the very blustery wind and the tide covering the mud, the walk along the Strood seawall was a surprisingly productive one.

Two new summer migrants were noted for the year with the first being several little terns, battling against the wind as they flew up channel. At least five were seen in total with three of them resting on a bank, their gleaming white bodies and little yellow bills easy to pick out in the dark surroundings. Two larger common terns were also beating their way amongst the boats and channels.

The second new migrant was the surprise of the walk with a wonderful but typically brief view of a hobby flying across the Channel onto the Island. The slate grey upperparts of this dashing falcon reflected the mood of the sky - menacing, and this bird seemed to know where he was heading, to the nearest group of house martins. Seeing the bird crossing the Channel early, provided good views of its' white face and the red thighs, which it showed as it banked this way and that way in the strong wind.

Scanning the fields of the mainland revealed a female marsh harrier being harassed by a crow. On the Ray Island the long slim grey outline of a cuckoo was watched flying low over the saltmarsh. It perched in a tree and soon after the faint call of the bird could be heard through the wind and over the sound of the lapping waves.

The lack of mud on show meant there were few waders about but three avocets flew up channel with their black and white wings flickering in the dark light. Two grey plovers stood out on the distant saltmarsh because of their bright silvery upperparts and their black summer bellies. The brilliant white wings of a little egret were a great contrast to the black backdrop of the skies behind, as it flapped its way onto Ray Island.

On the landward side of the walk, there was the pleasing jangle of four different corn buntings including two males who were dueting every ten seconds with each other. Three sedge warblers sang low in the reeds and two whitethroats, one reed bunting, meadow pipit, yellow wagtail and a couple of skylarks all managed to make themselves heard in the windy conditions.

Hawking over the fields and a pool at the rear of the fields were up to 50 house martins, 25 swallows and about ten swifts, all showing off their aerial manoeuvring in the wind with great ease.

Black clouds continue to threaten distant lands such as the Langenhoe ranges where Richard Hull spent some time today. He saw 3 snipe drumming which is unusual for Essex, also 3 nightingales, 16 whimbrel, greenshank, 2 little ringed plover and 30 reed warblers. Also a common sandpiper at the Strood.