HIGH AND LOW

The Strood seawall had the pleasure of my company twice on Friday 1st June and with plenty of blue sky both the walks were very pleasant and peaceful. These first two photos are the same view looking towards the Dabchicks sailing club, except with a six hour difference with a high tide on the first, then low on the second. (The first also shows Monty having to cool off in the water!)


On the start of the seawall walk, a large patch of cat's-ear was the first plant to catch the eye. The tall spindly stalks each had a bright dandelion-type yellow flower waving gently in the breeze. This was the only big colony anywhere to be found on the seawall and one of the few sections that had any real colour.


Half-way along the walk a real splash of colour was provided by this small clump of poppies growing on some disturbed ground inside the seawall.
Keeping their colourful purple petals tightly wrapped up in the midday sun were lots of salsify plants. These plants must be increasing around the Island as this is the first year they have been getting noticed by people.
At certain stages during spring some grasslands turn a real red colour when carpets of sheeps sorrel flowers. When the flowers are just emerging and depending on the angle of the sun, the red can be really intense. Close up the plants are rather insignificant but at this time of year, they are always worth stopping to admire.

There was little birdlife to see along the Strood during the high tide with all the mud covered. However at low tide in the early evening it wasn't much better except for lots more black-headed gulls. One or two redshank, a handful of oystercatchers and a couple of shelduck were noted.

The best views of "sea-birds"was inside the seawall with some terns hunting along the water in the dyke. First to appear was a little tern with its very bouyant flight, it provided close views of its white body, black head with white forehead and yellow bill. It stooped down to pluck shrimp-type food off the surface. Ten minutes later a common tern did the same thing, flying effortlessly several times up and down the dyke. It too swooped several times down to the water to pluck little silvery creatures from the surface. Each swoop was virtually carried out without getting the body wet but each time rewarded with a tasty morsel.

A pair of yellow wagtails gave very close views as they fed along the top of the seawall. The bright yellow underparts of the male was a real treat to admire as it stood in an upright stance. Elsewhere the familiar jangles of three corn buntings accompanied my walk while the effortless rambling warble of three reed warblers brought some life to the thick reedbeds. Sedge warbler and a few reed buntings were also seen.

Chasing after the many airborne insects were swifts, house martins and some swallows. A cuckoo could be heard calling from Ray Island while a scan over to the distant Old Hall Marshes revealed two marsh harriers soaring high .

The first dragonfly of the area this spring was a male emperor dragonfly patrolling up and down a section of the dyke. The long blue body and fast flight is easily recognised and will be a familiar sight during this coming summer.
The sun was dropping down in the early evening casting a bright beam across the mudflats of the Strood Channel.