HAND IT TO THE HOBBY

I've scratched my head and scanned my field guides but I can't quite place this plant that I came across on the Strood seawall on Monday 16th. Even Monty the JRT felt uneasy when he approached it, growling loudly at it. Someone has obviously thrown down the gauntlet and wanted a challenge. Or maybe it is a new user-friendly species that provides protection to admirers as this plant with the glove is actually prickly lettuce, with its sharp prickles under each leaf.

A two hour walk along the seawall, timed so that the tide was out and with a few waders to see. Using the telescope to scan the full length of Channel provided counts of about 250 redshank, 40 curlew, up to eight very vocal greenshank, one dunlin, two golden plover, 5 lapwing, ten oystercatchers and one turnstone.

While there was still some water in the Channel, a handful of noisy common terns flew in between the moorings. Four little terns also added to the noise and activity as they chased each other up the Channel. Three little egrets stalked the shallow water at various points and of course plenty of gulls feeding, resting or pacing about. Over the fields on the mainland a marsh harrier was seen flying along.

Had the luck to look up at a falcon that was just about to pass overhead when I realised it was a hobby, with its distinctive white face, bold belly streaks and reddish trousers, flying over from Ray Island. I watched it for several minutes through my 'scope as it raced over to the houses of West Mersea. It maintained the same speed and determination for at least a mile that I had watched it, without slowing down or even a quick glide. It was making for the house martins and swifts over the houses but despite locating the birds, it wasn't seen trying to catch any.
This has been the second hobby on consecutive evenings seen passing me on its way to its supper.

Usual small birds noted included 4 singing corn buntings, family of yellow wagtails, sedge warbler, several singing reed warblers, reed bunting, meadow pipit and skylark.
The set-aside corner where I had admired the butterflies and flowers on Saturday, has been mown by the farmer today, so I was lucky to take that photo of the poppies and mayweed.
Ten greenfinches were perched on the ears of wheat feasting on the ripening corn.


Sea wormwood may not deserve a second glance but it certainly has the most aromatic smell of any plant along the seawall and saltmarshes. This member of the Artemisia family has a powerful aroma which just invites you to crush a leaflet or two as you pass, just to admire the nice fragrance. The other plant providing a fragrance to sections of the walk were the large clumps of sea beet with their smell of honey.

Small heath, hedge brown and meadow browns were noted along the seawall as was a latticed heath moth.

Martin Cock saw three avocet chicks from one pair and one chick from the other pair near East Mersea Point today. Also 100 black-tailed godwits and several golden plover on the mud, while in the park the nightingale called.