MORE WADER ACTION

Another sunny start to Saturday 3rd and a worthwhile walk alongside the Strood Channel. Perfect conditions for enjoying the walk with the tide starting to recede and the sunshine highlighting all the little waders on the mud.
The regular wintering flock of dabchicks / little grebes in the Channel has increased since my last visit here, now up to 16 birds.

Plenty of wader action to watch from the vantage point of the Strood seawall with good numbers of lots of the regular species all along the Channel. The most numerous were the 800 or so dunlin and the regular flock of 700 golden plover, whilst the most widespread were the 300 redshank.
Amongst the usual oystercatchers, curlews, grey plover, lapwing were one or two ringed plover and turnstone. The only godwits to be found were two black-tailed and a bar-tailed godwit near the Dabchicks. The most notable waders were 4 noisy greenshank and 70 knot amongst the smaller dunlin.

Also in the channel were lots of wildfowl with 200 wigeon, 50 teal, 25 shelduck and 100 brent geese who were certainly calling out the most during the walk. Two grey herons flew onto the mud and up to 10 little egrets were seen, with most feeding on the Ray saltings.

Waders and wildfowl were seen fleeing from one area of the channel and a female marsh harrier was soon found to be the reason for the panic. The harrier seemed to be in real determined hunting mood as it flew fast and low over the Ray saltings as if trying to pounce on an unsuspecting bird or animal. Once it had reached the Strood causeway, it turned round and began to fly back over some more saltmarsh, sending more birds into the air.
A second marsh harrier was seen quartering the fields on the mainland near the Feldy marshes.


The calm conditions meant that what little birds there were around, could be heard as they flew about calling. Six siskin flew west from the Island while along the seawall were at least 15 linnets. Several meadow pipits as usual but only the one rock pipit was seen. I was rewarded for walking the full length of the wall by finding a pair of stonechats perched on bushes almost near the bottom of the Strood hill.

Other notable comings and goings from the Island were several high-flying flocks of wood pigeons totalling about 200 birds flying west.These would be continental birds newly arrived over the North Sea during the previous night and heading westwards for the winter.

Also heading west from West Mersea was a kestrel which crossed amongst the moored boats to spend some time hunting for food, hovering above the grassy seawall on Feldy Marshes.
Coming back to the Island from Ray Island was a green woodpecker, quickly crossing the channel with its powerful undulating flight.