BOXING DAY

Ideal weather for a box-ing day walk along the Strood seawall, walking off the excesses of the previous day. At the start of the walk a sparrowhawk swooped around the bushes near the Firs Chase caravan site, flushing out ten fieldfares and a few blackbirds in the process.

Most of the mud was already covered by the incoming tide so there weren't many waders on show. The regular large flock of golden plover could be seen squeezed onto the last patch of mud near the Strood causeway with at least 1000 birds present.
Small numbers of both black-tailed godwits and bar-tailed godwits were seen with the bar-tails looking very washed out in the bright sunshine.

Along the edge of the Channel were scattered groups of brent geese feeding as well as a few wigeon too.

Feeding amongst the various weeds on the side of the seawall were 20 linnets, while 10 greenfinches were seen feeding on the clubrush seedheads in the dyke. Two corn buntings crossed onto the Island from the Feldy Marshes direction and two rock pipits were seen flying about.


This part of Coast Road by the Hard was inaccessible at the peak of the high tide. Just as well the weather conditions were calm today! There was little birdlife amongst the boat moorings other than the regular dozen or so dabchicks. One male goldeneye could be seen at the back of one of the channels and I was informed later by Andy Field that the great northern diver was present near the floating pontoon.

It was still calm at East Mersea in mid afternoon, as seen with this yacht at Ivy Farm dock. A water rail was heard squealing from one of the ditches near the seawall here.

The section of borrow-dyke near the Golfhouse reflected the blue sky onto the calm water, except when for the couple of dabchicks busily diving under and then coming back up again.

Not the clearest of pictures but it's the closest I could get to a clump of wild mistletoe sprouting up a poplar tree near the Golfhouse. Several white berries can be seen in this clump - and it wasn't surprising to see a hungry looking mistle thrush perching in the neighbouring tree, watching over this clump and another one nearby. Mistle thrushes are credited with helping this parasitic plant spread from tree to tree because they love eating the white berries.
At the top of the lane another mistle thrush was noisily trying to ward off starlings and other birds from a variegated holly bush that was laden with bright red berries.

Hugh Owen reported that he had fantastic views of the short-eared owls again on the Langenhoehall marshes with 6 flying about or resting on fenceposts in the middle of the afternoon. He also saw a hen harrier and 3 marsh harriers yesterday over the same marshes.