SUMMER STROOD STROLL

The walk along the Strood seawall on the morning of Friday 11th in the sunshine, made a change from the recent showers of recent days. The fresh breeze that blew, suppressed the insect activity and it also made it harder to hear some of the birds. It was very pleasant having a warm breeze in the face and seeing the blue sky above.

The sea lavender seems to be at its peak at the moment with many colourful patches across much of the various saltmarshes. Even looking across the Strood Channel towards Ray Island, the marshes were dominated by extensive carpets of the sea lavender in flower.

Plenty of mud on show along the Channel with increasing numbers of redshank and curlew to be seen but no other waders in any numbers. A common sandpiper flew onto some nearby brushwood breakwaters, bobbing its tail. A greenshank fed along the water's edge, while further along a spotted redshank fed along the shallows. A few oystercatchers and five lapwing were the only other waders, a little egret was noted while the only tern seen was a little tern.

Along the borrowdyke there were the usual small birds noted with 3 corn buntings, 2 reed buntings, reed warbler, and sedge warbler all heard singing. Also seen by the edge of the fields were the fifty house sparrows, a kestrel and common whitethroat.

The breeze kept many butterflies close to the ground and this hedge brown clung onto this ragwort swaying in the wind and was one of two hedge browns seen - the first of the summer. Other butterflies seen included lots of meadow browns, small whites and a few Essex and small skippers. A male emperor dragonfly flew along the sheltered part of the seawall.

Three days earlier at the country park on Tuesday, a marsh harrier circled over Ivy Farm, two avocets were on the saltmarsh pools with two yellow wagtails seen nearby. On the mudflats in front of the park, 100 black-tailed godwits were seen feeding.