WOOD SANDS WALK

Two contrasting walks on Sunday 10th along the seawalls of the Pyefleet and then the Strood. The picture above shows the Strood seawall with another big rain cloud heading towards the Island during the evening.

This black cloud over the back of the Strood Hill, had just passed by taking with it some weak rainbows. The walk was timed to take advantage of a lone blackthorn bush near the seawall that provided some welcome shelter from the rain.

The high tide and stiff breeze made it hard work trying to locate any birdlife along the Strood Channel. However a couple of wheatears flew along the side of the seawall in short flights, perching on the breakwater posts and muddy banks by the water's edge. Also feeding along the wall were a corn bunting, yellow wagtail and a couple of pied wagtails. Calling from the dyke were a reed warbler and reed bunting.

On the saltings around the Ray Island and by the Strood, there were 3 little egrets, 200 roosting redshank, a few curlew and oystercatchers, along with several hundred black-headed gulls.
Several common terns and little terns were seen flying up and down the Channel, pictured below.


Met up with Andy Field just after mid-day for a hot, windy and very rewarding session along the Reeveshall seawall. The tide was well out and plenty of mud on view, although the heat haze and the telescopes shaking in the wind made the viewing conditions tricky.

Andy located a couple of curlew sandpipers on the north side of the Pyefleet, both adults with one colourful bird still with most of its chestnut breeding plumage. This made it easy to spot in the distance amongst the 100 dunlin and other waders. Most waders were on the opposite shore and included 6 greenshank, spotted redshank, 250 black-tailed godwits, 25 grey plover, 200+ redshank and 12 turnstone.

There was little to see on the pool at Reeveshall on the first walk past, other than a greenshank and green sandpiper. However on the return there was plenty to admire, even despite the low tide in the nearby Pyefleet. The highlight was seeing 4 wood sandpipers feeding around the edge in the company of about 5 green sandpipers. Even through the heat haze and the shaky 'scope, the wood sands appeared more active and more elegant than the green sandpipers. Despite not finding the fifth bird that Andy had seen a few days earlier, this still appears to be the biggest group in the county at the moment, judging by recent reports. A few years ago there was a flock of six wood sandpipers seen at this pool.

Also on the pool were 8 black-tailed godwits, ruff, 2 snipe, 30 lapwing, while nearby a whimbrel flew off, 6 golden plover passed overhead and the first returning wheatear for the Island.

Also seen over Reeveshall was the male marsh harrier, a few swifts, swallows and sand martins on passage, at least a handful of stock doves and two kestrels. On Langenhoe a juvenile marsh harrier flew around while along the Pyefleet Channel 9 little terns, 6 common terns flew past, while in the water one great crested grebe and a brood of 8 shelducklings crossed the water in flotilla formation.

Staying low to the ground were various butterflies including a couple of common blues, small heath and lots of meadow browns, with speckled woods by the Shop Lane wood. Migrant hawker, southern hawker and ruddy darters were seen close to the wood too where it was sheltered from the wind.

David Nicholls had a good view of the regular Bromans Lane tawny owl by the country park entrance at dusk on Friday night.