THE BRANT'S BACK

Had an hour's walk on a dull morning on Saturday 23rd by the Strood Channel, pictured above. There was still a chill in the air and the tide was out but one or two things of interest as always caught the eye.

Amongst the 400 dark-bellied brent geese was the rare race of the brent - the black brant, seen swimming along the channel with the other geese. It seemed quite easy to spot as most of the geese were lined up along the length of the channel, giving good side-on views. Scanning slowly through the geese, the very white flank patch caught the eye, along with the blacker wings, upper body and the whiter neck collar too. This black brant maybe the same bird that was seen in this flock about two months ago. The brent geese appeared to be itching to fly onto the wheat field by the Strood field, where there were already about 300 birds feeding.

Also along the Channel were 200 wigeon, 50 shelduck and various waders mainly redshank, grey plover and dunlin. In the water there was a goldeneye and about 10 little grebes but no sign of the possible couple of black-necked grebes reported earlier in the week.

A male marsh harrier was seen flying east over the Ray saltings and then it was seen passing low along the Strood seawall and dyke.

A pair of mute swans were the only birds seen on a pond at the back of the Strood fields. In bushes nearby 3 corn buntings perched up and a reed bunting was also seen. Twenty goldfinches perched in a tree while handful of fieldfares were feeding on an apple tree along from the Dabchicks sailing club and a green woodpecker was heard calling out loudly nearby. Two goldcrests were seen in a fir tree in Firs Chase, which are the first ones I've seen on the Island for several weeks.

Martin Cock saw the spoonbill on the saltmarsh at Maydays Farm, the same individual that was seen here earlier in the week.