DAMSELS AND DRAGONS

Many insects along the Strood seawall were keeping low out of the strong breeze on a grey and rain-threatening morning on Sunday 12th. This pair of blue-tailed damselflies clung low to the club-rushes alongside the borrowdyke. Masses of them preferred to shelter from the wind than fly about over the water.


Several dragonflies were noted with this female black-tailed skimmer resting on the side of the seawall. Beside the dyke another pair were seen as was an emperor dragonfly and two four-spotted chasers, buzzing about despite the grey skies overhead.


Butterflies were keeping low to the ground too with 25+ small heaths and 30+ meadow browns seen in one grass field while a handful of small skippers were noted in one area of mallow and black horehound.

The dull conditions and breeze kept bird activity down and very few waders were seen along the Strood Channel as the tide receded. One corn bunting sang, 2 reed buntings, 4 reed warblers, meadow pipit, 2 yellow wagtails, 10 house martins, 20 swallows, 25 swifts and a nesting little grebe were the main birds of interest around the fields.

Along the channel one avocet, curlew and 8 oystercatchers were the only waders noted while 6 shelduck were also seen along with various gulls. By the Strood causeway Martin Cock saw the yellow-legged gull on the mud at the island-end.


On the narrow strip of saltmarsh at the foot of the seawall, the first flowers of the sea lavender are starting to show.