STROOD KINGFISHERS

A wet and dull walk along the Strood seawall on Friday 6th was brightened up by the sight of a kingfisher which had just caught a little tiddler of a fish. The kingfisher whacked the fish on the reedmace head several times before swallowing it. It then flew off along the dyke where a few minutes later, it was seen again flying with a second kingfisher, one chasing the other accompanied with lots of loud whistling.

The tide was going out with lots of waders and small groups of brent geese feeding along the Strood Channel. At least 300 brent geese were seen along with 50+ wigeon and 12+ little grebes.

The biggest flock of birds was by the Strood causeway where 2000 golden plover were standing on the mud. A couple of times the flock rose into the air before landing back down again, a passing sparrowhawk being one of the reasons. Fifty knot seen was the only other wader of note along the channel.
A common buzzard was seen flying low over the fields on Feldy.

Small birds seen included rock pipit, 4 corn buntings, 25 linnets, 2 reed buntings, 15 meadow pipits, 5 skylarks and ten goldfinches. A flock of 100 linnets were on the Ray Island saltmarsh.

Two great spotted woodpeckers flew together over some gardens near Firs Chase.