STROOD THRIFT

Small patches of sea pink, or thrift, are adding a bit of colour at the moment to the saltmarsh near the Strood Channel.

Several yellow wagtails were seen on Friday 1st feeding along the top of the Strood seawall picking off insects from the vegetation. Seems three pairs are present there with some bright yellow males on show.

Two singing corn buntings were singing beside the Strood seawall on Friday and two birds seen on Saturday. Also three singing reed buntings, 3 singing reed warblers and two whitethroats singing.

Small numbers of starlings were feeding near the seawall with this juvenile perched on a post on the mud.
On Saturday a hobby was watched for several minutes hunting dragonflies near the Strood causeway, also two marsh harriers, two common buzzards and three kestrels were also in the Strood area.
The previous day 2 marsh harriers and a kestrel were the raptors noted on Friday.

The cuckoo was very vocal on Friday along the top of the Strood fields by the houses, while on Saturday it was heard calling on Ray Island. In the skies above the houses 40 swifts were seen on Friday and then 25 on Saturday.
A pochard was seen on Saturday, while the day before two flew along the seawall and then later 11 flew along Ray Channel and Feldy.

One area of saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan site had a cluster of the nationally scarce ground lackey caterpillars gathered on some saltmarsh grass. Several other smaller clusters were seen in the same area. The caterpillars will soon pupate and the adults will emerge in July and August.

An emperor dragonfly and a four-spotted chaser were hunting along the Strood dyke on Saturday.

Two little terns were seen on Friday along the Strood channel, pictured here early evening as the sun dropped down. Also on Friday four common terns, whimbrel, curlew, 15 Canada geese and an avocet.
On Saturday a little tern flew along Ray Channel as did 8 Canada geese, while 3 common terns were seen among the boat moorings.

At East Mersea Point two Sandwich terns were seen on Saturday by Martin Cock.