STROOD WHEATEAR

The first returning wheatear of the autumn was seen along the Strood seawall on Saturday 11th, pictured here as it perched briefly on one of the polder posts on the mud.

A small variety of waders were seen along the Strood as the tide came in late Saturday morning including  a greenshank, 10 golden plover, 6 grey plover, 10 dunlin, 150 redshank, 50+ curlew while 30 black-tailed godwits were by the Dabchicks and 50 turnstone were on boats by the Hard. Twelve little egrets were on the Ray saltings.

A distant hobby perched on a tree on Ray Island before flying high and fast over the Strood causeway. A tatty moulting buzzard flew over the Strood fields calling and two kestrels were noted too.

Two common terns were seen amongst the boats while the first little grebe of the autumn was in the channel.

At least 150 house sparrows were in bushes beside one of the big fields, a juvenile yellow wagtail, 4 common whitethroats were also seen.

A greenshank flew low south-west over the Feldy View field on Friday 10th.

Two willow warblers were feeding in the Firs Chase garden in a birch tree, one doing a subdued subsong earlier on Saturday. One was also heard in the garden on Thursday 9th.

At least one juvenile sparrowhawk has been calling regularly each day from nearby gardens.

On Thursday 9th at the country park a juvenile sparrowhawk was calling and perching up in the copse behind the park pond. Two gadwall, 20 mallard and 4 little egrets were noted late afternoon, while two yellow wagtails flew over the park earlier.

The regular female red squirrel continues to visit the feeders in the Firs Chase garden each day.

A red squirrel has also been seen twice early mornings in the country park in trees near the toilet building on Thursday 9th and again Friday 10th. Both times tutting and flicking its tail at having been spotted!

Half a dozen holly blues were flitting around the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 11th, also a couple of small whites and a large white.

A large thorn was a notable find in the moth trap after Wednesday night's session at the park. Small numbers appear at the trap in late summer.

Dave Grundy came down from Birmingham to join me for a mothing evening at the park on Thursday 9th. Catches across our nine traps were low in the cool temperatures and the overnight drizzle. This gypsy moth was the most noteworthy, the first one for the park was only recorded last year and the species seems to be slowly spreading northwards across the county.

A maple prominent was the first of the summer here.
Most of the catches were a mix of flounced rustics and sandhill rustics with more of the latter.

A new species for the park was this rather worn tawny-barred angle trapped on Wednesday night. It might take up residence here as it is associated with conifers and there are several pine trees at the park.