YELLOWHAMMER DROPS-IN

A brightly marked male yellowhammer dropped down into the field beside the Firs Chase caravan site for a brief minute before flying away, on Wednesday 10th.
Later on Wednesday morning a peregrine flushed a flock of wood pigeons from the same field by the caravans site, before it headed over the Strood channel towards Bonners Barn. A sparrowhawk flew towards Strood Hill and there were two swallows seen near here too.
Two wheatears were still in one of the Strood fields for their fourth day, also here 11 golden plover, while 300 redshank were the main wader along the channel.

A Cetti's warbler and seven blackcaps were heard singing by Martin Cock between Meeting Lane and Shop Lane on Wednesday 10th, also two adders seen too.

A corn bunting was singing beside the Strood seawall on a cold breezy Tuesday 9th. Two wheatears, 41 golden plover and a heron were in the fields, 4 black-tailed godwits were in the channel and a siskin was calling near the Lane and Firs Chase trees.

On Monday 8th a male green woodpecker was feeding in the Feldy View cemetery and a speckled wood butterfly nearby was the first appearance this spring.
Two swallows were flying over the fields and reservoirs at the bottom of Strood Hill on Monday and there was a nice view of a female marsh harrier hunting low over the Strood fields before it headed up the hill towards the Glebe. Three wheatears and 40 golden plover were in the fields, 3 pochard and 6 teal and a pair of Mediterranean gulls were noted.
The first house martin was seen by Brierley Hall in East Road by Martin Cock on Monday 8th, and also that day a swallow was seen by Andy Field at Chapmans Lane and another at the country park where a bar-tailed godwit was also noted.

Two wheatears were found at the back of one of the winter wheat fields at the Strood on Sunday 7th. Two male pochard and a heron were on the pond at the back of the fields, 25 golden plover roosted in a field, two greylags and two Canada geese flew over, while two blackcaps were singing near the caravan site.

Two sparrowhawks flew north over Firs Chase, while on Cobmarsh Island on Sunday 10 sanderling, 50 turnstone and a common seal were seen.

Six sanderling were feeding on the beach by the Youth Camp on Saturday 6th along with ten turnstone. Two Mediterranean gulls flew overhead calling.

Two wheatears were feeding in the Rewsalls Marshes on Saturday 6th, also seen in the area were 8 shelduck, 4 little egrets, two lapwing, 45 curlew, reed bunting, meadow pipit, 3 green woodpeckers, 2 blackcaps, chiffchaff while 6 redshank were on the pond near Coopers Beach.

Six great northern divers were seen from the West Mersea Esplanade on Saturday 6th by Andy Field.

The first swallow reported on the Island was on Thursday 4th over the Strood reservoirs. A greenshank was seen from the Strood causeway on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th by Martin Cock.