SWALLOWS, SWIFTS & SEDGES

The regular male swallow was singing from the wires next to the Dabchicks sailing club in West Mersea on Friday 10th. Half a dozen other swallows were seen along the Strood seawall.

At least twelve swifts were flying over the houses on Friday, although the previous day 20 swifts were seen in the skies. The first swifts were also noticed over Queen Anne Road on Thursday by David Nicholls with five being seen there.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday 10th, the sedge warbler was seen singing by Andy Field who managed to take these three photos of it perched in a bush.

A closer look by Andy at one of his photos of the sedge warbler revealed that a second sedge warbler had hopped into view.

The sedge warbler wasn't heard singing for very long on Friday late morning. The other sedge warbler heard recently in the rape crop was not singing on Friday. Four reed warblers were heard singing from the reeds.

A wheatear perched on some sea-beet on the Strood seawall and photographed by Andy on Friday. Six yellow wagtails were noted along the seawall, a singing corn bunting, 2 whimbrel, 2 common terns, with a greenshank also being seen by Andy.
Also noted was a male marsh harrier and a common buzzard over the Strood fields with another buzzard near Bower Hall.

A green hairstreak seen on the Strood seawall on Thursday 8th was a new location for this pretty butterfly. It spent time nectaring on the hoary cress flowers well away from any bushes.

A grey heron perched on the Wellhouse sluice outfall halfway along the Strood seawall on Thursday.
A little grebe was trilling from the dyke, a male pochard was on the pond at the back of the fields and a greylag goose was seen flying past. A common buzzard circled over the fields.

A green woodpecker was feeding on top of the Strood seawall and nearby a great spotted woodpecker was also feeding in trees by the dyke. A corn bunting, sedge warbler, 4 reed warblers were heard singing.

A whimbrel walked over the Strood carrying a crab it had just caught, two other whimbrel were noted. A single redshank was noted along the channel.

In the Mersea Quarters a little tern was seen flying amongst the boats near Packing Shed Island on Thursday, also 8 common terns seen too.