FLASHES OF BLUE

Clouds soon appeared late morning along the Strood seawall on Friday 17th after a bright start. Two flashes of brightness seen during the walk were two kingfishers flying low along the borrowdyke, one bird following the other. A short while later one was seen perched on a bramble bush over the dyke.

Nearby the male stonechat was seen again, having not been spotted over the last fortnight, also 6 reed buntings present too.

A common buzzard flew over the Strood channel towards Ray Island, passing over some of the 105 shelduck resting on the mud. Nine avocets and 100+ wigeon were seen along the channel.

A sparrowhawk flew over Coast Road near the Hard.

On Thursday 16th a flock of 30 fieldfares with a single redwing and a few starlings flew over Meeting Lane in East Mersea heading towards Bocking Hall. A common buzzard and sparrowhawk were also seen near Meeting Lane, while two marsh harriers were flying over Reeveshall. Two Mediterranean gulls were feeding in fields with black-headed gulls. Two green woodpeckers and two great spotted woodpeckers were seen between Meeting Lane and Shop Lane.

A rainbow appeared over the Colne with one arm shining down near the Oyster Fishery in the afternoon of Wednesday 15th. I joined Andy Field on the seawall near Shop Lane to watch the harriers going to roost on Langenhoe. Once the rain had cleared a ringtail hen harrier and 16 marsh harriers were watched dropping into the reedbed for the night. Also seen were 15 red-breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet, also 200 black-tailed godwits and 200 avocets while 2000+ knot were  flying over the Colne.

Mammals seen that late afternoon included a distant sighting of what looked like Chinese Water Deer feeding on Reeveshall, also two brown hares while in Fishponds Wood were two red squirrels chasing each other round the trees. Three red squirrels were also seen the next day on Thursday, in the Fishponds Wood area, two chasing each other again, with a third one in a nearby copse.

Three great northern divers were offshore from St Peters beach on Wednesday 15th. A peregrine and three marsh harriers were seen flying over Packing Shed Island / entrance to Salcott Creek area. Six reed buntings and a rock pipit were by the St Peters beach. 

A red-throated diver was seen by Andy Field from the Esplanade on Wednesday morning.

Along the Strood channel on Tuesday 14th were 18 avocets while two Mediterranean gulls were in the fields.

On Monday 13th there were 22 Mediterranean gulls roosting beside the standing water in one of the Strood fields. A peregrine perched on a tree at the back of the Strood fields for fifteen minutes, while a couple of hours later a peregrine was also seen over the marshes at the back of the Hard, maybe a different bird. Two common buzzards and marsh harrier were seen along the seawall, as were 70 shelduck, 18 avocets and a rock pipit.