BARN OWL FLYPAST

A barn owl was out hunting beside the seawall at Maydays farm late afternoon on Friday 26th. It perched on several fence-posts beside the dyke and was seen to carry away a vole it had just caught.

The barn owl was first seen hunting over the saltmarsh beside the seawall before crossing over the seawall about thirty metres ahead of me.

The barn owl has been seen regularly in the late afternoons at Maydays and often heading over to nearby Reeveshall at times too.

The sun was setting over the Maydays marsh as the barn owl was hunting. Two marsh harriers and a buzzard were also noted.

A dozen yellowhammers were at Maydays on Friday afternoon as were five corn buntings and ten reed buntings.

Earlier on Friday morning a peregrine flew over the fields by the Strood channel before flying south-west over the caravan park and three buzzards noted too. The Cetti's warbler sang quietly from a bush in the reedbed, the female stonechat was by the dyke, ten corn buntings by the seawall and two rock pipits. A pale-bellied brent goose was feeding with 200 brent geese near the saltmarsh by the caravan park.

Also along the Strood seawall on Friday morning, Martin Cock reported seeing a chiffchaff by the dyke and sixty corn buntings in the large grass field.

At Cudmore Grove Steve Entwistle reported on Friday seven pochard, six gadwall, nine redwing, 25 knot, 3 greylag geese and an evening roost of 26 greenfinches.

On Thursday 25th at Coopers Beach, fifty turnstones were gathered along the front of the caravan park.

Offshore a Slavonian grebe, great northern diver and great crested grebe were seen.

On the flooded Rewsalls Marshes on Thursday were 70 curlew, 70 redshank, three little egrets and five teal while a buzzard perched on a tree at the back.

Along the Strood Channel on Thursday morning, the bearded tit and Cetti's warbler showed briefly to Andy Field, also two corn buntings singing.

A pair of shelduck was resting on the Rewsalls Marshes near the Coopers Beach caravan park on Wednesday 24th. Also noted there were 124 curlew, 90 golden plover, 30 redshank, Mediterranean gull, three little egrets and three teal while nearby were sparrowhawk, two kestrels and two red-legged partridge.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday 12 pintail, barn owl and four marsh harriers were seen by Martin Cock.

On Tuesday 23rd at Cudmore Grove Country Park four white-fronted geese were feeding on the grazing fields as were thirty greylag geese, 1500 brent geese, one pale-bellied brent goose and 1500 wigeon. Also in the fields and nearby pond were five pochard, two tufted duck, eight gadwall, 24 snipe along with another 20 flying off the saltmarsh. A buzzard was seen flying over Ivy Farm while five red-breasted mergansers were in the Colne.

On Monday 22nd a peregrine was seen flying over the Strood fields, two marsh harriers were also noted during the walk along the Strood seawall. The female stonechat was seen by the dyke, also 15 corn buntings, six linnets, 20 meadow pipits and a rock pipit. A male red-breasted merganser was in the Strood channel and three little egrets were noted during the walk.

A woodcock was flushed on Sunday 21st from a ditch near Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane by Tom Fleetwood and his dog.