SEAWALL WOODPECKER

A male green woodpecker was feeding on the top of the Strood seawall near the Firs Caravan park on Thursday 21st.

As this male was feeding, a streaky-looking juvenile green woodpecker was perched in a nearby tree calling.

Along the Strood channel on Thursday morning were 200 redshank, two shelduck, lapwing and two common terns, while inside the seawall were four yellow wagtails, corn bunting, whitethroat, three reed warblers, Cetti's warbler and a little grebe in the dyke. A hobby was flying high over the houses along with 100+ swifts.

On Thursday afternoon a red kite was seen over the Strood fields by Steve Entwistle which then drifted high northwards. Also seen along the Strood were a corn bunting with two linnets, meadow pipit, nine black-tailed godwits, two herons, four yellow wagtails, five reed buntings and fifty swifts near the houses.

On Wednesday 20th along the Strood channel a small flock of six knot was seen distantly, most of the birds still in their red summer plumage. More waders are returning back along the channel now with 250+ redshank, 25 curlew, three lapwing, ten black-tailed godwits, five dunlin and a ringed plover. Six little egrets, common tern were also along the channel, while a hobby was seen flying north over to Peldon carrying prey.

Also from the seawall were a kestrel, Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers, two whitethroats, flocks of 70 house sparrows and fifty linnets, while over the houses were ten swifts and a sparrowhawk.

A yellow wagtail was feeding by the Strood sluice on Wednesday.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Wednesday morning and reported three greenshank.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday evening Steve Entwistle reported it very quiet with three sand martins, four swallows, three gadwall on the pond, and three green woodpeckers.

Andy Field photographed this young fox which sat on his garden deck with him again in High St North - a regular visitor. 

The swift chicks managed to survive the recent heatwave inside Andy's nestbox on his house and should fledge over the coming days.

Two barn owls were seen sitting on the nestbox behind the pond at Cudmore Grove by Anne Cock and Nicola on Tuesday 19th.

Ray Hempstead reported seeing a little tern flying past the Nass beacon on Tuesday afternoon. Fourteen swifts were over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive on Tuesday evening.

On a very hot Monday 18th a hummingbird hawkmoth was feeding at lavender flowers in the Firs Chase garden.

A short visit to the Strood on Monday morning produced 150 redshank, Mediterranean gull, common tern, five little egrets, two reed warblers and a linnet.

Andy Field noted up to forty swifts over his garden - his highest count from the garden this year. His swift chicks were looking a bit hot inside their nestbox in the heatwave. In the evening there was a record count by Andy of three hedgehogs in his garden, also there was a young fox who has learnt not to get his nose too near the hedgehog spikes!

At Maydays farm Martin Cock reported two greenshank and a common sandpiper before it got too hot on Monday morning.

Lots of butterflies were enjoying the heatwave on Sunday 17th such as this gatekeeper along the Reeveshall seawall. Also ten brown argus, meadow browns, small heaths as well as a white-letter hairstreak beside Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

Birds noted from the Reeveshall seawall before it got too hot on Sunday morning were two shoveler, pair of shelduck with ten young, common tern, two grey herons, four little egrets, three sand martins with 25 swallows, yellow wagtail, reed bunting, ten linnets, also ten long-tailed tits in Fishponds Wood.

At Maydays on Sunday late afternoon into early evening Steve Entwistle reported two common sandpipers, greenshank, five linnets, 30 redshank, ten curlew, reed bunting and two singing reed warblers. A small copper butterfly was also seen.

Michael Thorley reported two green woodpeckers together in Meeting Lane in East Mersea, also a dead mole.

A silver Y moth was in the moth trap in Firs Chase on Tuesday 19th.

First festoon moth of the summer also on the 19th.

Three tree-lichen beauties noted the same evening.