CHILLY WALK BY STROOD

In between the sunny spells during Sunday 23rd, there was a cold northerly wind which blew and several heavy downpours sometimes with hail too. The day had started promising with plenty of blue sky such as this period mid-morning during a brief walk along the Strood Channel seawall, pictured above.

The tide was well out and plenty of mud on show along the channel. The only wader of note was a pair of avocet feeding along the bottom of the channel. Most numerous were 100+ redshank and 70+ curlew, while other waders noted included 10 grey plover and singles of black-tailed godwit and knot. Also seen were 2 little egrets, 20 teal and 50 brent geese from the West Mersea Hard.

Circling over the Old Hall Marshes to the west of the Hard were five marsh harriers with a couple of males displaying high in the sky.

Small birds noted along the Strood seawall were reed bunting, linnet and several skylarks in full song.
Earlier in the morning a Mediterranean gull flew over Firs Chase calling.

At the start of last week Glyn Evans walked the north side of the Island on Monday 17th for the monthly WeBS count and reported seeing a male hen harrier near the Strood, then a female merlin, greenshank and 80 corn buntings at Maydays, while later there was the very unusual sighting of a great spotted woodpecker being flushed off the Pyefleet seawall.