EARLY SPRING MIGRANT

A very early male wheatear was found on the Rewsalls seawall on Sunday 17th. A quick glance at some previous records of first wheatears on the Island haven't been as early as this date with one on the Ivy Farm seawall on 19th March 1993 being the previous earliest wheatear.

One of the wet marshes at Rewsalls on Sunday had 70 brent geese, 40 curlew, little egret and a pair of shelduck on it. Also in the area were a grey heron, reed bunting, meadow pipit singing, 8 mallard, kestrel, a partridge seen in flight, while five Mediterranean gulls were at the Youth Camp.

Also on Sunday 17th, the pair of grey partridge was seen at the back of the Strood fields by Steve Entwistle.

 

It was windy along the Strood seawall on Friday 15th with the only birds of interest being a couple of buzzards near Strood Hill, pair of grey partridge at the back of the fields again, 40 golden plover roosting in one field, grey heron and 2 little egrets.

Strong winds blowing on Thursday 14th saw this curlew taking shelter behind the brushwood breakwater along the Strood. Along the channel at low tide were 70 wigeon, 70 teal, 20 grey plover, 3 little egrets and five little grebes. A common buzzard briefly in the air near Strood Hill, grey partridge pair at back of fields and a linnet flying over. Over Feldy marsh a flock of 600 brent geese rose into the air.

A small tortoiseshell butterfly and the wintering female blackcap were in the Firs Chase garden.

Taking shelter from the strong wind in bushes by the Firs Chase caravan site on Thursday 14th was this flock of 15 collared doves, also 25 goldfinches seen in nearby bushes.

 

A male adder was sliding through the undergrowth beside one of the paths at the country park on Wednesday 13th. An adder was also seen at the park on Monday 11th near the car park.

A flock of eighty wigeon was feeding in the flooded area of the park's grazing fields on Wednesday with another 300 wigeon in the other field with 300 brent geese. A lapwing, 4 curlew and oystercatcher were also noted in the fields while at the park pond there was a male pochard, 9 tufted ducks and 15 gadwall.

A badger visited Andy Field's High Street North garden late at night on Tuesday 12th and picked up by his trail camera.

On Monday 11th along the Strood in windy conditions a buzzard, 50 wigeon, 100 teal, 100 redshank, 3 black-tailed godwits, 7 little grebes, little egret and one golden plover were of note.
A male and female blackcap were in the Firs Chase garden on Monday.