Green Urban Birding: The Stupidly Hot Hoo Loop. 13th August 2020

All sense deserted me this morning and I headed out at 930am with the intent of conducting my Hoo Loop. I remembered my water, hat and suncream and strode out through town. It was already very warm but I had this strange notion that the weather was going to break and I would get wet before I got home.

I cut through the now back to normal traffic to Canal Road and headed along the Medway. The tide had turned and was already on the way out but other than five Mute Swans there was nowt else on this stretch until that was a Kingfisher peeped twice from somewhere amongst the shipping debris – my first new walk-from-home bird for some time.

I walked up the slope to All Saints Fridsbury in the hope that there would be an errant Flycatcher in the Limes and Chestnuts but I could only find a Chiffchaff although Migrant Hawkers zipped around as did several Gypsy Moths.  They are everywhere down here this summer.

Speckled Wood

A Holly Blue distracted me into finding a rather tatty Rambur’s Pied Shieldbug on a wall and a solitary Andrena pilipes collected pollen from some Perennial Wall Rocket.

Andrena pilipes

Rambur’s Pied Shieldbug

The Buddlias were disappointing past Gundulph Pool with just a few Small Whites and a single Red Admiral and I could hear Little Grebes on the pool itself.  It was seriously warming up but the tide was now out enough to follow the foreshore path beyond Upnor castle so I foolishly pushed on.

Old Man's Beard

I did pause to take some pictures of leafmines on the way and Antony has already helped where he could.  

Probably a Tortrix moth

Phyllonorycter  sp on Oak

Phyllonorycter coryli on Hazel

 

Empty Buff-tip moth eggs

There were some funky galls (thanks Yvonne) on the oaks and a pair of Red-legged Shieldbugs were getting jiggy with it...

Knopper Galls

two different Spangle Galls

Red-legged Shieldbugs

The high tide mark and just above it was colonised by a very similar suite of plant species to Temple Marsh up river with Annual Sea-Blite, Golden Samphire, Marsh Mallow, Sea-Aster, Sea-Beet, Spartina and Sea Couch.  There were also patches of Spear-leaved Orache and a new one for me Grass-leaved Orache (Atriplex littoralis).

Annual Sea-Blite

Golden Samphire

Sea-Aster

Marsh Mallow

Grass-leaved Orache (Atriplex littoralis).

Spartina

Turkey Oak overhanging the beach

There was another strange plant doing well along the edge and Enid tracked it down as Duke of Argyll’s Teaplant. I wonder if he is missing it? It is also known as the Matrimony Vine. 

Duke of Argyll’s Teaplant

As I got near the old brick fort I clearly heard a Pied Flycatcher call from the overhanging woodland and after one brief sally that was it but I was very pleased nonetheless. The mud, as usual was almost devoid of anything bar gulls but I was pleased to find a Wall Brown working the flowers along with a Megachile centuncularis shivering her abdomen to suck up pollen.

Wall Brown

Megachile centuncularis

 suspended leaf - my favourite picture from the day. Big or small, I can't decide

The Hoo Marina and Boatyard was now a bustling place with the sound of banging, welding and grinding and guys wearing nautical hats were tinkering under raised up vessels of all shapes and sizes.  I must have looked a little parched as a chap sheltering in the back of his car directed me to the Riverside Diner which I had never noticed as it had been completely closed up and in disguise, for a much needed cup of tea and a water bottle top up.

There was no one on the river wall beyond this where normally I had been avoiding dog walkers, runners and parents with buggies.  I had the place to myself but then again it was 32c with no shade for a mile...

A hiding Jersey Tiger

Cormorant

Buzzard

The tide was well out precluding any meaningful wader scanning but I could see a few Redshanks and heard Curlews and my second new bird – Ringed Plover.

House Sparrow flocks roamed the river wall and bramble clumps below alongside the dyke and Starlings were massing on the wires before heading for sealife supper out on the weedy estuarine mud followed by blackberry surprise for desert.  

House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Weighted down with Starlings

I looked hard for Whinchat but had no joy but two Water Rails kipped at each other from the reedy area and Bearded Tit became new bird number three.  I was on a roll.  I had barely even thought – I still need Lapwing when one appeared on the back of the sole remaining pool.  At last! A second one walked out and pushed a Black-tailed Godwit into view followed by the hoped for Green Sandpiper making a trio of new species in one view. A single Teal was also seen.

Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit

Green Sandpiper

A Little Egret flew from there to the river and a family party of Yellow-legged Gulls was nice to see with the two juveniles still following their parents around.

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gulls

Little Egret

A young Buzzard mewed from the copse and I could hear two Raven kronking at each other from the distant pylons off towards the power station but could not see them.

From here the walk back was a five mile slog with only the Sunflower set aside strip along the now harvested Oilseed margins giving me cause to stop and smile.

The thunder started as I got home and I hurried up the garden in anticipation of a free shower but in the end I had to give in and use my own water.

Two hours later the heavens opened for about 15 minutes and despite my apparent lack of any additional dirt, I went and stood outside up on my decking and thoroughly enjoyed my soaking while the thunder gently rolled up above.