I thought for my last bird watching trip of 2019 I would start out from Shuart and see how far I could get. It was an absolutely beautiful morning with the sun rising into a cloudless blue sky and pockets of frost sparkling on the ground. On the drive down I could see a Barn Owl patrolling over distant field edges, always a very welcome sight, and it made a great start to the visit. A Chiffchaff was calling away as I arrived and the air was full of calls from all the usual suspects.
I had a wander down the track and while looking through one of the gaps I could hear a couple of Magpie alarm calling, the cause of which became obvious when a fox appeared from the undergrowth at the field edge. After a brief look round it disappeared into the hedgerow much to the consternation of the Magpies. I had forgotten to reset the ISO of the camera so the photo is very noisy but it makes a good memory shot of a beautiful animal.
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| Fox |
Plenty of Blackbirds were present as I made my way down the track and as I looked though the next gap I could see a couple of Common Buzzard perched atop a bush before they took to the air and tumbed round each other as they gained height. A couple of passing Ring-necked Parakeet called noisly and 2 Fieldfare flew from the hedgerow as I neared the next gap. I could see a distant Barn Owl hunting, looking beautiful as the light shone through its wings. It really was too far for a photo but I gave it a go and it makes a nice memory shot. I think that this could have been a different bird to the one I had seen earlier as it was in a completely different area. However it is hard to be sure as they have large territories so it is possible that it could have been the same one.
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| Barn Owl |
As I approached the railway line 36 Lapwing went up over a distant field but I could not see what had put them up. 12 Goldfinch and 15 Linnet were spooked by a Kestrel. At least 25 Corn Bunting were in the bushes at the stables and 2 Greenfinch were looking for seeds at the paths edge. 6 Pied Wagtail were busy amongst the paddocks together with Starlings, House Sparrows and Chaffinches. 2 Grey Heron flew over with one showing its feathers beautifully in the light as it came past.
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| Grey Heron |
The tide was well out when I reached the sea wall but on the turn. Large numbers of Herring Gulls, some Great Black-backed Gulls and smaller numbers of Black-headed Gulls were spread out over the shore. An Oystercatcher was throwing almost perfect reflections as it fed, sometimes thrusting its bill deep into the wet sand while at other times picking at things just below the surface.
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Oystercatcher |
Good numbers of Brent Geese were present as I walked along to Plumpudding Island with them moving off from the shore and into the water as the tide came up. 15 Sanderling were busily feeding and appeared to be untroubled by the gulls today, at least while I was watching them.
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
The amount of calls from the various groups of Brent Geese increased and with necks thrust up and forwards, signalling imminent take off, all the groups of geese took to the air within minutes of each other allowing the chance to try for some photos as they took off. They only needed a short distance of pattering across the water before their wing beats gave them enough lift to clear them from the water, the younger birds tending to need more running distance than the more experienced birds.
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
Plumpudding Island proved to be very quiet and as I made my way past the only birds I could see on it were a couple of Goldfinches and a Wren. There were 3 Great Crested Grebe distantly off shore as I carried on along the sea wall. On approach to Coldharbour I could see 7 Shelduck and 8 Mallard roosting on the shore and a Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes by the sea wall. Coldharbour itself was pretty quiet. A Little Egret was tucked away at the back and a pair of Black-headed Gulls were partially displaying to each other. The only other occupants were a couple of Redshank roosting on the bank and a Pied Wagtail and a couple of Meadow Pipits. A Black-headed Gull coming into land gave a lovely view as it came past me.
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| Little Egret |
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| Black-headed Gulls |
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| Black-headed Gull |
I had a sit on sea wall for a while and 2 Wigeon flew in and joined the roosting duck and 3 Grey Plover were busy feeding. As I turned for the path towards Chambers Wall an adult and an immature Mute Swan gave an eye level fly past. The air was full of the sound of hundreds of Brent Geese chattering away as c400 had gathered in a nearby field. I love the sound of their calls as they always sound 'friendly' to me. There were however a good number of disputes as birds got too close to each other and there would be posturing and a quick peck before peace reigned once again and the birds were once again outside of each others bill reach.
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| Mute Swans |
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| Brent Geese |
Skylarks and Reed Buntings were calling as I walked up to the embankment and 16 Red-legged Partridge were busy feeding near a far field edge. I could hear a Cetti's Warbler calling from across the railway crossing. I decided to stay on the embankment rather than walk up to Chambers Wall and carried on in the direction of Reculver with a lovely view of it across the fields.
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| Reculver |
A Goldcrest peeped out at me from one of the bushes before disappearing back into cover again. A flock of 7 Swans moved inland and a Blackbird posed very obligingly as it turned this way and that while surveying its world.
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| Mute Swans |
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| Blackbird |
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| Blackbird |
20 Chaffinch were in one of the old onion fields with 10 Skylark and 8 Meadow Pipit. A little further along I came across 7 Yellowhammer and another 20 Chaffinch. Carrying on I was chuffed when I came across 6 Tree Sparrows (165) on the oyster farm as though Tree Sparrows have been around for a while I have been unable to catch up with them until now. They were a joy to see and full of character and I spent ages happily watching them. Though they remained distant I tried for some photos and was pleased to be able to get some as memory shots if nothing else. c50 Corn Bunting were also in the bushes.
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| Tree Sparrows and House Sparrow |
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| Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows |
I carried on to the sea wall and the tide by this time was mostly in but still rising. I could see a Purple Sandpiper on the rocks ahead and hoped that it might still be present when I reached there. I wasn't hopeful as the sea wall and shore were very busy with visitors.
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| Purple Sandpiper |
7 Turnstone were dotted along the shore and a couple of Stonechat were busy looking for insects on the other side of the sea wall. I was very lucky as the Purple Sandpiper was still there when I reached the rocks. The sea was regularly breaking over the rocks that it was standing on, as the tide continued to come in, but it seemed totally unconcerned and each time the waves broke over the rocks it went this way and that picking up things caught as the water receded. Only the larger waves caused it to fly out of harms way and it immediately returned to the same area and continued searching the rocks for food. Several times I thought it was going to be swept off the rocks as the waves broke over it but it never was. Whenever the water did go right over it the Purple Sandpiper would have a quick shake and then a short preen before going straight back to feeding again. As the rocks it was on were covered by the incoming tide it moved to the next still exposed rock and I was treated to some great views as it gradually came closer. What a beautiful little wader.
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
Presumably the same 7 Mute Swans that I had seen flying inland earlier flew straight overhead as they headed out to sea and settled on the water. I only managed to get two of them in the frame as they came over. Out to sea 7 Shelduck, again presumably the same I had seen earlier were out to sea and an immature Great Crested Grebe was busy fishing off shore. I kept my eyes open for a Short-eared Owl over the oyster farm but did not have any luck.
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| Mute Swans |
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| Shelducks |
As I neared Reculver a Cormorant flew in to perch on one of the marker posts showing off its impressive wing span well. I never tire of watching them come in to land. Streams of Cormorants were starting to move out to sea and some passed behind the towers, even if somewhat distantly, as I came up to them.
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorants passing behind Reculver Towers |
A couple of Pied Wagtail were on the concrete apron with one pausing long enough to allow a photo in the fading light and as I passed the towers the House Sparrows in their usual bush glowed in the golden light of the setting sun. I had a final scan over the oyster farm and could see 2 Short-eared Owls in dispute. It was a shame that they were not up when I was over there as once they had settled their dispute, with one returning to the ground while the other hunted, it came very close to where I had been sitting on the sea wall. Still, I enjoyed watching it, even if at a distance and it was nice to have started the visit with a Barn Owl and to be finishing it with Short-eared Owls.
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| House Sparrows |
I got a nice surprise as I came down from the towers to find the juvenile Shag was once again on the rocks, this time nearer the car park, and seemingly unconcerned by the many visitors passing by. In between preening it would turn to look, particularly if a group of people was particularly noisy as they made their way up to the towers, but it soon went back to preening. Once again I had to use a high ISO to be able to take photos as the light was fading fast but it was a joy to watch. I really hope that it gets on well. It seemed healthy and appeared alert.
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| juvenile Shag |
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| juvenile Shag |
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| juvenile Shag |
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| juvenile Shag |
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| juvenile Shag |
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| juvenile Shag |
It made a nice end to a thoroughly enjoyable and productive last visit for 2019.
Birds seen this visit included: 1 or 2 Barn Owl, 3 Kestrel, 10 Wren, 11 Magpie, 26 Blackbird, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 2 Chiffchaff, 61 Chaffinch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Robin, Wood Pigeons, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, 2 Jay, 2 Moorhen, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, 3 Mallard, 4 Dunnock, 4 Grey Heron, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 3 Common Buzzard, 2 Fieldfare, 36 Lapwing, 16 Meadow Pipit, 30 Mute Swan, 16 Goldfinch, 15 Linnet, 75 Corn Bunting, 2 Greenfinch, 9 Pied Wagtail, Starlings, House Sparrows, 13 Great Black-backed Gull, 26 Redshank, 400 Brent Geese, 15 Sanderling, 38 Oystercatcher, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Stonechat, 7 Shelduck, 8 Mallard, 2 Wigeon, 3 Grey Plover, 24 Skylark, 35 Reed Bunting, 16 Red-legged Partridge, 4 Coot, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 7 Yellowhammer, 6 Tree Sparrow, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 7 Turnstone, 2 Short-eared Owl, 1 Shag
