As I had a little more time today, and it would be the last chance to bird watch until next week, I decided to give it a go walking from Shuart to Reculver. Once again there was a north westerly wind and it was overcast, quite murky and misty and pretty cool.
The visit started well with a new bird for the year as I finally managed to catch up with a Greenfinch (73), seeing it high in one of the trees from the car park. All the usual little jobs were present but I did not see or hear any Chiffchaff.
The walk through was surprisingly quiet. Lots and lots of Blackbirds and the odd Song Thrush but not much else. I really hoped for a Waxwing but no such luck. It was an equally quiet walk past the stables. I did see a distant Hare that was disturbed by a train going past. I haven’t seen one of them for a long time in any of the areas I watch.
I checked out the sea once I reached the sea wall but all was very quiet there as well and apart from the odd gull there did not appear to be anything on the move. There was a few Redshank feeding along the shoreline and a single Grey Plover.
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| Redshank |
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| Grey Plover |
As I headed towards Plumpudding Island I had a pair of Stonechats who treated me to some nice views. It does not matter how many times I see them I think that they are lovely little birds and so full of character.
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| Male Stonechat |
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| Male Stonechat |
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| Stonechat |
The Environmental agency were working on the shingle with large lorries moving shingle from one stretch to another. The waders seemed surprisingly unconcerned by the large vehicles moving around. There was a digger filling the trucks before they headed down the beach. It has meant that a lot of the good habitat at the edges of the shore have all been churned up. There were several Oystercatcher and a single Curlew watched as the trucks went past.
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| Beach defences |
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| Curlew |
Plumpudding Island only had a couple of Redshank on it and 12 Linnet flew up. As it was so quiet I walked on towards Coldharbour. There was a large group of about 400 Brent Geese in one of the fields, once again with a few Herring Gull interspersed with them. I thought from a distance that there were some different geese mixed in but it was just the effect of the light and as I got nearer I could see I was mistaken. Ah well, you can but hope. Coldharbour was very quiet with only 3 Mallard and a lump of mud that looked very like a sleeping Little Grebe but wasn’t. A nice surprise was a smart male Marsh Harrier hunting near the railway embankment. It was really too far for a photo but I gave it a go anyway and at least it makes a good memory shot.
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| Male Marsh Harrier |
As I carried on down the sea wall I looked back and saw the group of Brent Geese in the air. I am not sure what put them up. I couldn’t see a raptor. It was amazing watching them wheeling round and the shapes they made as they turned within the flock.
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
I sat and had a rest on the sea wall and couldn’t believe my luck when a couple of Snow Buntings landed nearby, the female disappeared from view but the male stayed in the open. I could see a large lorry bearing down but I managed to grab some shots of the male before the lorry passed me and headed towards them. They did not seem too bothered until it was surprisingly close and then they flew off strongly in the opposite direction. They are such gorgeous birds and I felt really lucky to have seen them.
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| Male Snow Bunting |
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| Male Snow Bunting |
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| Male Snow Bunting |
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| Male Snow Bunting in flight |
As I headed on down towards Reculver I could see rain moving in, in the distance, but luckily apart from a few drops reaching me it swept along the embankment rather than the sea wall. There was part of a rainbow briefly out to sea but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. 25 Mallard were on the sea with small groups flying around now and then, one of which allowed a photo. A little further on 4 Shelduck were also on the sea.
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| Mallards in flight |
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| Shelduck out to sea |
Stonechats clearly liked the stirred up shingle as I saw several feeding amongst the deep tyre tracks. This one had a one wing up, one wing down approach. A single Curlew flew east out to sea.
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| Stonechat |
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| Curlew in flight |
Further along a Redshank was standing on one of the ridges made by the tyre tracks and it was easily the closest I have seen one. Surprisingly it allowed me to take some photos without flying off alarm calling, which is what normally happens as soon as they see you. It called now and again but otherwise seemed reasonably unconcerned.
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| Redshank calling |
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| Redshank |
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| Redshank |
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| Redshank |
I carried on towards Reculver and saw a single Great Crested Grebe offshore while a Turnstone was resting on one of the ridges left by the lorries.
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| Great Crested Grebe |
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| Turnstone |
A Stonechat paused on one of the tyre tracks and showed its rump nicely. Out to sea I could see a large flock of birds flying west. It was hard to know for sure what they were through binoculars but they appeared to be too large for ducks. I took some photos and I think that they are Brent Geese. There was easily 150 with a large group bunched into rough V’s at the front of the flock and a long single line weaving behind.
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| Stonechat |
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| Brent Geese |
As I passed the oyster farm I could not manage to see any sign of any Short-eared Owls but I was treated to a good view of two Mute Swan flying in. A Black-headed Gull was bobbing around on the sea.
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| Mute Swans in flight |
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| Black-headed Gull on the sea |
As I neared Reculver I could not see any sign of a Little Owl, Kingfisher or Grey Partridge, all of which I had hoped to catch up with today. Ah well. It does at least give more to look forward to seeing for the new year. A male Blackbird was unconcerned as I passed nearby on my up to the towers. I had a last check out to sea but could not manage to pick up anything new. I was pleased that I had achieved the walk but I was definitely ready to be heading for home.
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| Blackbird |
Birds seen this visit include: 1 Greenfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, 5 Goldfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Redwing, Fieldfare, 3 Pheasant, Stock Dove, 12 Magpie, 35 Oystercatcher, 9 Redshank, 5 Turnstone, 21 Ringed Plover, 2 Curlew, 7 Stonechat, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Dunlin, 6 Grey Plover, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 650 Brent Geese, 12 Linnet, 3 Mallard, 2 Snow Bunting, 1 Coot, 4 Shelduck, Carrion Crow, Cormorant, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Mute Swan.
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