I started out from Reculver this morning and the visit started well when I caught sight of a female Black Redstart that popped up onto a fence post, just past the towers. It dropped down and then appeared to fly towards the rocks. I did not manage to catch up with it there but as I approached the oyster farm buildings I saw it at the back of them. It moved to the fence round the pumping station and I was able to get some distant photos before it disappeared. As I turned back to the sea wall I caught sight of another Black Redstart on the edge of one of the buildings, this time a handsome male. I managed to grab a shot before a large group of walkers passed on the sea wall and it shot away. I did not have any luck relocating either of them but I was well chuffed to see them, even if only briefly. They are beautiful birds.
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| female Black Redstart |
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| male Black Redstart |
The tide was a fair way out but coming in slowly and there was a very light wind with some rain blowing through now and then. As I walked along to Coldharbour the wind gradually picked up and became quite brisk over the next couple of hours, initially coming from the north west before moving to northerly then north north easterly.
A female Wigeon (113) flew west but otherwise there did not appear to be anything much moving out to sea. A Cormorant came into land on one of the poles so I tried for some photos to see how it adjusts its wings and tail as it comes in, enabling it to break enough to land.
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
A Great Crested Grebe was feeding quite close inshore and caught something that it then had trouble swallowing. After several attempts it finally dropped it.
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| Great Crested Grebe |
As I approached Coldharbour there were a couple of Wheatear, a male and a female, on some rocks on the other side of the dyke.
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| Wheatears |
There were 5 Little Egrets on Coldharbour, together with a couple of Shelduck, 4 Black-headed Gulls and 5 Redshank. It is the most Little Egrets I have seen together since last year.
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| Little Egrets and Shelduck |
4 Goldfinches were in one of the bushes and a Chiffchaff was singing away. The wind had increased to pretty brisk by now and I had trouble keeping the camera steady to take the photo of the Goldfinch.
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| Goldfinch |
I sat and watched the sea for a while but overall it remained quiet. I had hoped with the increase in the wind that a few things may start moving. I saw 2 flocks of Common Scoter flying east, having been flushed by the Border Force Patrol Boat, and they then landed back on the sea, the second flock joining the first. The two flocks together totalled 42 in all.
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| Common Scoter |
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| Common Scoter |
On the way to Plumpudding I had a couple of Mediterranean Gulls (114) fly east which came as a very nice surprise. They both appeared to be first winter birds.
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| 1st winter Mediterranean Gulls |
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| 1st winter Mediterranean Gull |
Plumpudding Island had 25 Redshank roosting but otherwise was quiet. Good numbers of waders were roosting on the shore.
I stopped on the way back to watch the sea for a while again. This time there was a little more moving. I saw a total of 4 Red-throated Diver east, with 2 coming through together being close enough to attempt photographs.
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| Red-throated Divers |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Red-throated Diver |
A distant Great Skua (115) flew east. It really was too far out for a photo but it makes a good memory shot, even if I have had to heavily crop it just to show it.
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| Great Skua |
Small numbers of Gannet were also moving east in 1's, 2's and 3's with 18 seen in total. A couple of Great Crested Grebe also flew east.
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| Gannet |
While I was there the immature male Eider drifted east, past me, and gave some good views as he did so.
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| immature male Eider |
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| immature male Eider |
It may only have been a mini sea watch but it was great fun. A Common Seal popped its head up before sinking back under the water as I made my way home.
As I neared the towers I saw a female Wheatear on the rocks. She made a lovely finish to the day and looked great in the sunshine that had finally decided to turn up.
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| female Wheatear |
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| female Wheatear |
As I came down past Reculver towers, the clouds above it were striking. Having been grey all day the sky had rapidly cleared and I finished the visit in sunshine and blue sky. What a difference just an hour can make to the weather.
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| Sky over Reculver Towers |
Most of the photographs today are of fairly distant birds and so have not come out very well, but I had great fun taking them, and they make good memory shots of a thoroughly enjoyable visit.
Birds seen this visit include: 2 Black Redstart, 15 House Sparrow, 3 Blackbird, 35 Starling, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, 15 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 female Wigeon west, 1 immature male Eider, 3 Dunnock, 11 Great Crested Grebe, 9 Mute Swan, 15 Meadow Pipit, 6 Shelduck, 3 Wheatear, 5 Little Egrets, 4 Goldfinch, 42 Common Scoter, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 48 Turnstone, 72 Oystercatcher, 36 Redshank, 8 Ringed Plover, 36 Sanderling, 9 Curlew, 8 Grey Plover, 3 Chiffchaff, Skylarks, 10 Reed Bunting, 4 Red-throated Diver east, 1 Great Skua east, 18 Gannet east, 18 Linnet, 3 Pheasant, 12 Mallard, 1 male Shoveler
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