Due to work and other commitments I have not been able to bird watch since the 5th April so it was good to have the opportunity for a walk from Reculver to Chambers Wall today. There was a sea mist when I arrived at Reculver and it remained throughout the visit but luckily it never progressed to becoming foggy, so that was a bonus. The tide was almost fully in but on the turn and there was a light north easterly wind.
As I walked up to the towers I could see the immature male Eider off shore and a couple of Great Black-backed Gulls were resting on the sea but otherwise the sea was very quiet. I checked some of the vegetation just past the towers and had what I think is a Tawney Mining Bee and a Common Carder Bumble Bee. I had not realised how long a bee's tongue is, at least it is on the Common Carder Bumble Bee here and appears to hinge.
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| Tawney Mining Bee |
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| Common Carder Bumble Bee |
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| Common Carder Bumble Bee |
I had a walk up to the pumping station and back and had a confiding Linnet that was singing a quiet sub song. I also came across what I think is an Ichneumon Wasp but haven't been able to narrow it down any more than that. A Little Egret gave a fly past and the air was full of Oystercatcher song and calls as several pairs displayed.
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| Linnet |
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| Ichneumon Wasp |
Many of the Alexander leaves are covered in yellow spots on the top surface with yellow raised areas on the undersurface. I wondered what had caused them and on looking it up it appears to be galls of the rust fungus Puccinia smyrnii.
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| Galls of Rust Fungus Puccinia smyrnii |
I could hear Sandwich Terns (121) calling and had 3 east out to sea. It is lovely to hear their calls again and I saw 5 in total today. I also had 1 Fulmar and 3 Gannet east while a single Curlew flew west. A Yellow Wagtail (122) came in off the sea and headed inland. I was pleased to catch up with my first Swallow of spring and had a total of 7 Swallow (123) east. Sedge Warbler numbers had increased a lot since my last visit and I saw at least 16 today. Butterflies abounded with good numbers of Peacock, a couple of Tortoiseshell, 2 Large White and a Holly Blue.
A pair of Stonechat were active along the parallel track. I also saw another male further along having a disagreement with a Reed Bunting.
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| Stonechat |
As I approached Coldharbour I could see 11 Turnstone roosting on one of the groynes and one of them was moulting into summer plummage. Coldharbour itself was very quiet with just 5 Redshank and 6 Black-headed Gulls. I had an eye to eye view of a Reed Bunting as it peered at me through a gap in a bush.
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| Reed Bunting |
On the walk up to Chambers Wall a Peacock Butterfly gave very nice views of its upperwings and underwings. From the underwing you would never think that it was as colourful as it is once it opens its wings.
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| Peacock Butterfly |
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| Peacock Butterfly |
A Sedge Warbler was singing away and, although a little distant and against the light, I tried for a photo where upon it promptly stopped singing. But I was still pleased to get it.
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| Sedge Warbler |
Digger Wasps were active and this one was checking out a hole in the ground. More than one appeared to be checking the hole out. I also came across an Alderfly resting on a stem. Apparently they only live for two or three days. I had not realised that the adult life span was so short.
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| Digger Wasp |
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| Alderfly |
A Cetti's Warbler was singing away and a couple of Corn Bunting peeped at me from the back of a bush. A pair of Tufted Duck were in the dyke and Marsh Frogs were calling frequently.
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| male Tufted Duck |
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| female Tufted Duck |
I saw a Firecrest working its way through the back of a bush. Unfortunately it remained mainly obscured but I did manage a couple of shots as its head appeared briefly in small gaps. They are beautiful birds and it was great to see it. Nearby two male Blackcap were competing in song and a female Blackcap appeared to be checking them out.
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| Firecrest |
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| Firecrest |
I finished off the visit with another Alderfly and a 2-spot Ladybird.
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| Alderfly |
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| 2-spot Ladybird |
Birds seen this visit: 1 immature male Eider, 8 House Sparrows, 5 Sandwich Tern east, Cormorants, 21 Linnets, 4 Magpie, 3 Starling, 3
Little Egret, 12 Oystercatcher, 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 Fulmar east, 7 Swallow east, 2
Great Black-backed Gulls, 12 Meadow
Pipit, 3 Stonechat, 10 Reed Bunting, 3
Gannets east, 4 Pheasant, 6 Mallard, 15 Corn Bunting, 16 Sedge Warbler, 3 Dunnock, male Marsh Harrier, 4 Goldfinch, Skylark, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Curlew west, 1 Yellow Wagtail in off the sea, 3 Ringed Plover, 11 Turnstone with 1 moulting into summer
plumage, 4 Redshank, 2 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Carrion Crows, Mute Swans, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Blackcap, Chaffinches, 1 Firecrest, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Shelduck
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