I paid a visit to Reculver on a grey and overcast day with a moderate south south westerly wind. Though it was overcast it was a warm. It was forecast to brighten up in the afternoon but it was not showing any signs of doing so. The tide was in but on the turn. I had forgotten it was half term and as the sea wall appeared to be very busy I had a wander along the path at the back of the oyster farm. A couple of Shelduck were present, and a Little Egret flew past and settled down on one of the fields. Two pairs of Oystercatchers were spread between a couple of fields and a first summer Herring Gull was hunched down and sheltering from the wind. Insects were few and far between. However, I did see several Turnip Sawfly
Athalia rosae and a single Common Carpet Moth was tucked down in the vegetation.
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| Turnip Sawfly Athalia rosae |
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| Common Carpet Moth |
I saw several male Reed Buntings with bill fulls of food and a Mute Swan was sitting on its nest and seemed unfazed by the people passing on the footpath apart from giving them a quick glance.
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Mute Swan |
As I reached the end of the embankment a Marsh Harrier flew past along the far edge of the field sending up a Lapwing as it went.
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| immature male Marsh Harrier |
I dropped down to the bottom path and it was nice to be out of the wind for a while. I was standing by a bush when I heard a flurry of wings and a bird landed in the top of it. Next second loud cuckooing rang out. It was so close but I could not see it apart from glances through the gaps in the foliage that appeared as the branches and leaves blew back and fore in the wind. I did not dare move into a better position in case I scared it so I tried to grab a shot through the gaps as they appeared. It would have been lovely to have been able to have seen it unobstructed, it was so close. I heard a female answer and after a few more cuckoo's he flew off in the direction of Chambers Wall.
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| Cuckcoo |
A couple of Blue-tailed and Azure Damselflies were tucked down and a Hairy Dragonfly patrolled briefly before settling down.
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| Hairy Dragonfly |
I headed towards the sea wall and saw several singing Sedge Warblers on the way. Yellow Wagtails called from the field and a Small White butterfly was sheltering out of the wind.
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Small White Butterfly |
When I reached the sea wall I sat and watched out to sea for a while but it was still very quiet apart from 3 Sandwich Terns a fair way out and a passing Shelduck. A Ringed Plover was close to the sea wall and gave some nice views.
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| Ringed Plover |
I headed towards Coldharbour and saw a Skylark catching insects along the sea wall before it flew back towards the fields. A little further on there were a couple of young Stonechat one of which perched showed nicely. They are beautiful little birds and I hope that they get on well. Sedge Warblers were singing away and a male Hairy Dragonfly appeared above the sea wall briefly before disappearing down again. I did not see any sign of butterflies but in the wind it was pretty cool and there was still no sign of the cloud cover breaking up.
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| Skylark |
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| young Stonechat |
Four Turnstone flew in to land on some rock and were followed shortly after by another 3. A couple of Common Tern were out to sea and Oystercatchers were dotted around in pairs. What I think is Biting Stonecrop was plentiful on parts of the concrete.
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| Turnstones |
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| Biting Stonecrop |
At Coldharbour a Meadow Pipit had a bill full of food so its youngsters were going to be well fed and I could see 5 of the young Shelduck tucked in. Mum and Dad have done really well because I was pleased to see that all ten youngsters were present and correct and appear to be doing well.
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| young Shelduck |
I sat and watched the sea for a while and 3 Mediterranean Gulls flew west. Otherwise the sea remained quiet. The immature male Eider was on the beach but too far away for a photo. Another Shelduck flew past out to sea.
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| Mediterraean Gull |
I had a wander along the bottom path for a little way to see if there was anything sheltering out of the wind. I saw a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies and one Azure but that was it for Damselflies. I got good views of a
Cantharis rustica, the black mark on its thorax is in an almost perfect heart shape. A male Swollen-thighed Beetle was busy amongst the buttercups, while what I think is a
Oedemera lurida was sheltering out of the wind.
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| Cantharis rustica |
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| Swollen-thighed Beetle |
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| Oedemera lurida |
I saw a several cocoons but I am not sure what moth makes them. One looked a little different to the others. A Cuckoo flew past being harassed by a small group of Swallows.
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| Cocoon |
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| Cocoon |
I came across an insect I have not seen before and, at the moment, I do not know what it is. I'll update when I find out. Another Turnip Sawfly
Athalia rosae was present and I ended up seeing several more of them.
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| Turnip Sawfly Athalia rosae |
A little further along a Woodlouse was busy amongst an umbellifer head and a White-tailed Bumble Bee sp. was busy gathering necter.
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| Woodlouse |
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| White-tailed Bumble Bee sp. |
A plant caught my eye that I think it is a Spurge but I am not sure which. It was the only one I saw growing along there. A five or six-spot Burnet Moth caterpiller was tucked away. They are certainly very striking caterpillers. A Tetragnathidae sp. spider showed well.
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| Spurge sp. |
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| Five or Six Spot Burnet Moth Caterpillar |
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| Tetragnathidae sp. Spider |
A couple of Mute Swan flew past as I walked back up to have a look at Coldharbour again. The young Shelduck were having a wash and brush up. The female Shelduck keeps a very close eye on the youngsters and even with 8 in front of her she looked back several times to check on the other two that were hanging behind.
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| young Shelduck |
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| female Shelduck with young |
I started out towards Chambers Wall and saw another Tetragnathidae sp. spider. This one had a gold spangly abdomen and it is amazing just how long the front legs are. A 22-spot Ladybird was heading down a grass stem.
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| Tetragnathidae sp. spider |
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| 22-spot Ladybird |
The sun finally started to make signs of breaking through and within a short space of time it had noticeably warmed as the sunny intervals increased. Three Yellow Wagtails, ahead of me on the path, were taking advantage of the increase in insects but remained flighty. A Sedge Warbler popped up nearby and gave some good close views. I could see a couple of young Coot with an adult.
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Sedge Warbler |
A Skylark was also on the path and I enjoyed watching it as it chased back and fore after insects. The difference in head shape between crest up and crest down is very marked. It was nice to be able to have an extended period of time watching it.
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| Skylark |
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| Skylark |
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| Skylark |
I could hear Swifts calling above me and they were hawking for insects high in the sky. A little while later I could hear a Marsh Harrier calling and I could also hear a Common Tern calling from the same direction. When I looked they were both high above me and the tern was clearly very unhappy at the harrier's presence and appeared to be mobbing it. They continued to climb and circle higher and higher and I could hear them both still calling even once they were too high for me to see the tern anymore.
A Sedge Warbler had caught a Ladybird and a little further on I came across a Harlequin Ladybird.
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Harlequin Ladybird |
I had hoped that I might have seen some Damselflies as it had got warmer but apart from a couple of Azure and Blue-tailed that was it. A Hairy Dragonfly flew up the track but I could not manage to relocate it. Blackcap and Wren were singing away as I crossed the railway line and a Cetti's and Whitethroat joined in. Some fish were near the surface in the river and on looking them up I think that they were Roach but could have been Rudd as I find them hard to tell apart.
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| ? Roach |
Goldfinches were singing away and I saw a total of 4 Grey Partridge. A Latticed Heath Moth was tucked down in the grass. As I walked up I enjoyed listening to a Dunnock that was singing enthusiastically. I could hear a pair of Carrion Crows calling loudly and as I looked up the track I saw one flying down and skimming over the head of a fox that had just come into view. The Crow landed on the path and then almost immediately flew back at the fox again before gaining a bit of height and on turning it dive bombed it again. At this point I think the fox decided that enough was enough and headed for a gap in the hedge and both it and the Crow shot through. I tried for some photos but couldn't get anything that was in focus.
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| Dunnock |
I finished the visit with views of a Yellow Water Lily and watching a Whitethroat that paused briefly with a caterpillar in its bill. Even though it had not been the easiest of days today I was pleased that I had come and had enjoyed the visit.
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| Yellow Water Lily |
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| Whitethroat |
Birds seen this visit include: 11 Oystercatcher, 6 Meadow Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 3 Collared Dove, 4 Magpie, House Sparrows, Starlings, 14 Swallow, Herring Gulls, Wood Pigeons, 1 Lapwing, 6 Shelduck and 10 youngsters, 5 Mute Swan, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Blackbird, Skylarks, 2 Dunnock, 21 Reed Warbler, 18 Swift, 16 Linnet, 11 Reed Bunting, 1 Little Egret, Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, Black-headed Gulls, 1 Kestrel, Skylarks, 17 Sedge Warbler, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Wren, 2 Pheasant, 8 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Cuckoo, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Sandwich Terns, 4 Stonechat, 3 Common Tern, 4 Turnstones, 7 Meadow Pipit, 1 immature male Eider, 3 Mediterraean Gull, 1 Moorhen, 1 Coot and 2 youngsters, 1 Mallard, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Grey Partridge, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, 3 Blackcap
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