It was good to have a day off today. I wasn't able to get out until mid morning and thought I would head for Reculver. Just outside Broomfield there were 2 Common Buzzards hovering in the wind. As luck would have it they were doing so right next to a pull in space and I was able to take some photos out of the car window. The photos are very noisy but they make lovely memory shots of a great encounter with one of the Buzzards which was so close I could see its eye. What beautiful birds.
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Common Buzzard |
There was a brisk south westerly wind and rain showers were threatening when I arrived at Reculver. The tide was in. A couple of Pied Wagtail flew up to the grassy area and a Robin was on the rocks by the car park.
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| Robin |
I headed for the sea wall. A large number of Black-headed and Herring Gulls were in one of the fields behind the oyster farm with at least 800 birds in total. A Kingfisher was fishing off the rocks. It appeared quiet out to sea except for a few Sandwich Tern which were mostly going west but a couple were going east.
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
A small flock of Ringed Plover flew in with a single Turnstone with them. Goldfinch were busy amongst the teasel heads. Good numbers of Swallow were heading west in pulses with breaks in between with just a few birds. For a short while they were coming through at approximately 25 a minute.
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| Ringed Plover and Turnstone |
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| Goldfinch |
75 Oystercatcher flew east in 3 groups while on the shore 3 Stonechat and 3 Wheatear were busily looking for insects. A fourth Stonechat was insect catching on the other side of the sea wall. Overall during the visit I saw 8 Stonechat.
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| Stonechat |
A couple of heavy showers moved through but luckily did not last very long. The Swallows appeared to be hawking for insects as they passed through even in some of the heaviest rain. A Sparrowhawk flew low along the shore flushing a resting Sandwich Tern and sending Linnets and Meadow Pipits scattering. A flock of 41 Ringed Plover flew east before settling on the shore. A couple of Sanderling were amongst them. On reaching Coldharbour there were a couple of Little Egret and a Little Grebe. A few Black-headed Gulls were dotted around and a Redshank was tucked into one of the banks. As I reached the end of Coldharbour a Greenshank was busy feeding. It was quite flighty if a group of people came along the sea wall but otherwise fed contentedly. When it was disturbed it tended to return to the same area each time. It was nice to have the opportunity to see it closer than normal.
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| Greenshank |
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| Greenshank |
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| Greenshank |
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| Greenshank |
I needed to get back for a meeting so I made my way back to Reculver. The rain seemed to be moving away and in the sunny intervals it was surprisingly warm. I came across another Greenshank on the shore with a couple of Redshank.
A 1st winter Sandwich Tern was roosting on the beach and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull flew west.
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
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| 1st winter Mediterranean Gull |
A little further along an adult and what I think is a 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull were roosting on the beach. Neither had very obvious 'masks'.
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| Mediterranean Gulls |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
Rain was threatening again as I neared Reculver but it did not come to anything. I was pleased that I had been able to come and enjoyed the visit even if I did get somewhat wet.
Birds seen this visit include: 2 Common Buzzard, 4 Pied Wagtail, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Robin, Starlings, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Kingfisher, 620 Swallow, 2 Sand Martin, 3 Chiffchaff, 30 Meadow Pipit, House Sparrows, 62 Goldfinch, 3 Little Egret, 20 Turnstone, 5 Redshank, 7 Sandwich Tern, 47 Ringed Plover, 79 Oystercatcher east, 8 Stonechat, 3 Wheatear, 95 Linnet, 9 Reed Bunting, 2 Sanderling, 3 Kestrel, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Greenshank, 1 Mallard, 3 Mediterranean Gull,
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