I headed to Chambers Wall this afternoon and was greeted by 8 Long-tailed Tits (78) working their way through the hedgerow. It was very nice to catch up with them today as I missed out on them for the New Years Day bird count, for the 2nd year running. I enjoyed watching them as they searched this way and that for insects.
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| Long-tailed Tit |
Mute swans had collected in one of the fields with 20 present. 5 Blackbirds were active and 7 Magpies were together in a field. The rain that had been threatening started but luckily never really amounted to more than drizzle. It was a very quiet walk through up to the railway crossing. A male Sparrowhawk caused consternation amongst some Skylark but they managed to evade it. 15 Corn Buntings were calling as I crossed the railway line.
On the walk down to Coldharbour the 15 Corn Bunting I had seen joined with others and 65 were moving from the bushes to one of the fields together with a Yellowhammer. A Goldcrest was in with a mixed flock of Blue and Great Tits. Coldharbour was quiet with just a single Redshank, 1 Little Egret and a few Black-headed Gulls. A Turnstone, that had been flushed from the shore by a Peregrine (79), had a very lucky escape as, despite being hotly pursued, it managed to evade it at the last moment. The Peregrine headed off to try its luck elsewhere.
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| Peregrine |
It is amazing the difference a day can make. It was much quieter out to sea with very few duck apart from 4 Shelduck and a couple of Mallard. I turned for Reculver and had most of the usual waders on the walk back. The same Peregrine I had just been watching then caused utter havoc amongst the Brent Geese who, having settled in the field, sounded multiple alarm calls before the whole flock vacated the field in a flurry of panicked wing beats and crossing the sea wall landed on the sea. They remained very nervous for several minutes before gradually they appeared to settle more and a little while later flocks began to return to the field. Even then they flew up several times in panic before finally setttling. It is an impressive sight and also sound as c350 geese take to the air. I never managed to get all the birds in the shot at once, as the Peregrine had made them very nervous, and not all of them were in the air a the same time but they were still a spectacular sight.
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
Out to sea 3 Wigeon and 4 Teal flew east. I could see a Lapwing that was resting up, a good way ahead of me, on the rocks but it was flushed by a dog walker before I got anywhere near it.
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| Lapwing |
Out to sea a couple of Mute Swan came into land, having flown over from the oyster farm, and pattered across the water as they came into land.
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| Mute Swan |
As I neared Reculver a Purple Sandpiper and a Redshank shared a rock that was steadily being inundated by the incoming tide.
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| Purple Sandpiper and Redshank |
The Shag (80) was in its usual spot as I looked out from the towers. Once the rock it was sitting on was inundated by the sea it took to the water and started to fish. It has been a real pleasure to be able to watch a bird I have never seen as close before this one turned up. I will miss it when it moves on as it always makes a great finish to a visit.
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
While watching the Shag a Kestrel came and hovered nearby and, though the light was very poor by this time, I tried for some photos. Hopefully one of these days the same thing will happen in really good light and I might be able to manage better photos. However, for me, these make good memory shots so I feel pretty lucky to have them.
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| Kestrel |
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| Kestrel |
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| Kestrel |
It made great end to the visit. It mastery and control in flight was a joy to behold. I might see a Kestrel hunting most times I come out but I never tire of the sheer beauty of seeing one close up and watching its skill as it hunts.
Birds seen this visit included: 8 Long-tailed Tit, 25 Mute Swan, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Wren, 9 Blackbird, 17 Magpie, 1 Sparrowhawk, 8 Skylark, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Common Buzzard, 5 Blue Tits, 4 Great Tits, 1 Moorhen, 2 Coot, 9 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 16 Turnstone, 30 Ringed Plover, 4 Shelduck, 2 Mallard, 13 Oystercatcher, 2 Curlew, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Pied Wagtail, 30 Stock Dove, c350 Brent Geese, 3 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 1 Lapwing, 2 Kestrel, 1 Purple Sandpiper,
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