Northerly Seawatch and a Puzzle - Reculver 30/08/20

With a strong northerly wind blowing I headed to the towers for a seawatch this morning. When I arrived the spots giving the most shelter form the wind were already taken with quite a few birders on site. Even though I ended up in a pretty exposed spot it, too exposed to use my scope, it turned out to be a very enjoyable and productive seawatch. Most of the birds throughout the morning were heading west.

Gannets were passing west in small groups, although a small number then returned east before heading west again. When watching Gannets I enjoy seeing the mix of plumages showing the various ages and I am always in awe of their sheer mastery of flight.

Gannets

Gannets

I did well for Skuas. I enjoyed watching the Arctic Skuas that came past and tried for some photos of the closer ones. Pale morph Arctic Skuas are beautiful birds. The Arctic Skuas came past mainly in ones and twos but also the odd group of 3 and a couple of groups of 4. 

Arctic Skuas

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skuas

Arctic Skuas

The highlight was seeing a Long-tailed Skua (142) west with 4 Arctic Skuas.The size and build difference was striking when seen in comparison to the Arctic Skuas but I am not sure that I would have been able to have picked it up if the Arctics hadn't been available for comparison. Frustratingly I couldn't manage to focus on it and the only shots I have are very blurred but it was great to see it. One of many passing Great Skuas was much more obliging and it came in quite close, giving good views as it went west. 

Great Skua

Great Skua

I had a lone Skua come through that did not have a plumage combination like any of the other Arctic Skuas I had seen during the morning with the combination of pale rump and head. I looked at all the information I could find on Skuas and particuarly Long-tailed Skua when I got home but even after looking at all the information I could find I still did not have enough experience or confidence with Skuas to be sure on this birds identification. The Long-tailed Skua I had seen this morning seemed much more delicate and slight than the Arctic Skuas it was with while this bird seemed to have a more solid build. Without being able to be sure of its identification it will have to remain a puzzle. 

Update: A couple of very experienced sea watchers solved my puzzled for me and let me know that it is a Long-tailed Skua. I am very grateful to both of them, as always, for their help and for enabling me to solve the puzzle of this bird. 

Update: puzzle bird identified for me as a Long-tailed Skua

Update: puzzle bird identified for me as a Long-tailed Skua

Update: puzzle bird identified for me as a Long-tailed Skua

Update: puzzle bird identified for me as a Long-tailed Skua

I enjoyed seeing what waders were on the move and although I did not see great numbers of them I ended up seeing a reasonable variety. Most were really too distant for photos but a Curlew did give nice views as it flew west. I also saw a couple of Fulmar during the seawatch and they were one of the few birds going east rather than west.

Curlew

There was also saw a pleasing variety of duck with the highlight being 6 Pintail (143) in with a flock of 7 Wigeon. A single Common Scoter also gave a good view as it flew quite close past the towers. A couple of distant Kittiwake (144) were nice to see.

Pintail and Wigeon

Common Scoter

It was time to make a move and the last birds I saw before heading for home were 12 Wigeon heading west and they brought a very enjoyable seawatch to a close. 

Wigeon

Birds seen flying west, unless otherwise stated, included: 18 Great Skua, 22 Arctic Skua, 1 Long-tailed Skua, 22 Gannet, 30 Wigeon, 2 Grey Plover, 17 Knot, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 11 Teal, 3 Mallard, 6 Pintail, 1 Curlew, 1 Common Scoter, 2 Fulmer east, 2 Kittiwake, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Turnstone, 2 Sanderling, 7 Dunlin, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 5 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Common Gull,  

A Passing Ruff - Reculver to Coldharbour 29/08/20

I had an enjoyable sea watch this morning but missed being able to use my camera as it was still drying out from getting pretty wet yesterday. With the camera hopefully dry, I had a wander along the sea wall to Coldharbour this afternoon to try it out. The tide was in but on the turn and it was still very windy. Everything seemed to be keeping its head well down and it turned out to be a very quiet, and breezy, walk along the sea wall. I came across a small number of Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Sanderling roosting in a patch of shelter from the wind behind a shingle ridge. Out to sea was very quiet with just the occasional Herring and Great Black-backed Gull. The marker poles did not have a single Cormorant perched on them for once.

As I neared Coldhabour I could see a wader approaching, quite close in and flying west. Through binoculars it appeared to be a Ruff (141) and as it passed me I tried for a few shots with the camera. It was a lovely bird and it was nice to be able to have some memory shots of it.

Ruff

Ruff

Ruff

I had a seat on the sea wall for a while and watched out to sea but overall all remained quiet. As the tide fell and a little bit of the mussel bed was exposed a small number of terns appeared and landed on the exposed areas. There were 2 Sandwich and 5 Common Terns. They appeared to be quite easily spooked by any Herring Gull that landed nearby, lifting off and swirling round before settling briefly before once again the Herring Gull got too close. I enjoyed watching them and as more of the mussel bed was exposed they moved  a little closer. 

Common and Sandwich Terns

Common and Sandwich Terns

Several of the Herring Gulls repeatedly picked up mussel shells that were attached to pieces of sea weed and having lifted off with it, dropped it when they had gained some height before dropping down to where it landed to see if they had successfully broken the shell allowing access to what was inside.

Common and Sandwich Terns

As more Herring Gulls arrived the terns moved off north west and did not return. I started to head back to Reculver and as I neared the towers an adult and 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gull were feeding along the shore.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

adult and first winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls

It had been an enjoyable walk, even if windswept, and I was relieved that my camera still appeared to be working after the rain yesterday.

An Encounter with a Whimbrel and a Juvenile Shag - Reculver to Coldharbour 28/08/20

I paid a visit to Reculver on a warm morning with very little wind. As I passed the towers a pair of Pied Wagtail were chasing after insects and two Robin were amongst the ruins. Swallows were overhead and a Little Egret flew west. Out to sea 7 Teal flew west but otherwise it appeared quiet with only a few Black-headed and Herring Gulls passing by out to sea.

Teal

The tide was in as I headed along the sea wall and 8 Little Egret were resting up in their usual tree. Small numbers of Swallows were regularly moving west with the odd Swift now and then. I saw 2 Wheatear as I made my way towards Coldharbour but both were decidedly camera shy today. Several Whitethroat were amongst the bramble bushes and one popped up before quickly disappearing again as a cyclist approached.

Whitethroat

A flock of 28 Golden Plover lifted off from one of the far fields flying high and bunched in alarm but I could not see what had put them up. A Whimbrel peeped at me from behind a shingle ridge giving me one of the closest views that I have had of one.

Whimbrel

I sat on the sea wall for a while near Coldharbour and a flock of mixed waders flew past having been disturbed from roost by a dog walker. I got an unexpected treat when a juvenile Shag suddenly appeared, having swam round from the other side of the groyne,and gave some great views as it searched for food, diving frequently. Marc Heath had seen a Shag at Reculver yesterday so presumably it was the same one. It was great to be able to see it so close in.

Shag

Shag

Shag

Shag

Coldharbour itself was quiet. A Common Sandpiper worked its way along a far bank and 6 Redshank were roosting at the waters edge.

Redshank

As I made my way back to Reculver I could see a Hobby chasing after Linnets and then Reed Buntings over the reed beds. It was still a good distance from me but it was fascinating to watch as it twisted and turned before suddenly appearing to almost stop prior to a sudden change in direction before the chase was on once again. It did not appear to be successful this time before moving on.

Hobby

Hobby

The weather had rapidly started to deteriorate and the wind steadily gathered strength. I could see heavy rain showers and a thunder storm moving through to the south but luckily still quite distant. As I made my way back to Reculver 5 Whimbrel and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit flew high north west. The threatening rain arrived and I was absolutely drenched as a torrential rain shower moved through. Just before the rain hit a flock of 75 Swallow and 2 Swift flew ahead of it moving east. As the rain eased off and the sun came out briefly 4 Golden Plover flew over and gave some great views as they passed overhead.

Golden Plover

Rain then definitely stopped play as shower after shower moved through. Thunder storms were both to the south and the north with some spectacular lightening and very loud cracks of thunder but luckily they never came overhead. At one point, as the sun broke through briefly while it was still raining, rainbow colours appeared to be floating just above the sea before disappearing as quicky as they had appeared. For those few seconds it was absolutely beautiful and almost made it worth getting drenched just to see that. I tried for a photo but only managed to catch the tail end of it and it really does not do it justice.

It was good to reach Reculver and to be able to get out of the rain.

Birds seen this visit included: 19 Pied Wagtail, 2 Robin, 14 Little Egret, 7 Swift, 157 Swallow, 35 Ringed Plover, 11 Turnstone, 2 Grey Heron, 15 Linnet, Cormorants, 4 Stonechat, 1 Kestrel, Starlings, House Sparrows, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 5 Whitethroat, 5 Reed Warbler, 6 Goldfinch, 2 Kestrel, 1 Wren,  Carrion Crows, 5 Reed Bunting, 8 Whimbrel, 28 Golden Plover, 3 Common Sandpiper, 45 Sanderling, 11 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Pheasant, 2 Wheatear, 1 Coot, 2 Magpie, 9 Sandwich Tern, 2 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 38 Oystercatcher,  2 Dunlin, 1 Shag, 6 Redshank, 6 Meadow Pipit, Wood Pigeons, 1 Hobby, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 

Goldfinch family, Golden Plover and an Obliging Meadow Pipit - Reculver to Coldharbour 27/08/20

On an overcast day but with a very light south westerly wind I had a walk from Reculver to Coldharbour in the morning. The tide was just on the turn before starting to go out. A couple of Sandwich Tern were calling as I started out along the sea wall and Pied Wagtails flicked back and fore from the sea wall to the shingle. A single Whimbrel flew in from the north calling away and then flew east and a little while later another 3 also flew east. An adult Goldfinch with a couple of juveniles fed one of the youngsters as I neared giving the chance to try for a photo. They are beautiful birds.

Goldfinch family

Four Curlew flew south west over the oyster farm and high above a Hobby was mugged by a Kestrel causing it to move off rapidly. 

Curlew

I came across 56 Sanderling, 62 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and 26 Turnstone roosting at various points on the beach and saw a total of 5 Common Sandpiper on the walk to Coldharbour.

Sanderling and Turnstone

The sun started to break through the clouds and as I neared Coldharbour a flock of 25 Golden Plover took to the air, lifting off from one of the fields and gave some great views as they whirled round.

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

A Dunlin was on Coldharbour, as were a couple of Redshank. A Common Sandpiper was feeding along a back edge and the few usual Black-headed Gulls were present.

Dunlin

Redshank

I enjoyed watching the Yellow Wagtails on my walk back to Reculver and every now and then a dispute would break out between one of them and a Pied Wagtail. 

Yellow Wagtail

Above, four Whimbrel flew west calling away, presumably the same ones that I had seen flying east earlier.

Whimbrel

A Hobby flew past, having been out at sea and pursuing passing Swallows, before dropping down and streaking away over the reed beds.

Hobby

I finished the visit with superb views of a Meadow Pipit as it came and fed close to me while I was sitting on the sea wall.

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Birds seen this visit included: 6 Pied Wagtail, House Sparrows, Starlings, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Little Egret, 9 Sandwich Tern, 88 Oystercatcher, 4 Whimbrel, 5 Swallow, 3 Redshank, 5 Common Sandpiper, 26 Turnstone, 4 Stonechat, 7 Goldfinch, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Grey Heron, 62 Ringed Plover, 7 Corn Bunting, 4 Curlew, 3 Swift, 2 Hobby, 3 Kestrel, 56 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 25 Golden Plover, 65 Swallow, 1 Pheasant, 7 Yellow Wagtail, 30 Linnet, 2 Common Buzzard,