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.
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| Ruff |
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| Ruff |
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| 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.
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| Common and Sandwich Terns |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
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| 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.
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