The sun was rising and doing its best Jupiter impersonation, with its bands of cloud across, as I arrived at Reculver early morning. A Robin was on the rocks as usual but this time just a single Chiffchaff was in the bushes by the towers.
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| Sunrise |
Small flocks of Oystercatcher were flying east and looked as if they came into shore at Coldharbour. Black-headed Gulls were roosting along the shoreline but quickly moved off as a dog walker and several racing cyclists came through. A little further along a single Black-headed Gull was surrounded by roosting Sanderling, Ringed Plover, a few Turnstone and 4 Dunlin.
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| Black-headed Gull and Sanderling |
12 Mallard flew over and also headed in Coldharbour's direction. 7 Teal flew towards the sea before turning and heading back inland.
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| Teal |
A Common Buzzard was up at the back of the oyster farm and disturbed 2 Little Egret from one of the dykes as it worked its way along. Several Reed Buntings were in the bushes by the junction with the green bank and Starlings chattered away. I found Coldharbour quiet on reaching it but one of the Redshank present was throwing a near perfect reflection into the water. A Cetti's Warbler called from from the other side of the sea wall and 3 Chiffchaff were in the bushes.
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| Redshank |
I carried on along the sea wall and had a seat on the sea wall on the other side of Coldharbour. 2 Wheatear were on the shingle,blending almost perfectly in with it, one of which paused for a photo even if it was a little distant. Above me a flock of 32 Siskin flew west calling as they did so.
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| Wheatear |
I decided to carry on along the sea wall and as I did I heard a wader give calls I did not recognise. It was coming closer but quite high above, flying fast west. I tried to record the calls on the voice recorder I carry to keep note of the birds I see and also tried to grab a few photos before it flew past me. I have tried transferring it to the camera so it can be downloaded as a video file.
I was expecting the wader to be something different but was surprised when I looked at the photos to see what appears to be a Golden Plover. I have not heard one make these calls before and could not find a matching call on any sound files of Golden Plover calls I could find on the internet. It may just be that I have not got enough experience of Golden Plover calls but I have never heard one with a double followed by a triple element call before. It made the calls consistently as it went over with both the double element (first call on the recording) and triple element (second call on the recording) calls repeated many times as it continued west. I did not hear it make any other call.
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| Golden Plover |
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| Golden Plover |
I think it likely that it was disturbed from the wader roost as a little further along I saw a cyclist pushing their bike along the shingle ridge nearest the beach. A little further on a Golden Plover flew in, landing briefly on a shingle ridge, before moving off and appearing to come down onto the wader roost behind Plumpudding. I do not know if this is the same Golden Plover or not, the other had appeared to carry on west but may well have circled round.
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| Golden Plover |
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| Golden Plover |
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| Golden Plover |
Plumpudding Island appeared deserted apart from a couple of Wood Pigeons and 3 Pied Wagtail. A few Linnet and Meadow Pipit were at the back. The tide was starting to go out as I neared the stables and a Robin was on the rocks and a few Sanderling and Oystercatcher on the shore. 5 Teal flew west.
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| Teal |
At the stables a large number of Starling were singing and chattering away in the bushes but suddenly fell completely silent, as quickly as if a switch had been flicked off, when 2 Sparrowhawk shot through the bushes scattering Linnet and Goldfinches in alarm. As one, the Starlings took off in a whirr of wings and quickly began to loosely group before starting to wheel round in an ever tighter flock.
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| Starlings |
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| Starlings |
I had a wander along the embankment and was greeted by another very vocal Cetti's Warbler. Chiffchaff were calling here and there. Above there was a large movement of Siskin flying west with flocks of various sizes every few minutes, or so, overhead. I tried to see if I could get some photos but it proved difficult as the space from when I heard them coming to them being past me was very short. Still, it was fun to try. By the time I reached the turnoff for Chambers Wall I had seen a total of 844 Siskin west. Wow.
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| Siskin |
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| Siskin |
A Marsh Harrier was over the fields and a little further along so were a couple of Common Buzzard. A Hobby was on the ground, in one of the fields, eating its prey. A Tree Pipit called flying west. As I walked up to Chambers Wall a Willow Warbler was singing and a Lesser Whitethroat was making its way through the bushes. Good numbers of Chiffchaff were calling and a few Reed Warbler and a single Sedge Warbler were in the bushes together with a couple of Blackcap and a Whitethroat. Another loud Cetti's Warbler finished the visit nicely.
Birds seen this visit included: 6 Robin, 29 Chiffchaff, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, 14 Pied Wagtail, 3 Blackbird, 4 Little Egret, 3 Common Buzzard, 2 Sandwich Tern E , 9 Redshank, 62 Ringed Plover, 7 Stonechat, 76 Goldfinch, 18 Reed Bunting, 3 Kestrel, 11 Meadow Pipit, 104 Oystercatcher, 36 Mallard, 2 Grey Heron, Carrion Crows, 49 Linnet, 6 Mute Swan, 1 Wren, 52 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, 8 Turnstone, 2 Hobby, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 44 Golden Plover, 12 Teal, 2 Coot, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 4 Magpie, 876 Siskin west, 2 Wheatear, 1 Rock Pipit, House Sparrows, 350 Starling, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Sparrowhawk, 42 Swallow, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Tree Pipit, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 2 Corn Bunting, 2 Blackcap, 5 Reed Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Chaffinch, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warber,
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