I headed for Reculver early afternoon and had a walk up to Coldharbour. Rain was threatening but I started out in some sunshine with a breezy south westerly wind. A Little Egret was flying over as I came past the towers and a pair of Pied Wagtail were on the rocks by the start of the sea wall.
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| Pied Wagtail |
Out to sea appeared quiet with just a few Black-headed Gulls and Herring Gulls around. A single Sand Martin flew west with 3 House Martin and 5 Swallow. Meadow Pipits were calling here and there and 2 Kestrel were hovering over the oyster farm. A Common Blue Butterfly was being buffeted by the wind, as it tried to make its way along, and landed for a rest on the shingle before carrying on.
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| Common Blue Butterfly |
The shore was quiet apart from a couple of Redshank and 4 Turnstone. A single Sandwich Tern made its way west while on the oyster farm a Sparrowhawk surveyed proceedings from one of the posts.
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| Sparrowhawk |
A Pied Wagtail on the shore was making the most of any Cranefly that it could find tucked down amongst the shingle. No sooner had it dispatched one then it was off looking for its next prey item.
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| Pied Wagtail eating Cranefly |
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| Pied Wagtail eating Cranefly |
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| Pied Wagtail |
Small groups of Meadow Pipits were actively feeding amongst the low vegetation on the shingle while always on the look out for danger.
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| Meadow Pipit |
I did well for Wheatear today. Two were in their normal area but it was nice to see another 3 further along towards Coldharbour. One was particularly confiding and did not seemed at all phased by the people going past along the sea wall.
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
I had a sit on the sea wall for a while and a Rock Pipit gradually worked its way closer as it searched for food. A Meadow Pipit was equally confiding.
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Meadow Pipit |
The Rock Pipit moved to the other side of a groyne before reappearing with a Cranefly. Overhead another small group of House Martin and Swallow moved west.
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| Rock Pipit |
Out to sea rain clouds were on the move and as the sun broke through I was treated to a changing display of partial rainbows, never forming more than half of the bow but beautiful all the same. The double rainbow did not last long and instead of a pot of gold a ship was at the end of one of the rainbows.
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| Rainbow |
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| Double Rainbow |
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| Rainbow |
It was time to head for home and on the way I saw a good mix of waders with 3 Knot and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit west and Dunlin, Turnstone, Redshank and Ringed Plover along the shore. 35 Oyystercatcher also flew west and 30 Mallard were out to sea.
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| Oystercatchers |
I enjoyed watching the Stonechats that were busy at various points on the walk back and I was never walked far before seeing Pied Wagtail or Meadow Pipit on the shore. Small groups of Sandwich Tern were feeding offshore and I sat at various points along the sea wall to watch them. They made a nice end to the visit. As one shook the water off its head after fishing, with its head turned upwards it almost created the illusion of it flying upside down.
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
Birds seen this visit included: 5 Little Egret, 17 Pied Wagtail, 20 Meadow Pipit, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Sand Martin, 11 House Martin, 12 Swallow, 3 Kestrel, 45 Oystercatcher, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Wren, 4 Redshank, 35 Turnstone, 5 Wheatear, 18 Sandwich Tern, 3 Corn Bunting, 11 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Coot, 30 Mallard, 25 Linnet, 5 Stonechat, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Knot,
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