It was good to get the chance of paying a short visit to Reculver this morning and it started well with a very handsome adult male Eider off shore.
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| male Eider |
It was busily fishing for crabs and proved to be very adept at it. Having caught the crab it would hold it by the crab's pincers, and/or legs, and thrash it back and fore through the water until the leg came away. It would then quickly retrieve the crab and go through the process again until most of the appendages were broken off and it could swallow the crab whole. It did appear that at least a couple of the crabs got away as on a couple of occasions the Eider failed to be able to retrieve it after breaking a leg off. I felt very lucky to be able to watch the Eider and it was an absolute pleasure to see although I couldn't help feeling sorry for the crab.
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| male Eider |
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| male Eider |
He had been fishing in peace for a while when it drew the unwelcome attention of a couple of passing Herring Gulls who promptly started to hassle it. The Eider responded by immediately diving and surfacing a little way away. Moments later it was running full pelt on the water before the lift of its wing beats was enough to enable it to lift off from the surface of the sea. Once airborne it carried on west.
A small flock of Linnet were amongst the vegetation on the shingle as I started along the sea wall. Out to sea appeared to be very quiet with just a few passing Herring and Black-headed Gulls and a single Great Black-backed Gull east. It was a beautiful morning with very little wind and every few steps there appeared to be a singing and/or displaying Meadow Pipit. I received a text from Matt Hindle to say that they had had a sub adult male Pallid Harrier but unfortunately I had missed it. I kept a lookout, as I carried on, just in case I was lucky enough for it to come back through. What a great find by Matt, Chris and Anne.
Small numbers of waders were dotted here and there and out to sea a flock of 24 Common Scoter flew first west then east before settling back down onto the sea.
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| Common Scoter |
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| Common Scoter |
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| Common Scoter |
A couple of smart breeding plumage Cormorants flew west with the back bird looking particularly striking.
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| Cormorants |
I decided to head for Coldharbour and could see a distant Greylag Goose in one of the fields. As I scanned the next field I could see a bird shaped bump which appeared to be a single Golden Plover.
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| Golden Plover |
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| Golden Plover |
I needed to get back as I had an appointment and finished with a Mute Swan that had taken exception to a male Mallard and was pursuing it up the river.
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| Mute Swan and Mallard |
Though I did not manage to catch up with the Pallid Harrier the great thing with bird watching is you never know, I might yet be lucky that it comes back through when I am out. I can but hope anyway.
Birds seen this visit included: 1 male Eider, 10 Linnet, 1 Kestrel, 2 Blackbird, House Sparrows, Wood Pigeons, Cormorants, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 18 Meadow Pipit, 11 Oystercatcher, 3 Swallow, 11 Mallard, 2 Sedge Warbler, 11 Redshank, 1 Grey Plover, 3 Ringed Plover, 7 Turnstone, 38 Corn Bunting, 5 Reed Bunting, 24 Common Scoter, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Little Egret, 1 Greylag Goose, 1 Golden Plover, 4 Stonechat, 1 Marsh Harrier
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