Two Blackcap were in full song when I arrived at Shuart this morning with wall to wall sunshine but with an increasingly breezy wind. More Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff song filled the air as I had a wander along the track. A Red Admiral butterfly was making the most of some shelter from the wind and early morning sunshine.
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| Red Admiral Butterfly |
Two Goldfinches flew over and Blue and Great Tits were busy gathering bill fulls of food for youngsters back at the nest. A Wren was its usual power house of song and a Whitethroat kept a wary eye on me as I made my way along.
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| Whitethroat |
The Marsh frogs were calling loudly from the dyke and a Common Buzzard drifted over above. More Blackcap were singing and I saw a couple of females in the hedgerow. The odd Herring Gull was flying over high above with the light shining through their flight feathers.
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| Herring Gull |
A couple of Cetti's were singing at various points as I made my way along and I paused to enjoy the song of a Lesser Whitethroat. A Yellow Wagtail flew over and once again was a vivid splash of yellow against the blue sky. There was a repeated begging call from a Sedge Warbler tucked down in the reeds and a couple of Reed Warbler were singing away. I could hear a Cuckoo calling in the distance and at the same time had a second Cuckoo fly past. I only managed a couple of memory shots but was pleased to be able to get them.
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| Cuckoo |
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| Cuckoo |
Small numbers of Swift were flying west every now and then and as I came up onto the embankment 2 Greylag Geese flew past.
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| Greylag Geese |
A male Marsh Harrier was hunting over towards the sea wall and 2 passing Swifts mated briefly in the air before continuing on west. A Painted Lady butterfly settled for a few moments before continuing on along the embankment.
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| Painted Lady Butterfly |
A couple of Swallow flew west and another 15 were hawking for insects over the horse paddocks at the stables. 2 Pied Wagtails flew west and another couple were in the paddocks. A smart male Chaffinch dropped down for a drink from one of the puddles as I came up to the sea wall.
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| male Chaffinch |
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| male Chaffinch |
It was a quiet and decidedly breezy walk to Plumpudding with a steadily strengthening cool south south westerly wind. A single Redshank was on the shore and at various bushes along the way Whitethroat were working their way through various bushes looking for insects. A Cetti's Warbler was singing explosively as I came up to Plumpudding and a Meadow Pipit and a couple of Reed Bunting were flitting back and fore between the island vegetation and other side of the sea wall. A single Oystercatcher was throwing a ruffled reflection as it kept an eye on passers by on the sea wall.
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| Oystercatcher |
Three Pied Wagtail, a couple of Meadow Pipit and 2 Yellow Wagtail were making the most of the insects on the sea wall and though repeatedly disturbed by people coming past they returned to the same patch of wall each time.
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| Yellow Wagtail |
A pair of Tufted Duck were down their usual dyke and the male Marsh Harrier was up at the back. A Painted Lady Butterfly was making the most of the little bit of shelter from the wind afforded by a patch of flowers near the sea wall and busy drinking nectar.
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| Painted Lady Butterfly |
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| Painted Lady Butterfly |
It kept clouding over as I carried on to Coldharbour but with the strong wind they moved through quite quickly still giving some good sunny intervals in between. A Wheatear popped up at the back of a shingle ridge as I neared Coldharbour and Sedge and Whitethroat song followed me along.
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| Wheatear |
Coldharbour had its usual inhabitants of a couple of Shelduck and 2 Mallard. I had a sit on the sea wall for a while and a single Gannet flew east. A Lesser Black-backed Gull also flew east and a couple of Great Crested Grebe were off shore and busy fishing. One of them raised a spiky crest after each dive.
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| Great Crested Grebe |
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| Great Crested Grebe |
I carried on towards Reculver with the weather alternating between sunshine and the threat of showers but apart from a couple of drops the rain came to nothing. Out to sea a distant Fulmar flew east and 3 Common Tern were off shore. A Common Seal popped its head up briefly while overhead a couple of Common Tern flew inland.
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| Common Tern |
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| Common Tern |
I saw the usual mix of waders on the way to Reculver and a Wren and a Blackcap together with a Whitethroat were singing as I came up to the towers. I paused to enjoy their song and could also hear a Cuckoo calling from the oyster farm while overhead a Kestrel was carrying prey, bringing the visit to a close.
Birds seen this visit included: 9 Blackcap, Jackdaws, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 7 Blackbird, Wood Pigeons, 1 Robin, 4 Wren, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 1 Jay, 13 Chaffinch, 3 Pheasant, 11 Goldfinches, 25 Whitethroat, 1 Common Buzzard, Herring Gulls, 1 Moorhen, 22 Sedge Warbler, 3 Cetti's, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 9 Mallard, 1 Corn Bunting, 3 Cuckoo, 11 Reed Warbler, 20 Swift west, 1 Magpie, 5 Reed Bunting, 2 Greylag Geese, 1 Marsh Harrier, 19 Swallow, 11 Pied Wagtail, House Sparrows, 12 Linnet, 1 Redshank, 13 Meadow Pipit, 3 Kestrel, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Shelduck, 1 Wheatear, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Turnstone, 15 Sanderling, 1 Gannet east, 3 Ringed Plover, 5 Common Tern, 1 Fulmar east,
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