With a north westerly wind and the threat of rain coming later I headed round the towers at Reculver on a sunny morning with rapidly building cloud. Four Swift were hawking for insects above and the song of Blackcap drifted over from the far hedgerow. As I started along the sea wall a Herring Gull flew in clutching a fish in its bill and landed on the beach. The fish was rolled and appeared to be a cut piece of raw fish rather than a freshly caught fish.
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| Herring Gull and fish |
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| Herring Gull and fish |
A passing immature Herring Gull spotted it instantly and pursued the adult who dropped down onto the sea and despite the size of the rolled piece of fish it somehow managed to mostly swallow it. As it tried to lift off it managed to completely swallow it but it appeared to be stuck in its throat, showing as a visible bulge, and the gull was clearly finding it difficult to gain height. Moments later the bulge in its throat had gone and it settled back down onto the sea, presumably to give it a chance to digest its meal a bit. The immature Herring Gull tried dive bombing a couple of times but seeing no further sign of the fish went to try its luck elsewhere.
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A pair of Tufted Duck flew up from the oyster farm and headed inland and a little while later another headed in the same direction. 2 Marsh Harrier, a male and a female were up at the back while out to sea a distant Fulmar flew east. A few Swallow were hawking for insects and Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler were in good song as I made my way to Coldharbour. Two Dunnock were chasing each other through one of the bushes by the sea wall and a single Great Crested Grebe was on the sea. The Yellow Horned Poppies were in flower giving vivid splashes of colour amongst the shingle.
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| Yellow Horned Poppy |
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| Yellow Horned Poppy |
A Sandwich Tern was out to sea and 2 Fulmar flew east as I approached Coldharbour while on Coldharbour itself there were a couple of Redshank and 3 Little Egrets. A pair of Oystercatchers were calling noisily from the shingle bank at the back and briefly mated. A male Tufted Duck was in its usual spot on the dyke opposite.
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| Tufted Duck |
I tried again to see or hear a Grasshopper Warbler but unfortunately still didn't have any success. It really is turning into a bogey bird for me this year and I am proving to be particularly inept at catching up with one. Still, never say never, it may still happen. More of the darker patch of Salsify were in flower and very attractive.
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| Salsify |
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| Salsify |
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| Salsify |
A small Snail showed a beautiful branching pattern on its semi-translucent shell as it made its way along a stem.
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| Snail |
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| Snail |
A micro moth was resting up and on looking it up, once I got home, I think that it is a Carnation Tortrix
Cacoecimorpha pronubana.
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| Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana |
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| Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana |
I could hear a Mediterranean Gull calling and a few moments later two adult Meditereranean Gulls flew over heading out to sea.
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
I was lucky that the rain had skirted round me so far but with the sky looking more threatening I decided to head for Chambers Wall. A Nomada Bee was resting up and I think that it may be a Marsham's Nomad Bee Nomada marshamella but I never got complete views of the pattern on its abdomen.
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| ? Marsham's Nomad Bee Nomada marshamella |
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| ? Marsham's Nomad Bee Nomada marshamella |
I met Chris and Anne who had heard and seen a singing Grasshopper Warbler near the railway embankment and had got a lovely photograph of it. I really hoped that it might still be their by the time I got there. Maybe today would be the day for one after all. A Cetti's Warber was in good voice but unfortunately I didn't have any success with the Grasshopper Warbler once I reached the railway embankment. I would liked to have spent longer trying for it but with drops of rain already falling and clearly some very heavy rain heading straight for me I decided to carry on. Another Cetti's Warbler was singing away and a Sedge Warbler was busy collecting insects for its young.
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Sedge Warbler |
The Cetti's Warbler flew in and chased the Sedge Warbler following which it broke into frantic bursts of song moving from bush to bush within its territory. It was cycling through them rapidly and regularly returning to the bush it had chased the Sedge Warbler from but remaining out of sight. With the sky getting blacker by the minute I risked waiting and luckily for me on the 3rd loop round it perched briefly in the open allowing some good if fairly distant views. It made my day as I hear them a lot more than see them and these are the best views I have had of Cetti's Warbler for a long time.
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| Cetti's Warbler |
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| Cetti's Warbler |
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| Cetti's Warbler |
Well chuffed, I paused to admire a Tipula lunata and a Variable Damselfly and then my luck weather wise ran out and I got soaked as a prolonged torrential shower moved through. It brought the visit to a decidedly soggy end but it had been good to be out and seeing the Cetti's Warbler so well made getting soaked well worthwhile.
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| Tipula lunata |
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| Variable Damselfly |
Birds seen this visit included: 4 Blackbird, 6 Swift, 4 Blackcap, House Sparrows, Starlings, 2 Collared Dove, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gull, 4 Meadow Pipit, 12 Whitethroat, 6 Linnet, 4 Stonechat, 4 Reed Bunting, 14 Mallard, Cormorants, 6 Tufted Duck, 10 Swallow, 9 Sedge Warbler, 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Lapwing, 2 Magpie, 4 Dunnock, 3 Fulmar east, 4 Little Egret, 10 Oystercatcher, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Reed Warbler, 2 Redshank, 4 Wren, 1 Sandwich Tern, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 7 Mute Swan, 3 Turnstone, 5 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat,1 Yellow Wagtail
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