Wigeon, Whimbrel and Migrant Hawkers in Flight - Reculver to Chambers Wall 13/09/19

I paid a visit to Reculver in the morning. There was a north north westerly wind and the tide was on its way in. It was cloudy when I arrived but the cloud was clearing and there was plenty of blue sky behind me as I headed for the sea wall. A few Herring and Black-headed Gulls were heading west in dribs and drabs. Apart from them the first birds that I saw were a pair of Wigeon heading west and 2 Mute Swan flying in over the sea from the north. 5 Sand Martin were hawking for insects.

Wigeon

Mute Swan

As I headed along 4 Oystercatcher headed east. 4 Goldfinches were feeding on the Teasels and 12 Turnstone flew in and landed on the rocks. I only managed a photo of the tail end of them as they came in to land but it makes a good memory shot. I had hoped that perhaps the northerly wind would result in some birds moving past out to sea but all appeared quiet.

Turnstone

There appeared to be a brief, small movement of Carrion Crows west and I had 25 in total with the biggest group being 10.

Carrion Crows

I could hear a Whimbrel call and one flew over the oyster farm and circled before settling down out of sight. I also had a Greenshank call and fly up from the oyster farm before settling back down again. Meadow Pipits were moving from the sea wall to the shore and back again. A Great Black-backed Gull flew west as did a Little Egret.

Whimbrel

Greenshank

A flock of 12 Reed Buntings were atop one of the bushes and chasing off any other bird that landed. Linnets were chattering away as they moved along the shore. A Great Black-backed Gull flew west and 3 Grey Herons were on the oyster farm. A Yellow Wagtail was working its way along the shore and showed the white edges to its tail feathers well as it moved along.

immature Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

While having a seat near the green bank I got some very nice views of a Wheatear on the shore and also one of the Meadow Pipits. Corn Buntings were in the bushes bordering the oyster farm.

Wheatear

Meadow Pipit

I carried on down to Coldharbour. A few more Wheatear were dotted around the shore on the way. The Little Grebe was still on Coldharbour and 4 Mallard were tucked into one of the banks. A Common Sandpiper was over at the back and a few Black-headed Gulls bobbed around on the water. A Kestrel sent up a flock of 34 Linnet as it flew over the shingle bank.

Mallard

Kestrel

I started to head in the direction of Chambers Wall and as I came to the first bushes a few birds were making their way through them with Great Tit, Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Warbler, and a obliging  Sedge Warbler were all represented.

Sedge Warbler

A Cetti's Warbler was singing away as I crossed the railway line and a Hobby was high up hawking for insects. As it was still very quiet for birds I had a look to see what I could see in the dragonfly line. A Squash Bug was sunning itself.

Squash Bug

I came across a Migrant hawker that was repeatedly returning to the same area and then hovering and I took the opportunity to try for some flight shots. Many ended up out of focus or else the Hawker was disappearing out of the frame but I ended up with some that I am pleased with and it was great fun trying for them and hopefully in time I will get a bit better at it. I will really miss insects and dragonflies when the season comes to an end.

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

 

Migrant Hawker

I came across a spectacular female Dark Bush-cricket.

Dark Bush-cricket

I finished off an enjoyable, if fairly quiet visit with 4 Common Buzzards thermalling together and a smart Red Admiral and a very worn Painted Lady Butterfly. The ivy flowers had also attracted a cloud of hoverflies and wasps.

Red Admiral Butterfly

Painted Lady Butterfly

Birds seen this visit include: 5 Sand Martin, 2 Wigeon west, 3 Mute Swan, 7 Oystercatcher,  14 Swallow west, 21 Turnstone, 11 Goldfinch, 3 Redshank, 20 Meadow Pipit, Wood Pigeons, 109 Linnet, 25 Carrion Crow west, 19 Reed Bunting, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Stonechat, 4 Wheatear, 1 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 10 Corn Bunting, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 28 Mallard, 6 Coot, 7 Chiffchaff, 5 Great Tit, 7 Blue Tit, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Skylark, 2 Hobby, 2 Blackbird, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Magpie, 1 Curlew, House Sparrows, 4 Common Buzzards,

Young Swallows - Marshside 21/06/19

I had a short window for some bird watching so headed to Marshside to see what I could see from the road. A singing Reed Warbler and a Whitethroat greeted me on arrival. A young Swallow was sitting on the wires waiting to be fed and I left him in peace so as to not disturb the parents when they came back.

young Swallow

Overall it appeared to be very quiet for birds. I could hear a Blue Tit family moving through the hedgerow and a couple of Reed Warblers were busy collecting food. A Ring-necked Parakeet called and Song Thrush, Blackcap and Wren were all singing away. A few Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies were dotted around. I saw 3 Meadow Brown Butterflies but they were decidedly camera shy and I never did manage to get a good shot of one.

Meadow Brown Butterfly

Both Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Green Woodpecker called and a Chiffchaff was chiff chaffing away. A couple of Red Admiral Butterflies and a Speckled Wood were on the wing. A little further on I caught sight of a Banded Demoiselle but unfortunately it kept going without stopping. I love watching them, they are beautiful damselflies. A female Cranefly Tipula lunata was resting up allowing some good views.

female Cranefly Tipula lunata

A Cuckoo was calling frequently but I did not hear a female answer today. A Common Buzzard was spiralling above and Swifts were hawking for insects high above me. I disturbed a small moth that flew a short distance before settling down again. I think that it was a Chrysoteuchia culmella. A Holly Blue butterfly settled briefly allowing a photo.

Chrysoteuchia culmella

Holly Blue Butterfly

A little further on a Reed Warbler peeped out at me as it worked its way through the vegetation. An Ichneumon wasp Amblyteles armatorius paused briefly before moving off, they are striking insects. I kept my eyes open for dragonflies but did not have any success today in seeing any. A few Red-eyed Damselflies were resting on the duck weed in the dyke.

Reed Warbler

Amblyteles armatorius

I caught sight of yellow again and thought I had another Ichneumon wasp but then realised it was a Longhorn Beetle. Luckily for me it flew and landed closer to me and I was able to get a couple of photos before it moved on. It was a Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata and was fascinating to watch.

Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata

Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata

A small family group of Great Tits were calling away and Goldfinch song and calls filled the air as a small group flew over. I had a look in some vegetation that was in the shade and got good views of a Ptychoptera contaminata and also a Pericoma species Moth Fly.

Ptychoptera contaminata

Pericoma species Moth Fly

I caught sight of a small spider with a bright green abdomen and tried for some photos. I did not manage to get much in the photo line but I think that it is either Araniella cucurbitina or opisthographa as apparently they are indistinguishable in the field in general appearance and size.

Araniella cucurbitina or opisthographa

Araniella cucurbitina or opisthographa

A Great Pied Hoverfly Volucella pellucens was busy feeding amongst a flower head and I saw a nymph that I think must be a Speckled Bush-cricket nymph.

Great Pied Hoverfly Volucella pellucens

Speckled Bush-cricket nymph

A female Marsh Harrier was hunting along a field edge and I could see a couple of Common Buzzard one of which was thermalling while the other was hovering before dropping down presumably onto something it had seen. 3 young Swallows were on the wires and Mum/Dad were kept busy feeding them.

Swallow feeding young

I finished off the visit with a Common Green Caspid Bug. I saw some Fringed Water-Lilies out in flower. Alarm calls above from the Swallows alerted me to a Sparrowhawk passing over. It was carrying food presumably back to feed young so hopefully they will do well. I had not been able to spend long but it had been good to be out and had been an enjoyable visit even if a fairly quiet one for birds.

Common Green Caspid Bug

Fringed Water-lily

Sparrowhawk

On the way home I saw a male Marsh Harrier hunting over one of the fields.

Male Marsh Harrier

Birds seen this visit include: 14 Reed Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 4 Magpie, 9 Blackbird, 8 Chaffinch, 18 Swallow including at least 8 young, 3 Blackcap, 1 Wren, 2 Dunnock, 1 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Song Thrush, Wood Pigeons, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Green Woodpecker, 3 Chiffchaff, 7 Swift, 19 Goldfinches, 2 Cuckoo, 2 Greenfinch, 3 Common Buzzard, Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws, 5 Great Tit, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Yellowhammer, House Sparrows, Starlings, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Mistle Thrush,

Bird and Bug Watching - Marshside 12/05/19

I paid a visit to Marshside after work for a bit of from the road bird and bug watching. It was beautifully sunny but with a cool north easterly wind. The visit turned out to be fairly quiet for birds, apart from the usual jobs and I spent most of the time keeping my eyes open for insects.

In one of the sheltered areas there were good numbers of Hairy Shieldbugs with several mating pairs.They are striking insects.

Hairy Shieldbug

mating Hairy Shieldbug

I saw several of, what looked like miniature crickets, and I think, from having looked it up on the internet that they could be young bush crickets with this one possibly being a young Dark Bush-Cricket. It is something that I will need to look into further.

? young Dark Bush-Cricket

There were a fair number of Damselflies about and I saw mainly Azure with a few Blue-tailed.

female Azure Damselfly

male Blue-tailed Damselfly

I caught sight of an attractive red and black insect and on looking it up it is a Corizus hyoscyami. I took a photo of it both in the sun and in the shade as in the shade its patterning showed a little better.

Corizus hyoscyami

Corizus hyoscyami

I came across a smart Hoverfly that I think is a Scaeva pyrasti or selenitica. I am finding identifying insects pretty tricky at times and I could be wrong. Hopefully, gradually, I will be able to learn more about insects and get better at identifying them.

? Scaeva pyrastri or selenitica

I saw Several Common Wasps during my visit and also several Scorpion Flies.

Common Wasp

female Scorpion Fly

Blackcap and Whitethroat were in good voice and a Cetti's Warbler joined in now and then. A Wren was busily collecting food and a few Swallows were hawking for insects above. I came across a Common Lizard that was basking in the sunshine and a little further on saw a Sphaerophoria Hoverfly ? scripta.

Common Lizard

Sphaerophoria Hoverfly ? Scripta

I saw a small beige Ladybird sharing a leaf with a spider I cannot identify at the moment. I think that the Ladybird is a 16-spot Ladybird Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata. I saw another spider that was carrying an egg sac and I think that it is a Pardosa and possibly Pardosa nigriceps as apparently that is the only one found above ground level. I am not finding spider identification easy.

16-spot Ladybird Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata

? Pardosa nigriceps

I saw good numbers of a small beetle with a blue/green metalic sheen.I am not sure at the moment what they are. I thought they were going to be Dock Beetles but they did not have a golden or bronze coloured sheen at any point. I also saw an attractive beetle that, again, I am not sure what it is but wonder if it is a Chrysolina polita. Unfortunately it never moved so I could not get a better picture.

? Chrysolina polita

There were also several of, what I think are, Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. I also had a  Hoverfly that I am not sure what it is at the moment.

Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

A male Marsh Harrier flew past and I saw both Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. I may not have been able to go far today but I saw an interesting range of wildlife. I finished off the visit by just sitting and listening to Reed Warblers singing and Marsh Frogs calling. A female Blackbird perched in a nearby bush and, though it is taken through the windscreen, it was nice to be able to get a photo as she looked beautiful in the light.

female Blackbird