I headed to Shuart, on what promised to be a fine morning, and on the approach road had 4 Red-legged Partridge close to the road giving some very nice views indeed. They are beautiful birds and though there wasn't really enough light I was lucky to be able to get some photos as I do not often see them this close. They made a very nice start to the visit.
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| Red-legged Partridge |
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| Red-legged Partridge |
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| Red-legged Partridge |
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| Red-legged Partridge |
It was turning out to be a fairly quiet wander through as I made my way down the track with just the usual suspects present. I enjoyed watching 10 Long-tailed Tits making their way rapidly through the hedgerow with a mixed flock of Tits. They may only be little birds but they are bursting full of character. It all changed in the next minute when I heard some geese calling and a flock of 22 Greylag Geese flew past before wheeling round and returning the way they had come. I don't know if they are birds that have wandered over from Stodmarsh or new in.
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Greylag Geese |
I hoped with a bit of luck that they might come down further along in the harvested Sweetcorn field and if so I might have a chance of catching up with them again. I carried on down the track and heard a Water Rail from its usual spot. A couple of Goldcrest were busy looking for insects and a Marsh Harrier was up at the back. A couple of Redwing had joined the Blackbirds on the track and I could hear a Fieldfare call from the back of the hedgerow. As I came to the end of the hedgerow I could see the Greylag Geese near the back of the field as I had hoped. Unfortunately a Common Buzzard spooked them and 15 birds took off and flew south and this time kept going.
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| Greylag Geese |
That left seven Geese which luckily for me were closer to the track. They were very alert and moments later they too took to the air and flew in the same direction as the others. From the direction they took presumably they are Stodmarsh birds. I am hoping that the field doesn't get ploughed in too soon as at the moment it is proving to be quite attractive to birds.
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Greylag Geese |
With the excitment of seeing the geese over I enjoyed watching 3 Stonechat as I approached the railway crossing. A Chiffchaff was still calling from the same bushes as my previous visit as I headed past the stables. I couldn't see anything different in but the birds I saw shone in the early morning sunshine and the Greenfinch looked particularly handsome today. The tide was mostly in as I came up onto the sea wall and a single Sanderling with Turnstone and Redshank were roosting out of the wind on the other side of the rocks.
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| Sanderling, Turnstone and Redshank |
There was a brisk and cold South Westerly wind as I made my way towards Plumpudding. 36 Brent Geese were off shore with a Great Crested Grebe at the back. More Turnstone were busy feeding along the tide line. Black-headed, Herring and a few Common Gull were on the sea near to the shore but I couldn't see a Mediterranean amongst the Black-headed today. A few Carrion Crow were proving to be very adept at prising out the occupants of shells on the beach and flying up and dropping those they couldn't to be able to smash the shells.
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
As I neared Plumpudding 17 Sanderling flew in to the roost on the beach and looking along from the sea wall I could see 21 Grey Plover, 86 Oystercatchers and 3 Curlew also tucked in. A Merlin was resting at the edge of the field on the other side of sea wall until it was spotted by a Carrion Crow and mobbed. Plumpudding itself was quiet with just the pair of Mute Swan and a few Meadow Pipits. Just past there a Great Black-backed Gull was offshore amongst some Brent Geese. I am always amazed at how small Brent Geese actually are when I see them against the larger Gulls.
Four Corn Bunting were atop one of the bushes as I neared Coldharbour and a Kestrel was hanging in the wind as it hunted. A few more Gannet were heading mainly east and a Common Seal popped its head up while a Great Crested Grebe was fishing fairly close inshore.
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| Great Black-backed Gull and Brent Geese |
86 Mallard were off shore as I made my way towards Coldharbour but I could not see any different duck amongst them today. Brent Geese were flying past as they made their way over to the fields and looked stunning in the light as they came past.
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| Brent Geese |
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| Brent Geese |
Four Corn Bunting were atop one of the bushes as I neared Coldharbour and a Kestrel was hanging in the wind as it hunted. A few more Gannet were heading mainly east and a Common Seal popped its head up while a Great Crested Grebe was fishing fairly close inshore.
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| Common Seal |
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| Great Crested Grebe |
I heard a Bearded Tit calling from the reedbed as I came up to Coldharbour and a Redshank was standing in state on its own little island.
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| Redshank |
19 Redshank were roosting, as was a Little Egret. The Little Grebe numbers had inceased and I could see 4 Little Grebe tucked in under one of the banks. They really are lovely little birds.
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| 3 of 4 Little Grebe tucked in |
I had a sit on the sea wall just past Coldharbour for a while and was treated to some lovely views of a Purple Sandpiper in amongst the Turnstone on the Breakwater Groyne. It was really nice to see one in some sunshine as the light showed up its markings beautifully.
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
Every now and then the Turnstone would become spooked by passers by on the sea wall and wheel round out to sea before coming back in with the Purple Sandpiper tending to trail behind at the back of the flock.
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
The Purple Sandpiper was pushed off the groyne several times by various Turnstone but persistently returned. I moved to a seat on the sea wall on the other side of the groyne and as the groyne became more crowded with Turnstone the Purple Sandpiper had a harder time staying on it, being pushed into flight several times but trying again each time.
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
It ended up right at the end and continued looking for food items in amongst the cracks in the wood in relative peace.
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
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| Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone |
I had thoroughly enjoyed watching the Purple Sandpiper but it was time to make a move. As I started towards Reculver a Rock Pipit flew up onto the groyne and showed beautifully in the sunshine.
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
A Great Crested Grebe flew west as I made my way to Reculver and a single Guillemot also flew west. More Gannets were flying west than east now and coming through in small groups as I made my way back but were adding up to reasonable numbers seen today. A flock of 150 Ringed Plover were wheeling round out to sea and a couple more Great Crested Grebe offshore but otherwise it remained fairly quiet. As I neared Reculver I enjoyed watching a Cormorant coming into land on one of the marker poles.
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
I finished off an enjoyable wander with a look from the towers and some nice views of a passing immature Herring Gull and 1st winter Black-headed Gull.
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| juvenile Herring Gull |
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| juvenile Herring Gull |
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| Black-headed Gull |
Birds seen this visit included: 4 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Grey Heron, 5 Magpie, Great Tits, Blue Tits, 5 Chaffinch, 10 Long-tailed Tit, 8 Wren, 7 Robin, 20 Blackbird, 1 Water Rail, 1 Common Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, 1 Marsh Harrier, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 22 Greylag Geese, 2 Goldcrest, 89 Golden Plover, 2 Stonechat, 15 Corn Bunting, 1 Chiffchaff, 5 Reed Bunting, 16 Goldfinch, House Sparrows, Starlings, 6 Pied Wagtail, 12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Greenfinch, 390 Brent Geese, 18 Sanderling, 42 Redshank, 83 Turnstone, 10 Great Crested Grebe, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 3 Common Gull, 10 Great Black-backed Gull, 41 Gannet 16 east 25 west, 21 Grey Plover, 108 Oystercatcher, 3 Curlew, 1 Merlin, 86 Mallard, 1 Bearded Tit, 2 Little Egret, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Guillemot, 2 Mute Swan, 156 Ringed Plover,
