Wheatears, Common Sandpiper and Gadwall - Reculver 07/05/21

With the unexpected bonus of an early finish at work I paid a visit to Reculver on a pleasant afternoon with a mixture of sunshine and cloud. The tide was on the way out and as I made my way past the towers 4 Swift, 6 Swallow and 2 House Martins flew west. It was quiet out to sea apart from a few Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls. Over on the old caravan site I could see a couple of Wheatear, a single Pied Wagtail and a Yellow Wagtail.

Wheatear

Fifty-five Swallow were hawking for insects over the oyster farm and a Whimbrel flew west out to sea. A Herring Gull coming into land on the beach slowed to almost stalling point before dropping down onto the beach.

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Sedge Warbler song was filling the air together with the scratchy song of Whitethroat. A Common Sandpiper was on the rocks and looked tiny against the Herring Gull who shared the rocks with it.

Common Sandpiper and Herring Gull

A couple of Mallard were roosting on the beach near the waters edge but keeping a wary, if sleepy, eye on passers by on the sea wall. A couple of Little Egret were on the oyster farm but overall it was remaining pretty quiet.

male and female Mallard

I carried on towards Coldharbour and a Wheatear was on the shingle and nearer Coldharbour another was on patch of broken concrete blocks at the side of the field.

Wheatear

Wheatear

I had a sit on the sea wall but out to sea remained very quiet apart from a pair of distant Gadwall. The rear black end of the male shows up well even at a distance on an almost mirror calm sea.

Gadwall

There were the usual couple of Shelduck and Mute Swan on Coldharbour but otherwise it was quiet. On the other side of the sea wall a Corn Bunting was singing away and Sedge Warblers and Whitethroat were both in full song. A Painted Lady Butterfly settled on the start of the path which leads off to Chambers wall. It appeared to be quite worn but was a welcome sight. They are beautiful butterflies.

Painted Lady Butterfly

Painted Lady Butterfly

I started to make my way back to Reculver and a Common Seal popped its head up briefly before dipping back down under the sea again. A Meadow Pipit showed well on the concrete slope having parachuted down from its song flighty display.

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Out to sea was still remaining quiet but there were at least a couple of distant Mediterranean Gulls flying west to liven things up a little.

Mediterranean Gulls

A line of dark cloud was leading to Reculver while over on the oyster farm a Lapwing was busy with its display flight. A few Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher were dotted along the shore and Turnstones were doing what they do best as they turned and tossed stones aside.

Lapwing

I couldn't see any sign of a Short-eared Owl today. A Kestrel was hunting at the back and a Shelduck took to the air before settling back down onto the oyster farm moments later.

Shelduck

A single Redshank called, unusually enough my only one for today and as I neared the towers 3 Swift flew west bringing the visit to a close.

Swift

Birds seen this visit included: 11 Swift, 86 Swallow, 2 House Martin, House Sparrows, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, House Sparrows, 4 Wheatear, 1 Pied Wagtail, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, 8 Whitethroat, 4 Linnet, 11 Sand Martin, 1 Whimbrel, 13 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Egret, 1 Stonechat, 15 Sedge Warbler, 1 Lapwing, 5 Shelduck, 1 Reed Bunting, 4 Mallard, 1 Corn Bunting, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Reed Warbler, 11 Ringed Plover, 8 Turnstone, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Redshank,

Two Sea Watches and an Osprey - Reculver 26/08/20

With a breezy north westerly blowing this morning I decided to try a sea watch to see if anything was passing. Overall it turned out to be fairly quiet but I enjoyed seeing my first Arctic Skuas (136) of the year with a couple of singles seen heading west during the morning. Even though distant, one came close enough to try for a memory shot.

Arctic Skua

Wader wise it was fairly quiet. Oystercatchers were heading east in small groups and a Bar-tailed Godwit (137) west was nice to see. A single Snipe also headed past. It was mainly Sandwich Terns that were heading east in small numbers while 3 Common Terns (138) passed west close enough to the towers to try for a photo. 

Common Terns

The undoubted highlight of the morning was when Marc Heath, who was also sea watching, spotted a distant Osprey (139) coming in from the north. I really hoped that it might head our way but it remained too far away to try for a photo and came in over Coldharbour instead and carried straight on, presumably ending up at Stodmarsh. I would have loved to have been able to get a photo of it. As a first sea watch for a long time it had been an enjoyable morning and I am very grateful to Marc for all of the help he gave me during the morning.

In the afternoon I headed to Coldharbour and sat on the sea wall to see what was moving out to sea. It was clear that there were more terns on the move this afternoon, with both Sandwich and Common Terns moving west. One of the Sandwich Terns gave a nice close fly past.

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

I also saw a single Great Skua (140) west and an Arctic Skua east.

Great Skua

Arctic Skua

I enjoyed watching as groups of Terns moved through, sometimes small mixed groups of both Sandwich and Common, other times larger unmixed groups. All were a pleasure to watch.

Common Terns

Sandwich Terns

Small groups of waders were on the move as the tide continued to come in and it gave an opportunity to try for some flight shots as they came past.

Sanderling

Ringed Plover

Oystercatchers

With the movement of terns seemingly come to an end I started to make my way back to Reculver and as I did do a Rock Pipit landed on the beach and gave some very good views as it searched amongst the shingle for food. A nearby Meadow Pipit was equally obliging.

Rock Pipit

Meadow Pipit

A Common Sandpiper was on one of the groynes and I did well with them on the way back seeing 8 in total. Waders were roosting on the beach and a single Dunlin was amongst the Ringed Plover whilst a very smart Sanderling gave a very nice view.

Common Sandpiper

Dunlin and Ringed Plover

Sanderling

Four Whimbrel flew west calling and a short while later another Whimbrel flew west before turning and returning east. They have a very distinctive and far carrying call.

Whimbrel

Three Yellow Wagtails were on the beach in the company of a couple of Pied Wagtails while Linnet and Goldfinches chattered away from the other side of the sea wall. A Whitethroat peeped out at me from one of the bramble bushes and another three were more skulking.

Whitethroat

An adult and juvenile Cormorant were feeding in close proximity to each other close in to the shore. A Cormorant coming into land showed just what an impressive wing span they have and was moulting various flight feathers.

Cormorants

Cormorant landing

A juvenile Sandwich Tern was resting on the beach as I neared Reculver. They are beautifully marked and it showed its wing markings well as it wing stretched several times. It called as another Sandwich Tern flew past out to sea but it did not receive a reply.

juvenile Sandwich Tern

juvenile Sandwich Tern

juvenile Sandwich Tern

A Common Gull was on the beach as I approached the towers and a large number of Herring and Black-headed Gulls were swooping and soaring, presumably catching the many insects that were on the wing. The juvenile Sandwich Tern joined them briefly before flying back east.

It was good to reach the car park but had been an enjoyable and productive visit.

Birds seen during the morning sea watch included: 2 Arctic Skua west, 27 Sandwich Tern, 3 Common Tern, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit west, 1 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 3 Little Egret, 1 Osprey in off the sea and south over Coldharbour.

Birds seen during the afternoon visit included: 1 Great Skua west, 1 Arctic Skua east, 86 Sandwich Tern west, 49 Common Tern west, 2 Dunlin, 29 Turnstone, 63 Ringed Plover, 78 Oystercatcher, 5 Whimbrel, 6 Meadow Pipit, 61 Sanderling, 8 Common Sandpiper, 1 Sparrowhawk, 56 Linnet, 3 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 2 Little Egret, 5 Sand Martins, 25 Swallows, 15 Goldfinch, 2 Stonechat, 1 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Whitethroat,  2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Common Gull

Chiffchaff, Whimbrel, and Snipe - Chambers Wall to Reculver 15/09/19

It was a beautifully fine late afternoon when I finished work so I thought I would have a wander from Chambers Wall to Coldharbour and then see where I went from there. It was very warm with a light wind. A Kestrel was hovering as I walked up the road and a Common Buzzard was perched atop a bush before lifting off and climbing slowly as it spiralled round. The hedgerow was very quiet with just a small flock of 25 House Sparrows moving from the hedge to the field and back again, and a single Chiffchaff flycatching.

Common Buzzard

Chiffchaff

The car park area was very quiet. I had another Chiffchaff and a Painted Lady butterfly was feeding on the ivy flowers. A Green Woodpecker called and a Robin was tic-ing away but nothing else was stirring.

Painted Lady Butterfly

The walk down to the railway crossing remained quiet. I picked up another couple of Chiffchaff and a Blackcap and then as I walked down to Coldharbour a Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap were in a Blackberry bush and 5 Goldfinches were enjoying the teasels. A somewhat distant Whinchat was nice to see. While watching the Whinchat a Stonechat flew in but was against the light so I have not managed much of a photo but it makes a good memory shot of a little bird full of character.

Whinchat

Stonechat

A couple of Mute Swan were on the river as were 4 Coot. One of the Mute Swan had strands of pond weed hanging which glowed as the light shone through them.

Mute Swan

As I came to the junction with the sea wall a couple of Chiffchaff were amongst the seed heads and one of them gave some very nice views as it moved from head to head looking for insects. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them.

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Coldharbour was quiet with a single Redshank roosting and throwing a perfect half reflection. I do not think I have seen one sitting down before. A few Black-headed Gulls were on the water and also throwing perfect reflections.

Redshank

Black-headed Gull

I walked along, seeing another couple of Chiffchaff, and had a sit on the sea wall for a while. The light was beautiful with an almost mirror calm blue sea. After a busy day it was great to just sit and have the time to enjoy such a beautiful afternoon. An Oystercatcher flew past, its reflection broken only by the gentlest of ripples. I could see 45 Mallard on the sea well to the left of me but gradually they drifted closer and then came past me.

Oystercatcher

Mallards

Mallards

As time was getting on I decided against trying to get to Shuart but instead decided to aim for Reculver and headed back that way. As I came back past Coldharbour the Little Grebe, I have seen there before, was out from cover and diving frequently. A Common Sandpiper gave some good views as it worked its way along one of the edges.

Little Grebe

Common Sandpiper

I could hear Whimbrel calling and had 6 fly in from the north. They came closer and closer and for a moment I thought they were going to come into land on Coldharbour itself but they came down behind the shingle bank instead. A short while later they were disturbed by a dog walker and flew first east before turning north and flying out to sea again.

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

A small flock of House Sparrows were back to enjoying the blackberries. I tried for some more photos of the Black-headed Gulls with their reflections before starting to make my way to Reculver.

House Sparrow

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

As I made my way back a large number of insects were on the wing and attracting the attention of both Black-headed and Herring Gulls who were hawking for them high above me. There were also large numbers of Migrant Hawkers taking advantage of the glut and I saw 58 hawking for insects in just one small area and there were further good numbers on my walk back with easily over 100 seen.

Migrant Hawkers

Migrant Hawkers

3 Little Egrets were feeding in the shallows and when one flew its yellow feet appeared very bright in the light.

Little Egret

I had four Wheatear in one area on one of the scrubby areas of shingle and 3 Yellow Wagtail were along the shore. I thoroughly enjoy watching Wheatear and one was very obliging for photos. The Yellow Wagtails looked stunning in the early evening light.

Wheatear

Wheatear

While watching the Wheatear I heard a Snipe call as it went up over the oyster farm and I tried for a quick photo before it settled back down onto the oyster farm again.

Snipe

There was a short pulse of 80 Swallows and 18 House Martin moving west in a group and for a few moments I was surrounded by them as they flew low to the left, right, and above me, twisting and turning to pluck mouthful's of insects from the air as they went. More Yellow Wagtail were along the shore, as well as a couple more Wheatear and also Turnstone and Ringed Plover. Good numbers of Redshank were along the shoreline. A Greenshank called from the oyster farm and another Chiffchaff. I was losing the light rapidly as the sun set but was treated to a beautiful sunset with the clouds aflame with colour. As I approached Reculver I could hear 2 Little Owls calling and could see one in its usual spot. It made a very nice finish to an enjoyable afternoon.

Birds seen this visit include: 2 Kestrel, 1 Common Buzzard, Wood Pigeons, 25 House Sparrows, 9 Chiffchaff, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Robin, 2 Magpie, 1 Pheasant, 2 Blackcap, 5 Coot, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 19 Goldfinch, 1 Whinchat, 2 Stonechat, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 4 Oystercatcher, 45 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Common Sandpiper, 6 Whimbrel, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 8 Meadow Pipit, 7 Little Egret, 38 Linnet, 6 Wheatear, 12 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Snipe, 80 Swallow, 18 House Martin, 2 Ringed Plover, 8 Turnstone, 6 Corn Bunting, 19 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Little Owl,