Dancing Magpies and Owls - Reculver 27/02/19

I paid a short visit to Reculver after work this afternoon. It was beautifully sunny with next to no wind. The weather is due to change from tomorrow so I thought I would make the most of it while I could.

On the rocks, from the car park, a female Pied Wagtail was preening. She appeared to be missing the feathers on the back of her neck and on part of her head. I don't know if that would be part of her moult or whether there is another reason for it. Her other feathers all appeared fine.

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail showing missing neck feathers

Pied Wagtail showing missing head and neck feathers

The sea appeared very quiet and I could only see a Great Crested Grebe on the water. The water was almost mirror calm and gave some great reflections as some Brent Geese and then a Cormorant flew low over the sea.

Brent Geese and reflections

Cormorant and reflection

A passing Carrion Crow looked stunning with the light shining through its flight feathers.

Carrion Crow with backlit flight feathers

A single Dunlin was feeding along the shoreline and was joined briefly by a Ringed Plover whereupon they both flew towards the wader roosting point, giving some nice views as they did.

Dunlin

Dunlin and Ringed Plover in flight

Ringed Plover and Dunlin in flight

I did not have enough time to walk very far up the sea wall as I had an appointment that I needed to get back for. It meant I was a bit far away when 2 Short-eared Owls came up over the oyster farm, as they were more towards the green bank end rather than where I was, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching them. I could not tell if they were fighting or amorous when they were near each other. Certainly each time they became close to each other they appeared to clash. I was a little too distant to see quite what was going on. When hunting it is amazing how quickly they can change direction, suddenly banking and then diving as they see prey. It was just beautiful to be able to watch them in the sunshine. The photos are not great but they make good memory shots and I felt very lucky to be able to get them.

Short-eared Owls

Short-eared Owls

Short-eared Owl - sudden dive having spotted prey

Short-eared Owl on patrol

Short-eared Owl on patrol

Short-eared Owl - sudden bank having spotted something

Short-eared Owl on patrol

Short-eared Owl hovering

I could have stayed watching them all afternoon but I needed to start heading back so I made my back towards Reculver. There were a couple of Magpies that appeared to be flying in unison at times. I am not sure if they were displaying or showing solidarity in defence of their territory as it started when 3 other Magpies appeared. Whatever the reason, they were a joy to watch. They almost appeared to be doing a choreographed dance at times.

Dancing Magpies

Two Little Grebes were on one of the oyster farm lagoons.They are gorgeous little birds. One of them was quite shy but the other posed nicely.

Little Grebe

I finished off the visit with some good views of an adult Herring Gull. They are handsome birds. The legs appeared very pale with a yellowish tinge in the field and when it flew it appeared to have reduced white in the wing tip.

Herring Gull

Herring Gull underwing

Herring Gull upperwing

It may only have been a short visit but it was great to be out in the sunshine with next to no wind. There was no doubt that to be able to watch the Short-eared Owls was just the icing on the cake.

Birds seen this visit include: 1 Blackbird, 5 House Sparrow, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 3 Pied Wagtail, 15 Brent Geese, Cormorants, 7 Carrion Crow, 1 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover, 5 Turnstone, 3 Stonechat, 2 Short-eared Owl, 5 Magpie, 2 Pheasant, 1 Grey Partridge calling, 2 Little Grebe, 8 Mute Swan, 12 Linnet, 7 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren, 1 Robin, 2 Dunnock, 10 Mallard, 1 Shelduck, 1 Shoveler

A Windy Gull Watch - Reculver 09/01/19

It was a very windy day today with a strong north westerly wind and jolly chilly too, but with some nice sunny intervals. I came down to Reculver but found it really was too windy and cold to try walking along the sea wall, particularly as I felt so rough today and balance was not at its best. So I decided to go up to the towers and see if I could find a spot out of the wind to try and sea watch for a while.

A Kestrel was hanging in the wind by the towers, intent on whatever it was hunting. It is amazing how they can stay almost motionless with so little wing movement. I managed to get a couple of photos and thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Kestrel hanging in the wind

Kestrel hovering

Once I reached the towers I found a good spot out of the wind and waited to see what did or did not fly past. The sea was very quiet and there was very little going on out there. I did manage to see three Red-throated Divers and a Great Crested Grebe but that really was about it. I had hoped to perhaps pick up a few new birds for the year but I appeared to be out of luck. There was, however, a steady stream of gulls going west so I spent some time happily trying to get some photos of them. I had a very smart Common Gull go past and also a Herring Gull whose eye just caught the light as it passed me.

Common Gull

Herring Gull

A single Brent Goose flew west and gave some nice views as it did so.

Brent Goose

A juvenile Herring Gull gave good views of both its upper wing, and a particularly good view of its underwing. It was very nice to have the gulls come so close and to see them at eye level.

Juvenile Herring Gull

Juvenile Herring Gull

The sea was quite rough but not as rough as I expected considering how strong the wind was. It was hitting the rocks but not causing massive amounts of spray. I tried to catch some spray on a photo but each time I tried it was suddenly less. Strange how that goes. Out to sea I could see it was raining and a partial rainbow appeared briefly.

Sea spray - Reculver

Rainbow

There was a good movement of Common Gulls with at least 40 moving through while I was there. I had one well marked individual go past and the photos I took in sunshine and then in the shade of the towers shadow show how much difference the light can make to appearance and colour.

Common Gull

Common Gull

Another passing Common Gull gave a spectacular view of its underwing. Unfortunately I missed a very smart Cormorant going past in full breeding plumage. I only managed to grab a shot as it disappeared from view. I had forgotten just how handsome they are in breeding plumage.

Common Gull

Cormorant - breeding plumage

A couple of Herring Gull went past giving good views of an upperwing and underwing respectively. I will need to work at getting much better at both ageing identification in gulls and gull identification full stop.

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

I had enjoyed my time at the towers, I have not done a seawatch for a very long time. It might not have produced any new birds for the year but it was good fun. I finished off with a juvenile Herring Gull and a Common Gull passing below me, not a view I usually see.

Juvenile Herring Gull

Common Gull

Birds seen this visit include: 1 Kestrel, c40 Common Gull, 120 Herring Gull, 50 Black-headed Gull, 1 Brent Goose, 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 24 Mallard, 15 Mute Swan, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Blackbird, 15 Cormorant