A Hungry Eider and a Miss - Reculver 08/04/21

It was good to get the chance of paying a short visit to Reculver this morning and it started well with a very handsome adult male Eider off shore. 

male Eider

It was busily fishing for crabs and proved to be very adept at it. Having caught the crab it would hold it by the crab's pincers, and/or legs, and thrash it back and fore through the water until the leg came away. It would then quickly retrieve the crab and go through the process again until most of the appendages were broken off and it could swallow the crab whole. It did appear that at least a couple of the crabs got away as on a couple of occasions the Eider failed to be able to retrieve it after breaking a leg off. I felt very lucky to be able to watch the Eider and it was an absolute pleasure to see although I couldn't help feeling sorry for the crab.

male Eider

male Eider

He had been fishing in peace for a while when it drew the unwelcome attention of a couple of passing Herring Gulls who promptly started to hassle it. The Eider responded by immediately diving and surfacing a little way away. Moments later it was running full pelt on the water before the lift of its wing beats was enough to enable it to lift off from the surface of the sea. Once airborne it carried on west.

A small flock of Linnet were amongst the vegetation on the shingle as I started along the sea wall. Out to sea appeared to be very quiet with just a few passing Herring and Black-headed Gulls and a single Great Black-backed Gull east. It was a beautiful morning with very little wind and every few steps there appeared to be a singing and/or displaying Meadow Pipit. I received a text from Matt Hindle to say that they had had a sub adult male Pallid Harrier but unfortunately I had missed it. I kept a lookout, as I carried on, just in case I was lucky enough for it to come back through. What a great find by Matt, Chris and Anne.  

Small numbers of waders were dotted here and there and out to sea a flock of 24 Common Scoter flew first west then east before settling back down onto the sea.

Common Scoter

Common Scoter

Common Scoter

A couple of smart breeding plumage Cormorants flew west with the back bird looking particularly striking.

Cormorants

I decided to head for Coldharbour and could see a distant Greylag Goose in one of the fields. As I scanned the next field I could see a bird shaped bump which appeared to be a single Golden Plover.

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

I needed to get back as I had an appointment and finished with a Mute Swan that had taken exception to a male Mallard and was pursuing it up the river.

Mute Swan and Mallard

Though I did not manage to catch up with the Pallid Harrier the great thing with bird watching is you never know, I might yet be lucky that it comes back through when I am out. I can but hope anyway.

Birds seen this visit included: 1 male Eider, 10 Linnet, 1 Kestrel, 2 Blackbird, House Sparrows, Wood Pigeons, Cormorants, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 18 Meadow Pipit, 11 Oystercatcher, 3 Swallow, 11 Mallard, 2 Sedge Warbler, 11 Redshank, 1 Grey Plover, 3 Ringed Plover, 7 Turnstone, 38 Corn Bunting, 5 Reed Bunting, 24 Common Scoter, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Little Egret, 1 Greylag Goose, 1 Golden Plover, 4 Stonechat, 1 Marsh Harrier

Sandwich Tern, Gannets and Common Scoter - Reculver to Coldharbour 14/11/20

It was very overcast with some light drizzling rain when I arrived at Reculver this morning and the threat of heavier rain was on the horizon. The wind was south south westerly but swung round to southerly as the visit went on. The sea was very calm but also quiet with just a few Black-headed Gulls and Cormorants off shore. 108 Brent Geese were on the point and as I came past the towers a Gannet flew west out to sea while a Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes. 6 Meadow Pipits were around the rocks at the base of the towers and a little further along a Rock Pipit was investigating the rocks while out to sea a single Shelduck flew west.

Rock Pipit

Shelduck

As I made my way along towards the green wall a Bearded Tit called from the reeds in front of the oyster farm and out to sea a Little Egret flew west. A pair of Stonechat were busy and a couple of Pied Wagtail called from the shore. A single Curlew flew east and far out to sea streams of Cormorants were once again flying east. Overall it remained quiet as I passed the green wall and headed on towards Coldharbour. I could hear Golden Plover calling and a sizeable flock of 120 birds were swirling around high above.

Golden Plover

Three Grey Plover flew east and Brent Geese were also heading east as I carried on along the sea wall. Another Great Crested Grebe was off shore and 50 Ringed Plover flew in to roost while a little later 27 Sanderling and another 2 Grey Plover joined them. As I made my way along Turnstone were busily turning stones at various points along the shore. The juvenile Sandwich Tern flew past and was a welcome sight. I had kept my eyes open for the Wheatear which has been seen recently but did not have any success. It was good to catch up with Julian Perry, who was passing by on his run, and he had seen it on his way up so it was good to know it was still around and I hoped I might pick it up on the way back. 

Sandwich Tern

I had a seat on the sea wall for a while and a single Red-throated Diver was off shore and small numbers of Gannet were flying east. After a little while the Red-throated Diver lifted off from the water and headed east allowing a very poor photo but a nice memory shot.

Red-throated Diver

I had another seat on the sea wall on reaching Coldharbour and 60 Mallard flew east and settled down on the sea a little further along. A Robin popped up onto the breakwater groyne and a flock of 46 Sanderling flew west heading for the roost on the beach.

Robin

Sanderling

Coldharbour itself was very quiet and I could only see 1 Little Grebe today and a few Redshank. A pair of Stonechat were busy catching insects as I was sitting on the sea wall on the other side of Coldharbour I could see a couple of Common Scoter off shore.

Common Scoter

Gannets were continuing to fly both east and west out to sea and it is hard to know if I was counting the same ones as they went back and fore or if they were different birds going in different directions. The largest group size I saw was five, otherwise it tended to be singles or groups up to three in both directions.

Gannet

The juvenile Sandwich Tern gave another fly past. It is a beautifully marked bird and appeared to fish successfully further along before coming back past.

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

I had another sit on the sea wall after coming back round Coldharbour as I made my way back towards Reculver. A Gannet came in closer and gave some good views as it flew west.

Gannet

Gannet

Skylarks were calling from above and a couple of Reed Bunting shone in a welcome patch of sunlight as the clouds broke. Out to sea a juvenile Gannet moving east sent the Mallards, who had been sitting out on the water, up in a panic. I had not realised that a Gannet would cause such a reaction.

Gannet and Mallards

A Kestrel was hunting over the oyster farm and a Stonechat posed nicely as it settled its balance in the wind. Out to sea a couple of Mute Swan made their way east at a leisurely pace before moving into shore further along.

Stonechat

Mute Swans

A Great Crested Grebe was close in-shore as I made my way towards Reculver and on its frequent dives was rewarded several times with small fish.

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

I did not manage to see the Wheatear on the way back but disturbance along the shore was high from dog walkers etc. Perhaps it might stay around and I will get another chance. The Sandwich Tern came back past and as it may be the last time I see one of them this year I took the opportunity to just sit and enjoy watching it. What a little beauty and it gave some super views.

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

Paste

I finished an enjoyable visit with a Grey Seal popping its head up briefly before sinking below the waves again.

Grey Seal

192 Brent Geese, Cormorants, Black-headed Gulls, 56 Gannet 19 west 37 east, 1 Chiffchaff, 6 Stonechat, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Shelduck west, 1 Pheasant, 2 Little Egret, 5 Pied Wagtail, 1 Wren, 15 Meadow Pipit, 1 Bearded Tit, 5 Redshank, 2 Kestrel, 2 Magpie, 1 Curlew east, 16 Turnstone, 73 Sanderling, 64 Mallard, 11 Great Black-backed Gull, 120 Golden Plover, 50 Ringed Plover, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Grey Plover, 2 Common Scoter, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Reed Bunting, Skylarks, 2 Mute Swan, 

A Goosander, Guillemot and Hovering Wind Turbines - Reculver 08/11/20

As I finished work earlier than expected today I paid a short visit to Reculver this afternoon. It was a beautifully fine afternoon to begin with and a Starling on the rocks by the car park looked stunning in the light.

Starling

Wandering along the sea wall I saw some small duck, a good ways out, fly up briefly from the waters surface before settling back down again a short distance away. I had a sit on the sea wall and after a while the ducks once again flew up and flew low above the water before settling down again a little further on. I was able to see them better this time and I could see that they were 14 Teal.  

Teal

As I neared the green bank I saw a bird flying in from the sea quite high and about halfway between me and Reculver. I could see it was a female/immature sawbill and expecting it to be a Red-breasted Merganser I grabbed a few photos even though it was a long way off. The photos are very heavily cropped but all suggest it could actually be a Goosander with the bird showing a clear cut demarcation line between its head and neck. It isn't as thick necked as I imagined a Goosander would look in flight but is quite heavy bodied. A white chin spot is just about visible in some shots but could be the effect of heavy cropping of the photo. The white wing patch appears not to be separated by a black line but on a photo this cropped would probably be hard to see anyway. In the end I have come down on the side of Goosander because of that sharp demarcation between head and neck but, as always, I could be wrong.

female/immature Goosander

female immature Goosander

A little further along 7 Shelduck were on the sea and looking very smart. Out to sea the wind turbines were once again giving the optical illusion of floating in the air. I have seen it once before when the horizon line becomes lost and a darker band of sea fools the eye into thinking that it is the horizon line resulting in the turbines appearing to hover. 

Shelduck

Optical illusion of hovering Wind Turbines

Cloud cover started to build and the cloud formations looked very striking. The air was suddenly filled with the calls of Golden Plover and 177 birds were wheeling around, the most Golden Plover I have seen so far this winter. I couldn't see what had put them up.

Cloud formation

Golden Plover

I had another sit on the sea wall and just enjoyed watching out to sea for a while. Small numbers of Gannet were on the move with most heading west and a couple coming east.

immature Gannet

I caught sight of a little bird out to sea whirring along and had my only auk for the afternoon when a Guillemot flew east.

Guillemot

Three Great Crested Grebe were off shore and 14 Mallard came into land. I liked the shape they formed as they did so and the stages of landing on the water captured in the photo. It still fascinates me that photos allow me to see things that happen too fast in real life to be able to sufficiently appreciate them.

Mallards

I could see 190 Brent Geese on the sea towards Coldharbour and 110 Oystercatcher roosting on the beach. A Rock Pipit was investigating one of the groynes and 3 Pied Wagtail were along the shoreline with the male flying up to the groyne at one point. The Rock Pipit did not like that at all and chased it off. Out to sea a Sparrowhawk flew in from the north. Four Teal flew west and I wondered if they would join up with the other birds I saw earlier.

Teal

Teal

It was time to start heading back. I could hear multiple alarm calls from the Oystercatchers and turned to see they had been disturbed from their roost by walkers along the shingle bank.  The Oystercatchers flew my way together with some Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Sanderling and a couple of Dunlin. Tucked in with one of the flocks of Oystercatcher were 2 Curlew.

A couple of Mute Swan flew east out to sea as I made my way back, coming down onto the water near Coldharbour. A little further along another couple of Great Crested Grebe were on the water. A single Teal was close inshore and climbed out onto the rocks but keeping a wary eye on passers-by on the sea wall.

Teal

Teal

I finished an enjoyable visit watching a stream of Brent Geese move west out to sea in an undulating long line. It was a bonus to have had some time for some birdwatching this afternoon.

Brent Geese

Birds seen this visit included: Teal, Shelduck, 9 Gannet 7 west 2 east, 1 Guillemot, 25 Sanderling, 10 Redshank, 18 Mallard, 7 Pied Wagtail, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Meadow Pipit, 1 Rock Pipit, 2 Stonechat, 2 Mute Swan, 190 Brent Geese. 38 Ringed Plover, 5 Turnstone, 2 Curlew,