I paid a visit to Chambers Wall after work to see what I could see. It was a beautifully fine late afternoon with a gentle easterly wind and very warm. The visit started very well as the first bird I saw was a gorgeous Spotted Flycatcher (148) in the bushes by the car park. It really was a little beauty. I froze as soon as I saw it and apart from very slowly lifting the camera I did not move and was treated to some incredible views from a very obliging bird as it sat looking around. I think that it is the best views of a Spotted Flycatcher that I have had. It had pale edges to its greater coverts and tertials so would that make it a first winter bird? I could see a second Spotted Flycatcher atop some bushes further along.
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
I caught sight of something fly catching on the other side of the hedge and heard a bird calling so I inched away from this little fella, so as to not disturb it, and had a peep around the other side of the hedge. A Pied Flycatcher (149) was sat calling away. I don't think that I have heard one call before. It was a fair way down from me and appeared fairly agitated and looked as if whatever was upsetting it was above it but whatever it was I couldn't see it from where I was. After a few moments of calling etc it moved off into the bush.
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| Pied Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
I had a wander back round to the other side. The Pied Flycatcher was still calling and was very mobile, moving from bush to bush then over to the bushes by the river and back again. It finally settled for a little while before moving off again.
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| Pied Flycatcher |
I headed down the track towards the railway crossing and could see a Whinchat ahead of me. Unfortunately a dog walker was coming up the track so I grabbed a quick distant shot just before it flew up and disappeared to the other side of the hedge.
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| Whinchat |
A Hummingbird Hawkmoth settled momentarily before continuing up the track. I could not manage to get the camera onto it quick enough, which was a shame, as it would have been nice to have been able to have got a photo of it settled as it is not how I usually see them. Linnets and Goldfinches were flitting around. A couple of Whitethroat were working their way through the hedge and a Common Buzzard called from above. Common Darter and good numbers of Migrant Hawkers were on the wing. I came across a Spotted Flycatcher again but I think it is likely that it was one of the two that I had already seen as I had seen the more distant one head in this direction. I also saw a couple of Pied Flycatchers in the same area one of which was also likely to be the bird I had already seen.
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
I carried on down and had another Pied Flycatcher much further along, by the river and a Green Woodpecker was on the ground. I think it highly likely that there were more than 3 Pied Flycatchers but as there was a chance of counting the same bird twice I only counted the ones I could be certain were different birds. As I crossed the railway line I could hear at least 2 Common Sandpiper calling and the calls appeared to be coming from the direction of the river. There were several Yellow Wagtail around the path as I approached Coldharbour. Coldharbour itself remained quite quiet with a Redshank and a few Black-headed Gulls. There was a also a Common Sandpiper workings its way along a muddy margin with another calling from cover. I had a seat on the sea wall for a while and could see a roost of 75 Oystercatchers and 7 Ringed Plover.
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Roosting Oystercatchers |
I headed back up to towards Chambers Wall. A few Meadow Pipit were on the path and a Willow Warbler was working its way through a bush much to the disgust of a male Reed Bunting who promptly saw it off. A Latticed Heath Moth flew up and then settled back down again. They are handsome moths. A Lacewing was also enjoying the last of the sunshine.
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| Latticed Heath Moth |
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| Latticed Heath Moth |
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| Lacewing |
I could hear a Grey Partridge calling from the other side of the hedge. A Sparrowhawk shot through, literally brushing the bush that a flock of roosting Linnet were chattering away from sending 80 roosting Linnet wheeling up into the air. It chased, twisting and turning after a bird but did not manage to catch it and then carried on through. The flock circled around several times before dropping back into the bushes.
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| Linnets |
It was time to head for home but it had been a bonus to be able to have some time out and I had enjoyed my visit and thoroughly enjoyed my encounter with the Spotted and Pied Flycatchers.
Birds seen this visit include: 2 Spotted Fycatcher, 3 Pied Flycatcher, 109 Linnet, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Common Buzzard, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Chiffchaff, Blue Tits, 1 Moorhen, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Skylark, 8 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Magpie, Carrion Crow, 1 Redshank, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Sandwich Tern, 75 Oystercatcher, 7 Ringed Plovers, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Turnstone, Cormorant, 2 Reed Bunting, 3 Swallow, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 3 Meadow Pipit, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Coot, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Robin, 2 Wren, 2 Mallard,
