Sedge Warblers and a Snow Bunting Encounter - Shuart to Reculver 30/03/21

It was great to be able to head to Shuart today. It has been a long time since I have been able to visit the Reculver area and with a few days holiday from work it was nice to have the whole morning ahead of me. A couple of Red-legged Partridge flew from the field edge as I made my way down the road and near the beginning of the track a handsome male Pheasant looked stunning as he made his way along.

male Pheasant

male Pheasant

male Pheasant

A male Blackcap was singing and was a welcome sound, my first for the spring. The air was alive with the song and calls of Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Dunnock and Chaffinch. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into the top of one of the trees calling away before moving off. As I started down the track I could hear a Green Woodpecker calling and a Peacock butterfly flew past. A little further on a Chiffchaff was calling and from the first gap I could see a Common Buzzard hunting over the far fields. A few Blackbirds and a Redwing were moving between the track and the hedgerow and Blue and Great Tits were making their way through the bushes. A Cetti's Warbler exploded into song nearby and as I neared the end of the hedgerow a second bird also burst into song.

It was surprisingly quiet as I made my way past the stables apart from another very vocal Cetti's Warbler. On reaching the sea wall it was nice to catch up with Oystercatchers, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Redshank as I headed towards Plumpudding. I also saw a couple of distant Curlew.

As I made my way towards Coldharbour it was lovely to hear the sound of my first Sedge Warbler of the Spring singing away. It is incredible to think of the journey that it has made to get here and that amazing burst of song was beautiful to hear.

Sedge Warbler

A Little Egret at Coldharbour was throwing an almost perfect reflection into the barely ruffled surface of the water that was reflecting the blue of the sky beautifully. A noisy group of cyclists passing caused it to fly and, again, it threw a near perfect reflection as it did so.

Little Egret

Little Egret

I had a sit on the sea wall for a while and watched out to sea. Herring, Black-headed and 3 Great Black-backed Gulls were passing by and a single Great Crested Grebe was offshore. A Shelduck flew west and a small flock of 10 Common Scoter on the sea were gently moving eastwards.

Common Scoter

Carrying on towards Reculver I was very pleased to see a Snow Bunting on the shore. It was a fair way away to begin with but gradually moved closer and closer and ended up giving some simply stunning views. To say it lifted my spirits would be putting it mildly.

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

It then moved up onto the sea wall and, again, I really couldn't have asked for nicer views. What an absolute beauty.

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Well chuffed I carried on towards Reculver. I could hear another singing Sedge Warbler but this one stayed more in cover. A flock of 44 Corn Bunting were atop the bushes before flying up and heading towards the oyster farm. At the back a male Marsh Harrier was hunting along the field edge.

Corn Buntings

Corn Buntings

A male Reed Bunting was hassling a pair of Stonechats as I neared the green wall. A couple of Pied Wagtail were active along the shingle and Meadow Pipits flitted from the sea wall to the lower track. A Dunnock was singing away and I couldn't tell if it was blind in one eye or whether perhaps the eye was just in deep shadow. A Wren was also belting out its song a little further along.

Dunnock

Over on the oyster farm a Kestrel was hovering and sent up a small flock of 10 Linnet. While on the shore side a pair of Oystercatchers eyes glowed in the light and their bills and legs shone against the blue reflecting sea. As I neared the towers a single Swallow flew west. It brought a very enjoyable mornings birdwatching to a close.

Oystercatchers

In the afternoon, on the way back from an appointment, we had a short drive through Marshside and finished the day being treated to some nice views of a pair of Little Owls. 

Little Owl

Little Owls

First Cuckoo and Swift of Spring - Broomfield Track 06/05/20

It was pretty quiet as I walked round today but good to be out. One of the Little Owls was on its usual perch and, as always, was a pleasure to see. A Chiffchaff was singing away while a male Blackcap was giving it a far bit of competition in the singing department, almost drowning it out at times.

Little Owl

A patch of Speedwell glowed in the afternoon light. They are lovely little flowers.

As I headed back down to the lower path a Common Buzzard soared above and I could also see Kestrel and Sparrowhawk in the air at the same time. The Long-tailed Tit was still busily collecting food.

Long-tailed Tit

A small flock of Jackdaws were vocal as they routed amongst the grass in the cow paddock. A gull passing low over caused one to pause in its feeding, crouch down and looking up call out in alarm.

Jackdaw

Jackdaw

As I neared the end of my walk I caught sight of a Swift (111) feeding over the horse paddock while a Cuckoo (112) was calling from the hedgerow, my first of the Spring, and both made a very nice finish to the visit.

Soaring Red Kites and a Supporting Cast - Garden and Broomfield Track 24/04/20

While out in the garden alarm calls from the local gulls alerted me to first one then a while later another 2 Red Kites over the garden which are always a very welcome sight. A Common Buzzard also passed high over the garden and at one point one of the Red Kites and the Buzzard were spiralling upwards high above in the same thermal.

Red Kite

Red Kite and Common Buzzard

House Sparrows were busily collecting food to take back to the nest and a male paused briefly on the fence giving some lovely views in the sunshine.

male House Sparrow

male House Sparrow

The local pair of Herring Gulls were decidedly put out by the arrival of a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls who settled on the roof opposite before moving off.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Later on in the day I headed out for my exercise walk. An Orange-tip butterfly gave some superb views as it fed amongst the flowers of what I think is a garden escape. I have been lucky this spring to get some lovely views of a beautiful butterfly.

Orange-tip Butterfly

Orange-tip butterfly

Orange-tip butterfly

Orange-tip butterfly

A little further along the smaller of the pair of Little Owls was resting up on its usual perch. It was alert as a dog walker with a pair of barking dogs went past on the footpath but it seemed content to stay where it was. They are always a joy to see.

Little Owl

A pair of Magpie were routing about as I came past the lower paddock and gave some very good views in the sunshine, their feathers with jewelled colours as they caught the light.

Magpie

Magpie

Magpies

As I headed up to the top path a Wood Pigeon peeped out at me from its perch and the air was full of Skylark song.

Wood Pigeon

Moments later a Red Kite spiralled lazily over, giving some nice views as it did so. As I carried on I managed to see another 2 high up Red Kites passing over.

Red Kite

Red Kite

Red Kite

 As I paused along the top path and had a scan across I could see 8 Common Buzzards spiralling in a thermal high above me and another 6 spiralling in another thermal. They were very high but a pleasure to see. A pair of the local Common Buzzards were calling away and tumbling around each other in the sky.

Common Buzzards

Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat song filled the air and a small group of Linnet were busy amongst the grasses as I came down to the lower path. Comma butterflies and Peacock butterflies were flitting around in the sunshine. I came across a Long-tailed Tit collecting food to take back to the nest and it gave some superb views as it flitted from perch to perch.

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

A pair of Blackcap were busily collecting nesting material and gave some nice, if brief, views as they did so. I hope that they are successful in their nesting.

male Blackcap

female Blackcap

I finished an enjoyable visit with the sound of the pair of Common Buzzards calling away.