A Wind Swept Reculver - 13/03/19

Unfortunately my bit of time free today coincided with strong winds as we got the tail end of storm Gareth. Other parts of the country had much higher winds, so we were lucky but there were still between 40-50 mile westerly gusts. I did not have time to go further afield so I thought I would give Reculver a go and just see what I could see. If the wind was too bad at least I could shelter at the towers. The tide was partially out when I arrived but was coming in fast. There were a few gulls dotted around on the shore and I could see some Sanderling, Ringed Plover and a Grey Plover.

I headed towards the towers but had no luck with seeing the Black Redstart again. Hopefully it was sheltering out of the wind somewhere. Small numbers of gulls were passing west. Mainly Herring Gull with a few Great Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls. I also had a single Lesser Black-backed Gull. Even tucked out of the wind as much as I could be I struggled to get photos of the gulls, as most came out blurry with the camera movement in the wind. Even when I thought I was holding the camera steady I clearly was not.

I got some shots of a passing 3rd year Great Black-backed Gull. It was moulting several of its primary feathers.

3rd year Great Black-backed Gull

3rd Year Great Black-backed Gull

I enjoyed watching the passing Black-headed Gulls, one of which had an adult Herring Gull flying in formation behind it.

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull and Herring Gull

I also had a juvenile Herring Gull. It initially gave me pause so I clearly need lots more practice identifying gulls.

juvenile Herring Gull

juvenile Herring Gull

juvenile Herring Gull

As I came down from the towers I could see a small flock of Starling in the old caravan park field. As the birds at the back of the flock repeatedly flew up and flew to the front of the flock they gave some lovely views of their wings with the light coming through them. I tried for some photos and though they are very noisy I am pleased I have got them as it gives some nice memory shots.

Starlings

Starlings

Starlings

Starlings

I had a walk along the back of the oyster farm but all was quiet apart from a few Redshank. A distant Marsh Harrier flew west and gave some nice, if distant views. Definitely a time when it would have paid to have been standing on the sea wall!

Marsh Harrier

It was nice to be out of the wind for a while when I came down off the green bank and I made my way towards the sea wall. The tide was a lot further in when I got there. I could see a few Turnstone busily feeding along the waters edge but other wise it was very quiet.

I walked up to Coldharbour to see if anything was sheltering up there. 15 Mallard were tucked down on the far bank. Unfortunately somebody walking along the shingle bank put them all up. I felt sorry for them but it did give an opportunity to try for a flight shot.

male and female Mallard

A Redshank was blending in well on the near bank, its only the red-orange legs that give it away, and another 3 flew from the far bank when the duck went up.

Redshank

I turned to head back and walking into the wind proved to be highly unpleasant. It was not improved by a couple of very heavy showers, one of which managed to contain snow, hail and rain all at the same time. Hail in strong wind is not a good combination!

I had a flock of 15 Brent Geese east, quite high and a second flock of 35 came through, in the same direction but further out, a little later.

Brent Geese

At one point a very brief partial rainbow appeared. They are always a joy to see and lift the spirits, whatever the weather.

Partial Rainbow

A couple of Ringed Plover were sheltering on the track, to the left of the sea wall. They appeared to be a pair and gave some nice views.

male Ringed Plover

female Ringed Plover

A pair of Mallard also flew up from the track. The male's wings were in an advanced stage of moult of some of his primary and secondary feathers.

male Mallard

male Mallard

male and female Mallard

The sea breaking against the rocks gave some quite impressive spray.

Sea Spray

It was good to reach the car park but I was pleased that I had come.

Birds seen this visit include: Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 8 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 75 Starling, 5 House Sparrow, 2 Blackbird, 1 Robin, 1 Dunnock, 6 Reed Bunting, Skylarks, 8 Meadow Pipit, 1 Marsh Harrier, 23 Mallard, 58 Brent Geese, 7 Ringed Plover, 7 Turnstone, 1 Grey Plover, 4 Oystercatcher, 9 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 2 Stonechat

A Battle With a Worm - Reculver 20/01/19

I paid a visit to Reculver, after work, this afternoon. It was a beautiful day, sunny with some cloud, and though cold the north easterly wind wasn't so strong which made a difference from the strong winds we've had recently.

I had a walk towards the sea wall, via the towers, and saw a Blackbird catch a huge earthworm. I really didn’t think that it would be able to swallow it, particularly as it attempted to swallow it whole. It took it a few minutes, and quite a struggle, to manage to swallow it and it had to pause and just sit with the tip of the worms tail still visible in its open bill once it had almost succeeded, before finally being able to completely swallow it. Amazingly, afterwards, the Blackbird immediately started hunting again. I was somewhat surprised it could even move. I tried for a series of photos but the initial ones were very blurred, as my shutter speed was too slow, so although I have included the one that gives a good idea how big the worm was, they pick up again with much of the poor worm already swallowed. 

Blackbird and worm

Blackbird and worm

Blackbird and worm

Almost gone!

Hungrey again!

When I reached the sea wall there was a female/immature Marsh Harrier hunting at the back of the fields, near the railway line. I hoped that it might come closer for some photos but it went over Brook direction instead. I could also see 12 Mute Swans in the back fields. There were 11 Mallard out to sea. I saw a yacht passing the red buoy out to sea and it looked great as the sun caught its sails.

Yacht

I carried on along the seawall. Every now and then Redshank's would call or fly over . The tide was falling and gradually little patches of shore were being exposed. I was really pleased to see a distant Short-eared Owl (77) over the oyster farm and hoped that I might see it again a little closer, once I was further along the sea wall. A very sweet Robin was feeding amongst the churned up mud. It was a real little fluff ball. Out to sea some Mallards flew past close to shore and I was able to grab a shot of a couple of them.

Mallards in flight

I was very pleased to see the Short-eared Owl again a few times. It was mainly very distant but it did, on occasions, come a little closer so I tried for some shots. They have not come out very well, as I had to use a very high ISO, but they do make good memory shots. I love watching owls.

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl on patrol

Short-eared Owl

It was getting very cold by now and I started to make my way back. A Little Egret flew over and landed on the shore. I did try for some photos but there was not really enough light. The sky looked quite spectacular.

Sunset

There is due to be a total eclipse of the moon tonight, it will be a super blood wolf moon. Super because the moon will be near its closest approach to earth, wolf because that is what full moons in January are called, apparently, and red because of the earths shadow. When I looked behind me I could see the rising moon just beginning to be clear of the clouds. I grabbed a shot before it was totally obscured again and then further along, once it was clear of the clouds, I tried for another shot, this time using spot metering.

Rising Moon

Rising Moon

As I came up to the towers I could hear a Little Owl (78) calling. I took a photo of the ruins with the moon in the background and then one of the towers with the moon. I liked the edging to the clouds. Once I got to the car park I tried another photo of the towers with the moon just above. Hopefully I might see the totality of the eclipse before I go to work in the morning. Apparently it will be the last full one visible from here for quite a while. The forecast looks hopeful that the sky will be clear.

Reculver Ruins and moon

Reculver Towers and moon

Reculver Towers and moon

In the early hours of Monday morning I took a photo of the blood moon and have included it here.

Blood Moon

Birds seen this visit included: 3 Blackbird, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Marsh Harrier, 15 Redshank, 18 Mallard, 5 Sanderling, 6 Ringed Plover, 5 Turnstone, 2 Curlew, 10 Oystercatcher, 5 Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Brent Geese, 1 Little Egret, 2 Stonechat, 5 Meadow Pipit,1  Magpie, Carrion Crow, 12 Mute Swan, 1 Mistle Thrush, Little Owl heard calling.

Eye to Eye Encounter with a Redshank - Shuart to Reculver 11/01/19

As I had a little more time today, and it would be the last chance to bird watch until next week, I decided to give it a go walking from Shuart to Reculver. Once again there was a north westerly wind and it was overcast, quite murky and misty and pretty cool.

The visit started well with a new bird for the year as I finally managed to catch up with a Greenfinch (73), seeing it high in one of the trees from the car park. All the usual little jobs were present but I did not see or hear any Chiffchaff.

The walk through was surprisingly quiet. Lots and lots of Blackbirds and the odd Song Thrush but not much else. I really hoped for a Waxwing but no such luck. It was an equally quiet walk past the stables. I did see a distant Hare that was disturbed by a train going past. I haven’t seen one of them for a long time in any of the areas I watch.

I checked out the sea once I reached the sea wall but all was very quiet there as well and apart from the odd gull there did not appear to be anything on the move. There was a few Redshank feeding along the shoreline and a single Grey Plover.

Redshank

Grey Plover

As I headed towards Plumpudding Island I had a pair of Stonechats who treated me to some nice views. It does not matter how many times I see them I think that they are lovely little birds and so full of character.

Male Stonechat

Male Stonechat

Stonechat

The Environmental agency were working on the shingle with large lorries moving shingle from one stretch to another. The waders seemed surprisingly unconcerned by the large vehicles moving around. There was a digger filling the trucks before they headed down the beach. It has meant that a lot of the good habitat at the edges of the shore have all been churned up. There were several Oystercatcher and a single Curlew watched as the trucks went past.

Beach defences

Curlew

Plumpudding Island only had a couple of Redshank on it and 12 Linnet flew up. As it was so quiet I walked on towards Coldharbour. There was a large group of about 400 Brent Geese in one of the fields, once again with a few Herring Gull interspersed with them. I thought from a distance that there were some different geese mixed in but it was just the effect of the light and as I got nearer I could see I was mistaken. Ah well, you can but hope. Coldharbour was very quiet with only 3 Mallard and a lump of mud that looked very like a sleeping Little Grebe but wasn’t. A nice surprise was a smart male Marsh Harrier hunting near the railway embankment. It was really too far for a photo but I gave it a go anyway and at least it makes a good memory shot.

Male Marsh Harrier

As I carried on down the sea wall I looked back and saw the group of Brent Geese in the air. I am not sure what put them up. I couldn’t see a raptor. It was amazing watching them wheeling round and the shapes they made as they turned within the flock.

Brent Geese

Brent Geese

I sat and had a rest on the sea wall and couldn’t believe my luck when a couple of Snow Buntings landed nearby, the female disappeared from view but the male stayed in the open. I could see a large lorry bearing down but I managed to grab some shots of the male before the lorry passed me and headed towards them. They did not seem too bothered until it was surprisingly close and then they flew off strongly in the opposite direction. They are such gorgeous birds and I felt really lucky to have seen them.

Male Snow Bunting

Male Snow Bunting

Male Snow Bunting

Male Snow Bunting in flight

As I headed on down towards Reculver I could see rain moving in, in the distance, but luckily apart from a few drops reaching me it swept along the embankment rather than the sea wall. There was part of a rainbow briefly out to sea but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. 25 Mallard were on the sea with small groups flying around now and then, one of which allowed a photo. A little further on 4 Shelduck were also on the sea.

Mallards in flight

Shelduck out to sea

Stonechats clearly liked the stirred up shingle as I saw several feeding amongst the deep tyre tracks. This one had a one wing up, one wing down approach. A single Curlew flew east out to sea.

Stonechat

Curlew in flight

Further along a Redshank was standing on one of the ridges made by the tyre tracks and it was easily the closest I have seen one. Surprisingly it allowed me to take some photos without flying off alarm calling, which is what normally happens as soon as they see you. It called now and again but otherwise seemed reasonably unconcerned.

Redshank calling

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

I carried on towards Reculver and saw a single Great Crested Grebe offshore while a Turnstone was resting on one of the ridges left by the lorries.

Great Crested Grebe

Turnstone

A Stonechat paused on one of the tyre tracks and showed its rump nicely. Out to sea I could see a large flock of birds flying west. It was hard to know for sure what they were through binoculars but they appeared to be too large for ducks. I took some photos and I think that they are Brent Geese. There was easily 150 with a large group bunched into rough V’s at the front of the flock and a long single line weaving behind.

Stonechat

Brent Geese

As I passed the oyster farm I could not manage to see any sign of any Short-eared Owls but I was treated to a good view of two Mute Swan flying in. A Black-headed Gull was bobbing around on the sea.

Mute Swans in flight

Black-headed Gull on the sea

As I neared Reculver I could not see any sign of a Little Owl, Kingfisher or Grey Partridge, all of which I had hoped to catch up with today. Ah well. It does at least give more to look forward to seeing for the new year. A male Blackbird was unconcerned as I passed nearby on my up to the towers. I had a last check out to sea but could not manage to pick up anything new. I was pleased that I had achieved the walk but I was definitely ready to be heading for home.

Blackbird

Birds seen this visit include: 1 Greenfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, 5 Goldfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Redwing, Fieldfare, 3 Pheasant, Stock Dove, 12 Magpie, 35 Oystercatcher, 9 Redshank, 5 Turnstone, 21 Ringed Plover, 2 Curlew, 7 Stonechat, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Dunlin, 6 Grey Plover, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 650 Brent Geese, 12 Linnet, 3 Mallard, 2 Snow Bunting, 1 Coot, 4 Shelduck, Carrion Crow, Cormorant, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Mute Swan.