Rock Pipits, Med Gull and My First Redwing of the Autumn - Reculver to Chambers Wall 04/10/19

I had the gift of a free day today and though it was proving to be a very problematic day for walking, it was great to be out, and with a slow wander the order of the day I set out from Reculver. There was a westerly wind with scattered cloud. The tide was on its way out. A couple of Pied Wagtail were up near the towers and Starlings wheeled round as they moved to feed amongst the grass. 3 Robins greeted me as I came down to the sea wall and 10 Brent Geese flew west out to sea. As I headed along Brent Geese continued to pass west at irregular intervals in small groups but otherwise out to sea remained quiet. 5 Blue Tit and a couple of Great Tit were in a bush near the pumping station. Good numbers of Meadow Pipit were along the shore and both Redshank and Greenshank called from the oyster farm. As the sun broke through I came across a very confiding Stonechat and it was a joy to watch as it moved from bush to sea wall in search of insects. What a little beauty.

Stonechat

Stonechat

Stonechat

Stonechat

A flock of 32 Goldfinch were busy amongst the Teasel heads and 12 Skylark flew west. A pair of Reed Bunting were on the shore fluffed up against the cooler morning temperature.

Reed Bunting

I saw a Rock Pipit fly along the shore and then came across another 5 feeding within a short distance of each other. It was great to be able to have an extended period of time watching them and one of them enabled me to get some good views as it worked its way closer.

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit

I carried on and had 3 Shelduck fly west out to sea and a Dunlin west following the coast. 2 Sandwich Tern were off shore. A Grey Heron on the shore watched me warily as I passed by. I came across another 4 Stonechat and a single Whinchat gave some nice views.

Grey Heron

Whinchat

It had become very overcast again with rain threatening. The wind started to noticeably pick up and as it did so small numbers of House Martin started to pass west with a few Swallow as well. A Great Crested Grebe flew west before landing on the sea. 10 Mallards flew in and 13 Brent Geese flew west out to sea.

Brent Geese

Coldharbour was quiet apart from a Little Grebe, closer to the sea wall than normal, and a Redshank roosting and a few Black-headed Gulls on the water.

Little Grebe

I sat on the sea wall for a while. The tide was well out by now and a Little Egret feeding on the shore was spooked as a flock of Black-headed Gulls came into land.

Little Egret and Black-headed Gulls

The wind had continued to increase and the trickle of House Martins turned into a flood as they started to stream through. They were passing out to sea, along the sea wall and large numbers over the fields. Once again I had no idea how to count them. They were everywhere. Smaller numbers of Swallow were amongst them and as I made my way up to Chambers Wall both continued to stream past me. Suddenly a frantic number of alarm calls from the House Martins alerted me to the presence of a raptor and next second a Merlin came though trying to take advantage of the sudden glut of birds. As it shot past it tried unsuccessfully for a couple of birds with the alarm calls following it as it twisted and turned. A Coot looked round nervously as the alarm calls rang out and it started to head for cover. 4 more Coot were along the same stretch of river.

Coot

As I headed up to the railway crossing I came across a mixed flock moving through some of the sheltered bushes consisting of 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrests, 8 Long-tailed Tit,7 Blue Tit and 7 Great Tit. Once on the other side I had a single Redwing drinking from a puddle on the track. I could only get a very distant shot but it makes a nice memory shot of my first Redwing of the Autumn.

Redwing

I finished off with 3 Mute Swan on the river and a Painted Lady butterfly on some Ivy flowers while 7 Grey Partridge were along a field edge.

Mute Swans

Painted Lady Butterfly

I headed homewards and after an extended break there I went back down to Reculver for a bit of walk and sit birdwatching. It was still windy when I arrived but gradually the wind dropped right down and the sun came out and it turned into a really beautiful late afternoon. Matt Hindle had a Yellow-browed Warbler in the trees near the cafe in the morning so I had a wander round to see if I could catch up with it. I did not have any luck but I enjoyed watching a Goldcrest, which are lovely little birds, as it worked its way around deep within a bush and 3 Chiffchaff were nearby. 14 Collared Dove flew up from where they had been feeding in a field. I headed back to the sea wall and saw a 1st Winter Mediterranean Gull out to sea which luckily enough for me flew in at that point and came past me before moving back out to sea again and giving me some great views as it came past. Now that really was an obliging bird.

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

A single Brent Goose flew west but otherwise out to sea still appeared to be pretty quiet. A Wheatear was on the shore but very flighty as people passed by on the sea wall.

Wheatear

Wheatear

While watching the sea again a juvenile Gannet flew west. I wonder if it is the same youngster I saw the other day. I also saw a distant adult Mediterranean Gull fly east and 4 distant Wigeon west.

juvenile Gannet

7 Sanderling flew west as did a single Curlew. I saw a moth that appeared to come in off the sea before settling on the other side of sea wall. I am not sure what the moth is at the moment and will update when I can find out.

7 Ringed Plover flew in with a couple of Turnstone. The Whinchat gave some good views. Though it seemed to be associating with a couple of Stonechat neither seemed to tolearate each other all that well with frequent disputes breaking out.

Whinchat

Whinchat

Whinchat

Whinchat

The same type of moth that I had seen earlier flew over to where I was sitting on the sea wall and upon landing started to make its way to the edge and disappeared down into a crevice. Out to sea another 3 Curlew flew west.

Curlew

Another 20 Ringed Plover flew past, together with a couple of Dunlin. A long way out 85 Oystercatcher flew west. 7 Little Egret were in their usual tree.

Little Egrets

As the sun started to set it gave a stunning effect as a beam of light broke through a gap in the clouds. Once the sun had dropped below the horizon those same clouds now were filled with colour.

Birds seen this visit included: 2 Pied Wagtail, Starlings, 54 Brent Geese west, 5 Robin, House Sparrows, 5 Blackbird, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 6 Rock Pipit, 65 Meadow Pipit, 12 Blue Tit, 7 Great Tit, 17 Linnet, 14 Skylark west and 7 resident, 2 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 34 Goldfinch, 5 Stonechat, 7 Little Egret, 1 Dunnock, Swallows west, 87 Oystercatcher, 8 Reed Bunting, 3 Shelduck west, 4 Sandwich Tern, 2 Kestrel, 3 Magpie, 2 Dunlin, 3 Grey Heron, 3 Turnstone, 1 Whinchat, 71 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 17 Chiffchaff, large numbers of House Martin west, 5 Coot, Carrion Crows, 5 Goldcrest, 8 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Redwing, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 9 Chaffinch, 3 Mute Swan, 1 Common Buzzard, 7 Grey Partridge, 14 Collared Dove, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Wheatear, 4 Wigeon west, 7 Sanderling, 27 Ringed Plover, 4 Curlew

Chiffchaff, Whimbrel, and Snipe - Chambers Wall to Reculver 15/09/19

It was a beautifully fine late afternoon when I finished work so I thought I would have a wander from Chambers Wall to Coldharbour and then see where I went from there. It was very warm with a light wind. A Kestrel was hovering as I walked up the road and a Common Buzzard was perched atop a bush before lifting off and climbing slowly as it spiralled round. The hedgerow was very quiet with just a small flock of 25 House Sparrows moving from the hedge to the field and back again, and a single Chiffchaff flycatching.

Common Buzzard

Chiffchaff

The car park area was very quiet. I had another Chiffchaff and a Painted Lady butterfly was feeding on the ivy flowers. A Green Woodpecker called and a Robin was tic-ing away but nothing else was stirring.

Painted Lady Butterfly

The walk down to the railway crossing remained quiet. I picked up another couple of Chiffchaff and a Blackcap and then as I walked down to Coldharbour a Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap were in a Blackberry bush and 5 Goldfinches were enjoying the teasels. A somewhat distant Whinchat was nice to see. While watching the Whinchat a Stonechat flew in but was against the light so I have not managed much of a photo but it makes a good memory shot of a little bird full of character.

Whinchat

Stonechat

A couple of Mute Swan were on the river as were 4 Coot. One of the Mute Swan had strands of pond weed hanging which glowed as the light shone through them.

Mute Swan

As I came to the junction with the sea wall a couple of Chiffchaff were amongst the seed heads and one of them gave some very nice views as it moved from head to head looking for insects. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them.

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Coldharbour was quiet with a single Redshank roosting and throwing a perfect half reflection. I do not think I have seen one sitting down before. A few Black-headed Gulls were on the water and also throwing perfect reflections.

Redshank

Black-headed Gull

I walked along, seeing another couple of Chiffchaff, and had a sit on the sea wall for a while. The light was beautiful with an almost mirror calm blue sea. After a busy day it was great to just sit and have the time to enjoy such a beautiful afternoon. An Oystercatcher flew past, its reflection broken only by the gentlest of ripples. I could see 45 Mallard on the sea well to the left of me but gradually they drifted closer and then came past me.

Oystercatcher

Mallards

Mallards

As time was getting on I decided against trying to get to Shuart but instead decided to aim for Reculver and headed back that way. As I came back past Coldharbour the Little Grebe, I have seen there before, was out from cover and diving frequently. A Common Sandpiper gave some good views as it worked its way along one of the edges.

Little Grebe

Common Sandpiper

I could hear Whimbrel calling and had 6 fly in from the north. They came closer and closer and for a moment I thought they were going to come into land on Coldharbour itself but they came down behind the shingle bank instead. A short while later they were disturbed by a dog walker and flew first east before turning north and flying out to sea again.

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

A small flock of House Sparrows were back to enjoying the blackberries. I tried for some more photos of the Black-headed Gulls with their reflections before starting to make my way to Reculver.

House Sparrow

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

As I made my way back a large number of insects were on the wing and attracting the attention of both Black-headed and Herring Gulls who were hawking for them high above me. There were also large numbers of Migrant Hawkers taking advantage of the glut and I saw 58 hawking for insects in just one small area and there were further good numbers on my walk back with easily over 100 seen.

Migrant Hawkers

Migrant Hawkers

3 Little Egrets were feeding in the shallows and when one flew its yellow feet appeared very bright in the light.

Little Egret

I had four Wheatear in one area on one of the scrubby areas of shingle and 3 Yellow Wagtail were along the shore. I thoroughly enjoy watching Wheatear and one was very obliging for photos. The Yellow Wagtails looked stunning in the early evening light.

Wheatear

Wheatear

While watching the Wheatear I heard a Snipe call as it went up over the oyster farm and I tried for a quick photo before it settled back down onto the oyster farm again.

Snipe

There was a short pulse of 80 Swallows and 18 House Martin moving west in a group and for a few moments I was surrounded by them as they flew low to the left, right, and above me, twisting and turning to pluck mouthful's of insects from the air as they went. More Yellow Wagtail were along the shore, as well as a couple more Wheatear and also Turnstone and Ringed Plover. Good numbers of Redshank were along the shoreline. A Greenshank called from the oyster farm and another Chiffchaff. I was losing the light rapidly as the sun set but was treated to a beautiful sunset with the clouds aflame with colour. As I approached Reculver I could hear 2 Little Owls calling and could see one in its usual spot. It made a very nice finish to an enjoyable afternoon.

Birds seen this visit include: 2 Kestrel, 1 Common Buzzard, Wood Pigeons, 25 House Sparrows, 9 Chiffchaff, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Robin, 2 Magpie, 1 Pheasant, 2 Blackcap, 5 Coot, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 19 Goldfinch, 1 Whinchat, 2 Stonechat, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 4 Oystercatcher, 45 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Common Sandpiper, 6 Whimbrel, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 8 Meadow Pipit, 7 Little Egret, 38 Linnet, 6 Wheatear, 12 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Snipe, 80 Swallow, 18 House Martin, 2 Ringed Plover, 8 Turnstone, 6 Corn Bunting, 19 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Little Owl,