There was a fair amount of low lying mist on my way to Reculver but above that the sky was blue and it promised to be a fine morning once the mist had a chance to burn off. Being higher up the towers were mainly clear and it was only looking towards the sea wall that it was noticeably misty.
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| Reculver Towers |
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| Looking towards the sea wall |
Five Great Black-backed Gulls flew east and a couple of Robin were on the rocks as I made my way up to the towers. On the rocks below a single Brent Goose was searching for the really bright green vegetation that it was uncovering under and amongst the seaweed. It is one of two I regularly see on their own. I am so used to seeing Brent Geese in groups that it seems strange to see two very solitary geese.
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| Brent Goose |
As I came up to the oyster farm I could hear a couple of Grey Partridge calling but couldn't manage to see them today. Every now and then the sun would try and break through and the Teasels looked great as they started to be backlit before the mist would gather once again. The mist might not make it easy for bird watching but it is beautifully atmospheric as it comes and goes.
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| Teasels |
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| Oyster Farm |
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I had a sit on the sea wall for a while and visibility was surprisingly good out to sea. The colour of the sea was a beautiful lilac blue as the sun broke through. 9 Meadow Pipit were back and fore between the shore and the track while out to sea 2 Gannet flew east. Off shore there were a couple of Red-throated Divers and 7 Great Crested Grebe were strung loosely along in a well spaced out line.
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| Great Crested Grebe |
The sea was very calm today and small numbers of Gannet continued to fly east and a few Red-throated Divers were also heading east. I was pleased to catch sight of a flock of 14 Shoveler flying west. They were really too far away for a photo but the photos make a good couple of memory shots.
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| Shoveler |
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| Shoveler |
I carried on towards the Green Wall and a couple of Lapwing flew up from the oyster farm. Reed Bunting and Wren were calling and out to sea a single Shelduck flew east. I paused to count 56 Ringed Plover roosting on the shore and glancing up I was surprised to see a very late Sandwich Tern flying east. I only managed some very poor shots of it before it was past me but it was great to see and I was lucky that I did not miss it completely, as I so nearly did. I could definitely do with being able to see in two directions at once!
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
I had another sit on the sea wall as there was proving to be more activity off shore than on land. A few more Red-throated Divers flew east and flocks of Brent Geese were moving east and coming down near Coldharbour. A Great Crested Grebe also flew east and it was nice to see a flock of 7 Wigeon tucked in at the back of one of the flocks of Brent Geese. As they came closer they broke off from the Brent Geese and then flew straight overhead before heading south east.
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| Wigeon |
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| Wigeon |
It was time to move on so I headed on along the sea wall and a Snipe flew up from the oyster farm, calling as it did so. Out to sea a flock of 10 Common Scoter flew east.
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| Common Scoter |
I was really pleased when a Short-eared Owl flew up onto one of the posts on the oyster farm and I waited to see if perhaps it would start to hunt. Luckily for me it did, after a while, and gave some good views as it quartered the oyster farm. They really are beautiful birds and an absolute joy to watch.
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| Short-eared Owl |
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| Short-eared Owl |
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| Short-eared Owl |
Suddenly a second Short-eared Owl flew up and chased the first until it moved to the other side of the oyster farm whereupon the second owl disappeared back into cover again. Each time the first owl returned to the same area the second owl flew up to intercept once again.
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| Short-eared Owls |
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| Short-eared Owls |
I had thoroughly enjoyed the chance to watch them in sunshine for a change. Once they had both gone down, with no further sign for a while, I carried on towards Coldharbour with the aim for another sit on the sea wall just before it. As I approached Coldharbour the waders roosting on the beach behind it were flushed by a dog walker sending 12 Curlew and 110 Oystercatcher into the air before flying towards Plumpudding. I really do feel sorry for the roosting birds here as they get very little time for resting. Out to sea Red-throated Divers were still moving east in small numbers and 3 Gannet bucked the flying east trend by heading west. A Kingfisher landed on the breakwater groyne and looked stunning in the sunshine before dropping down to fish.
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
A Red-breasted Merganser flew east far out to sea and a couple of Great Crested Grebe headed east as well. Great Black-backed Gulls were also continuing to fly east every now and then, with their distinctive way of flying, and I had seen good numbers of them today. I could see a Merlin way out to sea and as it started to head back in it turned and came past me giving me some good, if brief, views as it did so.
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| Merlin |
Coldharbour was quite quiet with 4 Redshank and a couple of Little Grebe and a Little Egret. The Kingfisher had moved onto the fence at the back of Coldharbour and a Mute Swan came into land as I made my way round. One of the Little Grebe was tucked into the bank and its eye just caught the light as the bird was highlighted in the sunshine. They are lovely little birds and full of character.
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| Little Grebe |
I had another sit on the sea wall on the other side of Coldharbour and a Great Crested Grebe flew east, as did 3 more Red-throated Divers. Waders were on the move to roost and 2 Dunlin and a Purple Sandpiper flew west past me. Out to sea 2 Guillemot flew east followed by another 3 a little while later. A flock of 18 Grey Plover showed their black auxiliaries well and 4 Dunlin were tucked in with them.
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| Grey Plover and Dunlin |
As it would be my last chance for a longer visit for a while I decided to carry on along the sea wall and see if I could get as far as Shuart. Nearing Plumpudding I came across a roost of Grey Plover and Dunlin which were almost certainly the same birds I had seen fly east earlier. All their feather edges were highlighted in the sharp light and they looked gorgeous.
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| Grey Plover and Dunlin |
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| Grey Plover |
While watching the Grey Plover I glanced up to see a Guillemot flying east closer in than I normally see. They move so fast that I only managed a quick shot once it was well past me but it was very nice to see, particularly as once again I nearly missed it.
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| Guillemot |
A Redshank was throwing a perfect reflection, as I reached Plumpudding Island, as it made its way along the shingle edge. A flash of blue heralded the arrival of a Kingfisher as it was chased onto the shingle bank by a male Pied Wagtail. It only got a moment to rest before the Pied Wagtail chased it again, pushing it off the shingle and following in hot pursuit with the Kingfisher alarm calling and speeding away.
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| Redshank |
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| Kingfisher |
The male Pied Wagtail returned, breaking off from looking for insects to chase any bird that came too close and seeing off a couple of Linnet and several Meadow Pipits. In between it would return to the same spot and looked stunning against the blue of the water.
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| male Pied Wagtail |
There were 35 Redshank roosting on Plumpudding and a single Turnstone was tucked in with some of them. I caught sight of slight movement and could see a Snipe tucked well into the vegetation on one of the islands. Along the shingle bank 5 Pied Wagtail were busily looking for insects and calling frequently to each other.
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| Redshank |
It was time for another sit on the sea wall to see what might be passing by out to sea so I settled down once I reached the other side of Plumpudding. I could see 6 Curlew on the roost behind Plumpudding with a Bar-tailed Godwit tucked in with them. After a little while they were flushed off the roost by people walking along the shore and flew past me before wheeling round to head back to the roost but settling down further along this time. It must waste so much energy for them each time they are flushed.
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| Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew |
Out to sea a couple of Great Crested Grebe flew east and also 1 Red-throated Diver. It was nice to see a Guillemot on the sea, fairly close in, and I would imagine it was the same bird I had seen flying fairly close in earlier. It was gradually drifting further out to sea.
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| Guillemot |
It was time to make a move again and as I made my way towards the stables turn off I came across another Bar-tailed Godwit, this time roosting with some Oystercatcher. They didn't fair much better as they were soon flushed off the rocks by a bunch of people scrambling up from the other side. They appeared to come into land further along and I hoped that they might get a little more peace there.
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| Bar-tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers |
A Cormorant was drying its wings on one of the marker post and appeared to have a mix of old worn brown flight feathers and new black ones, as well as showing a large number of pale tipped coverts giving it a striking appearance.
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| Cormorant |
A single Rock Pipit was on the shore as I carried on and as I thought the Bar-tailed Godwit was on the shore in the company of the Oystercatchers. It gave some good views as it fed before yet again being flushed by dog walkers. They are beautiful birds.
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| Bar-tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
As I headed for the turn off to the stables a Little Egret showed off its yellow feet well. It would follow the line of the wavelets as they broke and pick any food item washed in either from the wave itself or as it retreated.
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| Little Egret |
A Cetti's Warbler was vocal as I passed the stables and a couple of Greenfinch were in the bushes. Over all it was pretty quiet with just the usual jobs present. A Water Rail was calling as I headed through Shuart and good numbers of Blackbird with a few Fieldfare and a Mistle Thrush were making the most of the berries. A Common Buzzard had sent a cloud of Lapwing up over the far fields with a flock of 121 birds flashing light and dark as they wheeled round.
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| Lapwing |
I finished an enjoyable visit with a flock of 9 Fieldfare whose colours were glowing in the sunshine. The time spent sea watching at various points along the sea wall had proved to be good fun and though most of the birds out to sea had been distant today I had ended up seeing a good mix of birds. All in all a great day.
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| Fieldfare |
Birds seen this visit included: 23 Great Black-backed Gull, 398 Brent Goose, 3 Robin, 2 Grey Partridge, 48 Redshank, 29 Meadow Pipit, 16 Gannet 3 west, 13 east, 25 Red-throated Diver east, 14 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Wren, 3 Reed Bunting, 123 Lapwing, 9 Mute Swan, 30 Blackbird, 1 Shelduck east, 97 Ringed Plover, 1 Sandwich Tern east, 10 Common Scoter east, 9 Mallard, 4 Snipe, 2 Short-eared Owl, 3 Kestrel, 6 Stonechat, 24 Turnstone, 1 Grey Heron, 12 Curlew, 182 Oystercatcher, 2 Kingfisher, 1 Merlin, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Little Egret, 2 Linnet, 10 Dunlin, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 8 Magpie, 6 Guillemot east, 18 Grey Plover, 1 Blue Tit, 6 Pied Wagtail, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Rock Pipit, 2 Dunnock, 2 Greenfinch, House Sparrows, 4 Chaffinch, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Common Buzzard, 13 Fieldfare, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Moorhen, 1 Water Rail, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Goldfinch
