Snow and Snipe - Broomfield Track 11/02/21

On a beautifully fine early afternoon I had a wander along a very snowy and picturesque Broomfield track. There were already a lot of footprints in the snow as it is a very popular venue with dog walkers but in places the snow was surprisingly deep.

Broomfield Track

A Little Owl called as I made my way down the track and a few Blue and Great Tits were busily searching through the hedgerow as was a small flock of Chaffinches. The trees stood out starkly against the snow and the bright sky and along field edges the snow had been sculpted by the wind.

A small flock of Lapwing flew over with the birds looking amazingly evenly spaced out.  

Lapwing

A Grey Heron also flew across and a Sparrowhawk made its way over towards the wood. It sent some Snipe up in panic and as they appeared to go down again I hoped I would get a chance to catch up with them. A Robin was searching for insects in amongst where the snow had started to melt.

Robin

A female Kestrel looked stunning against the blue sky and the warmth from the sun had been sufficient to melt the snow from the branches of the hedgerow.

female Kestrel

The Snipe had settled back down on one of the fields and were a welcome sight and there appeared to be seven of them. 

Snipe

They were quite flighty as dog walkers passed by but after wheeling round tended to return to the same field.

Snipe

Snipe

Snipe

Snipe

I headed for home and on the way back came across another couple of Snipe tucked into a nearer furrow in the same field. It had been good to be out and an enjoyable visit.

Snipe

Eider, Snow Buntings and Short-eared Owls - Reculver 02/12/20

With bird watching time in short supply for the next few weeks I was pleased to be able to pay a quick visit to Reculver this afternoon. The usual Robin was on the rocks by the car park and quickly pursued both a Wren and a Meadow Pipit they dared to appear on the rocks.

Robin

As I came past the towers I had a scan out to sea but apart from a Great Crested Grebe all appeared quiet. It came as a nice surprise, therefore, to have an Eider fly west a couple of minutes later.

Eider

It was fairly quiet generally as I made my way along the sea wall. Out to sea I could see a Merlin and a Kestrel was hunting over the oyster farm. I was chuffed when I caught sight of Snow Buntings on the shore and had the chance of some good views of four as they searched for seeds amongst the shingle and scrub. Any day that I can watch Snow Buntings has to be a good one.

Snow Bunting

Snow Buntings

Snow Bunting

Snow Buntings

Snow Bunting

It was hard to tear myself away but it was time to move on. Waders were moving to roost with 64 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin and 5 Turnstone in a mixed flock coming into land. 

Over the back fields an immature male Marsh Harrier was following the line of the field edge. Further along I came across another Snow Bunting on the shore which was on its own. I don't know if it was one of the four I saw earlier or a different bird. Whichever it was, it was a little beauty.

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

It was time to be heading back. Colour was building in the lower part of the sky and contrasting well with the grey clouds. 

I caught a glimpse of a pale shape over the oyster farm and saw a Short-eared Owl making for one of the posts. What better way could there be to end the visit than by watching an owl! 

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

It only rested on the post for a few minutes before starting to hunt. No sooner had it started than another Short-eared flew up and pursued it. For a few minutes neither would give way and the chase rose higher and higher before finally the challenger won and the first owl moved to the other side of the oyster farm. There really wasn't enough light for photos but I gave it a go anyway and though they have not come out well they do give me some good memory shots of the privilege of being able to watch these two birds interacting.

Short-eared Owls

Short-eared Owls

Short-eared Owls

Short-eared Owls

As I carried on a Dunnock popped up onto the sea wall right in front of me giving some great views. As it turned, though, I could see what appeared to be a tick semi covering one eye. It didn't appear to affect it eyesight as it moved to the shore and picked for food, perhaps because the pupil was mainly clear.

Dunnock

Dunnock

Dunnock

Dunnock

On nearing Reculver I could hear a Carrion Crow alarm calling and it started to mob something on the other side of the bank at the back of oyster farm. Its calls attracted back up and another two joined it in mobbing whatever it was they could see. The mystery was solved when I caught sight of a Common Buzzard flying so low on the other side of the bank, that it was barely visible, with a single Crow in hot pursuit until it became clear the Buzzard was going to keep going and the Crow broke off. The colour in the sky was deepening and made an atmospheric end to the visit as I reached Reculver.

Snipe, Merlin and Gadwall - Chambers Wall to Reculver 21/11/20

I started out from Chambers Wall on an overcast morning with a breezy south westerly wind and wandering up the approach road I could hear a single Golden Plover calling in alarm as a Kestrel flew low over one of the fields. A very smart male Marsh Harrier was on the hunt over the far fields but unfortunately remained distant. The hedgerow and car park area were quiet and I could only see a single Robin working its way through one of the bushes and the odd Blackbird. As the Robin moved into the open a gust of wind caught its feathers turning it into an instant fluff ball.

Robin

Two Siskin flew south overhead calling away as they did so. A few more Blackbird and a scolding Wren greeted me as I stopped to check out tiny patches of orange on the ground and found small groups of Orange Peel Fungus. They might be tiny but the colour really catches the eye.

Orange Peel Fungus

Orange Peel Fungus

Plenty of Blackbird were in the hedgerow as I made my way towards the embankment together with 7 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare and a couple of Song Thrush. Some Blue and Great Tits were busily looking for insects and as I came to the end of the hedgerow I could see a Peregrine on a small mound of earth in the field by the railway line. No sooner had I spotted it then so did a Carrion Crow and calling for reinforcements it, and then another joining it, mobbed the Peregrine causing it to move on. A couple of Linnet flew over as I started along the embankment towards Shuart end and a pair of Stonechat were swaying atop the reed edge. A single Mushroom was growing at the side of the track.

A few more Blackbird and a couple of Song Thrush were in the bushes as I made my way along and a small flock of Blue and Great Tits were working there way through. A pair of Stonechat were keeping out of the wind at the edge of one of the fields and perching very low to the ground.

Stonechats

A pair of Little Grebe and a pair of Mallard were on the river as I came up to it together with a pair of Coot. Every now and then one of the Coot would seem to feel that a Little Grebe was just that bit too close and move to chase it whereupon the Little Grebe would instantly dive and surface a safe distance away before gradually working its way back towards the Coot and the whole thing would be repeated. Finally the Little Grebes moved a little further away and peace ruled.

Little Grebes

Eighty-seven Lapwing were on the flooded portion of the field with all of them facing into the wind.

Lapwing

I couldn't see any Snipe tucked in with the Lapwing today but moving along a little I could get a better view of the rest of the flooded area, through a gap in the hedgerow, and as I scanned along I saw more and more Snipe ending up seeing 14 in total. I had hoped I might be able to pick up a Jack Snipe but couldn't manage to find one but it will certainly be worth keeping an eye on.

Snipe

Snipe

Snipe

Snipe

A single Redshank was also working its way from flooded area to flooded area.

Redshank

A single Siskin called as it flew west as I carried on and on the next flooded field the only occupant appeared to be a Black-headed Gull. A flock of c320 Brent Geese formed an almost perfect ellipse in one of the fields near the sea wall.

Brent Geese

The 9 Red-legged Partridge were in the same area I saw them on the last visit and were tucked in keeping out of the wind with just one adventurous one off for a wander.

Red-legged Partridge

There wasn't anything unexpected as I headed past the stables. The tide was coming in quite fast when I reached the sea wall but there wasn't a wader to be seen on the remaining exposed shore as it was crowded instead with people. A Common Gull was off-shore but otherwise the walk to Plumpudding remained quiet. Out to sea the windy conditions had attracted Kite Surfers and Sail Boarders.

The pair of Mute Swan on Plumpudding Island were busily tucking into vegetation they were bringing up from just below the surface of the water.

Mute Swans

As I carried on towards Coldharbour a Merlin came in off the sea and shot past giving a brief view as it did so. Out to sea 7 Common Scoter were bobbing around a good ways out.

Merlin

Common Scoter

I could see 31 Oystercatchers and 1 Curlew were on the beach at the back of Coldharbour as I headed round along the sea wall. There was a single Redshank and a Little Egret on Coldharbour and I could see 2 Mallard and a couple of Gadwall out to sea while sitting on the sea wall. A Grey Plover was on the shore and behind me the sun breaking through the clouds into beams looked spectacular.

Grey Plover

I had a wander along for a little way and then had another sit on the sea wall for a while. Waders were moving to roost with Turnstone and Ringed Plover heading past. A single Dunlin was tucked in with both flocks. Off-shore a pair of Shelduck were gradually moving further out to sea.

Shelduck

From the next sit on the sea wall waders were still on the move with some Oystercatchers giving a close fly past and a flock of c100 Sanderling with a single Dunlin amongst them heading for roost.

Oystercatcher

Sanderling and Dunlin

I could see a couple of distant Gannet heading east as I made my way towards Reculver and a male Marsh Harrier was quartering over the fields. I wonder if it is the same one that I saw earlier.

male Marsh Harrier

The Mallard and Gadwall lifted off from the sea and after a quick circular flight headed off  east towards Coldharbour.

Mallard and Gadwall

Mallard and Gadwall

Oystercatchers were on the move during my final sit on the sea wall before reaching Reculver and were an impressive sight, as always, and brought the visit to an end nicely.

Oystercatchers

Oystercatchers

Birds seen this visit included: 8 Robin, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Kestrel, 2 Meadow Pipit, Skylarks, 4 Mute Swan, 1 Pheasant, Wood Pigeons, 37 Blackbird, 3 Siskin 2 south 1 west, 3 Dunnock, 3 Wren, 6 Blue Tit, 5 Great Tit, 7 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 11 Magpie, 4 Song Thrush, 1 Peregrine, 6 Stonechat, 2 Linnet, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Coot, 4 Mallard, 87 Lapwing, 14 Snipe, 9 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Pied Wagtail, 3 Common Gull, 239 Oystercatcher, 5 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Merlin, 7 Common Scoter, 1 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 2 Gadwall, 1 Grey Plover, 35 Turnstone, 88 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, 2 Shelduck, 2 Gannet east,