I headed for Reculver today with the aim of walking through to Chambers Wall. The tide was out when I arrived but coming in quite fast. There was a light north westerly that gradually swung round to north easterly as the day went on and it was warm and sunny but with building cloud.
I could hear Common Sandpipers calling as I walked from the car park and saw at least three.
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
A smart Small Copper Butterfly was sunning itself and is the first one that I have seen this year. They are lovely little butterflies.
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| Small Copper Butterfly |
There was a small movement of Swallows west during the first part of the visit and I saw 56 in total. I also had a couple of House Martin west as well. 5 Sand Martin were hawking for insects over the oyster farm. 2 Greylag Geese flew from the back of the oyster farm and I tried for a photo as one of them came past.
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| Greylag Goose |
A Kestrel was hovering above the oyster farm and was joined by a second bird for a while. The immature male Eider was at the edge of one of the exposed mussel beds and a pair of Oystercatcher flew noisily back and fore. Sedge Warblers were singing away and I sat on the sea wall for a while and just enjoyed listening to them. One of them had a perfect Ringed-necked Parakeet call as part of its repertoire. Whitethroat, Dunnock, Linnet and Reed Warbler were all singing as well and with the Skylarks overhead I was surrounded by bird song.
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| Sedge Warbler |
I had a check of a sheltered area for insects and a Common Lizard scurried away as I approached. There was a Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis and also what I think is a Oedemera lurida. A small Weevil was also on the same plant. A moth was resting on a leaf and I think, from looking it up, that it may be a Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas Postvittana.
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| Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis |
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| Oedemera lurida |
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| Weevil |
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| Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas Postvittana |
A Shelduck was on the oyster farm and a couple of Mallard were tucked into the bank. A Hairy Dragonfly zoomed past me but I did not see it settle. A male Stonechat was atop a bush and a Little Egret flew past and allowed some good views.
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| Little Egret |
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| Little Egret |
A handsome male Yellow Wagtail flew in and posed briefly and a young Stonechat was busy fly catching.
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| Yellow Wagtail |
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| juvenile Stonechat |
A Ringed Plover did some display flights back and fore and gave some good views as it did so. Over at the back, towards the embankment I could see a pair of Carrion Crows giving a Marsh Harrier a hard time.
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| Ringed Plover |
A pair of Oystercatchers were on the shore and one of them obliged with a few wing stretches. 6 Turnstone flew in and amongst them was a bird almost fully moulted into summer plummage. The heat haze was fairly bad by now so the photo of the Turnstones isn't very clear but makes a good memory shot.
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Turnstones |
There were 2 Shelduck at Coldharbour, one on the shingle bank and a female on the water. A youngster suddenly appeared briefly from under cover and in total I ended up seeing 4 youngsters. Each time they appeared I could hear her calling and they disappeared back into cover again. A Redshank was also tucked in at the back.
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| female Shelduck and young |
I got a very nice surprise when I saw a Brimstone Butterfly patrolling beside the sea wall. It was very active but did settle briefly on a couple of occasions allowing some distant photos. The photos really are pretty poor but I was very pleased to get them as they make great memory shots for me.
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| Brimstone Butterfly |
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| Brimstone Butterfly |
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| Brimstone Butterfly |
As I turned towards Chambers Wall a Common Tern flew past carrying a fish and calling. I was not quick enough for a photo but it was good to see it. I saw an insect that I have not seen before and, on looking it up, it is a Denticulate Leatherbug Coriomeris denticulatus.
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| Denticulate Leatherbug Coriomeris denticulatus |
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| Denticulate Leatherbug Coriomeris denticulatus |
A Hobby was hawking for insects. It is such an agile bird and not the easiest to try and get a photo of. I did not manage a good one but was pleased to get what I did.
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| Hobby |
It had turned a fair bit cooler by now and clouded over a lot. It meant I saw fewer insects but I did get a good view of a Red-eyed Damslfly. A Red Admiral Butterfly was less obliging and stayed tucked down into the grass.
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| Red-eyed Damselfly |
A Cuckoo was calling away but stayed further along and I only saw it distantly. The pair of Mute Swan have done well and they had eight youngsters, 2 of which were 'polish'.
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| Mute Swans and young |
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| Mute Swans and young |
I saw a large number of bugs gathered together, easily several hundred in small to large groups. I didn't know what they were so looked them up when I got home and they are European Cinchbug Ischnodemus sabuleti. They were fascinating to watch and quite varied in appearance, in body colour, size and wing length. Lots of them were in the process of mating.
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| European Cinchbug Ischnodemus sabuleti |
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| European Cinchbug Ischnodemus sabuleti |
A pair of Blue-tailed Damselflies were mating and a Variable Damselfly was nearby, as well as another Red-eyed Damselfly. A couple of Swift were high overhead.
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| mating Blue-tailed Damselflies |
As I approached the walk up to the road a male Yellow Wagtail was fly catching from the top of a bush and another couple were in the road. There was a small moth resting on a leaf which looked a little like a bird dropping.
A Corn Bunting was singing away with gusto and I saw several of the same type of Ichneumon Wasps. These had distinctive white rear tarsi. I am not sure exactly which it is at present so I will come back to it when I do.
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| Corn Bunting |
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| Ichneumon Wasps |
It had been an interesting visit. I hope that all the various youngster that I saw today get on well.
Birds seen this visit include: 3 Common Sandpiper, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Carrion Crows, 44 Starling, 13 House Sparrow, 8 Oystercatcher, 56 Swallow west, 6 Magpie, 18 Whitethroat, 1 Dunnock, 1 House Martin, 3 Mute Swan, 14 Meadow Pipit, 1 male immature Eider, 5 Linnet, 17 Mallard, 5 Sand Martin, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Collared Dove, 26 Sedge Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Kestrel, Skylarks, 10 Goldfinch, 1 Ringed Plover, 6 Shelduck and 4 young, 9 Turnstone, 2 Stonechat, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Blackbird, 2 Common Buzzard, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Marsh Harrier, 7 Reed Bunting, Cormorants, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Great Tit, 1 Redshank, Woodpigeon, Pheasant, 1 Hobby, 5 Wren, 1 Cetti's Warbler, Chaffinches, 2 Blackcap, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Corn Bunting, 2 Swift,
