A Slow Wander and a Puzzle

I had a very slow wander through today, as walking was a little more problematic than expected, but that at least gave lots of time to sit and watch on a beautiful spring day. There was wall to wall sunshine with a light north westerly wind.

As I arrived I saw a Brimstone butterfly and also a Comma. Both were only fleeting views, and no chance of a photo, but I was pleased to see them. I have not seen a Brimstone for a long time. I could hear a pair of Ring-necked Parakeets and could see that they were checking out a possible nesting hole.

Ring-necked Parakeets

A male Blackcap (116) was singing away and gave brief views before moving to a perch out of sight. I enjoyed the chance to listen to his song. A couple of Chiffchaff were also singing, as were most of the usual little jobs. It was a fairly quiet walk through but I did have a male Marsh Harrier give some very good views. They are very handsome birds.

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

I had a look in the dyke again and the water was beautifully clear today. A Common Newt was on the bottom. I also saw several Water Boatman, in much better light than last time, and what I think is a Stickleback.

Common Newt

Water Boatman

? Stickleback

A White-tailed Bumblebee was looking for necter on the embankment.

White-tailed Bumblebee

White-tailed Bumblebee

The stable area was quiet apart from a pair of Pied Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipits, House Sparrows, Starlings and Linnets. One of the Linnets allowed a photo but otherwise everything was very camera shy today.

Linnet

The sea was very calm and very quiet.The flock of Common Scoter was out to sea, as were Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls and 3 Great Crested Grebe. 27 Redshank and a pair of Mute Swan were on Plumpudding but otherwise it was quiet. I liked the reflections with one of the Redshank.

Redshank

A couple of White Dove were on the shore and were obviously used to humans as they fed happily despite the sea wall being packed with people, dog walkers and cyclists.

White Doves

A pair of Carrion Crow were on the shore. One of birds had a mostly pale bill which also showed well in flight. It was hard to know if it was coated in mud or sand or actually that colour.

Carrion Crow

Carrion Crow

Coldharbour was also quiet with just 2 Shelduck and 4 Redshanks. The male was displaying but the female did not appear to be taking any notice and just continued feeding.

male and female Shelduck

80 Turnstone and 1 Sanderling were packed onto one of the groynes.

Turnstone

A Meadow Pipit had a wash and brush up in one of the puddles on the track and then sat calling away before having a wing stretch. They are pretty birds.

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Two immature Mute Swan were drifting west out to sea before flying in and settling down onto the oyster farm. I liked their reflections in the sea.

Mute Swans

An Oystercatcher was flying back and fore calling and appeared to be aiming his display to the pair of Oystercatcher on the shore. As he flew past the light shone through the white in his wings.

Oystercatcher

3 pairs of Stonechat were a various points. I enjoyed watching a smart male Reed Bunting feeding near the wall.

Reed Bunting

As I neared the towers 3 waders flew past, 2 Ringed Plover and a smaller bird. I tried for some photos but they were into the light and they have come out very badly. The only thing they do show well is how small the bird was. I have been through every wader I can think of and because of its size I wondered about Stint because I could not think of another wader that would be small enough. But is that even likely at this time of year and, looking at the photo's again, I think the bill is too long for one. So I am jolly puzzled. Could the small size have been an illusion with the birds against the light? Have I mis-identified the Ringed Plovers? Is it a Dunlin in disguise, which perhaps is more likely? The only thing I do know is that I really haven't got the experience with waders, at the moment, to know what the bird is. But perhaps in time I will look back at these and have a better idea what I saw, or at least what it definitely isn't. But it made an interesting end to the visit. I have enjoyed trying to work the puzzle out, even if I really haven't made any progress at present.

Ringed Plovers and a puzzle bird

Ringed Plovers and a puzzle bird

Ringed Plovers and a puzzle bird

I was pleased to reach Reculver but it had been an enjoyable day. It has been so nice to be on holiday and have time for birding when I want.

Birds seen this visit include: 3 Ring-necked Parakeet, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 male Blackcap, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 5 Dunnock, 8 Robin, 2 Green Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, 8 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 1 Moorhen, 2 Pheasant, 2 Common Buzzard, 3 Wren, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 6 Blackbird, 15 Mute Swan, 32 Meadow Pipits, 6 Reed Bunting, 15 Linnet, 9 Curlew, 78 Sanderling, 98 Oystercatcher, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 20 House Sparrow, 25 Starling, 48 Common Scoter, 4 Pied Wagtail, 39 Redshank, 9 Brent Geese, Skylarks, 2 Shelduck, 12 Corn Bunting, 2 Coot, 1 Grey Heron, 5 Ringed Plover, 6 Stonechat, 8 Mallard, 1 male Shoveler, 2 Little Egret

Firecrest Highlight - Shuart to Reculver 21/03/19

I thought I would aim for a walk through from Shuart to Reculver today and see what I could find. The visit started well as almost the first bird that I saw was a Firecrest (112). I only managed one photo, and not a very good one at that, but I was very pleased to get it. Though I saw it several times more it was very active and stayed mainly deeper in cover, only coming into the open for a moment at a time. It was a beautiful bird and definitely made my day.

Firecrest

All the usual little jobs were around and a couple of Ring-necked Parakeets were calling noisily. There was a small patch of Violets by the side of the path. The flowers were coming to an end but they still looked very pretty.

Violets

A Chiffchaff was calling away and then helpfully flew across and landed opposite me. It was the second one of the day. The bird appeared quite pale but may have been an effect of the light.

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

It was a quiet walk through on the whole. There were several more Chiffchaff's calling and a Cetti's Warbler was singing away. There were several Water Boatman in one of the dykes. I could see where the tip of their abdomen was in contact with the air which shows as a little black dot in the photograph.

Water Boatman

As I came up to cross the railway line I got a surprise when I saw a Mink running across the crossing and then disappearing towards the dyke on the other side. When I was on the embankment on the other side the Mink reappeared and ran across the embankment and down to the dyke. It started to swim down the dyke and then turned around and swam back again before climbing out and running back across the embankment and presumably back towards the railway crossing. It is such a shame that they are so bad for the local water life as they are beautiful animals to watch and this one was very confident indeed.

Mink

Mink

Mink

Mink

There were a couple of Pied Wagtail pairs and several Meadow Pipits at the stables. The House Sparrows were chirping away and Corn Buntings were singing. A Corn Bunting gave some good views.

Corn Bunting

When I reached the sea it appeared very quiet with just 3 Great Black-backed Gulls on the water. It was incredibly calm with hardly any wind. It was hard to see where the sea finished and the sky began, both were a milky greyish white. 7 Collared Doves were on the rocks and a single House Sparrow. The subtle shades of colour in a Collared Dove are lovely.

Collared Dove

A single Brent Goose was on the sea with 17 more in one of the fields. The tide was on the turn and just starting to go out. I could see the group of Common Scoter a long way out at sea. I made my way towards Plumpudding. It was generally very quiet. 10 Curlew and 110 Oystercatchers were roosting on the beach behind Plumpudding island and 28 Redshank on Plumpudding Island itself. A pair of Mute Swan were also there and a pair of Mallard. One of the Redshank kept flying at another one and calling repeatedly.

Redshank

Further along, I came across a small group of mixed waders roosting which consisted of 62 Sanderling, 18 Grey Plover and 24 Turnstone. Some dog walkers flushed a large group of waders that flew my way. The flock seemed to consist solely of Turnstones and there was c130, which is the largest group of them I have seen.

Turnstones

 I also saw an adult Gannet flying east. Later on I saw an adult fly west and then an adult fly east. It seems possible that it was the same bird going back and fore.

Gannet

Just before Coldharbour I saw a male Wheatear. They really are very handsome birds.

Wheatear

Coldharbour had a couple of Little Egrets on it. With them standing near the edge of the bank they were throwing nice reflections into the water.

Little Egret

A pair of Shelduck were swimming around on Coldharbour and I could see the immature male Eider out to sea.

Shelduck

Shelduck

I sat and had lunch and then carried on to the Green bank. Corn Buntings were singing away when I reached there and I could see at least 28. A Short-eared Owl put in a brief appearance and then reappeared later when the male Marsh Harrier flew over the oyster farm. It flew straight up to it and then both birds circled higher and higher as the owl flew round and round above the harrier. It never came into contact with it but shadowed it the whole time until the Marsh Harrier moved away from the oyster farm. As soon as it was gone the owl lost height rapidly and landed. 

Short-eared Owl and Marsh Harrier

A pair of Stonechat were busy feeding and I enjoyed watching them. They were a little too distant for any decent photos today. A Mute Swan flew gave good views as it flew past. The sound that their wings make is quite something.

Mute Swan

It was quiet for the rest of the way back to Reculver. A couple of Oystercatcher were roosting on the rocks. I saw another 4 Shelduck. A pair of Black-headed Gulls were displaying on the rocks. An immature arrived and was seen promptly off by one of the adults and chased this way and that.

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

As I neared Reculver an adult Black-headed Gull was noisily defending the area and flying against anything that came near.

Black-headed Gull

It had been an enjoyable day but the definite highlight was seeing the Firecrest.


Birds seen this visit include: 4 Greenfinch, 15 Goldfinches, 5 Wren, 6 Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, 2 Pheasant, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush, 7 Chiffchaff, 1 Jay, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Firecrest, 9 Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Moorhen, Great Tits, Blue Tits, 1 Cetti's, Skylarks, 7 Mute Swan, 2 Marsh Harrier, 11 Reed Bunting, Little Grebe, 4 Pied Wagtail, 25 Meadow Pipit, 2 Magpie, 22 House Sparrow, 1 Grey Heron, 37 Corn Bunting, 8 Linnet, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 37 Common Scoter, 10 Curlew, 110 Oystercatcher, 32 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plover, 24 Turnstone, 18 Grey Plover, 62 Sanderling, 1 Gannet, 2 Little Egret, 6 Shelduck, 15 Mallard, 1 Coot, Cormorants, 3 Great Crested Grebe,