I started out from Shuart on a sunny early morning with a westerly wind. Light cloud built quite quickly and I could feel the wind picking up as I wandered down the track. There did not appear to be anything much new in but I enjoyed the sights and sounds of what I saw with most of the usual suspects putting in an appearance. Dog walkers were out and about and walking along several field edges and consequently I saw several groups of Red-legged Partridge as they were flushed. 4 ran full pelt across the middle of a field, looking frantically round as they did so, and didn't stop until they reached cover on the other side.
 |
| Red-legged Partridge |
A Chiffchaff in the bushes by the stables was obliging enough to allow some photos and I enjoyed watching it as it made its way through. Out over the back fields a female/immature Marsh Harrier was flying past.
 |
| Chiffchaff |
Overhead small flocks of Chaffinch were heading west. I had a very welcome surprise when a male Ring Ouzel called and appeared in the back of one of the bushes. It was mostly obscured and dropped out of sight almost immediately.
 |
| male Ring Ouzel |
While waiting to see if it was kind enough to reappear I had a check of the paddocks and a distant Black Redstart was a welcome sight while 5 Song Thrush, and several Meadow Pipits and a few Pied Wagtail were also present. Goldfinch numbers are building at the stables and I saw 58 today there.
 |
| Black Redstart and Meadow Pipit |
Another couple of bird watchers, who'd passed me earlier at Shuart, were coming back from the sea wall and as they had not seen the Ring Ouzel they waited with me and I was really pleased when it appeared briefly a few times and one of them was able to get some good photos. As all went quiet they carried on but I decided to try for a while longer. While doing so it was fascinating watching a Blackbird as it tried to eat berries. It was really good at picking the berry off with the tip of its bill but each time it tried to move it back, to allow it to swallow it, it would drop it. After several attempts it managed a well deserved success and swallowed the berry whole.
 |
| Blackbird eating berry |
 |
| Blackbird eating berry |
 |
| Blackbird eating berry |
It ended up being a long wait but I was incredibly lucky as the Ring Ouzel then reappeared and whereas last time, from my view point, it had been mostly obscured this time it was more in the open. It proceeded to give a masterclass on how to eat a berry, picking it off, moving it back and swallowing it without any pause or hesitation and I did not see it drop a single one.
 |
| Ring Ouzel eating berry |
 |
| Ring Ouzel eating berry |
 |
| Ring Ouzel eating berry |
It was a superbly marked bird and afforded me the best views of a Ring Ouzel I have ever had and to say it made my day would be putting it mildly, it really was a breathtakingly beautiful encounter. What a stunningly gorgeous bird.
 |
| Ring Ouzel |
 |
| Ring Ouzel |
 |
| Ring Ouzel |
 |
| Ring Ouzel |
Unfortunately a helicopter flew low overhead causing widespread alarm amongst the birds and the Ring Ouzel disappeared back into cover. I waited quite a while to see if it reappeared but I did not see it again and do not know if it had moved further along. While waiting for the Ring Ouzel I did well for birds passing overhead with flocks of 3 Grey Wagtail, 6 Crossbill and 7 Siskin all west. Small numbers of Chaffinch were also continuing to pass west. Being fairly on the frozen side by now I made my way along to the sea wall where the wind had picked up to an eye wateringly brisk and cold westerly and making walking into it not a lot of fun. 3 Stonechat were in the bushes near the steps. 61 Oystercatchers and 74 Sanderling were along the shore with 1 Oystercatcher near the sea wall as it searched through the high tide line.
 |
| Oystercatcher |
As I made my way along the sea wall 17 Great Black-backed Gulls were offshore and out to sea Kite Surfers were making the most of the windy conditions. The sky was clearing giving some good sunny intervals.
 |
| Great Black-backed Gulls |
 |
| Kite Surfers |
On reaching Plumpudding Island there were 4 Stonechat but no sign of the Whinchat today. 5 Redshank dropped in while out to sea 8 Sandwich Tern were fishing. 2 Rock Pipits were investigating the edges of the islands before moving to the next one.
 |
| Rock Pipit |
When I arrived at Coldharbour there were 9 Redshank, a Little Egret and 9 Mute Swans there. 17 Sandwich Tern wheeled round at the back, over the sea.
 |
| Mute Swans |
I sat on the sea wall for a while and watched a Black-headed Gull chasing a Mediterranean Gull which had just caught a fish. Though the Black-headed Gull pursued it for quite some time it managed to hold onto its catch and once the Black-headed Gull had finally given up the Med Gull settled on the sea and ate its catch in peace.
 |
| 1st winter Mediterranean Gull with catch |
 |
| 1st winter Mediterranean Gull pursued by Black-headed Gull |
I couldn't manage to see a Short-eared Owl over the oyster farm but there was a very smart Grey Plover on the shore as I neared Reculver. There were yet another couple of Stonechat as I neared the towers and I think that 19 during a visit is the highest number I have had. A single Brent Goose flew west out to sea.
 |
| Grey Plover |
I had met Matt Hindle on the sea wall and he had mentioned that there was a very confiding Wheatear near the car park and luckily it was still there as I came down from the towers. It didn't seemed phased by the people around and allowed some very good views as it hunted for prey. A second Wheatear was also at the foot of the towers. The very confiding bird had a lot of grey feathering in places, more so than the other Wheatear, and was a beautiful bird.
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Wheatear |
It made short work of a Cranefly, removing some of its legs before eating it.
 |
| Wheatear eating Cranefly |
 |
| Wheatear eating Cranefly |
 |
| Wheatear eating Cranefly |
It stopped to have a preen, still almost totally unconcerned by people passing by.
 |
| Wheatear preening |
The other Wheatear, who stayed mainly over in the concrete apron area, had less grey in its plumage and more white in its tail.
 |
| 2nd Wheatear |
Watching both Wheatear made a very nice end to a productive and thoroughly enjoyable visit.
Birds seen this visit included: 13 Chiffchaff, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, Wood Pigeons, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, 1 Green Woodpecker, 7 Blackbird, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 6 Robin, 3 Jay, 1 Moorhen, 28 Red-legged Partridge, 3 Wren, 5 Kestrel, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 18 House Martin, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 31 Chaffinch, 13 Mute Swan, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Magpie, 1 Common Buzzard, 3 Collared Dove, 19 Stonechat, 7 Skylark, 14 Meadow Pipit, 15 Pied Wagtail, 7 Song Thrush, 19 Swallow, 62 Goldfinch, Starlings, House Sparrows, 6 Crossbill west, 1 Blackcap, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Grey Wagtail west, 7 Siskin west, 14 Corn Bunting, 74 Sanderling, 3 Little Egret, 72 Oystercatcher, 3 Rock Pipit, 27 Sandwich Tern, 17 Great Black-backed Gull, 7 Mallard, 15 Redshank, 5 Linnet, 30 Turnstone, 38 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Gull, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Wheatear
