There were patches of mist at Reculver when I arrived this morning with the base of the towers disappearing into and out of the mist while the top remained much clearer. The mist did not look like it was going to hang around for long and it promised to be a fine morning.
Over on the point I could see 75 Brent Geese. The tide was almost in and the sea incredibly calm and still. Apart from one Great Crested Grebe off shore it appeared very quiet out to sea. Over the next ten minutes though I was treated to the sight of huge numbers of Cormorant moving out to sea. They looked as if they were taking a line high above the cliffs at Bishopstone with all taking a similar route, the weaving lines grouping and lengthening and tracing across the sky. It stopped as suddenly as it started but by then I had seen c1800 Cormorant in various large size groups streaming past and carrying on out and heading past the wind farm. What an amazing sight.
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| Cormorants moving out to sea |
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| Cormorants moving out to sea |
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| Cormorants moving out to sea |
Twelve Meadow Pipits were on the rocks by the towers much to the disgust of the local Robin who had its hands full trying to chase them off. As I came down onto the sea wall 2 Merlin were heading out to sea and a little further on a male Kestrel was keeping a lookout for prey from a telegraph pole. Making my way towards the oyster farm another 7 Meadow Pipits were on the grass track and a couple of Redshank called from the oyster farm as two Mute Swan took off noisily from one of the dykes. One of a pair of Stonechat came and perched close to the sea wall and allowed some great views in the early morning light.
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| Stonechat |
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| Stonechat |
Small numbers of Gannet were flying east out to sea now and then as I made my way along and a single Curlew also flew east. It was nice to be able to catch up with Chris and Anne Hindle as they passed me on their way to Coldharbour. Far out to sea lines of Cormorants started to stream east in vast long lines. I am assuming that many of them were the same ones I had seen earlier moving out to sea. Each time I thought they had stopped moving through another wave would appear. Once again it did not last for very long but it was a truely spectacular sight while it lasted. I gave up trying to count them and just settled to enjoy watching them but there appeared to be more than I saw this morning. Over behind me, on the land side, some striking cloud formations were starting to form.
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| Cloud formations |
Another Great Crested Grebe was off shore and several Great Black-backed Gulls flew east at various times as I made my way to the green bank. A Cetti's Warbler was very vocal as I reached it and 38 Corn Bunting wheeled round before settling back down into the bushes on the oyster farm. A Green Woodpecker was calling loudly from the oyster farm and perched on top of one of the bushes. The Corn Buntings seemed surprisingly wary of it.
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| Green Woodpecker |
Two male Marsh Harriers flew east with one much nearer to me and the other coming through at the back of the oyster farm. Unfortunately I missed the close one as I was looking out to sea and only saw it disappearing off as I turned round. They are beautiful birds. Carrying on towards Coldharbour I paused to watch a ringed a Goldfinch on some Teasels. Its eye was catching the light beautifully as it expertly balanced to extract the seeds.
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| Goldfinch |
On the shore a Black-headed Gull was well on in its moult into its breeding plumage hood and was the only Black-headed Gull I saw today that was that far on with its moult.
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| Black-headed Gull |
As I made my way along, and at each pause for a seat on the sea wall, I was continuing to see small numbers of distant Gannets mostly flying east. Nearing Coldharbour a Snipe flew briefly from a field edge and settled on the bank of the river remaining mainly hidden and just occasionally raising its head allowing a little better view. In profile the size of its bill was really emphasized.
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| Snipe |
With walking definitely not a strong point today I only looked at the first part of Coldharbour as I wanted to get back to the sea wall for a seat. A Rock Pipit flew from the shingle bank and settled on the fence briefly before dropping to the waters edge.
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| Rock Pipit |
Five Redshank were dotted around and a Little Egret was roosting near the back. I enjoyed watching 2 Little Grebe who were repeatedly diving before moving over to the bank near me and tucking themselves in, giving some nice views as they did so.
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| Little Grebes |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Little Grebe |
I made my way back to the sea wall and had a seat and scanned what I could see of the wader roost behind Coldharbour. There were at least 80 Oystercatcher and I could see some Grey Plover bunched on the beach nearby. A couple of Great Crested Grebe were off shore and a single Common Scoter flew east before coming down on the sea. I was really pleased to see a Sandwich Tern fishing just off shore and it must have come up with a fish as two Black-headed Gulls started to mob it and as they chased after it turned and started to fly towards me. I think it must have dropped its catch as they broke off and went down but luckily for me the Sandwich Tern kept coming, and flying past me gave some super views as it did so, before turning and appearing to land on the beach on the other side of the breakwater groyne.
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
I moved along to a seat on the sea wall on the other side of the breakwater and was chuffed to see that the tern was still on the beach where it was busily preening.
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
After each preening session it would fluff out and shake its feathers before settling down to more preening. It looked spectacular as it did so showing its markings off beautifully.
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
It really was a little beauty and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I also felt very lucky to be able to have such nice views of what may be my last Sandwich Tern of the year.
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
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| 1st winter Sandwich Tern |
While watching the Sandwich Tern a Rock Pipit was determined not to be left out and popped up onto the breakwater groyne and posed nicely.
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
I continued to see small numbers of Gannet as I made my way back to Reculver. The largest group size was 5 otherwise it was mainly 2's and 3's but throughout the visit I had seen a fair number of them. The weather had turned much cooler with a large amount of cloud and a strengthening southerly wind. While I was having a break on the sea wall I could see a Red Admiral butterfly flying along the shore and after heading past me it settled very briefly nearby allowing a quick shot before flying up over the sea wall and heading inland. I was surprised to see it on the wing as the day had become so much cooler, without any sunshine for quite a while, that I would have expected it to be too cold for it.
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| Red Admiral Butterfly |
A first winter Black-headed Gull was on the rocks as I carried on towards Reculver.
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| 1st winter Black-headed Gull |
As I came past the oyster farm I could see a blob of orange at the edge of one of the lagoons and a Kingfisher was taking advantage of the folds in the rubber liner as a perch while sheltered from the wind at the same time.
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| Kingfisher |
I finished the visit with a juvenile Herring Gull giving a fly by as I came past the towers. It was good to reach the pick up point but I had enjoyed my visit.
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| Herring Gull |
Birds seen this visit included: 194 Brent Geese, 1800+ Cormorant, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 33 Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel, 8 Pied Wagtail, 3 Robin, 2 Merlin, 13 Great Black-backed Gull, 14 Mute Swan, 16 Redshank, 4 Little Egret, 8 Stonechat, 39 Gannet east, 8 Goldfinch, 1 Curlew, 12 Reed Bunting, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Green Woodpecker, 38 Corn Bunting, 29 Turnstone, 2 Marsh Harrier, 3 Sanderling, 15 Ringed Plover, 2 Wren, 1 Dunnock, 28 Golden Plover, 1 Snipe, 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Little Grebe, 125 Oystercatcher, 10 Grey Plover, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Sandwich Tern, 3 Common Gull, 1 Kingfisher
