Two Sea Watches and an Osprey - Reculver 26/08/20

With a breezy north westerly blowing this morning I decided to try a sea watch to see if anything was passing. Overall it turned out to be fairly quiet but I enjoyed seeing my first Arctic Skuas (136) of the year with a couple of singles seen heading west during the morning. Even though distant, one came close enough to try for a memory shot.

Arctic Skua

Wader wise it was fairly quiet. Oystercatchers were heading east in small groups and a Bar-tailed Godwit (137) west was nice to see. A single Snipe also headed past. It was mainly Sandwich Terns that were heading east in small numbers while 3 Common Terns (138) passed west close enough to the towers to try for a photo. 

Common Terns

The undoubted highlight of the morning was when Marc Heath, who was also sea watching, spotted a distant Osprey (139) coming in from the north. I really hoped that it might head our way but it remained too far away to try for a photo and came in over Coldharbour instead and carried straight on, presumably ending up at Stodmarsh. I would have loved to have been able to get a photo of it. As a first sea watch for a long time it had been an enjoyable morning and I am very grateful to Marc for all of the help he gave me during the morning.

In the afternoon I headed to Coldharbour and sat on the sea wall to see what was moving out to sea. It was clear that there were more terns on the move this afternoon, with both Sandwich and Common Terns moving west. One of the Sandwich Terns gave a nice close fly past.

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

I also saw a single Great Skua (140) west and an Arctic Skua east.

Great Skua

Arctic Skua

I enjoyed watching as groups of Terns moved through, sometimes small mixed groups of both Sandwich and Common, other times larger unmixed groups. All were a pleasure to watch.

Common Terns

Sandwich Terns

Small groups of waders were on the move as the tide continued to come in and it gave an opportunity to try for some flight shots as they came past.

Sanderling

Ringed Plover

Oystercatchers

With the movement of terns seemingly come to an end I started to make my way back to Reculver and as I did do a Rock Pipit landed on the beach and gave some very good views as it searched amongst the shingle for food. A nearby Meadow Pipit was equally obliging.

Rock Pipit

Meadow Pipit

A Common Sandpiper was on one of the groynes and I did well with them on the way back seeing 8 in total. Waders were roosting on the beach and a single Dunlin was amongst the Ringed Plover whilst a very smart Sanderling gave a very nice view.

Common Sandpiper

Dunlin and Ringed Plover

Sanderling

Four Whimbrel flew west calling and a short while later another Whimbrel flew west before turning and returning east. They have a very distinctive and far carrying call.

Whimbrel

Three Yellow Wagtails were on the beach in the company of a couple of Pied Wagtails while Linnet and Goldfinches chattered away from the other side of the sea wall. A Whitethroat peeped out at me from one of the bramble bushes and another three were more skulking.

Whitethroat

An adult and juvenile Cormorant were feeding in close proximity to each other close in to the shore. A Cormorant coming into land showed just what an impressive wing span they have and was moulting various flight feathers.

Cormorants

Cormorant landing

A juvenile Sandwich Tern was resting on the beach as I neared Reculver. They are beautifully marked and it showed its wing markings well as it wing stretched several times. It called as another Sandwich Tern flew past out to sea but it did not receive a reply.

juvenile Sandwich Tern

juvenile Sandwich Tern

juvenile Sandwich Tern

A Common Gull was on the beach as I approached the towers and a large number of Herring and Black-headed Gulls were swooping and soaring, presumably catching the many insects that were on the wing. The juvenile Sandwich Tern joined them briefly before flying back east.

It was good to reach the car park but had been an enjoyable and productive visit.

Birds seen during the morning sea watch included: 2 Arctic Skua west, 27 Sandwich Tern, 3 Common Tern, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit west, 1 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 3 Little Egret, 1 Osprey in off the sea and south over Coldharbour.

Birds seen during the afternoon visit included: 1 Great Skua west, 1 Arctic Skua east, 86 Sandwich Tern west, 49 Common Tern west, 2 Dunlin, 29 Turnstone, 63 Ringed Plover, 78 Oystercatcher, 5 Whimbrel, 6 Meadow Pipit, 61 Sanderling, 8 Common Sandpiper, 1 Sparrowhawk, 56 Linnet, 3 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 2 Little Egret, 5 Sand Martins, 25 Swallows, 15 Goldfinch, 2 Stonechat, 1 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Whitethroat,  2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Common Gull

Hawkers, Bees and a Juvenile Shelduck - Shuart to Reculver 22/08/20

I had a fairly quiet walk through Shuart and managed to miss most of the rain showers apart from one and that soon went over. The sky looked quite spectacular at one point with a diagonal split between the rain clouds and the clear blue sky revealed as they moved off.

Rain showers moving through

A female Tufted Duck (135) was on one of the far dykes as I neared the end of the track and as a Mute Swan came into land it threw a perfect shadow of its head and neck onto its back lit wings.

Mute Swan

As the sea wall already looked very busy I decided to have a wander along the embankment instead and see what birds and insects were about there. A pair of mating Migrant Hawkers were resting up and allowed a photo before moving on.

Mating Migrant Hawkers

It had clouded over again and in the breezy and cool conditions all was fairly quiet along the embankment. I came across a couple of bees that gave me pause. The first I think is a sun-bleached Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius with a very bleached tail and the thorax hairs almost bleached to brown. When I first saw it I did wonder about a Red-shanked Carder Bee as I have not seen such a pale tailed Red-tailed before but there are no orange hairs on hind tibiae.

The second I did wonder about Brown-banded Carder Bee or Moss Carder Bee when I first saw it but I cannot be completely sure from the photos and it may just be a Common Carder Bee. I enjoy trying to work it out but I am continuing to find bees's very challenging and I am sure I will make lots of mistakes in the meantime but that is how you learn most. Both were interesting bee's to watch, photograph and then try and learn from. Hopefully as I learn more I will be able to correctly identify with more certainty this bee.

A late instar nymph of the Dock Bug Coreus marginatus was trying to soak up any warmth that it could get as was a Sphaeraphoria scripta.

late instar nymph Dock Bug Coreus marginatus

Sphaeraphoria scripta

I had a wander down to Coldharbour which was very quiet apart from some Black-headed Gulls and a Common Sandpiper. The walk to Reculver remained pretty quiet as well but it was nice to see a juvenile Shelduck on the beach. They are attractive birds. and it made a nice end to the visit.

juvenile Shelduck

Birds seen this visit included: Blue Tits, Great Tits, 5 Wren, 3 Robin, 2 Chaffinch, 3 Reed Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 1 Jay, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Wood Pigeons, 2 Stock Dove, 5 Whitethroat, 5 Green Woodpecker, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Kestrel, 2 Magpie, Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws, 37 Linnet, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Mute Swan, 4 Swift, 1 Marsh Harrier, 12 Goldfinch, 22 Swallow, 2 Common Sandpiper, 12 Turnstone, 8 Ringed Plover, 4 Sanderling, 1 juvenile Shelduck, 3 Stonechat, 28 Oystercatcher, 

Bathing Swans, Whinchat and Clouded Yellows - Shuart to Chambers Wall 20/08/20

I headed to Shuart on a sunny but increasingly breezy morning. Overall it appeared quite quiet but I enjoyed just seeing what I could see. A Stock Dove peeped out at me while above a Common Buzzard called and a Ring-necked Parakeet called from the trees. 

Stock Dove

A Jay alarm called as I headed down the track and a Sparrowhawk streaking through caused the local residents and visitors to disappear into cover before venturing out again. Several Migrant Hawkers were on the wing and when they came to rest it gave the opportunity to admire their markings as I made my way along.

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

A pair of Mute Swan were having an enthusiastic wash and brush up in one of the dykes.

Mute Swans

Mute Swan

Mute Swan

As I neared the end of the track a Clouded Yellow butterfly motored past without stopping. A Kestrel hunting near the stables was harassed by a flock of Swallows before moving a little further along. Making my way along the sea wall I was pleased when a Whinchat (134) appeared briefly. Unfortunately with so many people about on the sea wall I only saw it briefly before it was disturbed and I did not manage to pick it up again.

Whinchat

Whinchat

Whinchat

A couple of Swift flew west, hawking for insects as they went. I enjoyed watching the various Yellow Wagtails that I saw as I made my way along.

Yellow Wagtail

A Sanderling searching for food along the tide line gave some good views as it did so. They are beautifully marked birds.

Sanderling

As I made my way towards Chambers Wall the wind had increased and it had become increasingly cloudy. Another Clouded Yellow butterfly flew along the path and luckily for me it stopped to feed from some Clover alongside the path giving the opportunity to try for some photos. They are beautiful butterflies.

Clouded Yellow Butterfly

Clouded Yellow Butterfly

Clouded Yellow Butterfly

A Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler were searching for insects in the hedgerow while the cooler conditions meant there were several resting Damselflies, Hawkers and Darters. A single Blue-tailed Damselfy was tucked down low and a smart male Migrant Hawker was hanging motionless from a branch.

Blue-tailed Damselfly

male Migrant Hawker

A Common Darter was making the most of the welcome warmth from the sunshine during the brief breaks in the clouds as was a Ruddy Darter.

Common Darter

Ruddy Darter

I saw a couple of Willow Emeralds one of which had the seed head from a Dandelion flower stuck in its wings.

Willow Emerald Damselfly

I finished off my visit with a Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly

Birds seen this visit included:  5 Stock Dove, 4 Common Buzzard, Carrion Crows, Rooks, Wood Pigeons, 2 Blackbird, 5 Robin, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 1 Ring-necked Parakeet, 5 Wren, 7 Long-tailed Tit, 8 Reed Warbler, 1 Jay, 3 Green Woodpecker, 4 Blackcap, 4 Mute Swan, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 30 Swallow, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Curlew, 15 Oystercatcher, 5 Ringed Plover, 6 Pied Wagtail, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, 3 Stonechat, 3 Turnstone, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Swift, 1 Whinchat, 8 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Sanderling, 2 Coot, 5 Goldfinch, 15 Linnet, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler