Sunday 23 December 2012

Reculver and Hampton

After yesterdays non stop rain all day it was nice to wake up this morning to the rain not pounding the windows, instead the wind had got up instead! I decided on a trip to Reculver to see if any species were on site for the new year as its not long away now. It took an age to get light this morning but eventually I walked on down from the towers to Coldharbour and back in cloudy conditions with the occasional glimpse of the sun. Bird wise it was pretty quiet but I managed to see 20 Cormorant, 5 Meadow Pipit, 30 Ringed Plover, 6 Turnstone, 3 Linnet, 22 Brent Geese, 55 Red throated Diver flying east in small groups. It seemed that every time I scanned the sea they were flying past so no doubt a lot more missed. There were 20 Mallard, 2 Stonechat, 1 Little Egret, 15 Grey Plover, 2 Little Grebe, 8 Mute Swan, 15 Goldfinch, 10 Chaffinch, 4 Shelduck, 3 Oystercatcher, 10 Redshank, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Greylag Geese, 1 Wigeon and 1 Marsh Harrier. With no photos taken and the tide coming in I thought I would take the short drive to Hampton where hopefully a few Purple Sandpipers would be roosting. I parked up in the car park and the tide was already in but I could not see and birds roosting. Whilst looking over the rocks a call was heard below me and 2 of the 3 Purple Sandpiper were close by on the rocks. Their plumage blending in well with the surroundings. The sun was nowhere to be seen but there was just enough light to grab a few shots before they flew off to join a group of Redshank on the rocks.

Purple Sandpiper

I returned to the car to find another Purple Sandpiper walking along the ledge below the seawall but the light was not good by now. Despite the light, the shots have not come out too bad at all. I shall hopefully return when the sun shines during the holiday!! If its not raining I shall hopefully get out for a couple of hours tomorrow morning. Perhaps the Whooper Swans at Oare Marshes are worth a visit as I have never seen them at this site before although by the sounds of it I will have to get there quite early as they leave quite sharp, I will have to see what the morning brings!


Purple Sandpiper

7 comments:

  1. Really like the Purple Sandpiper picture and surprised you saw more Red Throated Divers than Mallards. I'd love to see both of these birds. From Findlay

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  2. Looks wet tomorrow Marc :-(
    Like your optimism though!

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  3. Wow, the Purple Sandpiper, now I know what they look like, brilliant Marc.

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  4. Excellent Purple Sandpiper images Marc. Don't think I'm ever likely to get your 55 Red-throated Diver count in our part of Morecambe Bay.

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  5. Marc. Great shots of the purple sands.This is a bird I have yet to see and photograph...maybe next year. All the best to you and yours for Christmas and the New Year.

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  6. Cracking Purple Sand photos Marc!

    Have a Great Christmas

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