A Morning Birding in the Sun!

I left home this morning at 6am where the east wind was still blowing quite hard but there was a cloudless sky which was welcome news. I was soon driving around the lanes where a Little Owl was noted, 2 Grey Partridge were seen, 2 Marsh Harrier again flew in from the south and 1 Grey Heron took off from the roof of a house. Making my way over to Reculver to park up I noted 2 Pheasant, 1 Snipe and after parking up I walked down to Coldharbour and inland to Chambers Wall before returning back along the seawall. The first rarity seen was the sun which thankfully was present all morning. Birds noted this morning were 2 Black Redstart around the towers but mostly elusive, c100 Brent Geese, 10 Oystercatcher with one allowing a nice flight shot as it passed, 10 Redshank, 4 Meadow Pipit, 12 Grey Plover with a few birds passing quite close allowing more camera action and 5 Turnstone.

Oystercatcher

Grey Plover

There were 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Rock Pipit, 12 Shelduck, 2 Common Scoter, c120 Golden Plover, c40 Lapwing, 4 Reed Bunting, 1 Chiffchaff, 6 Dunlin with a few posing nicely on the beach, 3 Red throated Diver, 11 Sanderling, 1 Peregrine and 1 Kestrel. A quick walk inland produced 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Shoveler, 6 Teal and c110 Fieldfare. Despite the raw wind, a nice walk in the sun with a few bonus photo opportunities. 

 Dunlin

Ringed Plover