Singing for the Girls!

I was awake at 6.15am this morning and out of the house by 6.30am where I drove down to Reculver and parked up. Its nice to see the mornings getting lighter so I can get some more time in. I walked on down the seawall to Coldharbour before walking inland to Chambers Wall and back along the embankment. it was mostly a sunny morning with a slowly strengthening wind but not too much to make it a nuisance. It was great to see and hear so many species singing this morning, Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers were busy displaying while plenty of Reed Bunting occupied the reeds singing and Meadow Pipits parachuted down from the skies, just nice to hear. Birds noted this morning were 1 Kingfisher, 3 Pied Wagtail, 4 Mute Swan, 2 Little Owls were in the now disused caravan park and sitting around the empty toilet block, its the place to be! I took a few distant efforts as one sat in an empty window before they moved off out of sight.

Little Owl

Moving on I noted 9 Meadow Pipit, 20 Ringed Plover, 31 Redshank, 2 Skylark, 2 Little Egret, 18 Reed Bunting, 35 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Grey Plover, c120 Dark bellied Brent Geese and 1 Pale bellied Brent Goose in with them.

Meadow Pipit

There were 9 Dunlin, 1 Bar tailed Godwit, 2 Curlew and walking along the embankment produced 14 Corn Bunting and 2 singing male Yellowhammer, the first time I have heard them singing in the area.

Corn Bunting

Walking back there were 4 Shelduck, 1 Great crested Grebe, 1 Marsh Harrier, 6 Turnstone, 1 Stonechat and a brief walk west of the towers proved a good move when I found 1 Scandinavian Rock Pipit and 1 Black Redstart. Maybe next week will deliver a few more goodies but at least we will be in that 'migration window' where you never know whats going to turn up.