Sunday 20 April 2014

Beating the Bushes.... and Rain!

With rain forecast for late morning I thought I would get a few early hours in at Reculver in the hope of a few birds. The morning started off as normal with a stop for a Nightingale but again, there does not appear to be any birds present yet in this area, maybe tomorrow. Then a quick drive around the lanes listening for maybe a Cuckoo but despite a nice dawn chorus, I failed to hear the Cuckoo. I did see 1 Little Owl as I drove down to the towers to park up. It was more like winter this morning with a fresh north wind, the hat and gloves making an appearance again as I walked down to Coldharbour and inland to Chambers Wall before returning back along the embankment. A few birds were seen including 10 Whitethroat, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 8 Pheasant, 1, possibly 2 Canada Geese were heard, 6 Red legged Partridge, 5 Skylark, 1 Redpoll, 2 Guillemot east, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Pied Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, 10 Shelduck and 1 Bar tailed Godwit. There was a nice surprise in the form of 1 Little Tern which flew east giving nice views, a welcome year tick. Also seen were 3 Redshank, 10 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Ringed Plover, 5 Turnstone, 2 Gadwall, 10 Sedge Warbler, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Curlew, 11 Linnet, 5 Mute Swan, 13 Corn Bunting and as I walked back along the green wall I found 1 male Ring Ouzel in the south east corner of the Oyster Farm on the footpath. I couldn't get near and it soon flew down the path before eventually flying back around me back on to the path, a smart bird to see, the photo being taken a couple of years ago at Reculver.

Ring Ouzel

There were 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Marsh Harrier, 4 Swallow, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Fulmar. The weather was closing in quickly and despite some rain I made another visit briefly to Westbere where I was able to see 5 Large Red Damselflies, 2 just having emerged and still hanging on to their larval cases. I may return tomorrow and would love to catch the sequence of the damselfly emerging or at least a photo with the damselfly with its larval case still. Last session tomorrow before the dreaded 'w' word arrives on Tuesday. Maybe a good bird or photo tomorrow will come my way!

4 comments:

  1. Poor old Damsels in this weather! Still, a good day if you saw a Ring Ouzel.

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  2. Superb Ring Ouzel, nice find ! Congrats !

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  3. I've got my last day off tomorrow as well before school again on Tuesday. Don't think I'll get a Ring Ouzel by then though. From Findlay

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  4. Amazing photography, the Ringed Ouzel is the one I can't catch, all around me said it was over there, but I couldn't find it. Great photographer.

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