Saturday 5 April 2014

Kite Flying at Reculver!

The start of my 2 week Easter holiday had me leaving home at 5.45am where I drove down to Reculver seeing 1 Little Owl sitting on a telegraph pole on the way before I parked up and spent a few minutes listening to the fantastic dawn chorus. After getting ready I then checked around the bushes and rocks in the car park before walking down the seawall to Coldharbour before walking inland to Chambers Wall before returning along the embankment and back along the seawall. The sun and lack of wind made for a very nice session with a few good birds thrown in as well to keep the year list rolling on. Birds seen this morning included 3 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 11 Shelduck, 2 Pied Wagtail, 8 Little Egret, 46 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Wagtail, c15 Linnet, 10 Redshank, 2 Gannet east, 1 Snipe, 2 Marsh Harrier, 10 Reed Bunting, 3 Sand Martin and it was pleasing to see 5 Yellow Wagtail, my first this year. Moving on I noted 2 adult Mediterranean Gull flying east calling, 2 Willow Warbler, my first this year and more pleasing was the sight of 1 Red Kite flying east early morning, another new bird for the year. Other birds noted were 5 Turnstone, 16 Mute Swan, 4 Shoveler, 6 Skylark, 1 Jay, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Grey Heron, 11 Corn Bunting and 2 Sparrowhawk. A few butterflies were seen including 1 Small White, 3 Peacock and 1 Small Tortoiseshell and a brief drive over to East Blean Wood turned up 6 Heath Fritillary caterpillars. As I arrived home about 11.30am I had just got out of the car when I heard the Gulls going crazy and looked up to see 1 Red Kite flying low west over the house, unfortunately I didn't have time to get the camera out of the bag, the photo below being taken last year, not the best shot but shows off some of the plumage detail nicely. Hopefully now the migrants will arrive in good numbers on the patch in the next few days.

Red Kite ( a nearly shot)

3 comments:

  1. Willow warblers have arrived then! Hope to hear one soon :-) Weather looks crap until mid week mate :-(

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  2. As good a 'nearly shot' of a Red Kite that I ever saw....Nice one Marc.

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  3. Bravo Marc, a beautiful shot on the Red Kite.

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