A Biting Cold Reculver!

With a few good birds seen in the week at Reculver including Slavonian Grebe and a Long tailed Duck, the latter I have yet to see at Reculver, I was out of the house this morning at 6.30am where with a brisk northerly wind I thought I would start with a seawatch in the hope of some seabirds. As I arrived there was a Black Redstart in the road which stood out well in the headlights and I encountered it again a few times around the towers later on. After a cup of hot chocolate I made my way up to the towers where I spent an hour looking for any goodies at sea. It was largely quiet with only 1 Redwing, 1 Peregrine, a few Brent Geese past, 4 Common Scoter and 334 Cormorant on the move. With nothing happening I then walked down to Reculver in a raw cold wind and I was just thankful that I had my thermals on. Again not a lot to trouble the notebook but birds seen where c1700 Lapwing through the area, 8 Oystercatcher, 3 Curlew, 1 Kingfisher, 10 Redshank, 2 Little Egret, 4 Dunlin, 3 Wigeon, 10 Sanderling, 3 Grey Plover and 7 Golden Plover. There were c70 Brent Geese, c60 Skylark, 1 Bearded Tit heard, 2 Shelduck, 2 Stonechat, 6 Reed Bunting, 9 Eider, 1 Grey Wagtail, 13 Ringed Plover and 2 Rock Pipit. Not the hoped for Long tailed Duck or Swans and Geese but a pleasant if not a little cold session, all made better by the hot chocolate in the flask!

Black Redstart