BIRDING IN RECULVER

With a morning set aside for some birding while I was staying in Kent, I decided to  focus on seeing  species that I don't normally see in the area where I live. In particular I was keen to see some brent geese which spend their winters in large numbers on the Kent coast. After doing a bit of  research on the internet  I decided to visit a place called Reculver on the north Kent coast not far from Herne Bay where walking along the sea wall might provide some interesting  sightings. 

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I had purposefully chosen a day with very little wind as it can get pretty cold on the coast so the sea was very calm  although the weather was overcast.

I parked next to Reculver Towers, the remains of an old church and fort  which serves as a landmark on the cliff top. Below the  grassy cliff rocks were surrounded by water, but I took a path westwards where I could see a patch of  sand and shingle .As I got nearer I could see a flock of brent geese,  some in the sea and others feeding on the shingle beach. 

The route I  wanted to take, however, was east along the sea wall which forms part of the Saxon Shore Way, so I turned back towards the towers.   I spoke to someone who was obviously a birder  who told me that a black redstart ( which has been around for a while)) was  around the tower ruins with a pair of stonechats, whilst about 40 minutes along the  seawall path he'd found some snow buntings on the shingle.

As I reached the tower, I soon found the black redstart, initially I only saw it for a few seconds but decided to explore the ruins a bit more to see if I could see it again. I soon did, and watched it  for a while, flitting from rocks to fence posts and sometimes on the ground.  

I then took the path along the seawall where  I saw several flocks of brent geese flying around, and  sometimes right overhead , landing either on the shore or in one of the fields. They must have numbered several hundred.

I continued walking, and found a number of bird species on some pools on the right  hand side, including wigeon,  a green sandpiper, more stonechats, linnets  and  an oyster catcher. 

I stopped to look at the brent geese feeding in the field, and then looked towards the sea where I thought I could make out some birds at the edge of the water. These turned out to be 4 sleeping ringed plovers and a turnstone. As  I was about to leave them a group of small birds flew in front of me and settled on the shingle,  I quickly realised that they were snow buntings! I've  only ever seen one before which was an individual which somehow had found its way to the top of a hill close to Cheltenham!  I know these birds can be quite confiding so I wasn't really surprised when they came within a few metres of where I was standing and even hopped on to the wall.  It was a delight to watch them feeding, quite camouflaged on the shingle and I stayed until they eventually flew off further east.

I carried on walking in case I caught up with the snow buntings but couldn't find them so returned to where I had seen the ringed plovers. Only one was still there, silhoutted against the  water, whilst I could now see two turnstone on the shingle a bit nearer than they had been earlier, I'm not sure whether the incoming tide had forced them to move or if they had been so camouflaged I just hadn't spotted them there before. 

Returning to the towers, I found the black redstart again, in the place where I'd last seen it so spent a little longer watching it after which I returned to the car. I'd had a great morning, in a habitat that I don't usually visit but one that I'd like to return to and I'd added 7 new species to my 2023 year list. 

brent geese

black redstart

stonechat

ringed plovers and turnstone

ringed plover and turnstone

snow bunting

the black redstart was found all around this area

view of towers from car park

path along the sea wall

 

 

OWLS AND FINCHES

 I usually visit my sister early in the year to do a bit of birding with her so yesterday  we visited Eldernell, part of the Nene Washes reserve which has become well known for its roosting owls. After being a little delayed by road closures we arrived in the small car park at the end of Eldernell  Lane. We could see a number of birders already walking along the bank armed with telescopes and cameras searching the hedgerows where short and long eared owls are often seen. However  no one appeared to have located either species so far. We were, however, informed that a tawny owl was in its usual spot in the small copse on the other side of the ditch on the right hand sidel. we walked further along the bank but not knowing exactly where its usual spot was we stood and scanned the trees closest to us looking for a suitable hole. A couple of people joined us and said they'd been told to look near a concrete post of which there were two jutting out of the bank nearby. Realising we must be somewhere near the correct spot, we continued to search  then as I looked deeper into the woo.d I suddenly spotted the owl tucked into in  a hole in a dead tree clearly visible through a gap in the trees in front.  Behind us  other birders were setting up a telescope but I'm not sure if they were following our lenses or if they already knew the owl's position. 

There are limits to the number of photos one can take of a motionless owl, so we retraced our steps and decided to take another look for a possible 'shortie'. Karen went down closer to the hedge whilst I stayed half way up the bank having read reports that some people object to birders getting too close to the owls. As she looked into the hedge there was sudden movement and a short eared owl flew out from the opposite side and across the field beyond and landed almost hidden with its back to us  behind a clump of brambles. I could only just make out a mottled brown shape through my binoculars. We waited a while but the owl showed no intention of moving from that spot so we decided  to return to the car as we had other places to go to,  but I imagine that it would probably fly off again before too long, a pity we wouldn't be there to see it. 

I like to visit Welney WWT once a year as it guarantees sightings of whooper swans and tree sparrow which are difficult for me to find elsewhere, although the swans can usually be seen in the fields on the approach to the centre. As we drove towards the Centre I noticed a little egret feeding in a ditch which would be have been a first of the year sighting for Karen but then saw a further egret in a distant field so we stopped the car to check its ID. Suddenly it stretched up and we realised that this second bird was not a little egret but a great white egret with its yellow bill. A year tick for both of us.

At Welney we soon found tree sparrows on the feeders and sat watching them while eating lunch in the restaurant. We crossed the bridge to the observatory where the wildfowl had just been fed so there were plenty of birds right outside the hides. Mostly pochard and  but only a few whooper swans, as the others were probably out feeding in the fields at that time. We also saw plenty of other duck species i.e. pintail, mallards, gadwall, shovelers, shelducks, teal, wigeon and lots of black tailed godwit huddled together on an island together with a lone avocet.

After visiting a further hide where we  were unable to add to our species total, we decided to move on again, this time to Lynford Arboretum to see if we could see any of the less common woodland birds. 

We had been given suggestions where to find hawfinches and crossbills so followed the main track. On the way we stopped at a gate on the left hand side where a photographer was looking intently. We soon realised he was looking at a bird feeding station where at first I noticed a net full of fatballs which was being used by blue and great tits, then looked beyond it to a small pond. This was surrounded by dry leaves and on closer inspection I realised that there were a number of small birds   pecking about on the ground almost camaflauged by the leaves.  We could see chaffinches and then the bright yellow of a couple of yellow hammers. I also noticed one brambling amongst the chaffinches  but something disturbed them all and they all disappeared. Not having seen a brambling yet this year  I was pleased  but it didn't seem keen to show itself again. 

Walking onwards we came to  a bridge over a small area of water on which there were some mallards, and beyond it was a small group of birders. They were looking at something in meadow next the track and told us they had just seen a hawfinch at the top of a tree before it flew off but were now looking at a group of about 20 redwings on the grass. Sadly the hawfinch did not reappear but we watched the redwings for a time. The light seemed to be fading in the overcast sky so we went back to the bridge where there were some feeders in a bush which were attracting various tits including a marsh tit. A small flock of siskins then flew noisily over us  to land in the alders next to the stream. their yellowish green  colour contrasting nicely with the catkins. Although we hadn't seen either hawfinches or crossbill, we decided there wasn't time to do much more walking so returned to the feeding station where I'd seen the brambling. After a short  wait some chaffinches flew down in ones and twos to feed on the seed which had been scattered for them. Then some yellow hammers joined them and very quickly there seemed to be melee of little birds, amongst which we found at least half a dozen bramblings. 

It was an enjoyable day out although in order to visit all three sites in one day, we had had to restrict the amount of time spent at each. Nevertheless I went home with another 9 birds seen for the first time this year.

tawny owl

looking over towards the copse where the tawny owl was roosting

meadow pipit

kestrel

 

whooper swans in field near Welney

whooper swan

whooper swan and pochards

juvenile whooper swan

mute swan

pochard

whooper swan

tree sparrow

tr

tree sparrow (centre) house sparrow either side of it

siskins feeding

bramblings

LOWER MOOR SURPRISE

 It's always nice to go somewhere and see something  unexpected and so it was on my visit to Lower Moor Farm this afternoon,

It was another chilly, but sunny day and I had decided to go to the Cotswold water parks for an afternoon walk. I wanted firstly to try out a new footpath  so I went there first. It was a pleasant walk, a path bordered with trees and bushes which follows a route between two of the now developed lakeside holiday homes. After returning to the car, I thought I may as well go a bit further on to Lower Moor Farm nature reserve - it would be quite pleasant to sit in a hide overlooking one of the lakes, without needing to walk too far to reach it. You never know what might turn up,  and I wasn't looking for anything in particular. 

I was the only one there and all was quiet apart from a couple of Canada geese which flew in,  I was then joined by a lady  who I got into conversation with.  I happened to ask her if she'd ever seen the otters which occasionally appear, she said she had once before, but always seemed to miss them as people said 'Oh they were here 15 minutes ago!'  As it was quiet she decided to walk round to the next hide which overlooked a second lake. 

I took a look at the sightings book in the hide and saw that a few days ago, otters had been seen at the back of the lake by a willow. I sat back at the window with my binoculars and looked at that area... within seconds I saw a movement and a splash - an otter! 

It was quite distant but through binoculars I got a clear view of it swimming, then diving  and returning to the surface some 20 seconds later,, occasionally with a fish which it proceeded to devour quite quickly before swimming and diving once more.  I could see the otter gradually moving to the left of my view and realised that it might give a better view in front of the cafe so I  gathered my belongings and walked  the short distance along a grassy pathway and to the cafe which was shut today.   I walked through an open area to the veranda and stood  against the glass panel and looked over the top. In the distance I soon saw the otter. I watched it for nearly half an hour, it would dive for a while and then with a splash would resurface a little distance away before diving again. It did come slightly further into the middle of the lake for a time before then retreating to the back. Then it eventually disappeared possibly getting out onto the bank under the vegetation  where it could then access one of the other lakes.

Just then a couple of people arrived and started to scan the lake with their binoculars. They told me that the otters are now seen fairly regularly and sometimes right up close to the cafe! it didn't seem to make a difference if people are there or not, they  seem unafraid and quite inquisitive. Further visits are definitely required!!

other birds seen on the lake included this female goosander...

... and a grey heron

view from the cafe, The otter was mainly in front of the orange coloured willow though did venture out into the middle of the lake for a short time.

MORE BIRDS AT SLIMBRIDGE

As I had a free day today and  it was quite mild, albeit cloudy, I decided to try and find a dipper on the River Frome in the centre of Stroud and then go on to pay a further visit to Slimbridge as it was only 20 minutes or so further on. 

After parking in the public car park adjoining Waitrose, I descended the steps from the car park, crossed the road and entered the nature reserve where the dippers can be sometimes found. I say sometimes as I was unsuccessful last year although on previous occasions I have usually found both dipper and grey wagtail along this fast flowing river in a narrow wooded valley. I followed the usual path which runs alongside the water, and came to the end of the reserve without seeing anything of note. Turning back, I hadn't gone long before I caught sight of a bird flying out from the vegetation under the bank on my side and flying low upstream.  Around a bend I saw the bird on a short branch poking up out of the water at a distance which I identified as  a by its white bib and bouncing motion, but it was only there for a few seconds before flying off upstream again.  Sadly I was unable to re-find it, despite walking the entire length of the reserve and back again. However, at least I know that it is still there, and I can add it to my year list.

From Stroud, I then went on to Slimbridge WWT to see if I could locate the scaup and one or two other birds I'd missed on my visit last week. At the Rushy hide I asked the only occupant if he had found the scaup. He looked at me a bit puzzled and asked what it looked like!  I started to scan the area where it might be found at the rear of the pond, but before I had had a good look, a couple of other people came in discussing the scaup and holding  a telescope. This would be more promising I thought, and in a few minutes they were able to point it out to me. 

After watching it for a while, I then took the path up towards the Estuary tower ,stopping off at the Willow hide where I'd heard the water rail had been seen earlier. I asked a lady if she'd seen it  and she said no and left  shortly after. However. it wasn't long before it appeared from the reeds for a few minutes before heading back in. After a short wait, it  reappeared and I was able to get a better view of it; in fact it kept popping in and out of the reeds to peck at the food under the bird feeders and when I passed the hide again it was still around.

Upstairs in the Estuary Tower I had views of the usual geese species, and from the side window could make out a ruff amongst the many birds on the Tack piece which was a first for the year. The cape shelduck hybrid was also in this part of the reserve.

Whilst eating my packed lunch in the heated Peng observatory some people nearby pointed out a pair of oyster catchers, another first sighting of the year. 

Before leaving for home, I visited the indoor Discovery hide where I  heard  the oyster catchers  calling before they landed briefly on the causeway before flying off again, and I also found a snipe and a common gull on the scrape.

Having added the additional species I was hoping for I decided to make my way home. 

Bewicks swan

swans flying over the many birds on the Tack Piece

cape shelduck hybrid

house sparrow

lapwings

pintail

scaup

shelduck and tufted duck

snipe

view from hide

male teal

tufted duck

wigeon