BIRDING WASTELAND

Not a great deal to report today.Once again expectatation was high as I picked Marc up at 8.30 but the next 3 hours were almost birdless.A walk from Chambers Wall to Cold Harbour and back via the Embankment featured the following,Green Woodpecker,Great Spotted Woodpecker,Sparrowhawk,3 Marsh Harrier,Peregrine,2 Golden Plover,Sanderling,Spotted Redshank, Peregrine and a Med. Gull that Heathy saw but I didn't. New notebook next time and I hope to be able to put something in it!

HARD WORK AT RECULVER!

With some good birds sighted yesterday I arrived at the Towers today in anticipation... which unfortunately never materialised.Amazingly I beat Heathy this morning and we strolled to Cold Harbour in showery and blustery conditions. Things began promisingly with a Juvenile Mediterranean Gull in with c50 Black- Headed Gulls on the grass behind the Towers. However the next 4 hours were fairly uneventful except for a party of 6 Crossbills encountered on the Embankment which at least added to my year list. We also added c40 Yellow Wagtails,44 Redshank, 50 Ringed Plover and over 40 Golden Plover. During a coffee stop Marc found a Cygnet doing a good impression of a submarine, something neither of us had seen before. We added 4 Wheatear, Sanderling, Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier during our return and 10 minutes at the Towers we found a Whimbrel and a single Juvenile Cuckoo.It was hard work today but that Wryneck can't be far away Heathy !

TWO TURTLE DOVES AND A PARTRIDGE....

It was rather comforting to return to birding at Reculver this morning after several weeks away from the patch. Meeting Marc just before six it was clear that not a great deal had happened in the intervening period and only a few new species for the year had passed through.On our stroll to Cold Harbour and back via the Railway  Embankment we recorded the following species. A Kestrel in the drizzle by the Towers followed by 24 Sandwich Terns and 7 Common Terns at sea in small groups. The obligatory Little Owl in the Caravan Park and a few Hirundines overhead. In the Oyster Farm the first of 4 Common Sandpipers, a maximum of 8 Little Egrets and a single Grey Partridge. Along the sea wall c35 Yellow Wagtails and 5 Pied Wagtails. A single Hobby hawking by the Green Wall and 4 Ringed Plovers on the shingle at Cold Harbour. Inland was fairly unproductive apart from 2 Turtle Doves and a Lesser Whitethroat. Finally a flock of19 Lapwing made the notebook. A pleasant return walk to the Towers in the company of the Hindles and although not much made the notes it was good to be back.