Trip reports

Trip to Reculver and other sites

Sunday, 7 October 2007

The Group's visit to this site near Reculver attracted 14 members on a very murky and still morning which had as much life in it as my car did first thing when it wouldn't start due to the immobiliser not turning off. I managed to get it going eventually so perhaps that eventually the weather would improve and the birding with it.
The normal course of action at Reculver is get straight on with the sea watching, which in past years has been very productive, but with no wind and a sea mist hanging around it was decided not to bother.
The previous day there had been reports of a Yellow browed warbler seen down the lane at the entrance to Reculver, so with Pauline, the group leader, finding out the approximate location from the Kent Wildlife Trust man, off the group went.
We took a slow stroll down the lane, trying to make sure we didn't get hit by the constant passage of cars heading towards the car park for the Heart Foundation Cycle ride which unfortunately for us was on the same day. We saw a number of birds in the trees over the caravan site; Blackcap, Goldcrest, Chaffinch and others, but no Yellow browed Warbler. We decided to walk back to the other side of Reculver before Jean got run over, she had a habit of standing in the middle of the road looking at birds and when someone shouted out "Car coming" she looked like a scared rabbit caught in headlights not knowing which side of the road to go too.
Jean had a bad day with a number of events and comments which amused the rest of the group. The longest standing one was her fixation on the day for some reason with Cormorants, early on she shouted out on two occasions, "Look, a Cormorant". This led to a number of the group shouting out "Jean, look a Cormorant" for the rest of the day every time one passed by. Jean as usual took this with good humour and kept the spirits up.
The group then walked down the lane towards the fields at the end of the Caravan Park, hoping to see the Yellow Browed Warbler at this end, where it has been seen in previous years. There were many birds around at this end, with good views of Chiff Chaff, Green and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Blackcap, Kingfisher and others. There was also a distant Grey Heron, sitting for some reason in the middle of a field. A number of the group, myself included tried desperately to turn it into a Common Crane which had been around the previous day, but alas, it still looked like a Heron. Pauline the group leader though had other ideas and tried to turn it into a Purple Heron, and got so carried away by it all that when she went to right Grey Heron in her notebook she actually put down Purple. How we wish it was one.
Kirsty, the youngest member of our group and daughter of the trip leader Ged seemed to have got bored as she was next seen walking back down the road eating crisps bought at the shop and a carrier bag full of other goodies, Dad knows how to keep her happy so he can enjoy the birds.
The majority of the group walked back down the road when all of a sudden a shout behind saw Steve waving his arms frantically. We all turned around and went back down the road, some faster the others at a speed that put younger members of group to shame. At last, a Yellow Browed Warbler in the trees above the caravans. Everyone got good views. Whilst looking at this to one side of the park in some bushes, Steve and Jane found Brambling and Redwing, perhaps this is not going to be such a bad day after all.
From here we decided to do some sea watching, but we were not hopeful as conditions were still not that good, but we were to be pleasantly surprised and see much more then we would have expected. After around 45 minutes we had picked up Cormorant (for Jean), Rock Pipit, Turnstone, Razorbill, Guillemot, Arctic Skua, Common Scoter, Gannet, Red Throated Diver (in summer plumage), Sandwich, Common and a possible Little Tern, Brent Geese, Teal and others. Not bad for the conditions, oh what a day it could have been if conditions had been perfect with a good wind.
In all the group saw 54 birds in the visit to Reculver. Not bad considering the conditions.
The only down side was the Pink-footed Geese that were found after we left, never mind you can't see them all.
After Reculver, some of us went to Grove Ferry where we saw several species of wader including Golden Plover, Snipe and Green Sandpiper. There were Reed Bunting and Stonechat and we had good views of Bearded Tit as we walked towards Harrison's Drove. Peregrine and Marsh Harrier were seen and another large raptor which was too high and distant for a confident identification. Cetti's Warbler were calling from the bushes and we had two sightings of Kingfisher as well as a Mistle Thrush on the return walk. From the car park Alison spotted a Little Gull circling overhead.
Finally 6 of us went to St Margaret's on the way home and had a pleasant walk from the lighthouse around the south Foreland Valley. Green Woodpeckers seemed to be following us around and there were Long-tailed Tits, Goldfinches, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest, but sadly no sign of the Firecrest we had hoped for.