Saturday 11 October 2014

Wheatear Wonderland

What with the weather, the twins and a dose of man flu I've hardly been out the last week, so a good feeling this morning almost spoilt by the heavy rain which finally stopped at 10.30.  With the tide out I thought a walk along the wall at Seasalter could be interesting, especially to find if any wheatears were still present.  Not to be disappointed the usual two or three showed at the start of the seawall feeding on the flies just emerging plus some other scrumptious grubs on the grass path. Further on at the white post another two at least and in the reedbed five or six stonechats and a few reed buntings. It was good to see twenty or more skylarks in the back fields but linnets and mipits seemed thin on the ground as were goldfinches.  On the way back there were five wheatears at the start of the wall and I could see the others further back near the white post.


At least seven Wheatears

As the tide came in I could see the paddleship 'Waverley' coming out of Whitstable Harbour which deserved a couple of shots.


I returned late afternoon for a quick look along the beach etc., brents were coming close to beach, many of them juveniles so they must have a good breeding season. 

Many juveniles with the brent flock

2 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Nice Wheatear shots Mike. I had my first ever brent Geese fly over my patch on Friday, must be a few about to have visited me!

Nick Page said...

Great shot of the Waverley, I was on the very boat when you took the shot. I was on the top deck to the left of the Funnels. Great afternoon and evening had by all aboard, with a trip across to Southend and then down the Thames.
Any chance of a JPEG of that shot as I haven't got one of the whole boat.
nickjohnpage@yahoo.co.uk