October 2008
Chambers Wall and Shuarts Farm, Reculver.
06/10/08
Common Buzzard, seen this afternoon at Shuarts farm
A day with no work, so I decided to visit the Chambers Wall area of Reculver,arriving at 10.15 am. I was quietly sitting in the car, having a cup of tea, when what looked like a Hill Billy wagon entered the car park, from which Dylan Wrathall , along with Gadget alighted, blubbering excitedly something about Osprey’s, and had I seen any. I explained that I had not, so joined them on there hunt, and off we trotted, towards the railway line, scanning the fields to our left and right. Siskin’s and Linnets were seen overhead, but little else, and after 40 minutes, a light drizzle started and hence I made a hasty retreat back to the car, and home for an hour, before returning to Shuarts Farm. I started walking towards the railway line, noting large numbers of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs in the hedgerow, and a Barn Owl was spotted, dozing in what was now, a sunny afternoon, allowing me a few distant photos. Gadget then returned, and we walked to the end of the hedgerows, before slowly returning to the farm area. Goldfinch, with Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits were never far from view, and the first of 6 Common Buzzards were seen, circling high overhead, followed 10 minutes later by another 3 in the air together, slowly travelling in a South Westerly direction. A couple of Marsh Harriers were seen flying over the fields, as was a Kestrel. Song Thrush, Blackbirds and Magpies were noted, also 5 Grey Partridges were flushed as we walked up a narrow piece of set aside. We returned to our cars, stopping at the Raptor viewing lay-by on the way out, seeing a Wheatear, and from a distance through binoculars, a raptor, with an almost pure white head and breast, dark wings and white tail, causing an i.d debate between Gadget, Tim Hodge, whom had just arrived, and myself, with all three of us settling for a very pale phased Common Buzzard. This was endorsed with the arrival of Chris and Anne Hindle, whom informed us that they had seen the same bird in the area back on the 1st.