April is always a busy month on the bird front with summer visitors arriving and winter birds leaving for their breeding grounds further north.Wheatears were thin on the ground without a single bird being seen at the Hoe until well into April,in fact we had had two more Hoopoes than Wheatears at one point.
Arriving quite late at the cliffs on Sunday morning, as I parked up I spotted this huge bird by the Coastguard Station ,I jumped out grabbed my camera and shot a few frames off as it quicly,effortlessly flew towards St Margarets being pursued by the local Ravens.When you think a Raven is as big as a Buzzard you can see how much larger the WTE is, no wonder it is called the flying barn door.
WHITE TAILED EAGLE -WHITE CLIFFS DOVER
WTE BEING MOBBED BY LOCAL RAVENS,
SEDGE WARBLER
WHITETHROAT
SHOVELLER TAKING FLIGHT.-STODMARSH
CATTLE EGRETS STODMARSH
CATTLE EGRET
HOBBY -STODMARSH
MY FIRST WHEATEAR OF THE SPRING AT SAMPHIRE HOE they usually arrive in mid March.
SKYLARK -SAMPHIRE HOE at least four pairs are holding territory this year.
RING OUZEL -SAMPHIRE HOE
RING OUZEL this female was spotted feeding early one morning and unusually stayed a few days.
RING OUZEL
A SECOND WHEATEAR.
CORN BUNTING STILL SINGING AWAY- LANGDON CLIFFS.
WHITETHROAT-LANGDON HOLE
WHITETHROAT
REED WARBLER- DUNGENESS
STONECHAT CHATTERING AT SAMPHIRE HOE
SHOWING OFF HIS BLING.
AND HIS PARTNER LILAC/PINK.
Butterflies have been having a good Spring with many species emerging early.
I will do a seperate blog for them soon. TTFN.
