Distant Migrants

The wide open space of Worth Marsh, beside the Ancient Highway is frequently in the vanguard of migrant arrivals and today I finally broke this years duck with two summer visitors.

After a few minutes scanning from just south of the Chequers Pub a distant but still extremely handsome Northern Wheatear popped up on to the top of an anthill before running to the right in search of a juicy worm.

Not too far away a White Wagtail, the nominate sub-species of the alba wagtails, represented here by the resident Pied Wagtail, was also feeding in the same field.

Back at St Margaret's A visit to the cliffs near the monument in search of another Wheatear was unsuccessful, but scamming along the cliff I was pleased to see Peregrine perched about 40 meters away. The cliffs here form a small jutting point and it looked as if the bird might be viewable from the other side of this little headland.

Walking down the path and then returning to near, but not too near the edge, I was pleased to see the Peregrine still sitting there. I took a few photos possible the bird became aware of my presence. 

I any case it decided to move, but unusually not very far, and I watched it land just a little farther along the cliff.

Again it was in view, and without getting too near to the drop. I watched it for a while before I became aware of a second bird sitting a few yards above.

I always thing that the flints that just out from the cliff face look as if they are actually put there for the purpose of providing a suitable perch.

They might not have been the migrants I was hoping for but they provided a fantastic spectacle before the move on. I tuned round to scan the new fence in case any thing had popped up on it and when I looked back they'd gone.