May 19th
It was quiet and overcast this morning as we completed our regular walk from Chamber's Wall to the Oyster Farm. We saw 5 Whitethroats, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Goldfinches, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Mallard, 10 Mute Swans, 5 summer plumaged Grey Plover, 6 Oystercatchers, 3 Little Egrets, 8 Ringed Plovers, 4 Swallows, 2 Gadwall, 1 Kestrel, 2 Common Terns, 2 Redshank, 1 Cuckoo and 2 Tufted Duck.

May 18th
The chilly easterly breeze had dropped overnight and it felt much milder as we walked from Shuart to the sea this morning. It was pretty quiet but birds we saw included 3 Cuckoos, 3 Chiffchaffs, 7 Blackcaps, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Green Woodpeckers. 4 Swallows, 2 Mallard, 5 Whitethroats, 7 Reed Warblers, 4 Grey Herons, 3 Goldfinches, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 6 Linnets, 1 immature male Eider, 4 Sandwich Terns W and 2 Lapwings.

May 17th
Although there was an overnight change in the weather to overcast and drizzly there was very little change in what was to be seen this morning. We walked from Chamber's Wall to the Oyster Farm lagoons and counted 5 Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Mallard, 2 Shelduck, 2 Gannets E, 8 Oystercatchers, 12 Mute Swans, 1 Turnstone, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Stonechats, 2 Gadwall, 2 Redshank, 2 Sandwich Terns, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Common Tern.

May 16th
On another sunny, late spring morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and on to the Oyster Farm lagoons. We counted 8 Whitethroats, 6 Swallows W, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Common Tern, 14 Mallard, 3 Little Egrets, 2 Greylag Geese, 2 Shelduck, 1 Redshank and 10 Mute Swans, including a family of 2 adults with 8 cygnets of which 2 were of the "polish morph". Other birds seen were 8 Oystercatchers, 4 Turnstone, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers, 8 Ringed Plovers, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Swifts W, 4 Stonechats, 2 Gadwall, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Gannets E, 1 immature male Eider, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Blackcap, 4 Corn Buntings and 3 Yellow Wagtails.

Mute Swan family with two "polish morph" cygnets

A pair of Greylag Geese looking for a nest site

May 15th
It was sunny again this morning and the easterly wind had dropped compared to yesterday as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and on to the Oyster Farm lagoons. It's still relatively quiet but we did manage to count 9 Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps, 8 Goldfinches, 10 Swallows W, 1 Common Tern, 11 Mallard, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Shelduck, 2 Redshank, 4 Mute Swans, 2 Greylag Geese, 13 Oystercatchers, 26 Sanderling, 7 Turnstone, 6 Ringed Plovers, 2 Grey Herons, 6 Stonechats, 2 Wheatears, 2 Yellow Wagtails and 1 Cuckoo.

Sanderling and Turnstone moulting into summer plumage ready to fly north to their breeding grounds

During the day 2 Red Kites flew W over our garden at Bishopstone, one at 1200 and one at 1500.

First year Red Kite

Chris Tedder had a walk from Chamber's Wall to Shuart. Though it was quiet for birds there were good numbers of damselflies and she recorded a lot of Azures, a couple of Blue-tailed and Common Blue, several Red-eyed and a number of Variable Damselflies. She also recorded 8 Hairy Dragonflies and her first Small Heath butterfly of the year.

Variable Damselfly - Chris Tedder

May 14th
On another sunny morning with an easterly breeze blowing we walked up to Coldharbour and back. Birds we counted included 11 Swallows W, 3 Pied Wagtails, 2 Goldfinches, 10 Linnets, 17 Oystercatchers, 5 Stonechats, 10 Mallard, 3 Shelduck, 4 Mute Swans, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Common Terns, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull E, 1 Redshank, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Marsh Harrier.

Ringed Plover

Female Mallard

May 13th
This morning Matt walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then on to Reculver and recorded 4 Swifts, 32 Swallows W, 1 Common Tern, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Shelduck, 25 Sanderling, 8 Stonechats, including a male and female with 4 juveniles, 1 male Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Cuckoo. 1

Whinchat

Male Wheatear

Male Reed Bunting