August 19th

This morning we walked along the seawall from Reculver and saw 2 Wheatears, 3 Kestrels, 12 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Pied Wagtails, 9 Little Egrets, 2 Ringed Plovers, 9 Mallard, 1 Greenshank, 1 Grey Heron, 7 Swallows flying W, 2 Stonechats and 1 Kingfisher.

Wheatear

August 18th

On a hot and humid morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and recorded 3 Swallows, 21 Goldfinches, 8 Whitethroats, 10 Linnets, 2 Golden Plovers, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Grey Heron, 5 Coot, 11 Reed Warblers, 4 Redshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Oystercatcher, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Sandwich Terns, 3 Corn Buntings, 1 Stonechat, 2 Ravens, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Sedge Warbler and 1 Chiffchaff.

Common Sandpiper

 Dave Smith birded in the Minnis Bay and Plumpudding area for two and a half hours from 0540. Birds he saw included 7 Oystercatchers, 4 Lapwings, 26 Ringed Plovers, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Turnstone, 4 Dunlin, 4 Common Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 4 Redshank, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Sandwich Terns, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Kestrel, 3 Swallows, 4 Willow Warblers, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 18 Whitethroats, 2 Whinchats, 2 Stonechats, 4 Yellow Wagtails and 9 Corn Buntings.

August 17th

After overnight showers we arrived at Reculver where there was a Wheatear to greet us in the car park and a flock of 10 Whimbrel flying W offshore. We then walked to Coldharbour and recorded 4 Oystercatchers, 11 Mediterranean Gulls sitting on the beach and then flying E, 1 Kingfisher, 17 Black-tailed Godwits, a flock of 16 flying E and the bird still in Coldharbour, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Sandwich Terns, 17 Goldfinches, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Shoveler, 7 Redshank, 5 Coot, 5 Stonechats, 9 Linnets, 3 Corn Buntings, 2 Common Gulls, 2 Grey Herons, 3 Mallard and 3 Turnstone.

August 16th

I was out later than normal this morning not arriving at Chamber's Wall until 1030. It was overcast but still warm as I walked up to Coldharbour and I even got soaked in ten minute shower as I walked back. The best bird I saw was the fresh juvenile Black-tailed Godwit still in Coldharbour that looks as if it is probably an "islandica" bird. 

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit

Other birds I saw included 12 Goldfinches, 1 Swallow, 4 Linnets, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker flying along the railway line, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Stonechat, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Coot, 4 Pied Wagtails, 6 Redshank, 1 Grey Plover, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Sedge Warbler. 

Dave Smith was out in the Minnis Bay and Plumpudding area for almost three hours from 0545. He recorded 12 Red-legged Partridges, 3 Turtle Doves, 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Curlew, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Redshank, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Gannet, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Kestrels, 1 Hobby, 27 Swallows W, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 21 Whitethroats, 11 Yellow Wagtails and 8 Corn Buntings.

August 15th

It was much less hot and humid this morning and we even had two or three drops of rain as we walked from Reculver to the Wantsum outflow. We counted 12 Swallows W, 1 House Martin W, 2 Sand Martins W, 15 Goldfinches, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 11 Little Egrets, 2 Pied Wagtails, 2 Kestrels, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 11 Linnets, 71 Golden Plovers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Stonechats, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Greenshank, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Meadow Pipits and 1 Common Gull.

Meadow Pipit

Dave Smith was out in the Minnis Bay and Plumpudding area for nearly three hours from 0515. He recorded 1 Grey Partridge calling, 8 Oystercatchers, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank, 1 Redshank, 5 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroats, 1 Whinchat, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Chaffinches and 10 Corn Buntings.

 August 14th

On another steamy morning with the temperature reaching 26℃ by 0800 we were out early and walked at Chamber's Wall and Reculver. It was much quieter than yesterday but we did manage to see 28 Goldfinches, 11 Reed Warblers, 2 Skylarks, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 59 Linnets, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Swallows, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Ravens, 2 Sand Martins, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Sedge Warbler.

Skylark

August 13th

It was even hotter this morning so we were out early and walked at Chamber's Wall from the farm to the railway line. We saw 24 Goldfinches, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 7 Reed Warblers, 4 Skylarks, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Swallows, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whinchat, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Sedge Warblers, 1 Willow Warbler, 11 Linnets, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Pied Flycatcher (174th), 1 Golden Plover and 1 Spotted Flycatcher.

Derek Smith was out this morning between 0540 and 0940 and covered most of the eastern half of the Marsh from Shuart to Brooksend and Coldharbour. He recorded 4 Common Buzzards, 4 Little Egrets, 3 Green Sandpipers, 16 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears, 1 Whinchat, 7 Cetti's Warblers and 14 Corn Buntings.

Dave Smith was also out from 0510 for five hours and covered the Shuart and Plumpudding area. He saw 1 Turtle Dove, 10 Golden Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 7 Turnstone, 1 Sanderling, 5 Dunlin, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 6 Little Egrets, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Barn Owl, 2 Kingfishers, 2 Kestrels, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 20 Whitethroats, 1 Song Thrusk, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Whinchats, 1 Stonechat, 7 Yellow Wagtails and 10 Corn Buntings.

Pied Flycatcher

 Last evening I received information about the colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull we saw on the beach at Reculver on July 25th. It had originally been ringed at Antwerp in Belgium as a third calendar year bird on 12th May 2019. In the intervening time it had been seen on a number of occasions at Icklesham in East Sussex in 2020 and 2021 and on 17th March 2020 at Newton on the Isle of Wight. However on 20th December 2021 it was observed at Ria A Coruna, Santa Cruz de Oleiros, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain which is 1,144 km SW of Reculver.

Mediterranean Gull 3HK3