April 24th

We had an excellent morning's birdwatch with Matt walking inland from Reculver to Coldharbour and back and Anne and me walking the Chamber's Wall, Coldharbour and Green Wall circuit. Between us we totalled 1 Common Buzzard, 11 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, 40 Whitethroats, 19 Reed Warblers, 39 Sedge Warblers, 8 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Coot, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Corn Bunting, 2 Jays, 3 Kestrels, 1 Wheatear, 2 Yellowhammers, 3 Grey Partridges, 7 Yellow Wagtails, 12 Swallows, 8 Song Thrushes, 6 Tufted Ducks, 3 Green Sandpipers, 1 Little Egret, 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Whimbrel, 5 Sandwich Terns, 2 Stonechats, 12 Sand Martins, 2 Common Gulls, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Common Redstarts, 2 males and 1 female, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Greenshank, 2 Greylag Geese, 2 Redshank, 30 Linnets, 6 Oystercatchers, 34 Turnstone, 2 Grey Plovers, 180 Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin and 1 Grasshopper Warbler.

Male Yellow Wagtail - Matt Hindle

Grey Plover - Matt Hindle

Turnstone with a Dunlin - Matt Hindle

 Derek Smith was also out and between 0600 and 1130 walked from Shuart along the embankment and on to to Coldharbour then back via Plumpudding and Brooksend. He saw 1 Little Grebe, 2 Gadwall, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 Sandwich Terns, 2 Marsh Harriers, 4 Common Buzzards, 8 Green Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 3 Whimbrel, 3 Curlew, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Yellow Wagtails,   1 Tree Pipit W (160th) , 1 Stonechat, 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 male Redstart, 42 Whitethroats, 36 Sedge Warblers, 7 Reed Warblers, 12 Blackcaps and 14 Chiffchaffs.

Ring Ouzel - Derek Smith

In addition Julian Perry heard 2 Grasshopper Warblers, there are now at least 3 birds on the Marsh, and  Bob Hinge saw 3 Short-eared Owls.