January 15th

It was a struggle to see anything this morning with thick fog for the duration. On our walk from Reculver to Coldharbour we managed to see or hear 1 Pied Wagtail, 17 Mallard, 2 Shelduck, 2 Redshank, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Corn Bunting, 250 House Sparrows, 1 Coot, 2 Stonechat, 1 Turnstone and 35 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Matt walked from Shuart to Coldharbour and recorded 40 Blackbirds, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Water Rail, 1 Shelduck, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 42 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Stonechat, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher, 70 Corn Buntings, 15 Song Thrushes and 3 Tree Sparrows.

Derek Smith was also out this morning and wlaked from Shuart to Brooksend and on to Minnis Bay. He started his walk in fog but ended in bright sunshine and counted 16 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Grebes, 4 Red-throated Divers, 1 Gannet E, 9 Grey Herons, 46 Greylag Geese, 17 Russian White-fronted Geese flying S, 22 Tufted Duck, 56 Mallard, 2 Teal, 1 Marsh Harrier, 137 Sanderling, 34 Redshank, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 6 Corn Buntings.

This afternoon, Matt found 3 Short-eared Owls and 1 Snipe at the Oyster Farm and during the day Steffan Walton found a Snow Bunting (117th) below the cliffs at Bishopstone. 

Andrew Lipczynski completed the NE Kent Co-ordinated Wader Count Survey and walked from the eastern end of Minnis Bay to Coldharbour and back between 1000 and 1145. His total wader counts were 217 Sanderling, 115 Turnstone, 48 Redshank and 2 Grey Plovers. He also saw the large flock of 1,035 Dark-bellied Brent Geese together with the adult Black Brant and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

A foggy Reculver Towers

17 Russian White-fronted Geese - Derek Smith