October 15th

The first part of our walk this morning from Chamber's Wall was very wet but by the time we had crossed over the railway line the rain had stopped. We walked on to the Oyster Farm lagoons and recorded 3 Chiffchaffs, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 8 Chaffinches, 8 Coot, 7 Mallard, 29 Meadow Pipits, 7 Oystercatchers, 1 Rock Pipit, 8 Redshank, 1 Curlew, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Teal, 8 Reed Buntings, 1 Kestrel, 4 Swallows W and 32 House Martins W.

Derek Smith and Kerry McDonnell were also out in the early morning rain and stayed out until 1130 as they walked from Shuart and along the embankment and back via Chamber's Wall and Plumpudding. They recorded 1 Marsh Harrier, 6 Common Buzzards, 6 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk, 40 Lapwings W, 1 Golden Plover, 550 House Martins W, 5 Swallows W, 8 Redwing W, 7 Fieldfare W, 23 Skylarks NW, 16 Stonechats, 6 Bearded Tits near Coldhabour, 112 Chaffinches W, 42 Goldfinches W, 30 Siskins W, 9 Cetti's Warblers, 45 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 15 Goldcrests and 2 Corn Buntings.

Recently we have received information about two birds we caught, one we had ringed and one from someone else. A juvenile Chiffchaff we ringed at Reculver on July 17th was controlled at Stodmarsh on September 3rd and a first year  Reed Bunting ringed at Stodmarsh on Ocotber 8th was controlled by us on Reculver Marshes on October 11th.