January 1st - 92 species seen

As is our custom on January 1st, Matt and I spent the day trying to see as many species in the Reculver Marshes recording area as possible. We arrived at Reculver at 0630 when it was still dark in the hope of hearing owls calling but in the event it was far too windy to hear anything. As it got light we saw or heard 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Shoveler, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Mallard, 4 Coot, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 29 Teal, 3 Redwing, 1 Redshank, 1 Dartford Warbler, 2 Fieldfare, 1 Long-tailed Tit and 2 Ravens.

Next we drove to Minnis Bay and Brooksend and recorded 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Gannets, 7 Red-throated Divers, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 50 Dunlin, 30 Grey Plovers,1 large auk E, 1 Great Northern Diver E, 4 Kittiwakes E, 1 Little Egret and 20 Sanderling. We then had a walk at Brooksend and counted 5 Snipe, 400 Lapwings, 6 Shoveler, 76 Teal, 1 very large adult female Peregrine sitting in a field, 10 Grey Herons, 1 Little Egret, 4 Egyptian Geese, 4 Gadwall, 6 Wigeon and 1 Curlew.

Our next stop was Shuart where we saw 1 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrests, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Jay, 3 Mallard and 3 Teal.

In the afternoon, after lunch, we walked from Reculver and behind the Oyster Farm to the Chamber's Wall Crossing and back along a very crowded seawall. Here we counted 5 Cetti's Warblers, 51 Corn Buntings, 1 Short-eared Owl, 2 Bearded Tits, 1 Linnet, 650 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Yellowhammers, 1 Tree Sparrow, 40 Common Scoter, 4 Eider, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 7 Wigeon, 1 Little Egret, 7 Ringed Plovers, 17 Redshank, 1 Stonechat and 1 first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull flying W. As we got back to Reculver we were on 85 species for the day but on his way home from Reculver Matt added Green Sandpiper and Green Woodpecker so we ended the day on a very satisfactory 87 species.

Julian Perry birded the Reculver recording region on foot this morning, completing a 22 kilometre circuit that took him from Bishopstone to Reculver, then on to Minnis Bay, Brooksend, Shuart, the Railway Embankment, the Green Wall, the Oyster Farm and back. 

He managed to add five additional species to the day's list: a couple of Grey Partridges heard only whilst still dark, 1 Little Grebe, 22 Golden Plover at Plumpudding, 1 Sparrowhawk in the Oyster Farm, and 1 female/immature Black Redstart at Reculver Towers. This takes today's total to 92 species.