January 2nd

On a much more pleasant morning with virtually no wind I walked inland from Reculver and recorded 7 Chaffinches, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Coot, 4 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 17 Teal, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Snipe, 1 Dartford Warbler, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Grey Heron, 7 Moorhens and 26 Goldfinches. On my way home I dropped in at the car park at Reculver just in time to see 5 Red-throated Divers flying W and 4 Egyptian Geese flying W, almost certainly the same birds that we saw at Brooksend yesterday.

Matt was also out this morning and walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back and recorded 1 Grey Wagtail (93rd), 400 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 Red-throated Divers, 17 Great Crested Grebes, 60 Common Scoter, 4 Stonechats, 8 Cetti's Warblers, 30 Mallard, 4 Shelduck (94th), 4 Eider, 12 Coot, 5 Bearded Tits, 2 Gannet, 44 Lapwings, 60 Ringed Plovers, 1 wintering Sandwich Tern (95th), 50 Grey Plovers, 40 Knot (96th), 70 Oystercatchers, 80 Redshank, 1 Dartford Warbler, 5 Velvet Scoters (97th), 12 Curlew, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Little Grebe, 10 Redwings, 6 Fieldfares, 1 Greenfinch (98th ), 2 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 5 Kestrels, 1 Yellowhammer, 2 Common Buzzards, 3 Teal and 3 Snow Buntings (99th).

Dave Smith was out early at Shuart where he saw 1 Barn Owl (100th), 1 Water Rail, 2 Snipe, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrests, 1 Mistle Thrush, 8 Song Thrushes, 2 Fieldfares and 1 Stonechat.

At Minnis Bay, Plumpudding and Brooksend his highlights were 6 Shoveler, 36 Common Scoter, 4 Red-legged Partridges, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 340 Lapwings, 31 Turnstone, 106 Sanderling, 1 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 1 Common Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern E, 6 Red-throated Divers, 2 Gannets, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Little Egrets, 3 Common Buzzards, 1 Barn Owl and 1 Fieldfare.

Derek Smith covered the whole of the eastern half of the area between 0930 and 1400 and saw 1 Red-throated Diver W, 1 Little Egret, 6 Grey Herons, 2 Little Grebes, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Peregrine, 3 Kestrels, 2 Shelduck W, 25 Teal, 200 Lapwings, 90 Sanderling, 1 Water Rail, 28 Stock Doves, 8 Cetti's Warblers and 2 Chiffchaffs.