October 26th

An hour spent in the pouring rain this morning at Reculver only produced 2 Gannets E, 49 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 21 Cormorants, 3 Mediterranean Gulls flying inland, 9 Meadow Pipits, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Curlew.

The sun eventually came out, so this afternoon we walked inland at Reculver. Birds we saw included 3 Robins, 1 Chaffinch, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Grey Heron, 7 Goldcrests, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 19 Coot, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 45 Mallard, 34 Teal, 7 Gadwall, 1 Little Grebe, 4 Shoveler, 1 Stonechat, 3 Tufted Ducks, 3 Common Buzzards and 1 Lesser Redpoll.

Male and female Teal

Dave Smith was out for seven and a half hours today and covered most of the Marsh walking from Minnis Bay to Reculver and back. He recorded 46 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Teal, 1 male Eider, 5 Common Scoter, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Stock Doves, 17 Grey Plovers, 2 Golden Plovers, 12 Lapwings, 13 Redshank, 1 Knot, 4 Dunlin, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Kestrels, 1 Merlin, 2 Jays, 7 Skylarks, 4 Bearded Tits, 1 Swallow, 1 Common Whitethroat, 4 Goldcrests, 1,200 Starlings, 6 Redwings, 4 Blackbirds, 2 Fieldfares, 7 Stonechats, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1,127 Chaffinches W, 51 Redpolls W, 350 Goldfinches W, 21 Siskins W, 6 Corn Buntings and 7 Reed Buntings.