September 5th

With an increasing NE wind and showers forecast Dave Smith, Matt, Anne and I spent from 0600 to 1330 seawatching at Reculver. The undoubted highlight of the morning was a Cory's Shearwater (177th) that flew east close in past the Towers at 0825 and then back west out past the red buoy at 0859. It was seen later at Shellness and Grain. This is only the sixth record of this species for Reculver and a long awaited new area and Kent tick for me.

Other birds we saw during the morning included 15 Arctic Skuas W, 53 Sandwich Terns E, 105 Gannets E, 9 Common Scoter, 7 Great Skuas W, 7 Wigeon W, 48 Teal W, 1 Swift in off the sea, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 19 Swallows, 1 Black Tern W, 1 Shoveler, 7 Common Terns E, 1 Common Sandpiper, 16 Kittiwakes W, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Pintail W, 1 adult Pomarine Skua E and 1 Guillemot E.