March 31st
It was bright and breezy this morning on our walk as we recorded 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Mute Swans, 6 Linnets, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 12 Chaffinches, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Mallard, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall, 6 Cormorants, 1 Coot, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Green Sandpiper, 8 Goldfinches, 4 Skylarks, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 singing Blackcap, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Pied Wagtails and 1 White Wagtail.

White Wagtail

March 30th
On a much better morning than yesterday we completed our hour's walk but did not see a great deal different to previous days. Birds we recorded included 7 Chaffinches, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Mute Swan, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Goldcrest, 3 Gadwall, 6 Cormorants, 3 Skylarks, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Mallard, 1 Coot, 3 Song Thrushes, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Common Buzzard, 7 Magpies and 1 Jay.

March 29th
After a squally morning with a NE gale blowing in sleety showers we didn't venture out until after lunch. There was nothing new to be seen on our walk with most small birds sheltering out of sight. We did however count 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Song Thrushes, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Coot, 7 Cormorants, 35 Stock Doves, 4 Mallard and 2 Gadwall.

March 28th
On a very windy morning we completed our regular walk and recorded 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 11 Cormorants, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Coot, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Egret, 6 Mallard, 42 Stock Doves, 2 Gadwall, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Goldfinches and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull. So far, being limited to this site, we have recorded 49 species since the 24th.
The Firecrest remained in the Eliott's garden at Hillborough for the fourth Day.

March 27th
On our walk this morning we recorded 1 Linnet, 8 Chaffinches, 1 male Blackcap (128th), 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Jays, 2 Long-tailed Tits collecting nesting material, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Mallard, 11 Cormorants, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Coot, 1 Water Rail, 28 Carrion Crows, 1 Common Buzzard and 3 Skylarks.

March 26th
This morning on our now  daily walk we recorded 14 Chaffinches, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Chiffchaffs, 1 male Wigeon, 1 Gadwall, 8 Cormorants, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Mallard, 1 Coot, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Canada Goose flying E, 1 singing Mistle Thrush and 5 Goldfinches.

Great Crested Grebe

March 25th
We completed the same walk as yesterday which has become our regular early morning walk until this emergency ends. The highlight was 16 Siskins flying E (127th)  but other than that sightings were similar to yesterday with 2 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Jay, 3 Gadwall, 1 Moorhen, 1 male Wigeon, 5 Mallard, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Cormorants, 4 Goldfinches, 1 Green Woodpecker, 8 Chaffinches and 1 Common Buzzard.
During the day Mike Longdon saw a Red Kite at Chamber's Wall and Robin and David Elliot found a Firecrest in their garden at Hillborough.

Firecrest - Robin Elliot

March 24th
On the first day of the government's Coronavirus shutdown we took our permitted daily walk inland at Reculver and saw no one other than a couple of cyclists way out on the seawall. Birds we recorded included 6 Chiffchaffs, 16 Chaffinches, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 male Wigeon, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Cormorants, 2 Stonechats, 3 Gadwall, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Mallard, a pair of displaying Sparrowhawks and 1 Common Buzzard.
My Coronavirus garden list, started today,  so far stands at 19 species with the highlights being a Peregrine chasing the local pigeons and 2 Common Buzzards putting the frighteners on the local Herring Gulls. There is however a long way to go to get anywhere near my all time garden list total over the last 48 years which stands at 142 species.

March 23rd
On our regular morning walk on Reculver Marshes we recorded 14 Goldfinches, 8 Chaffinches, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Linnets, 3 Skylarks, 6 Mallard, 7 Redshank, 2 Shelduck, 3 Greylag Geese, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 10 Oystercatchers, 16 Carrion Crows, 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Turnstone, 1 Purple Sandpiper and 1 Kestrel.

Turnstone

March 22nd
This morning we managed a walk on the Marsh without coming into contact with anyone else. We recorded 1 Grey Heron, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Chaffinches, 6 Chiffchaffs, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Skylarks, 7 Mallard, 14 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Coot, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Redshank, 1 Curlew, 1 Linnet, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Green Woodpecker and 1 Common Buzzard.
Matt was also out in the Reculver area early this morning and saw 7 Chiffchaffs, 3 Shelduck, 60 Corn Buntings, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 39 Turnstone, 8 Redshank, 1 male and 1 female Red-breasted Mergansers flying E, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 1 Curlew, 8 Yellowhammers, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Tufted Duck, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Long-tailed Tits 2 and 1 Firecrest.

Male Chaffinch - Matt Hindle

Blue Tit - Matt Hindle

Marc Heath was also out between 0545 and 0845 and walked from the Towers to Chamber's Wall. Birds he saw included 1 Firecrest, 3 Pied Wagtails, 7 Stock Doves, 8 Oystercatchers, 10 Meadow Pipits, 5 Shelduck, 2 Little Egrets, 7 Mallard, 7 Reed Buntings, 15 Turnstone, 7 Ringed Plovers, 13 Redshank, 1 Short-eared Owl, 7 Linnets, 6 Chiffchaffs, 1 Gadwall, 8 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Skylarks, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Grey Partrdges, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Kestrel, 34 Corn Buntings, 2 Greylag Geese and 2 Purple Sandpipers.

With the cold easterly wind still blowing we walked out onto the Marsh this afternoon and counted 32 Stock Doves, 1 Common Buzzard, 5 Chiffchaffs, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Moorhen, 1 male Wigeon, 1 Tufted Duck, 3 Gadwall, 14 Cormorants, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Mallard and 1 Sparrowhawk.

March 21st
Although the sun was shining brightly this morning there was a very blustery and eye watering ENE wind blowing which made viewing conditions difficult. We walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and recorded 8 Chaffinches, 1 Green Woodpecker, 14 Chiffchaffs feeding along the river, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Moorhen, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Skylarks, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Mallard, 2 Shelduck, 28 Redshank sheltering in Coldharbour, 10 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plovers, 3 Oystercatchers and 2 Coot.

Chiffchaff

Matt had a seawatch at Reculver between 0600 and 0730 and saw the following birds flying E: 13 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Shelduck, 67 Red-throated Divers, 5 Kittiwakes, 14 Gannets, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Redshank, 2 Chiffchaffs and 1 Firecrest in the bushes.
Next he walked inland at Reculver and saw another Firecrest, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Pied Wagtails, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Green Sandpipers and 2 Long-tailed Tits.
Later he visited Shuart where he counted 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Green Woodpeckers and 6 Mallard.
Marc Heath was also out birding this morning and between 0600 and 0900 walked from the Towers to Chamber's Wall and back. He counted 32 Cormorants, 3 Stock Doves, 7 Mallard, 1 Wigeon, 7 Shelduck, 5 Oystercatchers, 5 Reed Buntings, 21 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Chiffchaffs, 6 Ringed Plovers, 2 Linnets, 50 Corn Buntings, 9 Redshank, 1 Pied Wagtail, 10 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Greylag Geese, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Mute Swans, 2 Skylarks, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Goldcrests, 1 Marsh Harrier flying out to sea, 1 Fulmar E, 3 Red-throated Divers E and 5 Common Scoter E.

March 20th
With a chilly, fresh, ENE wind blowing Matt spent from 0645 to 0850 at the Towers and we spent from 0800 to 0850 there. When he arrived at Reculver the first bird he recorded was a singing Firecrest in the bushes. From the Towers he counted the following birds flying E: 53 Red-throated Divers, 1 Razorbill (124th), 15 Gannets off shore, 3 Common Scoter W and 7E, 3 Kittiwakes, 6 large auks, 17 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Shelduck, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 20 Dunlin, 1 Purple Sandpiper on rocks below the Towers, 1 second winter Yellow-legged Gull (125th), 2 Curlew, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull W and  1 Great Skua (126th).
After this we walked inland at Reculver and recorded 4 Common Buzzards, 9 Chaffinches, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Teal, 2 Mallard, 4 Goldfinches, 10 Cormorants, 2 Chiffchaffs and another singing Firecrest.

March 19th
On a drizzly morning with a cool NE breeze blowing Matt was out early and walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back. He counted 7 Chiffchaffs, 1 Firecrest singing at Reculver, 9 Shelduck, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Greylag Geese, 2 Sanderling, 40 Turnstone, 7 Curlew, 40 Oystercatchers, 38 Golden Plover, 6 Redshank, 1 Rock Pipit, 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Fieldfare, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Song Thrushes, 1 Marsh Harrier, 21 Mallard, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Common Buzzard, 21 Redwings, 2 Lapwings, 58 Corn Buntings and 3 Dunlin.
We were out a bit later and walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and saw 9 Skylarks, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 7 Mallard, 2 Grey Partridges, 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Redshank, 2 Little Egrets, 5 Ringed Plovers, 10 Turnstone, 3 Shelduck, 7 Curlew, 18 Oystercatchers, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Sanderling, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 8 Chaffinches and 4 Goldcrests.
This morning Ray O'Reilly saw a Kittiwake (123rd) from the seawall.

March 18th
This morning, at a very quiet Reculver Marshes, we walked from Chamber's Wall out to the sea avoiding direct contact with anyone else. Birds we saw included 8 Chiffchaffs, 7 Goldfinches, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 8 Skylarks, 12 Mallard, 3 Greylag Geese, 8 Corn Buntings, 2 Coot, 2 Ravens flying W along the coast and then back E inland, 4 Oystercatchers, 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 22 Turnstone, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 6 Ringed Plovers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Linnets W, 2 Redshank and 1 little Egret.

Purple Sandpiper

Stephen Greenstreet found a Black Redstart on the rocks at Reculver.

March 17th
On another beautiful early spring morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and recorded 3 Goldfinches, 2 Pied Wagtails, 23 Chaffinches W, 9 Skylarks, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Grey Partridges, 12 Mallard, 2 Little Egrets, 5 Greylag Geese, 7 Redshank, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Linnets W, 1 Green Woodpecker, 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Coot and 1 singing Firecrest.