December 31st
It was drizzly this morning as we walked at Reculver and recorded 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Moorhens, 38 Gadwall, 64 Coot, 42 Mallard, 2 Teal, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Shoveler, 8 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Redshank and 1 Goldcrest.
We ended 2024 having seen 201 species in the Reculver Marshes recording area.
December 30th
On the first sunny morning for nearly a week we walked along the seawall from Reculver to the Wantsum outflow. We counted 1,050 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 12 Wigeon on the sea, 2 Redshank, 64 Corn Buntings, 26 Mallard, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 26 Cormorants, 21 Carrion Crows, 3 Common Buzzards over the Green Wall, 1 Oystercatchers, 1 Egyptian Goose flying W and 3 Stonechats.
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| Dark-bellied Brent Geese |
Derek Smith was also out this morning and walked at Shuart and Plumpudding and saw 1 Little Egret, 2 Teal, 2 female Marsh Harriers, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Water Rail, 18 Chaffinches, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Snow Buntings and 3 Corn Buntings.
December 29th
Our walk inland at Reculver this morning produced 8 Shoveler, 52 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 11 Teal, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 male Wigeon, 32 Gadwall, 64 Coot, 2 Mute Swans, 20 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 1 Redshank, 8 Little Grebes, 150 Woodpigeons, 1 Water Rail and 1 Jay.
Matt saw the 4 Snow Buntings at Plumpudding this morning.
December 28th
It was yet another raw and overcast morning at Reculver but at least there was no fog as we walked at Reculver. We saw 43 Chaffinches, 6 Moorhens, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Shoveler, 38 Mallard, 40 Gadwall, 68 Coot, 4 Teal, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 male Wigeon, 18 Tufted Duck, 8 Little Grebes, 1 female Pochard and 5 Goldfinches.
December 27th
With the high pressure still over us it was even drearier and misty this morning as we walked at Reculver. Birds we recorded were 16 Chaffinches, 1 Pied Wagtail, 300 Woodpigeons, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Shoveler, 32 Mallard, 22 Gadwall, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 66 Coot, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 18 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Little Grebes, 1 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Moorhens, 1 Green Woodpecker and 190 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.
December 26th
On another damp and dreary morning we walked at Reculver and counted 6 Fieldfares, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 250 Woodpigeons, 10 Chaffinches, 24 Gadwall, 68 Coot, 34 Mallard, 12 Tufted Duck, 6 Shoveler, 2 Mute Swans, 8 Little Grebes, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Water Rail, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Golden Plover and 550 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the sea off the Towers.
David Elliott saw the 4 Snow Buntings still near Plumpudding lagoon.
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| Snow Buntings - David Elliott |
December 25th
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS
On a misty, murky and damp Christmas morning I had an hour's walk at Reculver. Birds I saw included 1 Fieldfare, 6 Chaffinches, 1,250 Cormorants flying out to sea, 2 Chiffchaffs, 350 Woodpigeons, 4 Shoveler, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 30 Gadwall, 32 Mallard, 4 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck, 66 Coot, 1 Redshank, 8 Little Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 2 Water Rails, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Kestrel.
December 24th
At least the wind had dropped this morning and even the sun came out briefly as we walked from Reculver along the seawall towards the Wantsum outflow. We saw 1,200 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Meadow Pipits, 2 Redshank, 1 Greylag Goose, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 68 Corn Buntings, 30 Mallard, 2 Linnets, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Reed Buntings, 1 Water Rail and 1 Pied Wagtail.
Derek Smith was also out this morning and in two hours walked from Shuart to Plumpudding and back. He recorded 1 Little Egret, 97 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Teal, 2 female Marsh Harriers, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Water Rail, 18 Chaffinches, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Snow Buntings and 3 Corn Buntings.
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| Male Snow Bunting - Derek Smith |
December 23rd
It was cold and windy this morning as I walked inland at Reculver where the highlight was not a bird but a mammal. We occasionally see a Harvest Mouse nest in the area but I have never seen a live animal until this morning. As I was walking back to my car along a muddy path with rough grass on either side I saw a thumb-sized, orange mouse with a sturdy pink tail crawling through the foliage on the ground and disappearing into the foliage. I had imagined that Harvest Mice hibernate but apparently they don't but become less active during the winter and spend a good deal of time underground.
Birds I saw included 6 Pied Wagtails, 62 Chaffinches, 2 Grey Herons, 56 Mallard, 66 Coot, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 36 Gadwall, 10 Tufted Duck, 13 Teal, 8 Little Grebes, 1 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Water Rail.
December 21st and 22nd
The weather has been unpleasant for the last couple of days with gale force winds and showers so we have spent an hour at Reculver seawatching each morning but seeing very little. Yesterday in the hour we counted 142 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Curlew and 1 Gannet E and today we recorded 158 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Great Black-backed Gulls, 10 Common Gulls W, 13 Ringed Plovers and 100+ Herring Gulls W.
December 20th
It was a bright and cold morning with the tide going out as we walked from Reculver to the Wantsum outflow and back. We counted 99 Carrion Crows, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1,040 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Redshank, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Curlew, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Goldfinches, 18 Mallard, 38 Corn Buntings, 10 Oystercatchers, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Herons, 7 Reed Buntings, 1 Stonechat, 8 Meadow Pipits and 3 Sanderling.
December 18th
This morning there was westerly gale blowing and the tide was a long way out at Reculver and in an hour all we saw was 197 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 Cormorants, 7 Great Black-backed Gulls and 52 Carrion Crows.
On a mild and less windy afternoon we walked inland at Reculver and counted 3 Chiffchaffs, 23 Gadwall, 56 Coot, 32 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Shoveler, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 2 Mute Swans, 8 Little Grebes, 14 Tufted Duck, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Teal 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kestrel and 2 Pied Wagatils.
December 17th
On what had been forecast to be a dry morning we walked from Minnis Bay to Plumpudding but got thoroughly soaked on the return walk. With the tide out, birds we saw included 4 Curlews, 3 Grey Herons, 19 Oystercatchers, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Kestrel, 19 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Grey Plovers, 14 Meadow Pipits, 2 Turnstone, 6 Cormorants, 2 Little Egrets, 4 Snow Buntings on the beach by the beginning of the seawall, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 42 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.
At home at Bishopstone we had a group of 5 Ring-necked Parakeets flying W.
December 16th
On a bright and breezy morning we walked inland at Reculver and saw 32 Chaffinches, 1 Green Sandpiper, 74 Mallard, 22 Tufted Duck, 1 Water Rail, 8 Shoveler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 22 Gadwall, 72 Coot, 1 Redshank, 8 Little Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Wigeon, 10 Teal, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Green Woodpecker, 12 Pied Wagtails and 1 Sparrowhawk.
