May 15th

It was still cold this morning as we walked out onto the Marsh and counted 7 Swallows, 1 Common Tern, 5 Skylarks, 5 Whitethroats, 8 Mallard, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Tufted Duck, 3 Gadwall, 8 Reed Warblers, 4 Shelduck, 10 Greylag Geese, 10 Coot, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 4 Great Black-backed Gulls. 

Matt was out and walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back along the embankment. He saw 3 Shelduck, 2 Tufted Duck, 15 Swallows W, 3 Swifts W, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Avocets, 3 Little Egrets, 6 Stonechats, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Sanderling, 1 Cuckoo and 2 Chiffchaffs.

Dave Smith walked from Shuart to the Green Wall and back via Coldharbour. His highlights were 6 Greylag Geese, 7 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Cuckoos, 14 Swifts, 2 Avocets, 7 Oystercatchers, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Sanderling, 1 Dunlin, 2 Common Terns, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hobby, 9 Swallows, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Yellow Wagtails and 1 Corn Bunting.

 May 14th

With Arctic air flooding down the North Sea it was still surprisingly cold at Reculver this morning. Birds we saw on our walk inland included 2 Goldfinches, 1 Blackcap, 1 female Marsh Harrier, 3 Whitethroats, 8 Linnets, 6 Reed Warblers, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Tufted Duck, 12 Mallard, 1 Sedge Warbler, 16 Swallows, 6 Coot, 2 Gadwall and 2 Shelduck.

 May 13th

With a cold westerly wind blowing in showers we walked at Reculver and counted 13 Swallows flying W, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Kestrel, 4 Blackcaps, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Gadwall, 4 Whitethroats, 1 Marsh Harrier, 12 Mallard, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Reed Warblers, 12 Coot, 16 Sand Martins, 10 Greylag Geese, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Little Egret and 6 Swifts flying W.

 May 12th

It was another chilly but sunny morning on our walk at Reculver. We saw 7 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 12 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Tufted Duck, 4 Gadwall, 10 Sand Martins, 9 Reed Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 10 Coot, 9 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Little Grebe, 12 Greylag Geese, 4 Whitethroats, 18 roosting Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Shelduck, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Goldfinches and 1 Kestrel. 

 May 11th

There was still a chilly, northerly wind blowing this morning as we walked at Reculver and saw 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 5 Whitethroats, 9 Mallard, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 Gadwall, 4 Reed Warblers, 1 Little Egret, 2 Sedge Warblers, 12 Coot, 10 Greylag Geese, 2 Mute Swans, 2 Shelduck, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Pied Wagtails, 2 Hobbies chasing each other, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Grey Partridges and 2 Gannets E.

Common Sandpiper

 

 May 10th

On an unpleasant morning with a fresh, chilly NE wind blowing we had a brief look at the sea at Reculver and counted 60 Herring Gulls flying E, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 Great Crested Grebes on the sea and 3 Swifts.

 May 9th

This morning at Reculver we walked onto the Marsh and then had a look at the sea. We recorded 11 Whitethroats, 2 Goldfinches, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 15 Greylag Geese, 2 Blackcaps, 17 Mallard, 8 Coot, 4 Tufted Duck, 6 Reed Warblers, 40 Sand Martins, 5 Sedge Warblers, 1 Little Egret, 8 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Gadwall, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Curlew and 1 Common Tern.

Singing male Pied Wagtail

 

 May 8th

On a sunny morning I walked from Reculver to Coldharbour where I met Matt and Dave Smith. I then walked back to Reculver with Matt whose final totals for the morning were 5 Stonechats, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Great Crested Grebes, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 20 Common Sandpipers, 2 Avocets, 8 Shelduck, 2 Marsh Harriers, 60 Sanderling, 2 Cuckoos, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Redpoll W, 112 Stock Doves, 1 Greylag Goose, 6 Sandwich Terns, 1 Gannet, 2 Common Terns, 40 Swallows W, 2 Swifts W, 3 House Martins W, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Curlew and 1 Kestrel.

David Smith walked from Shuart along the railway embankment and back via Coldhabour and Plumpudding. His highlights were 1 Greylag Goose, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Shelduck, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 112 Stock Doves, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Avocets, 2 Ringed Plovers, 6 Common Sandpipers, 33 Sanderling, 1 Common Tern, 4 Sandwich Terns, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Gannet, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Marsh Harriers, 1 Red Kite W and 2 more near Reculver, 1 Green Woodpecker, 20 Swallows, 1 House Martin, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Stonechats, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Redpoll and 2 Corn Buntings.

 May 7th

We did the same walk as yesterday and recorded 1 Green Woodpecker, 19 Greylag Geese, 21 Mallard, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 10 Tufted Duck, 10 Coot, 5 Reed Warblers, 2 Gadwall, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Shelduck, 10 Sand Martins, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Whimbrel E and 1 Great Crested Grebe. 

 May 6th

With a cold northerly wind blowing we walked inland at Reculver and later had a look at the sea. We counted 8 Swallows, 4 Whitethroats, 2 Goldfinches, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Mallard, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Gadwall, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler, 12 Greylag Geese, 6 Coot, 1 Blackcap and 4 Sand Martins. At the sea we saw 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Eider on the sea, one immature male a one female, (161st), 6 Swallows W, 1 Swift W, 1 Little Egret and 2 Shelduck.

 May 5th

There was a chilly northerly breeze blowing and the tide was going out as I walked from Reculver to Coldharbour this morning. It was relatively quiet but I did count 7 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Whitethroats, 15 Linnets, 5 Little Egrets, 7 Swallows W, 8 Mallard, 6 Oystercatchers, 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Stonechats, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Avocets, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 6 Sedge Warblers, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Pied Wagtails, 1 Kestrel and 1 Lesser Whitethroats.

Male Stonechat

 

 May 4th

On a dull and overcast morning we walked at Reculver where we recorded 4 Skylarks, 2 Whitethroats, 16 Sand Martins, 2 Chiffchaffs, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 16 Mallard, 3 Mute Swans, 11 Greylag Geese, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall, 1 Common Sandpiper, 8 Coot, 1 Kestrel, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Swallows and 1 Mediterranean Gull E.

Dave Smith walked along the seawall from Reculver and his highlights were 3 Shelduck, 1 Gadwall, 6 Mallard, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Coot, 2 Avocets, 17 Oystercatchers, 8 Ringed Plovers, 1 Curlew, 2 Turnstone, 19 Sanderling, 2 Common Terns, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Little Owl, 1 Raven, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 17 Swallows, 5 House Martins, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 6 Stonechats, 7 Yellow Wagtails, 1 male Blue-headed Wagtail and 2 Corn Buntings.

Derek Smith was also out this morning and walked from Shuart along the embankment and back via Coldharbour and Brooksend. He counted 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Avocets, 2 Redshank, 14 Sanderling, 1 Cuckoo, 12 Swallows W, 2 Stonechats, 6 Lesser Whitethroats and 5 Corn Buntings.

 May 3rd

After overnight rain it was overcast and humid this morning as we had a walk along the seawall from Reculver. We recorded 4 Cetti's Warblers, 8 Whitethroats, 8 Linnets, 1 Little Owl, 6 Oystercatchers, 5 Little Egrets, 2 Stonechats, 2 Sedge Warblers, 1 Grey Heron, 5 Swallows, 7 Sand Martins, 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Hobby flying past the Towers towards the Sand Martin colony at Bishopstone (160th), 1 Whimbrel and 2 Mediterranean Gulls flying E.

Little Egrets

 

 May 2nd

This morning our walk at Reculver produced 3 Mute Swans, 4 Chiffchaffs, 11 Sand Martins, 7 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 13 Greylag Geese, 10 Coot, 6 Whitethroats, 5 Common Sandpipers, 14 Mallard, 8 Tufted Duck, 5 Reed Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, 1 Little Ringed Plover flying W, 2 Gadwall and 1 Green Woodpecker.

Derek Smith was also out this morning between 0600 and 0930 and walked from Shuart along the embankment and back via Coldharbour. He counted 2 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Herons, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Shelduck E, 2 Avocets in Coldharbour, 2 Cuckoos, 37 Stock Doves on a ploughed field, 1 Yellow Wagtail W, 1 Wheatear, 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 9 Blackcaps, 2 Willow Warblers and 8 Chiffchaffs.

A dull looking Willow Warbler - Derek Smith

 May 1st

The month began with a sunny morning and a pleasant south easterly breeze. I walked along the seawall from Reculver with the tide out but coming in and counted 3 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 8 Whitethroats, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Little Egret, 4 Shelduck, 4 Meadow Pipits, 2 Sand Martins, 2 Whimbrel, 5 Sedge Warblers, 2 Stonechats, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit feeding on shore, 4 Common Sandpipers, 12 Linnets, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Redshank, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Kestrel and 2 Yellow Wagtails.

Bar-tailed Godwit

 

Wall Brown

Matt was out early and walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back along the embankment. He recorded 8 Chiffchaffs, 1 Redpoll W, 10 Common Sandpipers, 3 Ringed Plovers, 9 Tufted Duck, 10 Coot, 13 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Gadwall, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Corn Bunting, 3 Grey Herons, 1 Common Tern, 2 Whimbrel, 6 Stonechats, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshank, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Tree Pipit E, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Wheatear, 1 Swift E, 3 Kestrels, 2 Avocets, 3 Grey Plover, 7 Shelduck and 2 Sandwich Terns. 

Bar-tailed Godwits - Matt Hindle

 

Whimbrel -Matt Hindle

Kestrel - Matt Hindle