March 25th

The weather had changed overnight with a fresh NW wind blowing in showers and a marked drop in temperature. Matt walked at various sites at Reculver and at the sea recorded 9 Dunlin W, 13 Common Gulls W, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls W, 1 Mediterranean Gull W, 5 Great Black-backed Gulls, 12 Common Scoter and 4 Chiffchaffs. Inland he counted 1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 11 Chiffchaffs, 14 Gadwall, 13 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 8 Greylag Geese, 5 Shelduck,  11 Coot, 11 Mallard, 8 Teal, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Raven, 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Grey Wagtail, 4 Long-tailed Tits and 2 Common Buzzard.

 March 24th

This morning Matt walked at Reculver and saw 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Fieldfares, 1 Siskin, 12 Coot, 12 Tufted Ducks, 14 Gadwall, 7 Greylag Geese, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Shelduck, 12 Teal, 1 Red Kite, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Blackcap and 2 Long-tailed Tits.

 March 23rd

Today Matt walked from Reculver to Chamber's Wall and back and saw 1 Red Kite flying W, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Black Redstarts, 10 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Gannet, 3 Stonechats, 1 Marsh Harrier, 11 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Chiffchaffs, 15 Turnstone, 2 male Ruff on flooded field south of Coldharbour (130th), 1 Snipe, 50 Oystercatchers, 2 Shelduck, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cetti's Warblers and 1 Rock Pipit.

Great Crested Grebe - Matt Hindle

 March 22nd

My walk at Reculver this morning produced 2 Pied Wagtails, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 6 Chaffinches, 8 Linnets, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Mute Swans, 2 Shelduck, 22 Coot, 8 Tufted Duck, 7 Greylag Geese, 20 Mallard, 10 Gadwall, 10 Teal, 3 Skylarks, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Reed Buntings, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Sparrowhawks and 7 Goldfinches. Later a Red Kite flew over our garden at Bishopstone.

 March 21st

It was sunny with a chilly easterly breeze blowing this morning as I walked at Netherhale. I counted 15 Goldfinches,1 Kestrel, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Mallard, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Barnacle Geese, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Tufted Ducks and 11 Chaffinches. On my drive home I had a Woodcock fly across the road near the Roman Galley.

 March 20th

We had a very uneventful morning's ringing at Shuart where we saw 2 Cetti's Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Woodcock, 5 Snipe, 4 Siskin, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Jay, 25 Linnets, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Kestrel, 8 Ring-necked Parakeets, 4 Skylarks, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Green Woodpeckers and 1 Grey Heron.

Birds ringed 5: Chiffchaff 1, Robin 1, Great Tit 1, Dunnock 2.

Chiffchaff

 March 19th

On a glorious early spring morning with the tide coming in I walked along the seawall from Reculver. I saw 4 Grey Herons, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Black Redstarts, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Mallard, 6 Ringed Plovers, 16 Linnets, 2 Oystercatchers, 11 Turnstone, 11 Mute Swans, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Stonechats, 1 Reed Bunting and 1 Little Egret.

Immature male Black Redstart

 

 March 18th

On a sunny morning I walked at Reculver and counted 8 Chaffinches, 1 Pied Wagtail, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 3 Mute Swans, 3 Skylarks, 18 Tufted Duck, 5 Greylag Geese, 18 Coot, 2 Canada Geese, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Shelduck, 18 Mallard, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Little Grebe, 10 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 3 Song Thrushes and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Whilst I was doing that, Matt walked from Shuart to Netherhale and Brooksend and back by way of Plumpudding. He saw 2 Jays, 9 Chiffchaffs, 5 Redwing, 7 Song Thrushes, 9 Cetti's Warblers, 5 Grey Herons, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Common Buzzards, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Mistle Thrush, 9 Corn Buntings, 17 Greylag Geese, 17 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Yellowhammer, 3 Siskin E, 53 Chaffinches E, 6 Ring-necked Parakeets, 12 Coot, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Firecrest.

 March 17th

On a cloudy morning with a chilly and increasingly strong SW wind blowing Matt walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back along the embankment to the seawall where I met him. He saw 63 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 13 Cetti's Warblers, 7 Chiffchaffs, 22 Mute Swans, 75 Linnets, 33 Redshank, 14 Turnstone, 7 Stonechats, 4 Rock Pipits, 2 Little Egrets, 59 Oystercatchers, 30 Meadow Pipits W, 1 Curlew, 2 Sheldduck, 3 Corn Buntings, 2 Dunlin, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Snipe, 1 Avocet S (128th), 2 Firecrests, 3 Siskins W, 4 Lapwings, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Sand Martins W (129th) and 1 Red-throated Diver.

 March 16th

On a sunny morning with a chilly westerly breeze blowing I walked along the seawall from Reculver. Birds I saw included 1 Rock Pipit, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Mediterranean Gulls W, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull W, 108 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Linnets, 5 Mallard, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Redshank, 11 Meadow Pipits, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Linnet

 

 March 13th

After heavy overnight rain, Matt walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back and recorded 4 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Stonechat, 121 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Rock Pipits, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Curlew, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Shelduck and 47 Red-throated Divers flying W having been disturbed by the service boat going out to the wind farm. 

 March 12th

This morning Matt visited Minnis Bay and Shuart. At Minnis Bay he counted 2 Shelduck, 4 Gannets, 21 Red-throated Divers, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Rock Pipit, 41 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 alba Wagtails, 2 Curlews, 17 Grey Plover and 8 Sanderling. At Shuart he saw 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Firecrests, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Jays, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

 March 11th

I arrived at Reculver just as the overnight rain had moved through and the sun had come out. I recorded 3 singing Chiffchaffs, 3 Mute Swans, 4 Cetti,s Warblers, 5 Greylag Geese, 18 Mallard, 32 Coot, 22 Gadwall, 14 Tufted Duck, 5 Grey Herons, 4 Teal, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Green Woodpecker, 10 Chaffinches, 4 Long-tailed Tits and 1 Pied Wagtail.

Grey Herons

 

 March 10th

The fog had cleared this morning as I walked along the seawall from Reculver and I saw 4 Pied Wagtails, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Corn Buntings, 6 Redshank, 8 Meadow Pipits, 272 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 2 male Black Redstarts, an adult catching flies on the seawall and an immature singing at the Towers. Other birds seen included 22 Linnets, 1 Stonechat, 3 Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Reed Buntings, 4 Oystercatchers, 12 Cormorants, 2 Mallard, 1 migrant Chiffchaff on the seawall and 40 Black-headed Gulls.

Meadow Pipit

 

Immature male Black Redstart

Matt was also out this morning whilst I was at Reculver and walked from Shuart to Netherhale and Brooksend and back via Plumpudding. He counted 3 Firecrests, 2 Brambling, including a singing male (127th), 7 Chiffchaffs, 7 Redwings, 1 Fieldfare, 12 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Corn Buntings, 1 Common Buzzard, 21 Tufted Duck, 30 Greylag Geese, 7 Barnacle Geese, 6 Ring-necked Parakeets, 4 Teal, 5 Grey Herons, 1 Pochard, 2 Little Grebes, 20 Coot, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 200 Black-headed Gulls, 10 Common Gulls, 1 White Wagtail, 25 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Lapwing.

 March 9th

On another foggy day I had a brief walk this afternoon with the fog coming and going and did not see a great deal. All I managed was 1 Pied Wagtail, 4 Mallard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Teal, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Tufted Duck, 14 Gadwall and 12 Coot.