July 9th
We were out early this morning to avoid the worst of the heat and walked along the seawall from Reculver. We saw 1 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroats, 8 Linnets, 1 Curlew W, 2 Stonechats, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 juvenile Black Redstart briefly on the rocks by the car park, 1 Pied Wagtail and 6 Mediterranean Gulls.
July 8th
It was another hot and sunny morning but with a cooling NW breeze blowing in off the sea. On our walk along the seawall from Reculver we counted 2 Whitethroats, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Oystercatchers, 6 Little Egrets, 2 juvenile Shelduck, 2 Swallows, 4 Ringed Plovers, 5 Cormorants, 6 Great Black-backed Gulls, 15 Linnets, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Stonechat, 1 Common Tern, 5 Sand Martins and 1 female Marsh Harrier.
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| Nesting Ringed Plover |
July 7th
We spent a relatively slow morning ringing at Reculver where we saw 3 Kestrels, 2 Ravens, 2 Common Terns, 30 Sand Martins, 42 Coot, 5 Little Grebes, 11 Greylag Geese, 11 Mallard, 6 Mute Swans, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Swifts, 8 Tufted Duck, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 Common Buzzard.
Birds ringed 16: Wren 2, Chiffchaff 2, Blue Tit 2, Blackcap 5, Reed Warbler 2, Blackbird 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1.
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| Adult male Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Emperor Moth caterpillar |
July 5th
We spent the morning ringing at Reculver where we saw 41 Coot, 14 Tufted Duck, 8 Greylag Geese, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Gadwall, 2 Ravens, 30 Sand Martins, 1 Jay, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 15 Blackcaps, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Common Buzzard, 3 Kestrels, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Little Egret, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 3 Swifts.
Birds ringed 26: Chiffchaff 3, Long-tailed Tit 1, Reed Warbler 1, Blackcap 11, Cetti's Warbler 3, Blue Tit 1, Great Tit 3, Dunnock 2, Blackbird 1.
July 4th
On another sunny morning with a light westerly breeze blowing we walked at Reculver where we recorded 4 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 22 Mallard, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 15 Sand Martins, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 juvenile Little Egrets, 11 Greylag Geese, 2 Gadwall, 8 Tufted Duck, 42 Coot, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Lapwing, 2 Pied Wagtails, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Hobby, 1 Common Buzzard, 3 Kestrels and 6 Mediterranean Gulls.
July 3rd
We spent the morning ringing at one of our Shuart sites and saw 1 Grey Heron, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Swallows, 8 Cetti's Warblers, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier, 20 Linnets, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Jay, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 25 Reed Warblers, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Sedge Warblers.
Birds ringed 35: Wren 1, Reed Warbler 19, Cetti's Warbler 8, Blue Tit 1, Whitethroat 3, Sedge Warbler 2, Linnets 1.
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| Adult male Sedge Warbler |
July 2nd
It was warm and breezy this morning on our walk at Reculver after which we had a quick look at the sea. We counted 3 Blackcaps, 3 Kestrels, 20 Sand Martins, 3 Chiffchaffs, 41 Mallard, 12 Tufted Ducks, 4 Gadwall, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 52 Coot, 11 Greylag Geese, 6 Mute Swans, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Corn Bunting, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Swifts flying W and 1 Jersey Tiger Moth.
July 1st
We spent a warm and sunny morning ringing at Shuart where we saw 1 Barn Owl, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Common Terns, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 15 Whitethroats, 1 Sedge Warblers, 15 Reed Warblers, 15 Linnets, 8 Goldfinches, 1 Sparrowhawk and 2 Blackcaps.
Birds ringed 39: Wren 1, Whitethroat 12, Great Tit 1, Linnet 6, Blue Tit 2, Cetti's Warbler 3, Reed Warblers 10, Sedge Warbler 1, Goldfinches 2, Blackcap 1.
We also caught a Belgian ringed Reed Warbler.
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| Juvenile Whitethroat |
June 30th
On a cooler morning we walked inland at Reculver and then looked at the sea. We saw 1 Blackcap, 4 Kestrels, 3 Chiffchaffs, 60 Sand Martins, 4 Goldfinches, 42 Mallard, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebes, 8 Greylag Geese, 6 Mute Swans, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Gadwall, 40 Coot, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and 3 Whitethroats, At the sea we counted 7 Swifts flying W and 5 Mediterranean Gulls.
June 29th
On another sunny morning but with a welcome, cooling, westerly breeze blowing we walked along the seawall from Reculver. We saw 1 Great Crested Grebes, 16 Linnet, 7 Whitethroats, 13 Mediterranean Gulls flying W, 5 Meadow Pipits, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Stonechats, 2 Shelduck, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Mallard, 8 Cormorants and 2 Common Terns.
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| Male Stonechat |
June 28th
On a slightly less hot and humid morning and with a light westerly wind blowing we walked out on to the Marsh at Reculver. We saw 2 Kestrels, 10 Sand Martins, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Whitethroats, 1 Lapwing, 1 female Marsh Harrier, 1 Blackcap, 64 Mallard, 9 Tufted Duck, 8 Greylag Geese, 2 Gadwall, 6 Mute Swans and 38 Coot.
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| Female Banded Demoiselle |
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| Dryad's Saddle |
Nick Hando walked at Minnis Bay this evening and saw a Cattle Egret (166th) fly in off the sea at 2050.
June 27th
After overnight thunder and rain it was slightly less hot and humid this morning as Matt walked along the seawall from Reculver to Coldharbour. His highlight was hearing a Quail (165th) singing in a field south of Coldharbour. Other birds he recorded were 7 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Stonechats, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Avocets, 9 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Redshank, 2 Shelduck with 7 young, 6 Oystercatchers with 1 young, 1 Mallard with 5 young, 1 Corn Bunting and 15 Swifts.
We also received the details of a male Whitethroat we controlled at Reculver yesterday that had originally been ringed at Stodmarsh on 25th August 2025 by Nick Tardivel.
June 26th
We had an early morning ringing session at Reculver where we saw 3 Green Woodpeckers, 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Whitethroats, 10 Blackcaps, 6 Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Mute Swans, 8 Greylag Geese, 8 Tufted Duck, 35 Coot, 1 Corn Bunting, 64 Mallard, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 20 Sand Martins, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Kestrels, 1 Jay, 17 Lapwings W, 2 Swifts, 4 Skylarks, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Sparrowhawk.
Birds ringed 27: Long-tailed Tit 2, Blue Tit 2, Reed Warbler 3, Great Tit 1, Blackcap 5, Cetti's Warbler 3, Sedge Warbler 1, Robin 2, Dunnock 1, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 6.
June 25th
The heat wave continues but with a pleasant, easterly breeze blowing off the sea we are not suffering as much as those further inland. This morning we walked at Reculver where we saw 30 Sand Martins, 1 Common Buzzard, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Whitethroats, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Redshank, 8 Greylag Geese, 62 Mallard, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Pied Wagtail, 37 Coot, 1 Shelduck, 5 Gadwall, 5 Swifts and 9 Goldfinches. We then spent forty minutes looking at the sea but other than one or two Herring and Black-headed Gulls all we saw was 1 Mediterranean Gull flying W and a group of 12 Gannets flying high E.
