July 26th

The overnight cloud and rain had cleared away leaving a glorious sunny morning as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back. Unfortunately there was nothing new to see but we did record 14 Meadow Pipits, 4 juvenile Stonechats, 29 Linnets, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wheatear, 12 Little Egrets, 12 Oystercatchers, 80 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 6 Avocets, 200 Starlings, 2 Redshank, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Sandwich Terns and 1 Mallard. We also saw 7 Wall Brown butterflies.

Wall Brown at Coldharbour

Juvenile Avocets are growing quickly

July 25th

On an unpleasant, overcast and drizzly morning we visited various sites at Reculver and saw 4 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 1 Little Egret, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 16 Tufted Duck, 21 Coot, 4 Sand Martins, 23 Goldfinches, 1 Green Sandpiper, 32 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Green Woodpecker and 4 juvenile Stonechats by the Roman Wall at Reculver.

July 24th

We spent a bright and sunny morning ringing on the Marsh south of the railway where we saw 30 Reed Warblers, 10 Sedge Warblers, 5 Whitethroats, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 12 Goldfinches, 10 Linnets, 1 Turtle Dove flying E and 1 Common Buzzard.

Birds ringed 43: Wren 2, Reed Warbler 18, Blue Tit 4, Sedge Warbler 7, Robin 1, Whitethroat 4, Chaffinch 1, Cetti's Warbler 1, Blackcap 1, Linnet 1, Dunnock 2, Blackbird 1.

July 23rd

On a showery morning with an increasingly strong westerly wind blowing Matt was out early and walked from Reculver to Plumpudding meeting Anne and me at Coldharbour before we all returned to Reculver. Between us we saw 4 Sandwich Terns, 15 Mediterranean Gulls, 8 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Herons, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Redshank, 3 Stonechats, 4 Dunlin, 11 Avocets, 8 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Turnstone, 1 adult Common Gull, 9 Sanderling, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 summering Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 6 Bearded Tits, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 female Goosander in Coldharbour, 8 Swifts W, 1 Wheatear, 1 juvenile Cuckoo, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 17 Meadow Pipits, 21 Mallard, 8 Oystercatchers and 1 Common Tern.

Derek Smith was also out this morning and between 0600 and 1000 walked from Shuart to Plumpudding and Coldharbour. He recorded 7 Greylag Geese, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Avocet, 4 Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper, 175 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Bearded Tits and 4 singing Corn Buntings.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Derek Smith

Adult Mediterranean Gull - Derek Smith

July 22nd

We spent a cooler and breezy morning ringing at Reculver. We saw a good range of species including 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Treecreeper (168th), 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 4 Common Sandpipers, 18 Coot, 11 Tufted Duck, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Mallard, 2 Corn Buntings, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 26 Sand Martins, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 juvenile Grey Wagtail, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Wood Sandpiper flying W (169th), 9 Greylag Geese, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull W, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 3 Mediterranean Gulls W, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Marsh Harrier, 110 Swifts W, 1 Kestrel, 2 Ravens, 1 Little Egret and 1 Cetti's Warbler.

Birds ringed 26: Treecreeper 1, Chiffchaff 3, Wren 3, Long-tailed Tit 1, Willow Warbler 1, Reed Warbler 6, Robin 1, Cetti's Warbler 1, Whitethroat 1, Chaffinch 1, Blackcap 2, Dunnock 1, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 3.

Juvenile Treecreeper

July 21st

There had been a change in the weather overnight and it was cloudy with a cooler westerly breeze blowing as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour. We counted 6 Skylarks, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Linnets, 2 Common Terns, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Chiffchaff, 9 Greylag Geese, 3 Little Egrets, 8 Avocets, 1 Redshank, 1 female Goosander still roosting in Coldharbour, 5 Whimbrel, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 7 Goldfinches.

Female Goosander

Whimbrel in Coldharbour

July 20th

On another hot morning we were out early to avoid the worst of the heat and walked from Reculver along the seawall. We saw 2 Goldfinches, 16 Linnets, 5 Little Egrets, 2 Whimbrel flying SW, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Sandwich Terns, 3 Whitethroats, 3 Swallows W, 5 Mediterranean Gulls on the beach, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 4 Oystercatchers, 6 Mallard, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plovers and 120 Black-headed Gulls.

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull

July 19th

It was another warm morning at Shuart where we had another ringing session. Birds we saw during the morning included 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Skylark, 1 Barn Owl, 3 Common Buzzards, 1 Common Tern, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Jay, 20 Whitethroats, 16 Linnets, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Greenfinch, 8 Tufted Duck, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 2 Sedge Warblers and 12 Reed Warblers.

Birds ringed 37: Wren 1, Chiffchaff 1, Whitethroat 15, Reed Warbler 7, Sedge Warbler 2, Great Tit 2, Cetti's Warbler 1, Blackcap 3, Reed Bunting 1, Linnet 1, Dunnock 1, Blackbird 2.

We received the very interesting ringing information of an adult male Chiffchaff we controlled at Shuart yesterday. It had originally been ringed as a male at Nanjizal, Land's End, Cornwall on 23rd April 2024 and had flown 509 km ENE.

July 18th

We spent an increasingly warm morning ringing at Shuart where we saw 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Kestrel, 20 Goldfinches, 3 Grey Herons, 9 Greylag Geese, 6 Blackcaps, 1 Jay, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Common Buzzards, 35 Reed Warblers, 8 Whitethroats, 1 Greenfinch singing, 1 juvenile Cuckoo, 7 Sedge Warblers, 1 Little Egret, 4 Swallows and 2 Chiffchaffs.

Birds ringed 50: Cetti's Warbler 3, Reed Warbler 27, Whitethroat 4, Blackcap 4, Chaffinch 2, Sedge Warbler 5, Goldfinch 2, Reed Bunting 1, Dunnock 1, Blackbird 1.

We also controlled a male Reed Warbler that had been ringed as a first year bird by the East Kent Wildlife Group at Richborough on 24th September 2021.

July 17th

We spent a sunny morning ringing on the Marsh south of the railway where we saw 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Green Woodpecker, 10 Linnets, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 12 Whitethroats, 20 Reed Warblers, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 12 Swallows, 6 Skylarks, 1 Lapwing flying S, 1 Kestrel, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Sedge Warblers.

Birds ringed 43: Chiffchaff 1, Wren 1, Cetti's Warbler 4, Reed Warbler 14, Sedge Warbler 2, Whitethroat 9, Reed Bunting 2, Chaffinch 2, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Robin 1, Blue Tit 1, Great Tit 1, Dunnock 4.

Adult Lesser Whitethroat

 

July 16th

On a bright and breezy morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back. We recorded 4 Common Sandpipers, 4 Teal, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 18 Sandwich Terns E, 8 Lapwings W, 8 Little Egrets, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 13 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Grey Herons, 9 Oystercatchers, 3 Whitethroats, 6 Swifts W, 4 Ringed Plovers, 31 Common Terns, 3 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank W, 12 Avocets, 5Redshank, 1 Shelduck, 1 Mallard, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 20 Sand Martins, 1 female Goosander roosting beside the River Wantsum and 1 Cetti's Warbler.

First summer and adult Mediterranean Gulls

 

July 15th

On a warm morning we had a ringing session at Reculver where we also saw 6 Blackcaps, 150 Sand Martins, 10 Tufted Duck, 13 Coot, 1 Common Sandpiper, 10 Chiffchaffs, 1 Lapwing, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Whitethroats, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Common Buzzards, 8 Goldfinches, 1 Great White Egret flying W, 1 Mallard, 1 Greenfinch, 3 Grey Herons flying W and 1 Willow Warbler.

Birds ringed 26: Wren 2, Chiffchaff 7, Long-tailed Tit 1, Blackcap 4, Robin 1, Blue Tit 1, Whitethroat 1, Reed Warbler 6, Cetti's Warbler 1, Song Thrush 2.

July 14th

We spent a sunny morning ringing at Shuart where we saw 4 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 20 Linnets, 4 Goldfinches, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 20 Whitethroats, 25 Reed Warblers, 1 Barn Owl, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Reed Buntings, 2 Grey Herons, 3 Sedge Warblers and 3 Skylarks.

Birds ringed 59: Wren 2, Chiffchaff 5, Robin 2, Whitethroat 15, Reed Warbler 21, Goldfinch 2, Cetti's Warbler 4, Sedge Warbler 2, Linnet 1, Reed Bunting 1, Dunnock 2, Blackbird 2.

Derek Smith was also out this morning and between 0530 and 0930 walked from Shuart to Plumpudding and Chamber's Wall. He counted 2 Little Egrets, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 8 Ringed Plovers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Turnstone, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Redshank, 10 Avocets, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 11 Sand Martins and 1 Corn Bunting.

First summer Mediterranean Gull - Derek Smith

 

July 13th

On a cool and breezy morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back. We recorded 42 Sand Martins, 4 Pied Wagtails, 8 Linnets, 10 Mediterranean Gulls flying W, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 female Stonechat, 2 Grey Herons, 5 Whitethroats, 5 Little Egrets, 183 Swifts flying low W in ten minutes, 2 Ringed Plovers, 8 Oystercatchers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Common Terns, 7 Avocets, 1 Redshank, 1 female Goosander still roosting in Coldharbour, 4 Coot, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Skylarks, 1 Whimbrel flying W and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Female Stonechat taking food back to its young in the nest

July 12th

We had a three hour seawatch from 0630 at Reculver on a wet morning with a fresh NNE wind blowing and most birds flying E. We counted 7 Curlews, 19 Sandwich Terns, 2 adult Kittiwakes, 1 Common Tern, 11 Gannets, 3 Whimbrel, 6 Mediterranean Gulls, 8 Oystercatchers, 32 Common Scoter (10W and 22E), 72 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Great White Egret flying W, 1 Swift, 1 Avocet flying W, 5 Sand Martins, 1 Great Black-backed Gull and 1 Fulmar.