March 30th
It was sunny this morning with a fresh NW wind blowing as I walked inland at Reculver and saw 7 Mute Swans, 12 Goldfinches, 2 Linnets, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Skylarks, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Shelduck, 5 Greylag Geese, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 14 Coot, 12 Tufted Duck, 8 Teal, 12 Gadwall, 8 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Sand Martin, 2 Long-tailed Tits and 3 Mediterranean Gulls W.
There was a migrant Chiffchaff singing in our garden at Bishopstone as I got home.
March 29th
This morning, for a change, I walked from Shuart to Plumpudding lagoon. Birds I saw included 1 Common Buzzard, 7 Chiffchaffs, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Blackcap singing, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Marsh Harriers, 7 Cetti's Warblers, 12 Goldfinches, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 7 Skylarks, 4 Lapwings, 22 Linnets, 10 Reed Buntings, 14 Ringed Plovers, 10 Redshank, 130 Oystercatchers, 22 Curlew, 120 Sanderling, 44 Turnstone, 7 Grey Plovers, 1 Dunlin, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Stonechat collecting nesting material, 1 Water Rail, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Willow Warbler singing and 15 Chaffinches.
It was good to meet Nick Hando and have a chat as I returned to Shuart. Later he saw 1 Red Kite flying in off the sea, 2 Swallows flying W (132nd), 13 Curlew, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 90+ Sanderling.
March 28th
On a sunny morning with a chilly and eye-watering NW wind blowing Matt walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back along the embankment. He counted 825 Herring Gulls W, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls W, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 11 Cetti's Warblers, 5 Shelduck, 1 Little Grebes, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 39 Redshank, 2 Stonechats, 300 Sanderling, 4 Chiffchaffs, 15 Curlew, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 140 Oystercatchers, 50 Turnstone, 20 Grey Plovers, 4 Lapwings, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Marsh Harrier and 6 Long-tailed Tits.
I walked at Reculver and saw 1 Kestrel, 10 Chaffinches, 1 Little Egret, 5 Chiffchaffs, 21 Mallard, 3 Mute Swans, 18 Tufted Duck, 5 Greylag Geese, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 12 Coot, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Redshank, 12 Gadwall, 8 Teal and 8 Goldfinches.
March 27th
This morning I walked along the seawall from Reculver and recorded 5 Cetti's Warblers, 2 newly arrived Chiffchaffs, 6 Meadow Pipits, 3 Redshank, 39 Linnets mainly flying W, 4 Oystercatchers, 4 Stonechats, 9 Turnstone, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Corn Bunting and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls.
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| Grey Seal with Grey Mullet |
March 26th
On a sunny but cold morning I walked at Reculver and saw 5 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Skylark, 2 Shelduck, 3 Greylag Geese, 4 Mute Swans, 14 Tufted Duck, 10 Coot, 2 Snipe, 1 Pied Wagtail, 6 Gadwall, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 8 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Teal, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Grey Heron and 10 Chaffinches.
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| Male Shelduck |
While I was at Reculver Matt walked from Shuart to Netherhale and recorded 11 Chiffchaffs, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 Siskin, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Kestrel, 28 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 singing Willow Warbler (131st) and 1 Sparrowhawk.
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 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Linnet |
