April 13th
On another beautiful spring morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then inland. We saw 2 Blackcaps, 17 Linnets, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Shoveler, 14 Shelduck, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Gadwall, 7 Mute Swans, 42 Turnstone, 11 Redshank, 11 Mallard, 2 Ring Ouzels on bushes by Coldharbour which flew towards Shuart, 9 Goldfinches, 7 Common Scoter, 3 Sedge Warblers, 2 Grey Partridges, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Sanderling, 1 Wheatear, 12 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard, 4 Coot and 1 Little Grebe.

Oystercatchers pairing up

This morning Alex and Julian Perry walked the Shuart, Brooksend, Plumpudding loop. Birds seen included 2 Canada Geese (138th), 40 Mute Swans, 6 Shelducks, 7 Tufted Ducks, 3 Eiders, 2 Grey Herons, 3 Marsh Harriers, 3 Buzzards, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 8 Ring-necked Parakeets, 9 Chiffchaffs, 9 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Wheatear, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtails, 2 Greenfinches and 2 Goldfinches.

Barry Hunt also visited the area and started out in Shuart at 0630 and walked the embankment towards Reculver, noting the female Common Redstart (135th) flycatching and moving west up the embankment. Also single Ring Ouzel and 3 Whitethroats along this stretch of the embankment. Ring Ouzels seen were two at the eastern end of the Oyster Farm before heading off east, with three still in the old caravan park and the earlier one at Shuart, a minimum of 6 in the area. He also saw two more in the Oyster Farm on the way home but whether or not these were fresh arrivals he cannot say. Final totals were 1 female Common Redstart, 6 Ring Ouzel, 4 Whitethroat, 14 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Northern Wheatear, 1 Greenshank (136th)  in the Oyster Farm then flew west, 1 Little Owl in the caravan park, 2 Kestrel, 20+ Chiffchaff, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Willow Warbler, 12 singing Sedge Warblers, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Sandwich Terns (137th) east, 3 Common Scoter offshore, 29 Swallow west, c30 Sand Martins in the colony + 4 west and 1 Little Egret. He did spend 7 hours though.

 

Ring Ouzel