October 11th
This morning dawned cooler and overcast with a fresh E wind blowing. We spent about an hour at the Towers and then walked up to Coldharbour before looking at Reculver bushes as we returned. Birds we saw included 568 Dark-bellied Brent Geese arriving from the east, 5 Little Egrets, 40 Common Scoter E, 43 Skylarks, 2 Gannets, 3 Grey Wagtails, 5 Rock Pipits, 9 Goldcrests, 20 Lesser Redpoll, 20 Wigeon W, 3 Red-throated Divers, 1 Pintail E, 1 Kingfisher, 55 Linnets, 17 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Grey Plover, 14 Cormorants, 1 Turnstone, 1 Short-eared Owl high out at sea being mobbed by Herring Gulls, 23 Mallard, 26 Meadow Pipits, 2 Stonechats, 15 Teal W, 28 Carrion Crows, 21 Lapwings, 65 Goldfinches, 28 Oystercatchers, 2 Wheatears, 5 Redshank, 2 Curlew, 4 Mute Swans, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Peregrine, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Pied Wagtails, 2 Jays, 8 Chaffinches and 1 Raven. We also had brief views of a Harbour Porpoise.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese

This afternoon Matt walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and counted 31 Goldcrests, 13 Song Thrushes, 16 Robins, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 62 Brent Geese, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Little Egrets and 1 Kingfisher.
At the same time we walked round Shuart and saw 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Common Buzzards, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 21 Goldfinches, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Kestrels and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.