February 15th
Matt visited Reculver this morning and saw 9 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Chiffchaffs, 5 Siskins, 9 Tufted Ducks, 8 Mallard, 3 Coot, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Common Buzzard and 2 Goldcrests.
At Shuart he found 1 Woodcock, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Goldcrests, 3 Common Buzzards, 80 Greylag Geese and 1 Marsh Harrier.
I received an email from Mike Roser who visted Reculver later this morning and wrote "1050-1115 watched a Little Auk (119th) from the Reculver Towers car-park. It was close to shoreline on the receding tide. The bird was constantly diving to evade the marauding gulls. On one occasion it surfaced close to an immature Herring Gull which grabbed the auk only to drop it back into the sea as the gull gained height. The gulls appeared to lose interest and the last time I saw the auk it was drifting west on the lumpy tide."
We didn't manage to get out until this afternoon and visited Shuart where we saw at least 1 Woodcock, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards, 4 Goldfinches, 56 Lapwings and 2 Mistle Thrushes.
At Minnis Bay we saw a Fulmar and 80 Cormorants.
This afternoon Charlie Vint had a sick looking Guillemot on the sea at Reculver.