April 12th
After yesterday's excitement today was even better. Although there were no rarities to be seen, the overnight rain had grounded a good range of migrants and what with the fantastic weather it was one of my best spring days at Reculver.
Matt and I walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back along the railway embankment and round the Oyster Farm lagoons. Birds we saw included 14 Chiffchaffs, 10 alba Wagtails W, 2 Pied Wagtails, 6 Shelduck, 8 Swallows W, 33 Sand Martins, 2 immature male Black Redstarts singing at Reculver, one at the Towers and the other from the toilet block, 15 Mute Swans, 9 Blackcaps, 16 Oystercatchers, 10 Yellow Wagtails W, 5 Wheatears, 9 Cormorants, 14 Redshank, 2 Ringed Plovers, 7 Whitethroats, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Shoveler, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Short-eared Owl, 35 Linnets, 1 Tree Pipit W, 11 Mallard, 8 Sedge Warblers, 1 Curlew, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Common Redstarts, 19 Willow Warblers, 3 Song Thrushes, 4 Corn Buntings, 1 Lesser Whitethroat (146th), 1 Peregrine, 40 Meadow Pipits, 1 Little Egret, 1 Little Owl, 2 Grey Partridges, 13 Tufted Ducks, 2 Teal, 5 Ring Ouzels in a flock and 1 Greenshank (147th). This is the earliest Greenshank we have had in the area beating a bird in 2009 by one day.

Female Wheatear

This afternoon at Shuart we found 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 10 Blackcaps, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Snipe, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Common Buzzards and 6 Song Thrushes and on our return home the Coal Tit was singing behind our garden.
Derek Smith was also out at Shuart this afternoon and walked further spending more time than us and counted 16 Blackcaps, 9 Willow Warblers, 13 Chiffchaffs, 6 Whitethroats, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Common Redstart and 1 Ring Ouzel.