April 20th
We began the morning at Chamber's Wall and walked to Coldharbour and back along the Green Wall with sun shining but a chilly easterly wind blowing. We saw 1 Common Buzzard, 6 Whitethroats, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 26 Mute Swans, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Gadwall, 23 Linnets, 1 Willow Warbler, 11 Mallard, 1 Wheatear, 3 Redshank, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Marsh Harrier, 33 Corn Buntings, 2 Little Egrets, 7 Cormorants, 3 Shelduck, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Kestrel.
We then visited Reculver and found 3 Blackcaps, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 26 Sand Martins, 11 Tufted Duck, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Coot and 1 Sparrowhawk.

At Reculver bushes this morning we initially heard and then saw a strange Chiffchaff but viewing conditions were difficult with the wind and this quick moving bird keeping on the far side of the bushes and within the foliage. Matt immediately said that he thought that it might be an IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF (154th) but looking at its plumage we persuaded ourselves that it could be an atypical Siberian bird. However looking at our not very good photos back at home its plumage seemed rather too bright for Siberian and it didn't have black legs. We decided to have another look after lunch which coincided with a call from Frank Cackett also suggesting it might be an Iberian Chiffchaff.
It was still singing intermittently when we refound it but approached very closely and sang repeatedly when we played an Iberian Chiffchaff recording a couple of times. Its full song which we managed to record was "chiff-chiff-chiff-weet-weet-weet and ended with a trill but for some of the time it only sang the first parts of its song. Its call note was a very distinctive downward "see-u."
In better light this afternoon we were able to see that it was brighter than it appeared this morning and managed some not very good photos in amongst the foliage which hopefully show most of the necessary detail.
Photos 3 and 4 in the series below were taken in the morning when light conditions were not so good.
This is a new species for Reculver Marshes and if accepted by BBRC it will be number 301.

Iberian Chiffchaff