January 8th
An early morning text informed me that Marc Heath had a Tawny Owl (102nd) at Shuart.
We arrived at Minnis Bay at 0800 and walked to Netherhale and recorded 2 Goldcrests, 2 Common Buzzards, 600 Cormorants, 111 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Egrets, 5 Pied Wagtails, 16 Sanderling, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Dunlin, 19 Redshank, 32 Turnstone, 1 Shelduck, 30 Mute Swans, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Grey Herons, 6 Little Grebes, 7 Teal, 2 Pochard, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 14 Mallard, 1 Jay, 1 Woodcock, 2 Goldcrests and 1 Green Woodpecker.
Next we drove to Reculver and walked east along the seawall to see an Avocet (103rd) found by Marc Heath earlier. Other birds counted included 283 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Lapwing, 1 Stonechat, 2 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 12 Corn Buntings, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers W (104th), 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Eider, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Gannet, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Kingfisher and 2 Stonechats.