March 16th
On another beautiful spring morning we parked one car at Reculver and then drove the other to Minnis Bay and walked back to Reculver. We saw a good range of species including 212 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Linnets, 4 Stonechats, including 3 striking "continental" birds, 12 Redshank, 23 Sanderling, 1 Dunlin, 4 "alba" Wagtails W, 45 Common Scoter, 4 Ringed Plovers, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 33 Oystercatchers, 3 adult Little Gulls, 2 W out at sea and 1 inland at the Oyster Farm, 19 Shelduck, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Knot, 10 Mallard, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Little Egrets, 1 first winter Mediterranean Gull W, 35 Carrion Crows, 1 Slavonian Grebe (126th) on the sea off the Green Wall before flying E, 32 Corn Buntings and 11 Turnstone.
Also this morning Mike Puxley found 2 Black Redstarts, including an adult male at Reculver.

Knot

This afternoon we walked inland at Reulver before have a half hour seawatch. We saw 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 11 Mute Swans, 50 Stock Doves, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Gadwall, 4 Tufted Ducks, 6 Teal, 1 Marsh Harrier, 4 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrels, 2 Eider (127th) offshore from the Towers and 6 Red-throated Divers.
The fine weather today brought out our first butterfly, a Small Tortoiseshell, as well as flowering Coltsfoot.



Small Tortoiseshell - Derek Smith

Coltsfoot