August 26th
With an increasingly blustery south wind blowing this morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and the Oyster Farm lagoons. We counted 65 House Sparrows, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Whitethroats, 7 Goldfinches, 69 Linnets, 1 Reed Warbler, 4 Mute Swans, 1 Gadwall, 21 Oystercatchers, 2 Sedge Warblers, 3 Little Egrets, 11 Swallows SW, 6 Redshank, 32 Carrion Crows, 1 Kestrel, 1 Wheatear, 1 male Ruff at the Wantsum ouflow before it flew W, 9 Cormorants, 1 Curlew and 1 Grey Heron.
Dave Smith also had a Swift fly past the Towers this morning and saw 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Marsh Harrier.

Male Ruff

Derek Smith was also birding this morning and between 0600 and 1000 walked from Shuart along the embankment and on to Plumpudding. It was particularly good before 0800 by which time most birds had moved through. He saw 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Turtle Doves, 14 Dunlin, 3 Golden Plovers, 5 Sandwich Terns, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 12 Sand Martins W, 18 Blackcaps, 14 Reed Warblers, 6 Sedge Warblers, 41 Whitethroats, 9 Lesser Whitethroats, 16 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Common Redstart and 6 Corn Buntings.

Recently fledged juvenile Blackcap - Derek Smith