April 21st
Having just returned from California, Matt was out early to catch up with summer migrants and walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back. We met him at Chamber's Wall and and his final totals included 13 Yellow Wagtails W, 25 Mediterranean Gulls, 17W 8E, 9 Sandwich Terns E, 32 Whitethroats, 1 Fulmar, 1 Whimbrel, 9 Shelduck, 6 Turnstone, 35 Sedge Warblers, 4 Redshank, 4 Swallows, 2 Stonechats, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Grey Heron, 11 Reed Warblers, 1 Little Ringed Plover W, 2 Corn Buntings, 3 Sand Martins, 3 Common Scoter, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Wheatears, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Cuckoos, 1 Lapwing, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Fieldfare W, 6 Blackcaps,
3 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Song Thrushes, 2 Tufted Ducks, 1 Dunlin and 1 Short eared Owl.
Marc Heath walked from Chamber's Wall to the Oyster Farm between 0600 and 0930. He counted 4 Red-legged Partridges, 5 Skylarks, 13 Reed Warblers, 23 Whitethroats, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 6 Blackcaps, 23 Sedge Warblers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 12 Reed Buntings, 25 Linnets, 4 Grey Partridges, 1 Redwing, 22 Corn Buntings, 5 Shelduck, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Whimbrel, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Oystercatchers, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Greenshank and 3 Dunlin. He also saw 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Swallow, 1 male White wagtail, 23 Sand Martins, 2 Redshank, 18 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the Oyster Farm, 2 Turnstone, 1 Short-eared Owl and 1 female Common Redstart.

Female Common Redstart - Alex Perry

Nick Hando and his family were in Thanet visiting again this Easter and on Saturday 20th at Bishopstone he recorded 62 Mediterranean Gulls in 8 flocks between 0715 and 0930.

Today he saw 38 Mediterrnaean Gulls flying E in 5 flocks as well as 1 Brambling in the bushes by the carpark, 1 Greenshank in off and high SE, 2 Whimbrel W, 2 Common Sandpipers on the rocks at the tides edge, 1 Curlew W and 2 Yellow Wagtails in off and flying S.

Also of note were some exceptional fossils, namely an Otodus obliquus shark tooth, the ancestor of Megalodon and Great White Shark and a fossilized pine cone which is very rare at Bishosptone.

Fossilized Pine Cone - Nick Hando

Otodus obliquus Shark Tooth - Nick Hando