October 14th

On a sunny morning with a fresh easterly wind blowing we spent two hours at the Towers from 0700 and had a very enjoyable seawatch with most of the bird we recorded flying W, but with some passerines flying in off the sea. We counted 452 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 78 Gannets, 125 Wigeon, 6 Red-throated Divers, 6 Redwings in off, 2 Goldcrests in off, 59 Common Scoter, 1 Great Skua E, 9 Sandwich Terns, 7 Rock Pipits, 17 Skylarks in off or flying W, 1 Curlew E, 25 Teal, 2 Guillemots E, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2W, 1E, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Chaffinches in off, 4 White-fronted Geese E, 22 Starlings in off, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Short-eared Owl in off sea seen all the way from the wind farm and 1 Little Egret.

Just after midday Derek Smith was rewarded for his long hours out birding when he found a Radde's Warbler (193rd) at a private site near Shuart and managed to shoot off some record shots before it disappeared. Despite extensive searching this afternoon it could not be refound. This is the second record of this very skulking species after the first one was found by Barry Matlock at Bishopstone Glen on 12th October 2008. 

Radde's Warbler - Derek Smith

 He also found a Yellow-browed Warbler in the same area.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Derek Smith

After our seawatch Matt walked around Reculver and recorded 8 Goldcrests, 3 Chiffchaffs, 30 Redwings, 150 Starlings, 3 Fieldfares, 20 Lesser Redpolls, 1 Firecrest and 1Blackcap. At  Chamber's Wall he saw 20 Goldcrests , 30 Redwings, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 15 Blackbirds, 10 Song Thrushes, 1 Kestrel and 1 Cetti's Warbler.

Goldcrest

Redwing

Dave Smith was also out this afternoon and saw a Jack Snipe (194th) between Coldharbour and Plumpudding and also 1 Brambling, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps and good numbers of Goldcrests, Redwings and Fieldfares.