November 30th

We had an excellent morning's birding whilst we were ringing on the Marsh south of the railway. We saw 48 Fieldfares, 4 Yellowhammers, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Grey Partridge, 5 Redwings, 20 Blackbirds, 1 Snipe, 1 Lapland Bunting, 176 Lapwings, 6 Bewick's Swans, 5 adults and 1 juvenile,  flying W and calling all the time (205th), 1 Marsh Harrier, 13 White-fronted Geese flying W, 1 Barnacle Goose with 12 of the Whitefronts and 2 Grey Herons, 

Birds ringed 20: Reed Bunting 3, Song Thrush 2, Blackbird 7, Fieldfare 8.

Fieldfare

This afternoon Matt spent an hour and a half at Minnis Bay and counted 27 Common Scoter, 12 Great Crested Grebess, 27 Red-throated Divers, 16 Gannets, 30 Russian White-fronted Geese W, 1 Shoveler W, 24 Wigeon W, 2 male Eiders, 1 Great Northern Diver W, 1 Lapwing, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 male Goosander E, 90 Sanderling, 96 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 immature Peregrine in off the sea, 2 Curlews and 1 first winter Mediterranean Gull W.

Bob Dean was out and about from 0730 to 1030 and walked from Chambers Wall through to the sea and along the sea wall towards Reculver and then back via Coldharbour. He saw 18 Russian White-fronted Geese in a flock on the fields on the seaward side of the railway line. They flew onto the sea at Coldharbour, where he counted 14.  They were close to, but separate from, 97 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the sea.  Whilst he was watching them the Whitefronts flew onto the fields and mingled with more Brent Geese. He had a very good couple of minutes near the west end of Coldharbour, when he saw a Bearded Tit and a Snow Bunting. On the groynes there was a female Kingfisher. It caught a fish and flew away over the sea, stopping at the next groynes before disappearing.