May 1st

The month began a bit milder and without the chilly NE breeze of the last few days as I walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and back along the Green Wall. I counted 22 Whitethroast, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 9 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, 27 Sedge Warblers, 14 Reed Warblers, 16 Linnets, 2 Tufted Duck, 17 Corn Buntings, 36 Stock Doves, 51 Swallows flyng W, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Greylag Geese, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Mallard, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kestrel, 1 Stonechats, 4 Ringed Plovers, 3 Turnstone, 1 summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Buzzards and 1 Raven flying over Brook Farm.

Summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit

Corn Bunting

Derek Smith was out early this morning and between 0530 and 1000 he walked from Shuart to Plumpudding and back along the embankment before walking to Netherhale and Brooksend. He saw 5 Little Egrets, 1 Marsh Harrier, 6 Common Buzzards, 6 Kestrels, 4 Shelduck, 5 pairs of Tufted Duck, 6 adult Mediterranean Gulls E, 2 Cuckoos, 63 Swallows W, 1 Stonechat, 14 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling near the Chamber's Wall crossing, 1 Willow Warbler, 24 Whitethroats, 14 Reed Warblers, 34 Sedge Warblers and 1 Lesser Whitetheoat.