September 8th

It was another very warm morning as we walked along the seawall towards Coldharbour. As we were about 200 metres from the Green Wall we found a first year Red-backed Shrike sitting on a bush beside the dyke (178th). It spent the time we were watching it flying across the dyke to catch insects and returning to the bush.

First year Red-backed Shrike

Other birds we saw included 4 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Grey Herons, 9 Sandwich Terns, 12 Little Egrets, 34 Mallard, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Hobby, 1 Stonechat, 1 Swallow, 28 Turnstone, 15 Ringed Plovers, 16 Goldfinches, 3 Sanderling, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Meadow Pipits, 2 Kestrels, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Willow Warbler.

This evening 500 Swallows were moving E over the sea and flying round the Towers.

I have just received information from Norman McCanch of a colour ringed Great Black-backed Gull that was seen at Reculver on September 4th. It had been ringed as a bird of at least five years old at Kneblingen, Ostre, Fiskeodden, Mandal, Vest-Agder, NORWAY on 29th May 2023 and had flown a distance of 843 km to reach Reculver.