March 23rd

Although the sun was shining brightly this morning there was a very chilly westerly wind blowing as we walked around the Reculver area. We counted 12 Tufted Ducks, 12 Mallard, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Pied Wagtails, 8 Gadwall, 6 Coot, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Willow Warblers singing, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Raven, 3 Sanderling, 1 Curlew, 3 Goldfinches, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 5 Great Black-backed Gull.

Matt was out before us and walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back along the railway embankment. He saw an good range of species including 1 Goldcrest, 190 Meadow Pipits W, 19 Cetti's Warblers, 7 Stonechats, 8 Shelduck, 1 female Merlin, 18 Goldfinches W, 6 Little Egrets, 5 alba Wagtails W, 1 Little Grebe, 9 Chiffchaffs, 2 Wheatears, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Curlew, 11 Redshank, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Bearded Tit, 49 Turnstone, 5 Dunlin, 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Sand Martins W, 2 Mandarin (1male and 1 female), 10 Lapwings, 5 Coot, 1 Willow Warbler (137th), 1 Greylag Goose, 7 Siskins W, 1 Sparrowhawk and 2 Sanderling.

The Willow Warblers we saw today are the earliest ever seen at Reculver, three days earlier than the previous record of one on 26th March 1989.

Grey Seal pup - Matt Hindle