April 7th

On another sunny but very windy morning we walked out onto the Marsh and counted 8 Skylarks, 17 Goldfinches W, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 18 Linnets W, 7 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Wheatear, 4 Chaffinches, 3 Blackcaps, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 19 Tufted Duck, 2 Coot, 3 Greylag Geese, 12 Mallard, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Willow Warblers, 5 Cormorants, 1 Shelduck, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 3 Chiffchaffs. We then spent half an hour at Reculver where we saw 2 Swallows flying W over the sea, 1 Gannet E, 7 Sandwich Terns W, 1 immature male Marsh Harrier flying in off the sea, 2 Whimbrel close in flying W low over the sea (143rd), 11 Goldfinches W and 10 Linnets W.

Wheatear standing on the railway lines

Derek Smith was out at 1130 and walked from Shuart and along the railway embankment. He saw 2 Shelduck, 2 pairs of Lapwings on the flooded fields, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Ring Ouzel on the embankment, 2 Siskins W, 11 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Whitethroat (144th), 1 Sedge Warbler, 16 Chiffchaffs and 9 Willow Warblers.