October 29th

It was drizzly this morning as we walked around various sites at Reculver. We saw 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Grey Herons, 35 Stock Doves, 1 Goldcrests, 56 Coot, 22 Gadwall, 58 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Green Sandpipers, 6 Little Grebes, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Water Rail, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 750 Starlings, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Shoveler, 11 Gannets E, 220 Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Bishopstone, 1 juvenile Black Redstart on the rocks by the Towers and 1 Little Egret.

This morning Matt walked from Shuart to Bishopstone and saw a good range of species. He counted 13 Goldcrests, 4 Chiffchaffs, 20 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Redwings, 30 Robins, 20 Song Thrushes, 9 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Water Rail, 38 Mallard, 4 Grey Herons, 60 Goldfinches, 15 Corn Buntings, 4 Rock Pipits and 5 Great Crested Grebes. When he reached Plumpudding Stables at 0740 he found an adult Little Bunting which he saw and heard well along the track to the seawall by the Stables. It flew across the path but was then flushed by a passing runner. It was a different bird to the one he found earlier this autumn being a much more colourful adult. He also saw 2 Swallows, 1 Tree Sparrow, 130 Reed Buntings, 22 Lapwings, 11 Stonechats, 1 Fieldfare, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Snipe, 4 Little Grebes, 1 red-head Goosander flying W, 100 Linnets, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kingfisher, 172 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Gannets, 1 Black Redstart, 120 Stock Doves and 5 Firecrests.

Brendan Ryan also visited the Marshes and birded most of the area beginning at Shuart  Birds he counted included 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Gannet, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Grey Herons, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Merlin, 2 Jays, 3 Carrion Crows, 7 Skylarks, 7 Bearded Tits, 4 Chiffchaffs, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 6 Goldcrests, 3 Firecrests, 46 Greylag Geese, 21 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Canada Geese, 14 Mallard, 3 Common Scoter, 92 Stock Doves W, 14 Grey Plovers, 1 Golden Plover, 64 Ringed Plovers, 6 Redshank, 45 Sanderling, 1 Dunlin, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Sandwich Terns, 1 Redwing, 3 Blackbirds, 18 Robins, 4 Stonechats, 11 Pied Wagtails, 8 Chaffinches, 17 Linnets, 7 Corn Buntings and 45 Reed Buntings.