December 11th

There was raw easterly breezy blowing as I walked at Reculver this morning and counted 6 Chaffinches, 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Chiffchaff. 65 Mallard, 60 Gadwall, 16 Teal, 12 Shoveler, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Kestrel, 68 Coot, 18 Tufted Duck, 6 Redshank, 4 Little Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Water Rail, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 170 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 4 intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gulls sitting on the sea off the Towers.

Derek Smith had a seawatch at Minnis Bay from 0800 to 1000 and saw 6 Great Crested Grebes flying E, 3 male Eiders E, 27 Red-throated Divers E, 12 Common Scoter E, 2 Wigeon E and 2 Curlew E.

Male Eiders - Derek Smith

December 10th

On an unpleasant morning with a strong, cold, easterly wind blowing in drizzle we spent and hour and twenty minutes at Reculver and didn't see a great deal. Most birds were flying east and we counted 126 Herring Gulls, 18 Black-headed Gulls, 68 Oystercatchers, 6 Common Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 137 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Common Scoter, 1 juvenile Gannet and 102 Cormorants.

December 9th

Matt and Derek Smith spent another three hours seawatching at the Towers this morning with a strong NE wind blowing in frequent showers. They saw 1 Puffin flying NW at 0748, 17 Common Scoter, 11 Kittiwakes, 9 Wigeon, 42 Red-throated Divers, 4 Gannets, 30 Lapwings, 1 male Eider flying E, 7 Little Gulls flying W and 1 Teal.

Reculver - looking towards Bishopstone

 December 8th

This morning Storm Darragh was still battering the coast at Reculver with a severe northerly gale so Matt and Derek Smith seawatched between 0730 and 1300. They counted 12 Common Gulls W, 241 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Velvet Scoter flying W at 0742, 212 Kittiwakes W, 1 Curlew, 4 Common Scoter, 14 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver E, 900 Cormorants, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 59 Gannets W, 1 Peregrine and 4 Great Skuas W. At 0845 they had a Puffin fly W and at 1214 there were 2 more sitting on the sea off the Towers before flying W and then at 1230 another flew E. In addition one Little Auk flew E at 1020 (201st). Other birds recorded included 4 Little Gulls W, 1 Pomarine Skua W, 7 Shelduck W, 3 White-fronted Geese W, 37 Wigeon W, 95 Teal W, 4 Gadwall W, 2 Shoveler W and finally a male Goosander flying W.

 December 7th

With Storm Darragh battering the area we visited Reculver for an hour this morning but only saw 131 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Little Egret, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Great Black-backed Gull and 2 Pied Wagtails.

David Elliott did brave the weather and found 4 Snow Buntings at Plumpudding.

Snow Bunting - David Elliott

December 6th

Matt walked inland at Reculver this morning and counted 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 12 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Water Rail, 4 Redwings, 3 Yellowhammers, 48 Gadwall, 40 Teal, 2 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, 61 Coot, 6 Little Grebes, 1 Dunlin, 13 Tufted Duck, 13 Shoveler, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 50 Mallard, 2 Stonechats, 1 Common Buzzard,70 Chaffinches and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

December 5th

On a damp and dreary afternoon I walked inland at Reculver and recorded 2 Chiffchaffs, 16 Shoveler, 1 Little Egrets, 52 Gadwall, 56 Mallard, 64 Coot, 30 Teal, 22 Tufted Duck, 1 Redshank, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Little Grebes, 22 Mute Swans, 2 Common Buzzards and 1 Grey Partridge.

December 4th

A walk inland at Reculver this morning produced 1 Peregrine, 42 Stock Doves, 21 Teal, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Shoveler, 60 Mallard, 54 Gadwall, 62 Coot, 14 Tufted Duck, 8 Little Grebes, 1 Redshank, 1 Common Buzzard, 14 Mute Swans, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 13 Blackbirds, 40 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Gannets E and 1 Curlew.

Derek Smith was out at 0800 and walked from Shuart to Brooksend and back via Plumpudding. He saw 12 Greylag Geese, 2 Canada Geese, 3 hybrid Canada x Greylag Geese, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kestel, 4 Common Buzzards, 9 Redshank, 1 Water Rail, 8 Coot, 66 Stock Doves, 9 Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Stonechats, 75 Chaffinches, 1 Brambling, 8 Redpoll, 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests and 5 Corn Buntings.

 December 3rd

On a quiet winter's morning we walked from Reculver to the Wantsum outflow and saw 1 Kestrel, 16 Mute Swans, 970 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Redshank, 1 Corn Bunting, 60 Carrion Crows, 1 Curlew, 18 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Shelduck, 2 Oystercatchers, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Short-eared Owl in the Oyster Farm, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 9 Meadow Pipits, 2 Stonechats, 1 Little Egret and 1 adult male Peregrine flying W low along the beach.

Matt spent a couple of hours at the Towers this morning and counted 56 Common Scoter, 22 Red-throated Divers, 14 Gannets, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 24 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Shelduck, 500 Cormorants, 5 Teal, 1 Peregrine, 2 Wigeon and 1 Little Egret.

 December 2nd

On a bright and breezy morning we walked from Minnis Bay to Plumpudding lagoon and back. Birds we saw included 22 Curlew, 72 Oystercatcher, 15 Ringed Plovers, 2 Pied Wagtails, 43 Sanderling, 37 Redshank, 2 Turnstone, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 8 Chaffinches, 19 Meadow Pipits, 1 Cettti's Warbler, 2 Little Egrets, 676 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Skylarks, 23 Linnet, 3 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Red-throated Diver.

December 1st

On a breezy morning we walked inland at Reculver and then had a quick look at the sea. We saw 2 Pied Wagtails, 2 Grey Herons, 2 Common Buzzards, 100 Woodpigeons, 74 Mallard, 75 Gadwall, 23 Teal, 60 Coot, 6 Shoveler, 1 Redshank, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Chiffchaffs, 7 Little Grebes, 22 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Green Sandpiper, 10 Chaffinches, 12 Goldfinches, 6 Blackbirds, 1 Jay 12 Gannets flying E and 18 Common Scoter.