October 13th

On a drizzly morning Anne and I walked inland at Reculver and saw 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Grey Wagtails, 130 Coot, 6 Lapwings, 1 Green Woodpecker, 65 Mallard, 56 Gadwall, 6 Little Grebes, 12 Teal, 4 Mute Swans, 9 Tufted Duck, 1 female Peregrine stooping at Teal, 1 Sparrowhawk, 8 Skylarks, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Shoveler, 1 second year Little Gull, 4 Goldcrests, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 12 Siskins and 1 Mediterranean Gull.

Matt and Derek seawatched at Reculver from 0630 to 1050 and counted 44 Redwings, 2 Song Thrushes, 416 Dark-bellied Brent Geese W, 12 Mediterranean Gulls E, 183 Wigeon W, 1 Pintail W, 117 Common Scoter E, 3 Pomarine Skuas E, 23 Gannets E, 42 Teal W, 8 Rock Pipits W, 9 Curlew, 2 Dunlin, 2 Red-throated Divers, 26 Sandwich Terns, 3 Gadwall W, 1 Great White Egret NW, 1 Great Skua W, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Little Gulls E, 5 Shelduck, 1 Shag W, 1 Sooty Shearwater E (194th), 1 Purple Sandpiper E, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Leach's Petrel E (195th), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers W, 4 Kittiwakes W and 1 Grey Wagtail.

After this Matt birded Reculver bushes and found the bird of the day, a Radde's Warbler (196th). He saw it well and heard it calling as it moved low along the edge of the bushes. This is the third record for the area after single birds were seen at Bishopstone on 12th October 2008 and at Shuart on the 14th October 2020. Obviously the second week of October is the time to look for Radde's Warbler. 

Other birds he saw were 160 Redwings, 32 Chaffinches, 1 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaffs, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, also seen later by Dave Smith, 7 Brambling and 1 Willow Warbler.

This evening I received the ringing information of a Chiffchaff we controlled at Shuart on 7th October. It had been ringed by the Farlington Ringing Group at Fareham, Hampshire on 30th September and had moved 179 km ENE over 7 days.