June 11th

With heavy rain threatened for later this morning we managed a dry walk along the  seawall from Reculver. We saw 3 Cetti's Warblers, 23 Linnets, 1 Kestrel, 7 Whitethroats, 5 Little Egrets, 1 Swallow, 1 Little Owl, 5 Meadow Pipits, 20 Swifts, 2 Shelduck, 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Stonechats, 3 Mallard, 1 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Terns and 1 Blackcap.

 June 10th

This morning we walked along the seawall from Reculver and saw 1 Kestrel, 6 Whitethroats, 1 Oystercatchers, 9 Cormorants, 2 Meadow Pipits, 4 Common Terns, 3 Little Egrets, 4 Linnets, 64 Swifts feeding over an oil seed rape field, 4 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Swallows, 2 Stonechats, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Cetti's Warblers and 20 Sand Martins.

Female Stonechat

 

 June 9th

On a sunny morning with a chilly west wind blowing we walked at Reculver and counted 26 Sand Martins, 1 Chiffchaff, 22 Mallard, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 9 Greylag Geese, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Shelduck, 14 Coot, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Egret, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Gadwall, 3 Swifts, 2 Common Terns, 4 Skylarks and 4 Linnets. On the sea we saw 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Fulmars flying W, 2 Common Terns and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

Matt was out later this morning and walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour where he recorded 2 Little Egrets, 360 Swifts feeding and moving W, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Cuckoos, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Avocets with 4 young, 3 Oystercatchers with 2 young, 2 Redshank, 1 Mallard with 5 young, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Sandwich Tern, 4 Stonechats and 1 Common Buzzard.

 June 8th

With heavy rain threatened for later this morning we managed a dry walk at Reculver where we recorded 1 Common Buzzard, 42 Mallards, 4 Blackcaps, 9 Greylag Geese, 12 Coot, 18 Sand Martins, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Shelduck, 7 Mute Swans, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Little Grebe feeding 4 tiny young, 70 Swifts feeding on insects over an oil seed rape field, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Tufted Duck and 3 Great Crested Grebes on the  sea.

Mute Swan cygnets

 June 7th

Although it was sunny this morning there was a chilly westerly breeze blowing as we walked at Reculver and then had a brief look at the sea. We counted 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Sparrowhawk, 16 Coot, 9 Greylag Geese, 5 Shelduck, 1 Kestrel, 4 Sand Martins, 18 Mallard, 4 Skylarks, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Pied Wagtail, 4 Linnets, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebes, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Little Egret, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Shelduck, 2 Fulmars W, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 1 Common Tern. 

Male Shelduck

 June 6th

With a strong southerly wind blowing in showers we spent an hour at Reculver where we saw 2 Great Crested Grebes, 30 Sand Martins, 6 Swallows, 1 Common Tern, 2 Gannets flying W and 1 Fulmar flying W. 

 June 5th

On a bright and sunny morning I walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and saw 42 Linnets, 1 Blackcap, 6 Whitethroats, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Goldfinches, 11 Cormorants, 4 Common Terns, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Meadow Pipits, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Chaffinches, 5 Stonechats, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Ringed Plovers, 1 Shelduck, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 Swift W, 1 Oystercatcher and 2 Grey Partridges. In addition, at Reculver, I found 7 Bee Orchids and at Coldharbour 65 Pyramidal Orchids.

 

Bee Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid

 June 4th

On a very showery and breezy afternoon we spent forty minutes at Reculver where we counted 5 Common Terns feeding offshore, 2 Sandwich Terns flying W, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Gannet flying W and 1 second calendar year Mediterranean Gull flying W.

 June 3rd

On a morning with a chilly westerly wind blowing we walked along the seawall at Reculver. Birds we saw included 2 Cetti's Warblers, 8 Whitethroats, 2 Mediterranean Gulls flying E, 1 Mallard, 1 Stonechat, 7 Cormorants, 2 House Martins flying W, 1 Little Egret, 6 Ringed Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Avocets feeding in the Oyster Farm lagoons, 6 Linnets, 4 Common Terns, 2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 6 Chaffinches and 3 Shelduck.

 June 2nd

We had intended to have a walk at Reculver this afternoon but when we arrived it was obvious there was a thunderstorm arriving from the west. As we sat in our car the heavens opened and there was torrential rain, thunder and lightning and for about ten minutes our car was battered with pea sized hale stones. On leaving Reculver after the storm the road to it were well and truly flooded. The only birds we saw were 70 Herring Gulls sitting on the sea and two Common Terns.

 

Approaching thunder storm

 June 1st

The month began sunny and warm but with not a great deal to see as we walked along the seawall from Reculver. We counted 12 Linnets, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Shelduck, 8 Whitethroats, 2 Grey Herons, 6 Little Egrets, 1 Common Tern, 3 Stonechats, 6 Ringed Plovers, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Mallard, 1 Swallow and 1 immature Kittiwake flying W. 

Male Stonechat