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.

 November 30th

On a typical, dull and quiet winter's morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back. We counted 22 Mute Swans, 3 Pied Wagtails, 6 Redshank, 3 Stonechats, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 11 Ringed Plovers, 14 Meadow Pipits, 1,385 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 85 Carrion Crows, 42 Mallard, 12 Corn Buntings, 16 Linnets, 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Shelduck, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Rock Pipit and 1 Kestrel.

Part of the flock of 1,385 Dark-bellied Brent Geese

Stonechat

Meadow Pipit

November 29th

We had intended to walk along the seawall from Reculver this morning but when we got out to the car we found a puncture in the front tyre. By the time the very efficient AA man had replaced the tyre with the spare and I had got the puncture fixed in Herne Bay it was mid morning so we decided to do our walk this afternoon. We arrived at a sunny Reculver after lunch and walked inland where we recorded 1 Common Buzzard, 80 Stock Doves, 250 Woodpigeons, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 56 Mallard, 3 Chiffchaffs, 32 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 52 Teal, 8 Little Grebes, 1 Redshank, 46 Coot, 10 Tufted Duck, 1 Dunlin, 9 Blackbirds, 3 Mute Swans and 1 Redwing.

November 28th

After yesterday's horrible weather today dawned sunny, calm and cold so we walked from Minnis Bay to Plumpudding lagoon and back. Birds we saw included 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 174 Sanderling, 67 Redshank, 22 Oystercatchers, 44 Turnstone, 2 Stonechats, 5 Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylarks, 21 Curlew, 1 Grey Plover, 21 Mallard, 15 Dunlin, 48 Ringed Plovers, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Corn Buntings, 2 Pied Wagtails and 2 Ring-necked Parakeets.         

Roosting Redshank

Derek Smith was also out in the sunshine this morning and walked from Shuart along the railway embankment and back via Coldharbour and Plumpudding. He saw 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Little Egret, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 10 Gadwall, 1 Teal, 2 Sparrowhawks, 7 Redshank, 36 Grey plovers, 33 Dunlin, 21 Curlew, 42 Ringed Plovers, 1 Water Rail, 65 Blackbirds, 33 Redwings, 12 Song Thrushes, 16 Fieldfares, 5 Stonechats, 2 Tree Sparrows, 6 Redpoll, 12 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and 3 Goldcrests.

November 27th

After a morning of heavy rain the wind increased to a strong north-westerly at midday and the rain stopped. Matt spent two hours at Reculver from 1230 and we joined him for some of the time but it was very slow. All he recorded were 14 Red-throated Divers, 1 Wigeon W, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 9 Gannets W, 1 Golden Plover W, 2 Pintail W, 2 Common Scoter W, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 2 Shelduck.