May 31st
It was more like autumn than summer this morning with a near gale force northerly wind blowing in showers and longer spells of rain. As a result we decided to visit Minnis Bay where there was a bit of shelter and have an hour's seawatch. Nearly all the action concerned Gannets and we counted 83 flying E. The only other birds seen were 5 Sandwich Terns, 5 Cormorants, 2 Fulmars and 1 Common Tern.



Minnis Bay

Gannets

May 30th
The weather seems to be stuck in a rut at the moment with continuing fresh northerly wind and cool temperatures. This morning we had a walk around Shuart and managed to record 5 Blackcaps, 1 Goldcrest, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Cuckoos, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Swifts W, 10 Lapwings, 3 Red-legged Partridges, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk and 4 Whitethroats.

May 29th
With a cool northerly breeze blowing we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour this morning. We saw 2 Kestrels, 1 Turtle Dove, 4 Whitethroats, 13 Oystercatchers, 2 Cuckoos, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Fulmar W, 2 Mallard, 2 pairs of Mute Swan including one pair with a Polish morph female, 1 Little Egret, 2 Gannets E, 2 Lapwings, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 1 Tufted Duck.

Mute Swan pair with Polish morph female on left

May 28th
It was very quiet as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and we only recorded 2 Goldfinches, 4 Whitethroats, 15 Oystercatchers, 1 Pied Wagtail, 9 Shelduck, 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Ringed Plovers, 6 Cormorants, 2 Mallard, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Redshank and 1 Blackcap,

Little Egret

 Sweet Pea growing beside seawall

May 27th
We spent the morning ringing at Reculver and saw 4 Turtle Doves, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Blackcaps, 4 Whitethroats, 1 Sedge Warbler, 10 Reed Warblers, 1 female Mallard with 11 ducklings, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Grey Partridges, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Jays, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 50 Sand Martins, 1 Kestrel, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Grey Heron.

Birds ringed 29: Chiffchaff 2, Robin 1, Reed Warbler 5, Whitethroat 3, Sedge Warbler 1, Blue Tit 16 pullus, Dunnock 1.

Sedge Warbler

May 26th
On a beautiful morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and also dropped in at Shuart. It was pretty quiet with the tide miles out but we did see 2 Blackcaps, 11 Whitethroats, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 1 little Egret, 1 Mallard, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Cuckoo, 4 Lapwings, 2 Ringed Plovers, 4 Tufted Ducks, 8 Cormorants and 2 Turtle Doves.

Male Yellow Wagtail collecting food

We have seen this plant in various fields on the Marsh but have been unable to identify it, but Norman McCanch came to the rescue and identified it as Tansy-leaved Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)

 

Tansy-leaved Phacelia



 

May 25th
We had intended to go to Chamber's Wall this morning but there had been an accident on the Thanet Way at St Nicholas-at-Wade and there were tail backs to the Roman Galley so we took a detour via Sarre and visited Shuart instead. We saw 6 Blackcaps, 1 singing Goldcrest, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Cuckoo, 8 Lapwings, 4 Whitethroats, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Mallard, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Long-tailed Tits and 8 Reed Warblers.
On the way home we dropped in at Chamber's Wall and Reculver and added 5 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Blackcaps, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Mallard, 2 Grey Partridges, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Coot, 1 Gadwall and 4 Goldfinches.
Terry Wilson also found 5 summer plumaged Turnstone still at Minnis Bay.

A good year for Hawthorn blossom

May 24th
After having to spend the day in London I didn't manage to get to Reculver until this evening where although the sun was shining but there was a cool and blustery NE wind blowing. A quick stroll produced 3 Turtle Doves, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Coot, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Cetti's Warbler.

May 23rd
We waited for the heavy overnight rain to stop and so arrived at Reculver at 0900. We walked up to Coldharbour with a fresh, cool NW wind blowing and saw 4 Goldfinches, a tight flock of 26 House Martins flying W past the Towers, 2 Shelduck, 4 Whitethroats, 8 Cormorants, 11 Swallows W, 4 Ringed Plovers, 10 Oystercatchers, 1 Fulmar E, 2 Mallard, 3 Common Terns, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Little Egret.

Ringed Plover

This afternoon the weather improved for a while so we walked round Shuart and recorded 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 5 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 8 Lapwings, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Cuckoo and 1 Turtle Dove.

May 22nd
After the overnight rain and thunder very little had changed at Reculver with no new birds to be seen. The Nightingale was still singing by the Roman Galley early on after which we looked at Chamber's Wall, Coldharbour and Shuart. We saw 2 Grey Herons, 9 Whitethroats, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Little Egret, 6 Mallard, 3 Lapwings, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Shelduck, 2 Cuckoos, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Ringed Plovers, 4 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap and 1 Marsh Harrier.

Salsify x Goatsbeard hybrid beside path from railway to Coldharbour

May 21st
It was cloudy and blustery this morning as we visited Reculver and then walked to Chamber's Wall. Birds we saw included 3 Blackcaps, 5 Pied Wagtail, 26 Swifts W, 10 House Martins W, 16 Swallows W, 11 Whitethroats, 4 Common Terns, 9 Cormorants, 8 Little Egrets, 11 Oystercatchers, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Linnets, 2 Shelduck, 6 Ringed Plovers, 5 Mallard, 1 Lapwing, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 5 Mute Swans, 3 Tufted Duck and 15 Sand Martins.

Little Egrets

May 20th
It was pretty slow this morning as we visited Chamber's Wall, Coldharbour and Shuart. We saw 4 Chiffchaffs, 9 Whitethroats, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorants, 2 Lapwings, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Little Egret, 2 Kestrels, 3 Swifts, 2 House Martins, 4 Mallard, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Turtle Doves.

May 19th
After a cloudy start this morning turned out sunny as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour. We counted 7 Blackcaps, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Gadwall, 4 Shelduck, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Pied Wagtails, 3 Kestrels, 16 Swifts W, 30 Sand Martins, 7 Whitethroats, 7 Cormorants, 7 Turnstone, 4 Sanderling, 1 Fulmar, 5 Little Egrets, 4 Tufted Ducks, 2 Chiffchaffs, 7 Ringed Plovers, 4 Common Terns, 19 Mallard, 15 Oystercatchers, 6 Linnets, 28 Swallows W, 1 Lapwing, 2 Grey Partridges, 4 House Martins W, 6 Sandwich Terns, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Corn Bunting, 2 Whimbrel, 14 Gannets E, 1 female Eider W (165th), 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 pairs of Turtle Dove and 1 Red Kite W.

Male Whitethroat

May 18th
It was cloudy with a SW breeze blowing this morning as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then visited Reculver on the way home. We saw 4 Cormorants, 12 Whitethroats, 4 Blackcaps, 9 Linnets, 4 Chiffchaffs, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Lapwing, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 8 Oystercatchers, 4 Shelduck, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Kestrel, 1 Turnstone, 4 Common Terns, 5 Mallard, 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Sandwich Terns, 5 Swifts, 20 Swallows, 4 House Martins 50 Sand Martins, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Gadwall, 1 Grey Heron and 2 Little Grebes.

Common Tern

May 17th
For a change of scenery this morning we walked from Shuart to Plumpudding Lagoon and recorded 5 Blackcaps, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Cuckoos, 3 Lapwings, 9 Whitethroats, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 9 Linnets, 2 Sandwich Terns, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Shelduck, 8 Ringed Plovers, 7 Turnstone, 1 summer plumaged Sanderling, 1 Turtle Dove, 1 Kestrel, 3 Common Buzzards and 2 Grey Partridges.

Female Yellow Wagtail