May 31st

Yesterday's cool breeze and overcast conditions had ceased this morning and it was sunny and warm as we walked from Chamber's Wall to the Oyster Farm lagoons. We counted 8 Whitethroats, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Blackcap, 5 Goldfinches, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 35 Mallard, 5 Little Egrets, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Oystercatchers, 6 Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Terns, 3 Linnets, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Coot, 4 Stonechats and 13 Corn Buntngs. We also found a Wall Brown butterfly.

Wall Brown

May 30th

This morning we completed our first visit to our 1 km Turtle Dove Survey square and failed to hear or see any Turtle Doves. The southern boundary of the square borders the Thanet Way between Wagtail Farm and St Nicholas Court Farm and then includes Potten Street Road and Potten Street and then the track leading up to Chamber's Wall car park. Birds we did see included 13 Whitethroats, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Common Buzzard, 4 Blackcaps, 1 singing Goldcrest, 1 Red-legged Partridge, 11 Skylarks, 9 Reed Warblers, 2 Reed Buntings, 1 Swift and 2 Oystercatchers in a maize field.

Derek Smith was out between 0630 and 1000 and walked from Shuart to Plumpudding and Coldharbour before returning along the railway embankment. He saw 1 male Shoveler, 5 pairs of Tufted Duck, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Avocet in Coldharbour, 2 Cuckoos, 8 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Cetti's Warblers and 3 Lesser Whitethroats.

Avocet in Coldharbour - Derek Smith

May 29th

On a dull morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back and recorded 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 male Red-breasted Merganser sitting on the sea off the Towers, 9 Whitethroats, 4 Oystercatchers, 8 Mallard, 2 Stonechats, 7 Linnets, 1 Little Egret, 1 Shelduck, 6 Ringed Plovers, 8 Mute Swans, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Lapwing, 1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler at Coldharbour and 6 Coot.

Singing male Whitethroat

May 28th 

We spent the morning ringing on the Marsh south of the railway line and  saw 4 Whitethroats, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Kestrel, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Tree Pipit flying S, 4 Mallard, 4 Swallows, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Common Buzzards, 8 Swifts, 5 Sedge Warblers and 10 Reed Warblers.

Birds ringed 19: Wren 1, Chiffchaff 1, Whitethroat 2, Reed Warbler 6, Sedge Warbler 5, Linnet 1, Chaffinch 1, Reed Bunting 1, House Sparrow 1.

Adult Sedge Warbler

 

This afternoon we walked to Coldharbour from Shuart and Chamber's Wall and saw 4 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Grey Partridges, 4 Whitethroats, 3 Mallard, 4 Oystercatchers, 31 Turnstone, 5 Common Sandpipers, 9 Sanderling, 1 Fulmar E, 1 Kittiwake E, 4 Sandwich Terns E, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Ringed Plovers, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Common Buzzards, 10 Swifts, 2 Stonechats and 1 large auk E.

Field Garlic - Matt Hindle

 This morning I also received information about a ringed female Reed Warbler we caught yesterday at Reculver. It had initially been ringed at Cantley Beet Factory, Norfolk which is 136 km N on 3rd August 2019.

May 27th

On the first warm, sunny and calm day for quite a while we spent the morning ringing at Reculver. Birds we saw between 0545 and 1215 included 8 Blackcaps, 8 Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Coot, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Shelduck, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Cuckoos, 20 Sand Martins, 2 Jays, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Mute Swans, 2 Mallard, 20 Reed Warblers, 26 Red Kites flying W mainly between 1100 and 1130, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Greenfinch, 4 Common Buzzards, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Siskin W and 2 Kestrels. 

We also found 10 Banded Demoiselles, 1 Red-eyed Damselflies, 12 Blue-tailed Damselflies and 1 Hairy Dragonfly.

Birds ringed 33: Wren 1, Chiffchaff 1, Reed Warbler 16, Whitethroat 4, Blackcap 6, Great Tit 1, Chaffinch 1, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 2.

Chris Tedder also saw a westerly movement of Red Kites at Shuart this morning and counted 11 birds. Later she found 5 Spotted Flycatchers at Chamber's all as well as a few Variable and Azure Damselflies.

May 26th

This morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and the Oyster Farm lagoons and saw 6 Goldfinches, 8 Whitethroats, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Common Tern, 6 Coot, 2adults and 4 young, 3 Mallard, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 female Wheatear, 6 Ringed Plovers, 13 Turnstone, 5 Stonechats, 1 Short-eared Owl, 4 Swallows, 1 Kestrel, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Linnets, 3 Red-legged Partridges, 2 Corn Buntings and 1 Blackcap.

Female Wheatear

May 25th

This morning Matt walked from Shuart to Reculver and we walked in from Chamber's Wall and met him on the seawall. Between us we recorded 5 Blackcaps, 10 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 6 Tufted Ducks, 38 Swifts W, 9 Stonechats, 2 Grey Herons, 2 Cuckoos, 10 Swallows W, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Shovelers, 19 Sanderling, 16 Turnstone, 11 Yellow Wagtails, 11 Corn Buntings, 1 Lapwing, 1 Shelduck, 12 House Martins W, 10 Sand Martins, 1 female Wheatear, 4 Little Egrets, 2 Common Terns, 1 Turtle Dove, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warblers and 7 Mallard.

Female Wheatear

May 24th

It was sunny this morning with the increasing threat of showers as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back. Birds we saw included 2 Blackcaps, 9 Whitethroats, 3 Shelduck, 7 Mute Swans, 1 Kestrel, 10 Sand Martins, 2 Pied Wagtails, 6 Linnets, 8 Ringed Plovers, 1 Lapwing, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 House Martins W, 4 Stonechats, 24 Turnstone, 1 Coot, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 female Wheatear, 8 Meadow Pipits, 2 Little Egrets, 5 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Swifts in off the sea, 4 Common Terns, 2 summer plumaged Dunlins and 1 Sanderling.

Summer plumaged Dunlin

May 23rd

On a bright and breezy morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to the Oyster Farm lagoons via Coldharbour. We counted 11 Whitethroats, 8 House Martins W, 16 Swallows, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, 31 Swifts W, 1 Tufted Duck, 10 Mallard, 1 Coot, 1 Cuckoo, 6 Oystercatchers, 6 Common Terns, 1 female Wheatear, 21 Turnstone, 6 Ringed Plovers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Lapwing, 1 Kestrel, 4 Mediterranean Gulls W, 3 Stonechats, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Linnets and 1 Lesser Whitethroat.

Summer plumaged Turnstone

May 22nd

We began our morning walk from Reculver to Coldharbour in pouring rain but luckily by the time we reached the Green Wall it had stopped. Birds we saw included 6 Sandwich Terns, 2 Fulmars prospecting around the Towers, 2 Stonechats, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Shelduck, 4 Mallard, 4 Linnets, 6 Oystercatchers, 3 Turnstone, 5 Common Terns, 6 Swifts W, 8 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Egrets, 11 Gannets, 1 Grey Plover and 3 Sanderling.

Common Tern at Coldharbour

Derek Smith was out birding between 1130 and 1530 and walked from Shuart to Brooksend and Plumpudding before returning via Coldharbour and the railway embankment. He counted 13 Gannets E, 3 Little Egrets, 7 pairs of Tufted Duck, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Turtle Dove, 2 Cuckoos, 80 Swifts W, 60 Swallows W, 35 House Martins W and 12 Yellow Wagtails.

May 21st

This morning we struggled to progress in a south westerly gale and only walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour. We recorded 6 Swallows, 7 Goldfinches, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Linnets, 2 Coot, 1 Lapwing, 3 Corn Buntings, 7 Reed Warblers, 5 Sedge Warblers, 41 Swifts flying W, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Hobby, 3 Common Terns, 2 Mallard and 1 Green Woodpecker.

After this we spent 45 minutes at Reculver watching birds out at sea flying W against the gale. We counted 19 Sandwich Terns, 56 Swifts, 1 Fulmar, 1 Common Tern, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 House Martin.

May 20th

We managed a ringing session on the Marsh this morning before the threatened strong wind arrived and saw 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cuckoos, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Corn Buntings, 1 Mallard, 5 Whitethroats, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Sedge Warbler, 7 Reed Warblers, 12 Sand Martins, 1 Kestrel, 5 Red Kites flying W, 2 Common Terns, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Shoveler, 1 Siskin, 1 Chiffchaff and 4 Swallows.

Birds ringed 11: Reed Warbler 4, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Whitethroat 2, Sedge Warbler 1, Reed Bunting 1, Linnet 1, Dunnock 1

Spotted Flycatcher

Marc Heath also saw 2 Red Kites flying W at Hillborough at 1045.

May 19th

We all got a thorough soaking this morning. Matt walked in from Shuart and we walked in from Chamber's Wall and we met at Coldharbour. Between us, we managed to see or hear 4 Blackcaps, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 3 Cuckoos, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 9 Swifts W, 14 Swallows W, 1 House Martin W, 2 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Stonechats, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Terns, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 8 Ringed Plovers, 2 Turnstone, 1 Tree Pipit W, 1 Goldcrest, 8 Goldfinches, 1 Greenshank and 1 Corn Bunting.

May 18th

We spent the morning ringing ar Reculver where we saw 5 Blackcaps. 10 Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Jays, 1 Kingfisher, 10 Sand Martins, 1 Turtle Dove, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Swifts W, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Kestrels, 7 Goldfinches, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Hobby.

Birds ringed 15: Long-tailed Tit 1, Reed Warbler 4, Sedge Warbler 1, Blackcap 2, Goldfinch 2, Great Tit 2, Whitethroat 1, Robin 1, Dunnock 1.

Male Goldfinch

2 Red Kites flew W over our house at Bishopstone at 1320.

May 17th

On another overcast, damp and chilly morning Matt walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and we met him at Chamber's Wall and then walked back towards Reculver with him. Between us we recorded 68 Swifts W, 25 Swallows W, 5 Gannets E, 1 Blackcap, 7 Stonechats, 2 Little Egrets, 9 Shelduck, 2 Lapwings, 5 Common Terns, 9 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 7 Tufted Ducks, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 House Martins W, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Corn Buntings, 1 Short-eared Owl, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 6 Oystercatchers, 11 Mallard, 4 Ringed Plovers and 1 Cuckoo. 

Yellow Wagtail - Matt Hindle