December 15th

It was overcast this morning as we did our regular walk to Coldharbour but we did see some nice birds to lighten up the gloom. We recorded 462 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 60 Cormorants, 1 Great Northern Diver feeding off the Towers, 1 Kestrel, 2 Redshank, 1 Dartford Warbler, 4 Stonechats, 31 Ringed Plovers, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Grey Plover, 16 Corn Buntings, 2 Shelduck, 1 Peregrine, 21 Goldfinches, 1 Curlew, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Common Buzzard.

Great Northern Diver at the Towers

December 14th

The weather forecast at 0630 this morning still said it would be overcast and damp but as we reached Reculver just before sunrise there was a virtually cloudless sky and not a breath of wind. We walked up to Coldharbour and counted 750 Cormorants flying out to sea, 317 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Kestrels, 1 Pied Wagtail, 6 Shelduck, 5 Redshank, 2 Turnstone, 18 Goldfinches, 10 Mallard, 13 Corn Buntings, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Stonechats, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Dartford Warbler and 12 Meadow Pipits.

December 13th

On another relatively mild morning we walked from Reculver along the seawall to Coldharbour. Birds we saw included 3 Great Crested Grebes, 406 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Black Brant, 45 Common Scoter E, 25 Red-throated Divers, 1 Pied Wagtail, 64 Oystercatchers, 10 Redshank, 2 immature male Eiders E, 5 Stonechats, 3 Curlew, 1 Grey Plover, 5 Gannets, 120 Woodpigeons, 1 Peregrine, 11 Linnets, 9 Goldfinches, 23 Corn Buntings, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Rock Pipit, 8 Shelduck, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Greylag Goose, 23 Golden Plovers and 1 Purple Sandpiper.

Purple Sandpiper

 

Black Brant with Dark-bellied Brent Geese

December12th

On a much milder morning we completed our regular walk as far as Coldharbour. We recorded 4 Pied Wagtails, 60 Lapwings, 4 Stonechats, 19 Corn Buntngs, 331 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 45 Ringed Plovers, 2 Turnstone, 51 Golden Plovers, 8 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshank, 24 Mallard, 1 Peregrine, 21 Goldfinches, 1 Purple Sandpiper on beach with Ringed Plovers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Mute Swans, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Grey Partridges flying off the beach near Coldharbour and 1 Water Rail calling by the Green Wall.

December 11th

It was bright and sunny this morning as we walked up to Coldharbour and back and recorded 1 Curlew, 2 Pied Wagtails, 34 Lapwings, 3 Stonechats, 1 Red-throated Diver W, 28 Goldfinches, 150 Woodpigeons, 34 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Pintail and 1 Teal flying E together, 1 Corn Bunting, 18 Ringed Plovers, 2 Redshank and 8 Mallard.

December 10th

With a strong NW wind blowing we spent an hour at Reculver this morning but there was not much to be seen. We counted 339 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 840 Cormorants, 2 Common Scoter, 10 Great Black-backed Gulls W and 150 Herring Gulls W.

Recently we have had the ringing data of a colour-ringed Redshank Terry Wilson saw at Minnis Bay on December 5th. It had been ringed at Harty on November 2nd by the Swale Wader Group. 

Colour-ringed Redshank

December 9th

On a sunny morning we completed our regular walk from Reculver to Coldharbour and saw 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Pied Wagtail, 305 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 adult Black Brant, 13 Goldfinches, 200 Woodpigeons, 2 Stonechats, 6 Oystercatchers, 12 Redshank, 10 Turnstone, 2 Grey Plovers, 22 Ringed Plovers, 4 Shelduck, 13 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Kestrel, 1 Rock Pipit, 80 House Sparrows and 1 Dartford Warbler. In addition, Norman McCanch saw a Peregrine and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

On his walk from Minnis Bay to Plumpudding this morning Terry Wilson saw 9 Golden Plovers, 12 Lapwings, 2 Stonechats and 2 Goosanders flying past,

Adult Black Brant

December 8th

It was bright and breezy this morning as we completed our walk from Reculver to Coldharbour with the tide a long way out. We counted 2 Kestrels, 167 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 300 Woodpigeons, 3 Redshank, 29 Linnets, 1 Song Thrush, 4 Stonechats, 1 Dartford Warbler, 7 Shelduck, 4 Mallard, 27 Lapwings W, 5 Wigeon, 11 Goldfinches, 4 Grey Partridges flying off the beach by the Wantsum outflow and 2 Common Buzzards.

During the morning Terry Wilson had 2 Snow Buntings at Plumpudding.

December 7th

On a cold and frosty morning we walked along the seawall from Reculver to Coldharbour. The highlight of the morning was picking out the adult Black Brant from amongst the 340 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. It was a large and aggresive bird often chasing the other geese and was therefore probably a male. 

Adult Black Brant

 Other birds we saw included the Dartford Warbler consorting with 2 Stonechats, 15 Redshank, 1 Peregrine scattering a flock of 250 Woodpigeons, 31 Ringed Plovers, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 5 Shelduck, 4 Oystercatchers, 11 Turnstone, 14 Mallard, 100 House Sparrows, 2 Little Grebes and 48 Golden Plovers.

December 6th

At last a calm morning with no wind or rain. With the tide out and beginning to come in we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour. We saw good range of species including 367 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Grey Herons, 16 Meadow Pipits, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Stonechat, 1 Dartford Warbler in bushes by the seawall, 18 Reed Buntings, 1 Marsh Harrier, 21 Redshank, 1 Fieldfare, 200 Woodpigeons, 120 Starlings flying W and 110 House Sparrows. we also saw 48 Goldfinches, 5 Oystercatchers, 1 Lapland Bunting, 2 Grey Plovers, 7 Linnets, 6 Shelduck, 25 Mallard, 4 Wigeon, 2 Kestrels, 3 Little Grebes, 4 Lapwings flying in off the sea, 2 Turnstone, 6 Red-throated Divers and 2 Common Buzzards.

Kestrel

December 5th

We spent two hours seawatching at Reculver this morning where there was a strong NW wind blowing. We counted 308 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1,840 Cormorants, 1 Black-throated Diver flying E, 1 female Common Scoter, 1 large auk, 400 Herring Gulls W, 9 Red-throated Divers, 5 Kittiwakes W, 4 Gannets, 1 Curlew, 1 Razorbill W and 1 Great Crested Grebe W.

December 4th

It was pouring with rain as we arrived at Reculver this morning with little to see although the rain eventually cleared away at 0900 we only managed to count 890 Cormorants, 3 Common Scoter, 196 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 large auks E and 5 Red-throated Divers E.

This afternoon Matt and Marion walked in from Chamber's Wall and found an adult Black Brant in with the 200 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and also a Marsh Harrier.

December 3rd

On a drizzly morning with a freshening SW wind blowing we spent two hours seawatching at Minnis Bay. We counted 111 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Skua W, 22 Gannets, 24 Common Scoter, 9 Wigeon W, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 4 large auks, 2 Little Egrets, 172 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Curlew, 37 Grey Plovers, 43 Dunlin, 200+ Cormorants, 1 Razorbill E and 4 Eider E.

December 2nd

With a strong NW wind blowing this morning we spent some time seawatching at Reculver with Richard Collins. Between us we counted 200 Cormorants, 1 Red-throated Diver W, 1 immature male Eider E, 1 large auk E, 1 Great Crested Grebe W, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Gannets, 1 male Goosander W and 2 female Common Scoter.

Female Common Scoter - Richard Collins

December 1st

An hour spent at Reculver this morning with a strong westerly wind blowing produced 180 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 387 Cormorants, 1 female Common Scoter sitting on the sea close inshore, 14 Gannets, 12 Common Gulls, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Red-throated Diver flying E, 14 Blackbirds and 2 Goldfinches.

Also this morning Richard Collins saw a Merlin at Reculver.