Sunday, 31 May 2015

May 31st
On a foul morning with a strong SW wind blowing in rain and then drizzle we visited Reculver and saw 2 Kestrels, 5 Whitethroats, 60 Rooks including many very bedraggled juveniles, 12 Swallows W, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 40 Sand Martins, 32 Mallard, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Mute Swan, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Gannets E and 2 Shelduck.

Saturday, 30 May 2015

May 30th
We spent a pleasant morning walking from Chamber's Wall and then along the seawall before going inland. We saw 14 Whitethroats, 3 Blackcaps, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Linnets, 33 Mute Swans, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 9 Mallard, 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Shelduck, 1 Gadwall, 1 Sanderling, 5 Swifts W, 1 House Martin W, 2 Swallows W, 1 Little Tern W, 1 Common Tern, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Tufted Ducks and 4 Little Grebes.

Spotted Flycatcher

Friday, 29 May 2015

May 29th
There was a little bit more of interest to be seen this morning as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and then inland. We recorded 2 Cormorants, 5 Whitethroats, 7 House Martins W, 111 Swifts W, 9 Swallows W, 1 Little Owl, 6 Linnets, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Redshank, 5 Tufted Ducks, 4 Little Egrets, 4 Oystercatchers, 4 Shelduck, 6 Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Terns, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Mallard, 1 Grey Partridge, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Raven being chased by the local Rooks, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 26 Mute Swans, 2 Little Grebes and 30 Sand Martins.

Male Yellow Wagtail

Thursday, 28 May 2015

May 28th
There was nothing new to be seen as we did our usual walk from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and along the seawall. We saw 2 Common Terns, 6 Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Linnets, 6 Mallard, 31 Swifts W, 1 Swallow W, 6 House Martins W, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Gadwall, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 Redshank, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Shelduck, 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Mute Swans, 1 hepatic female Cuckoo and 1 Common Buzzard.

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

May 27th
With the sun shining brightly we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and then inland. It remains relatively quiet but in a couple of hours we recorded 5 Whitethroats, 7 Cormorants, 1 Little Owl, 1 Kestrel, 26 Swallows W, 4 House Martins W, 13 Swifts W, 5 Shelduck, 2 Common Terns, 14 Oystercatchers, 4 Linnets, 6 Ringed Plovers, 4 Mallard, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Redshank, 1 Blackcap and 1 Turtle Dove.

Ringed Plover

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

May 26th
On a sunny morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour before visiting Shuart. We saw 13 Whitethroats, 3 Swifts, 5 Blackcaps, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Cormorants, 2 Cuckoos, including the hepatic female, 2 Common Terns, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Shelduck, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Gadwall, 5 Ringed Plover, 4 Tufted Ducks, 5 Mallard, 4 House Martins W, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets and 1 Chiffchaff.

Monday, 25 May 2015

May 25th
It was a very quiet morning as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then inland at Reculver. Although it was sunny there was a chilly NNW wind blowing. We saw 11 Whitethroats, 2 Common Terns, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Mute Swans, 2 Gadwall, 1 Redshank, 7 Oystercatchers, 7 Cormorants, 9 Swallows W, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Tufted Ducks and 1 Jay.

Sedge Warbler

Sunday, 24 May 2015

May 24th
We spent the morning at Shuart in an unsuccessful attempt to hear the Quail that Derek Smith had heard earlier. We saw 2 Chiffchaffs, 7 Blackcaps, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Cuckoos, including a hepatic female, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Lapwing, 5 Whitethroats, 9 Linnets, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Swifts and 1 Common Buzzard.
Derek Smith covered virtually all of the eastern half of the Marsh between 0430 and 1000 and recorded 1 Little Grebe, 1 Fulmar W, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawks, 14 Tufted Duck, 5 Gannets E, 3 Sandwich Terns, 5 Common Terns, 1 Barn Owl, 3 Cuckoos, 32 Stock Doves, 2 Grey Partridges, 1 Quail singing infrequently from 0500, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 5 singing Corn Buntings.
A Red Kite flew W over our house at Bishopstone at 1330. This is the 21st Red Kite seen in the area this spring.

Saturday, 23 May 2015

May 23rd
The weather had changed overnight and it was overcast with a light NE breeze this morning, but this had little effect on the birds which remained unchanged from the last few days. On our walk from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then inland we saw 13 Whitethroats, 3 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Cuckoos, 4 Linnets, 2 Cormorants, 4 Tufted Ducks, 11 Mallard, 2 Shelduck, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Redshank, 1 Shoveler, 6 Ringed Plovers, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Little Egret, 1 Fulmar W, 46 Swallows W, 1 Lapwing, 2 Grey Partridges, 17 Mute Swans and 30 Sand Martins.

Friday, 22 May 2015

May 22nd
We had a rude awakening at 0252 when an earthquake shook the house!!
Arriving at Reculver at 0745 we walked up to Coldharbour and saw 7 Linnets, 19 Mallard, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Goldfinch, 8 Cormorants, 7 House Martins W, 10 Swallows W, 2 Little Egrets, 5 Oystercatchers, 1 Shelduck, 9 Ringed Plovers, 3 Lapwings, 1 Grey Plover, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Little Owl, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 4 Redshank, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Herons, 4 Whitethroats, 1 Little Grebe, 4 Coot and 2 Chiffchaffs.
We also looked at the Sand Martin colony at Reculver and counted 158 nest holes.


Reculver Sand Martin colony

Derek Smith was out very early and between 0430 and 1000 walked from Shuart to the sea and along to Coldharbour. He recorded 2 Eiders E, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Peregrine, 3 Marsh Harriers, 1 Fulmar W, 5 Common Terns, 13 Turnstone, 6 Cuckoos, 2 Grey Partridges, 1 Quail (163rd) singing briefly at 0600 in field west of Shuart, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Wheatear, 1 Grasshopper Warbler and 2 Cetti's Warblers.

Thursday, 21 May 2015

May 21st
On a sunny morning we completed the Chamber's Wall/Green Wall/Coldharbour circuit and recorded 17 Whitethroats, 2 Chiffchaffs,  Cuckoos, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Marsh Harriers, 8 Linnets, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Mallard, 1 Cormorant, 8 Oystercatchers, 21 Swallows W, 2 House Martins W, 1 Grey Wagtail W, 1 Swift W, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls W, 1 Sand Martin W, 3 Shelduck, 1 Redshank and 2 CommonTerns. We also saw 2 Painted Ladies and 1 Hairy Dragonfly.

Hairy Dragonfly

This afternoon I received an email about a Song Thrush we ringed at Reculver on 16th November 2014 that had been taken by an animal in Pershyttan, Nora, Orebro, SWEDEN on 15th May 2015. This is 1,253 km NE of Reculver and shows where some of our autumn thrushes originate from.



Wednesday, 20 May 2015

May 20th
This morning we walked from Shuart to the sea and then had a quick visit to Reculver on the way home. We counted 7 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Common Buzzard, 5 Whitethroats, 1 Little Egret, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Swifts W, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Hobby, 2 Mallard, 1 Lapwing, 1 Kestrel, 50 Sand Martins, 4 Tufted Duck and 2 Little Grebes.

Jackdaw collecting field bean flowers to feed its nestlings

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

May 19th
On another blustery but sunny morning we walked from Reculver to Chamber's Wall and saw 28 Swifts W, 2 Common Buzzards, 4 Whitethroats, 6 Cormorants, 1 Redshank, 3 House Martins W, 10 Oystercatchers, 1 Shelduck, 2 Common Terns, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Cuckoos, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Wheatear, 2 Tufted Duck, 3 Mallard, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Turtle Doves, 1 Jay and 1 Painted Lady.

Monday, 18 May 2015

May 18th
On a blustery morning that eventually turned rainy we walked along the seawall at Reculver before birding inland. We saw 8 Oystercatchers, 7 Cormorants, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Kestrel, 2 Linnets, 1 Swift W, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Common Terns, 6 Shelduck, 1 Lapwing, 4 Mute Swans, 2 Redshank, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Cuckoo, 5 Mallard, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 70 Sand Martins, 20 House Martins, 20 Swallows, 1 Blackcap, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Red Kite and 1 Kingfisher.

Oystercatcher

Sunday, 17 May 2015

May 17th
Matt was out early this morning and walked from Chamber's Wall to Reculver and saw 6 Chiffchaffs, 16 Whitethroats, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Blackcap, 1 Turtle Dove, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Shelduck, 1 Cuckoo, 31 Swallows W, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Common Tern, 1 Curlew, 13 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Knot, 1 Short-eared Owl, 19 House Martins W, 2 Grey Herons, 2 Little Egrets, 14 Swifts W, 1 ring-tail Montagu's Harrier (161st) in off the sea, 1 Hobby, 1 Kestrel and 1 Firecrest.
We picked him up and drove over to Shuart where we recorded 6 Ring-necked Parakeets, 6 Blackcaps, 1 Green Woodpecker, 5 Mallard, 3 Cuckoos, 11 Swifts W, 5 Whitethroats, 1 House Martin, 1 Sparrowhawk, 14 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Kestrels, 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Common Buzzards. As we neared the end of our walk we received news that a Black Kite had flown over Bockhill and Pegwell Bay so we drove up to the top of Shuart Lane to try our luck. Within 10 minutes the Black Kite (162nd) appeared over Netherhale and drifted about towards Minnis Bay and then back south east with a Red Kite giving distant comparative views. It was later seen back over Pegwell Bay. This is only the third record of a Black Kite in the area and the first since 2008. Not a bad morning!

Black and Red Kite