November 30th
On another sunny but frosty morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and then back via the railway embankment. We counted 3 Lapwings, 5 Turnstone, 3 Sanderling, 1 Little Owl, 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Goldfinches, 6 Redshank, 5 Stonechats, 2 Ringed Plovers, 4 Grey Plovers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Snipe, 6 Shelduck, 140 Cormorants, 5 Red-throated Divers, 3 Common Scoter, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 83 Golden Plovers, 16 Oystercatchers, 53 Mallard, 2 Gadwall, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 5 Wigeon, 2 Little Grebes, 115 Carrion Crows, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Grey Wagtail, 30 Fieldfares, 10 Redwings and 2 Lapland Buntings W.

Goldfinch

This afternoon Marc Heath birded the Marsh and saw 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Peregrine, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Stonechats, 40 Skylarks, 2 Lapwings, 4 Common Scoter, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Sanderling, 14 Ringed Plovers, 3 Brent Geese, 1 Marsh Harrier, 5 Red-throated Divers, 2 Teal and 1 Mediterranean Gull.
Richard Collins was also out doing a seawatch and saw some of these birds but in addition 1 Great Northern Diver E, 100 Mallard, 9 Gadwall, 3 Shelduck and 2 Turnstones.

November 29th
On a beautiful frosty morning we began at the Towers and then drove to Chamber's Wall and walked back to Reculver. Birds we saw included 128 Common Scoter, 1 Teal, 6 Red-throated Divers, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 500 Cormorants, 4 Shelduck, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 13 Golden Plovers, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Fieldfares, 20 Blackbirds, 10 Redwings, 52 Corn Buntings, 6 Tree Sparrows, 38 Chaffinches, 60 Reed Buntings 2 Yellowhammers, 1 Marsh Harrier, 8 Grey Partridges, 2 Peregrines, 6 Lapland Buntings in the maize fields south of Coldharbour lagoon, 2 Water Rails, 275 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 140 Carrion Crows, 1 Snipe, 1 Little Egret, 30 Skylarks, 38 Oystercatchers, 1 Redshank, 1 Rock Pipit, 27 Ringed Plovers, 3 Grey Plovers, 2 Turnstone, 1 Long-tailed Duck E, much paler than yesterday's birds and 1 Stonechat.

November 28th
We spent a most enjoyable morning at Reculver beginning at the Towers and then walking along the seawall. At the Towers e saw 600 Cormorants, 120 Common Scoter, 24 Teal, 5 Great Crested Grebes E, 1 male Red-breasted Merganser E, 2 Rock Pipits, 158 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 15 Red-throated Divers E, 1 juvenile Long-tailed Duck on the sea in the shadows below the Towers before flying E, 4 Curlew and 30 Great Black-backed Gulls including one chasing a Song Thrush in off the sea and 2 large auks E.
On our walk along the seawall we recorded  2 Avocets E, only the second record of the year, 1 Redshank, 1 Kingfisher, 1 immature Shag, 42 Ringed Plovers, 2 Turnstone, 81 Mallard, 90 Wigeon, 1 Stonechat, 5 Oystercatchers, 80 Carrion Crows, 40 Lapwings, 1 juvenile Glaucous Gull (194th) , a typical pale biscuit coloured individual flying in off the sea at the Green Wall and then along the back of the Oyster Farm before flying back out to sea at the Towers, 2 Grey Plovers, 1 Snipe and 20 Mute Swan,

Juvenile Long-tailed Duck

November 27th
With a fresh NE breeze blowing we had an early morning seawatch at Reculver and saw the following birds flying east: 33 Red-throated Divers, 650 Cormorants, 89 Common Scoter, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 57 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Gannets, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 83 Wigeon, 5 Velvet Scoter, 6 Eider, 2 Curlews and 1 Shag.
Later along the seawall we recorded 1 Kingfisher, 5 Stonechats, 10 Mute Swans, 2 Redshank, 4 Little Egrets, 95 Carrion Crows, 46 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 42 Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Corn Buntings, 1 Grey Plover and 1 Common Buzzard.

November 26th
This morning we covered the Marsh from Shuart to Brooksend and on to Plumpudding lagoon. We counted 6 Long-tailed Tits, 15 Redwings, 30 Blackbirds, 1 Kestrel, 22 Lapwings, 3 Marsh Harriers, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Water Rails, 28 Golden Plovers, 24 House Sparrows, 8 Wigeon, 3 Little Egrets, 48 Turnstones, 230 Sanderlings, 35 Redshank, 94 Oystercatchers, 16 Curlew, 34 Grey Plovers, 55 Dunlin, 32 Ringed Plovers, 1 Knot, 32 Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Jay, 1 Little Owl, 2 Mallard and 420 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Sanderling

Knot

November 25th
There was less to be seen at the Towers this morning but I did have an interesting gull fly by. I'm pretty certain that it is a hybrid Glaucous x Herring, the so called "Nelson's" Gull. The primaries and secondaries are too dark and the underparts too blotchy for it to be a pure Glaucous Gull.

Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid or "Nelson's" Gull 

Other birds seen, all flying E, included 137 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 100 Great Black-backed Gulls, 559 Cormorants, 17 Common Scoter, 52 Red-throated Divers, 2 Kittiwakes, 2 Curlews, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Eider, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Sanderling, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Rock Pipit, 2 Teal, 24 Wigeon and 32 Dunlin.

November 24th
I arrived at Reculver at 0715 and spent two and half hours seawatching with Neil Frampton. Birds we saw flying E included 156 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 18 Kittiwakes, 117 Red-throated Divers, 79 Common Scoter, 4 juvenile Pomarine Skuas (3W,1E), 14 Gannets, 2 Shoveler, 512 Cormorants, 175 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Guillemots, 1 Velvet Scoter, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Black-throated Diver flying past close inshore, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and 1 first winter Yellow-legged Gull.

Red-throated Divers

Adult Great Black-backed Gull

November 23rd
Back at Reculver this morning we walked up to Coldharbour and counted 9 Goldfinches, 5 Pied Wagtails, 198 Cormorants, 31 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 206 Oystercatchers flying down to Minnis Bay from their overnight roost at Shellness, 2 Mute Swans, 11 Redshank, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 36 Ringed Plovers, 2 Turnstone, 6 Common Scoter, 31 Linnets, 11 Corn Buntings, 3 Little Egrets, 68 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 188 Carrion Crows, 5 Snow Buntings, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Dunlin, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Grey Wagtail.

November 22nd
We had an away day today and visited Dungeness where we saw a good range of species including Ring-necked Duck, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Caspian Gull, Manx Shearwater and Egyptian Geese.

November 21st
It was significantly milder than yesterday as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour this morning. We finished our walk just before the forecast heavy rain arrived and saw 157 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 628 Cormorants flying back and forth from the Stour Valley, 11 Redshank, 3 Stonechats, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Snipe, 6 Corn Buntings, 1 Golden Plover, 46 Mallard, 120 Carrion Crows, 7 Oystercatchers, 1 Curlew, 1 Gadwall, 13 Linnets, 4 Common Scoter, 3 Turnstone, 11 Goldfinches, 1 Chiffchaff, 6 Mute Swans, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Common Buzzard.
This afternoon we visited Minnis Bay and saw 53 Great Black-backed Gulls, 31 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 Curlews, 1 Little Egret, 1 Rock Pipit, 96 Kittiwakes E, 111 Oystercatchers, 56 Turnstone, 28 Grey Plovers, 12 Dunlin, 1 Red-throated Diver, 8 Redshank, 11 Gannets E and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Great Black-backed Gulls

November 20th
After Storm Angus brought heavy rain and a 106 mph gust just off Margate this morning we arrived at Minnis Bay after lunch. With the tide coming in quickly we walked towards Grenham Bay and counted 37 Great Black-backed Gulls, mainly adults, 137 Oystercatchers, 44 Grey Plovers, 49 Turnstone, 1 Grey Heron, 7 Curlews, 69 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Little Egrets, 31 Redshank, 2 Sanderling, 45 Dunlin and the biggest surprise in the form of a Whimbrel flying W.

Turnstone

November 19th
On a cold but sunny morning we walked inland at Reculver and then along the seawall to Coldharbour. Birds we saw included 650 Cormorants, 7 Grey Partridges, 1 Chiffchaff, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Grey Wagtail, 103 Dark-bellied Brent Geese including one that looks like a hybrid Black Brant x Dark-bellied, 3 Curlew, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Snipe, 5 Stonechats, 20 Redshank, 6 Common Scoter, 12 Oystercatchers, 7 Ringed Plovers, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Marsh Harrier, 11 Corn Buntings, 16 Mallard, 5 Snow Buntings, 1 Peregrine unsuccessfully chasing a Stock Dove, 44 Golden Plovers, 3 Grey Herons and 110 Carrion Crows.

November 18th
We completed the same walk as yesterday and saw similar birds including 84 Cormorants, 2 Green Sandpipers, 6 Mute Swans, 4 Fieldfares, 23 Chaffinches, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Redwings, 1 Marsh Harrier, 210 Carrion Crows, 29 Oystercatchers, 66 Wigeon, 3 Goldfinches, 5 Snow Buntings, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Curlew, 1 Little Egret, 15 Teal and 3 Gadwall.

Snow Bunting

November 17th
This morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back and then inland. We saw 254 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Kingfisher, 9 Goldfinches, 38 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Grebes, 7 Redshank, 24 Oystercatchers, 1 Shelduck, 24 Mute Swans, 14 Mallard, 1 Marsh Harrier, 153 Carrion Crows, 5 Snow Buntings, 55 Lapwings, 2 Wigeon, 26 Fieldfares, 10 Skylarks, 8 Turnstone and 1 Green Sandpiper.

November 16th
We arrived at Reculver just as the overnight rain moved off and the sun came out to produce a surprisingly mild morning. On our walk up to Coldharbour we recorded 138 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Mute Swans, 1 Kingfisher, 14 Linnets, 21 Redshank, 20 Skylarks W, 10 Turnstone, 25 Ringed Plovers, 70 Starlings, 3 Corn Buntings W, 2 Curlew, 53 Oystercatchers, 278 Cormorants, 6 Pied Wagtails, 3 Stonechats, 320 Lapwings W, 1 Shelduck, 5 Snow Buntings, 135 Carrion Crows, 64 Mallard, 14 Teal, 14 Gadwall, 1 Grey Wagtail, 4 Sanderling, 162 Wigeon, 13 Goldfinches, 1 Peregrine, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Grey Plover and 1 Rock Pipit.