June 30th
It was very pleasant as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour this morning. We saw 2 Kestrels, 8 Linnets, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Sandwich Terns, 3 Little Egrets, 13 Cormorants, 5 Turnstone, 1 Mallard, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Ringed Plovers, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Curlew, 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 immature male Eider, 1 first summer Mediterranean Gull, 10 Meadow Pipits, 1 Turtle Dove and 1 Blackcap.

Turnstone

Today, at Bishopstone, David Barnes photographed a Green-eyed Flower Bee on flowers by the cliff top.

Green-eyed Flower Bee

June 29th
On a cloudy morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then visited Reculver on the way home and saw 2 Green Woodpeckers, 35 Swifts feeding over fields at Chamber's Wall, 21 Whitethroats, 4 Turtle Doves, 19 Mallard, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Corn Bunting, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 immature male Eider, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Redshank, 4 Linnets, 1 Little Egret, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and 1 Blackcap,

Summer plumaged Black-headed Gull

June 28th
We arrived at Reculver just as the heavy overnight rain had cleared through and walked up to Coldharbour before walking inland at Reculver. We saw 4 Pied Wagtails, 11 Linnets, 9 Cormorants, 11 Oystercatchers, 4 Curlew W, 6 Little Egrets, 1 Turnstone, 1 Redshank, 20 Mallard, 14 Meadow Pipits, 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Little Owl, 4 Swifts, 4 Sand Martins, 1 Kestrel, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Whitethroats and 1 Common Buzzard.

Oystercatcher

June 27th
It is still very quiet at Reculver so much so that I took photos of plants rather than birds! Birds we saw on our walk from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour included a family group of 4 Turtle Doves, 2 Goldfinches, 8 Whitethroats, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 18 Blue Tits, 7 Linnets, 7 Mallard, 1 Chiffchaff, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Swift, 2 Linnets, 1 immature male Eider, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Redshank, 1 Corn Bunting and 1 Green Woodpecker.

Tufted Vetch

Spiny Restharrow

Hog's Fennel

June 26th
We spent the morning ringing at Reculver and saw 5 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 40 Mallard, 1 Corn Bunting, 7 Whitethroats, 4 Turtle Doves, 1 female Bullfinch, 1 Sparrowhawk,  3 Green Woodpeckers, 15 Reed Warblers, 4 Sedge Warblers, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Kestrels, 6 Swifts, 4 Jays, 30 Sand Martins and 1 Little Egret.

Birds ringed 27: Chiffchaff 1, Blue Tit 7, Bullfinch 1, Reed Warbler 6, Sedge Warbler 2, Blackcap 2, Whitethroat 3, Dunnock 1, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 1, Turtle Dove 2 pullus.

Sedge Warbler

June 25th
It remains very quiet and our walks at Shuart, Chamber's Wall, Coldharbour and Reculver this morning did not produce very much. Highlight was hearing 4 Turtle Doves "purring" at different sites across the Marsh. Other birds seen included 15 Whitethroats, 4 Mallard, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Shelduck, 2 Linnets, 1 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 3 Oystercatchers, 1 Eider, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 1 Swift W.

Hedge Bedstraw flowering in profusion across the Marsh

June 24th
It was cloudy and cooler with a moderate SW breeze blowing this morning as we walked from Chamber's Wall to the Oyster Farm lagoons. We recorded 18 Swifts W, 2 Turtle Doves, 1 Blackcap, 5 Whitethroats, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Mallard, 6 Oystercatchers, 3 Eiders, 2 Linnets, 6 Ringed Plovers, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Kestrel, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 1 Chiffchaff.

Female Yellow Wagtail

June 23rd
There was a more reasonable temperature this morning as we had a ringing session at Reculver. During the time we were there we saw 3 Cetti's Warblers, 34 Mallard, 3 Mute Swans, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 5 Jays, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Turtle Doves, 20 Sand Martins, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Siskins, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Shelduck, 1 Corn Bunting, 4 Teal, 1 Common Buzzard, 20 Reed Warblers, 2 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Grey Wagtail W, 6 Swifts W and 1 Greenshank.

Birds ringed 22: Chiffchaff 3, Wren 1, Reed Warbler 9, Blue Tit 1, Cetti's Warbler 1, Blackcap 1, Reed Bunting 1, Whitethroat 1, Dunnock 1, Blackbird 3.

Adult Reed Warbler

Comma

June 22nd
With the hot weather continuing we walked along the seawall from Reculver to Coldharbour and managed to find a cooling westerly breeze. Birds we saw were 7 Goldfinches, 1 juvenile Black Redstart on the rocks by the Towers, 1 Little Owl, 8 Oystercatchers, 1 Redshank, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Turnstone, 4 Whitethroats, 2 Lapwings, 6 Ringed Plovers, 7 Linnets, 2 Shelduck, 1 Swift W, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls W, 9 Mallard, 7 Cormorants and 2 Pied Wagtails.

Juvenile Black Redstart

June 21st
Yet another hot and humid morning as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then at Reculver. Birding is a bit of a struggle at the moment with few changes over the last few days. We saw 13 Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Linnets, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Corn Buntings, 54 Mallard, 3 Mute Swans, 20 Sand Martins, 2 Teal, 2 Jays and 1 Green Woodpecker.

June 20th
Although it was still very humid this morning some thin cloud and light breeze off the sea made it bearable. We walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back before walking inland and saw 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Little Owl, 10 Whitethroats, 5 Little Egrets, 6 Linnets, 3 Turnstone, 10 Ringed Plovers, 14 Mallard, 9 Oystercatchers, 2 Swifts, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Redshank, 1 Fulmar, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Kestrel, 1 Blackcap, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 1 Grey Heron. We also found 2 Marbled Whites.

Turnstone

June 19th
On another hot and humid morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and the Oyster Farm before walking inland. We saw 12 Whitethroats, 1 Turtle Dove, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Grey Heron, 7 Oystercatchers, 8 Ringed Plovers, 4 Little Egrets, 6 Shelduck, 6 Linnets, 24 Mallard, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Little Terns W, 3 Mute Swans, 1 Coot, 1 Corn Bunting and 1 Marsh Harrier.

Little Egret

June 18th
On another steamy morning we started early and ringed on the Marsh south of the railway line. We saw 1 Cuckoo, 11 Whitethroats, 5 Goldfinches, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Marsh Harrier, 6 Sedge Warblers, 20 Reed Warblers including one ringed in Belgium and 2 Yellow Wagtails.

Birds ringed 32: Wren 6, Chiffchaff 1, Reed Warbler 11, Blue Tit 1, Sedge Warbler 3, Whitethroat 7, Great Tit 1, Dunnock 1, Blackbird 1.

June 17th
We had an early start on a very warm morning and ringed at Reculver where there were many juvenile birds to be seen. We counted 8 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 49 Mallard, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 eclipse male Garganey, 1 Little Egret, 2 Jays, 1 male Bullfinch, 2 Turtle Doves, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 14 Whitethroats, 1 Siskin, 150 Sand Martins, 1 Kestrel, 3 Mute Swans, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Grey Heron. We also saw 10 Black-tailed Skimmers.

Birds ringed 40: Great Tit 8, Bullfinch 1, Whitethroat 5, Cetti's Warbler 2, Blue Tit 10, Reed Warbler 1, Blackcap 3, Robin 1, Dunnock 6, Song Thrush 2, Mallard 1.

Male Bullfinch

June 16th
Although it was sunny this morning there was still a fresh west wind blowing as we walked from Chamber's Wall to the Oyster Farm and recorded 19 Whitethroats, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 7 Swifts W, 1 second summer Mediterranean Gull, 4 Common Terns, 6 Oystercatchers, 9 Linnets, 6 Ringed Plovers, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Cuckoos, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Chiffchaff.

Second summer Mediterranean Gull 

Cinnabar Moth

This afternoon we travelled two miles south of our recording area to East Blean Woods where we counted 21 Heath Fritillaries, 31 Meadow Browns, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 White Admiral, 1 Peacock, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Comma and 2 Ringlets.
Birds we saw included 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Jays and 1 Bullfinch.



Heath Fritillary

White Admiral