July 31st
Our walk this morning from Shuart to Plumpudding lagoon began in sunshine and ended with a shower. We counted 2 Blackcaps, 5 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 6 Whitethroats, 4 Goldfinches, 16 Swifts W, 63 Linnets, 24 Sandwich Terns, 33 Turnstone, 23 Ringed Plovers, 66 Common Terns, 11 Whimbrel, 3 Oystercatchers, 12 Sanderling, 1 Redshank, 1 Marsh Harrier, 60 House Sparrows, 3 Pied Wagtails and 1 Kestrel.

Newly hatched Ringed Plover

July 30th
It was a blustery morning with a threat of showers as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back. We recorded 27 Swifts flying W, 16 Linnets, 5 Pied Wagtails, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Little Owl, 11 Cormorants, 9 Little Egrets, 24 Sand Martins, 1 Mallard, 3 Redshank, 12 Turnstone, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull W, 1 Common Sandpiper, 15 Ringed Plovers, 7 Oystercatchers and 1 Curlew. We also found a Hummingbird Hawk Moth on the Roman walls at Reculver.

View from Coldharbour this morning

Moulting Magpie

July 29th
On a humid morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and back along the Green Wall and railway embankment. We counted 87 Swifts W, 2 Kestrels, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Green Woodpecker, 48 Linnets, 2 Common Terns, 1 Redshank, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 immature male Eider, 3 Little Egrets, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 7 Whitethroats, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Curlew, 9 Turnstone, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Goldfinches and 1 Turtle Dove.

Small Skipper

Marc Heath was out earlier and walked from Reculver and saw 110 Swifts W, 3 Kestrels, 18 Yellow Wagtails, 1 juvenile Wheatear, 1 Black-tailed Godwit W (174th), 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Eider, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Curlew, 40 Common Terns W and 2 Sanderling.

July 28th
It almost felt autumnal out on the seawall this morning with a cool, fresh SW wind blowing and overcast conditions. On our walk from Reculver to Coldharbour we saw 4 Goldfinches, 6 Pied Wagtails, 8 Little Egrets, 2 Kestrels, 8 Cormorants, 42 Sand Martins, 4 Common Sandpipers, 7 Linnets, 20 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Whimbrel W, 8 Oystercatchers, 27 Meadow Pipits, 2 Common Terns, 10 Turnstone, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin, 1 immature male Eider, 1 juvenile Peregrine unsuccessfully chasing anything that flew, 1 Curlew and 1 juvenile Wheatear.

Juvenile Peregrine

July 27th
It felt cooler this morning as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then on to the Oyster Farm. Birds we saw included 9 Whitethroats, 1 Kestrel, 1 Common Tern, 29 Linnets, 1 Green Woodpecker, 8 Little Egrets, 3 Dunlin, 13 Redshank, 12 Turnstone, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 8 Oystercatchers, 1 immature male Eider, 1 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 6 Ringed Plovers, 1 juvenile Wheatear, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Hobby and 1 Common Buzzard.

Perforate St John's Wort

July 26th
It was relatively quiet this morning as we walked along the seawall from Reculver to Coldharbour. We saw 4 Pied Wagtails, 1 Green Woodpecker, 15 Sand Martins, 2 Swifts W, 33 Linnets, 14 Redshank, 6 Little Egrets, 3 Kestrels, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Lapwing, 1 Curlew, 6 Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Turnstone and 1 Clouded Yellow.

Sea Holly

July 25th
On a showery morning with the tide out we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and then on to the Oyster Farm. We counted 4 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Kingfisher, 37 Swifts W, 4 Linnets, 1 Grey Heron, 1 immature male Eider, 11 Ringed Plovers, 2 Mallard, 6 Oystercatchers, 8 Redshank, 5 Little Egrets, 4 Whimbrel W, 1 Grey Plover, 4 adult Common Gulls W, 1 Dunlin, 1 juvenile Wheatear, 1 Kestrel, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 7 Cormorants and 1 Clouded Yellow.

Juvenile Grey Heron

July 24th
We arrived at Chamber's Wall after lunch and walked up to Coldharbour with a fresh NW wind blowing and saw 128 Swifts feeding and flying W, 2 Ringed Plovers, 12 Mallard, 7 Oystercatchers, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Common Gull, 2 Turnstone, 1 Redshank, 1 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 immature male Eider.

Sandwich Tern

Whimbrel

Marc Heath was out this morning and walked from Reculver to Coldharbour seeing 30 Swifts W, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls E, 6 Pied Wagtails, 11 Sand Martins, 3 Swallows, 8 Little Egrets, 5 Redshank, 10 Linnets, 6 Turnstone, 1 Curlew, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Kestrels, 4 Sanderling, 2 Common Sandpipers, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Ringed Plovers and 6 Oystercatchers.

July 23rd
After yesterday's excitement, today was much quieter as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and on to the Oyster Farm. We saw 11 Whitethroats, 18 Linnets, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Common Sandpipers, 8 Ringed Plovers, 9 Oystercatchers, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 juvenile Wheatear, 14 Meadow Pipits, 26 Turnstone, 9 Little Egrets, 3 Redshank 2 Grey Herons, 8 Cormorants, 3 Dunlin, 1 immature male Eider, 1 Marsh Harrier and 10 Long-tailed Tits.

Juvenile Wheatear - Mark Chidwick

July 22nd
It was an excellent morning after the early rain-bearing front had moved through bringing the best migration morning for waders and terns so far. We met Julian and Alex Perry and Mark Chidwick at Coldharbour and between us had an impressive range of species. Birds seen included 4 Goldfinches, 10 Pied Wagtails, 6 Cormorants, 20 Linnets, 21 Redshank, 23 Yellow Wagtails, 11 Greenshank, 3 Wood Sandpipers, 150 Sand Martins, 15 Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Oystercatchers, 2 Swifts, 1 Kestrel, 2 Whitethroats, 43 Turnstone, 12 Common Sandpipers, 4 Whimbrels W, 16 Meadow Pipits, 61 Common Terns W, 1 immature Eider, 1 Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Terns, 2 Black Terns W (173rd), 15 Common Scoter E, 1 Sanderling, 13 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron and 1 juvenile Wheatear.



Little Terns

July 21st
This morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and dropped in at Reculver on the way home. We saw 1 Turtle Dove, 21 Linnets, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Corn Bunting, 8 Oystercatchers, 1 immature male Eider, 4 Ringed Plovers, 7 Sanderling, 1 Redshank, 6 Whimbrel W, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Common Tern, 1 Little Ringed Plover W, 11 Whitethroats and 1 Jay.

Female Reed Bunting

July 20th
This morning began sunny and breezy but as we were returning to Chamber's Wall the drizzle began. The bird of the morning was a Wood Sandpiper (172nd) we found in Coldharbour.

Wood Sandpiper



Other birds we saw included 12 Swallows W, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 male Turtle Dove  doing its display flight and then "purring", 7 Swifts W,  Whitethroats, 15 Linnets, 6 Little Egrets, 5 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 immature male Eider, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Dunlin, 11 Turnstone and 1 Green Woodpecker.
This evening a group of 50 Swifts flew W at Bishopstone.

July 19th
After a violent thunderstorm deposited 25mm of rain on our garden in an hour overnight we decided to walk along the seawall at Reculver this morning to see if any waders had been forced down. We recorded 10 Pied Wagtails, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 13 Cormorants, 5 Little Egrets, 30 Linnets, 2 Grey Herons, 12 Mallard, 3 Oystercatchers, 9 Ringed Plovers, 19 Redshank, 1 Snipe, 7 Common Sandpipers, 10 Dunlin, 7 Turnstone, 1 immature male Eider, 2 Mute Swans, 2 Kestrels and 1 juvenile Wheatear. We also saw 1 Clouded Yellow.

Juvenile Wheatear

July 18th
On a bright and breezy morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and recorded 18 Linnets, 9 Cormorants, 9 Pied Wagtails, 10 Sand Martins, 7 Little Egrets, 5 Redshank, 14 Turnstone, 10 Ringed Plovers, 1 immature male Eider, 1 Common Sandpiper, 9 summer plumaged Dunlin, 1 Corn Bunting, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 6 Oystercatchers, 3 Mallard, 2 Sandwich Terns W, 1 Kestrel, 3 Swifts, 2 Mediterranaen Gulls E and 1 Sanderling.
There were also 2 Clouded Yellows on the track below the seawall.

Immature male Eider

July 17th
We spent an overcast and humid morning ringing at Shuart where we saw 4 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Greenshank, 1 juvenile Cuckoo, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Marsh Harriers, 6 Blackcaps, 24 Whitethroats, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Curlews, 7 Swifts, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Kestrel, 4 Sedge Warblers, 25 Reed Warblers, 16 Goldfinches and 17 Cormorants flying S.

Birds ringed 35: Chiffchaff 1, Wren 2, Reed Warbler 12, Whitethroat 12, Blackcap 3, Sedge Warbler 1, Great Tit 2, Reed Bunting 1, Dunnock 1.