January 31st
It was a beautiful sunny and still winter's morning even though the temperature was subzero and  the River Wantsum was freezing over. It began with 38 Golden Plover flying W high over my garden at Bishopstone as I was eating my breakfast.
We then drove to Chamber's Wall and walked up to the seawall and counted 18 Corn Buntings, 2 Curlew, 14 Skylarks, 66 Mallard, 3 Sanderling, 1 Teal, 22 Red-throated Divers flying E, 1 Stonechat, 64 Oystercatchers flying down towards Thanet, 34 Carrion Crows, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 20 Reed Buntings.

A freezing River Wantsum

While we were doing this Matt walked round Shuart and recorded 20 Snipe, 500 Lapwings, 1 Ruff (108th), 2 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Golden Plovers, 2 Common Buzzards and 2 Long-tailed Tits.

January 30th
We didn't get any overnight snow, just rain, and this morning dawned bright with a bitter WNW wind blowing. We walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and recorded 79 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Common Scoter, 45 Red-throated Divers, 1 Kestrel, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 adult male Peregrine, 30 Mallard, 1 Ringed Plover, 7 Grey Plover, 93 Oystercatchers, 2 Stonechats, 17 Corn Buntings, 2 Turnstone, 1 Curlew, 2 Snow Buntings, 84 Carrion Crows, 5 Shelduck, 1 Little Egret and 2 Redshank.
Later Matt discovered a Common Treecreeper (107th) singing at Reculver.

January 29th
On a very cold morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back and recorded 120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Oystercatchers, 33 Mute Swans, 9 Ringed Plovers, 1 Grey Plover, 17 Redshank, 1 Short-eared Owl, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Snow Buntings, 2 Turnstone, 58 Carrion Crows, 32 Mallard, 6 Shelduck, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Male Snow Bunting

January 28th
It was cold, windy but bright as we arrived at the Towers at 0730 for a 90 minute seawatch. We counted 25 Red-throated Divers W, 17 Kittiwakes W, 51 Oystercatchers, 32 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 420 Herring Gulls W, 1 second winter Yellow-legged Gull W, 5 Great Crested Grebes W, 1 Great Northern Diver W, 1 Guillemot on the sea and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull W.
We then drove to Chamber's Wall and Coldharbour where we saw 6 Yellowhammers, 14 Magpies, 130 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 7 Shelduck, 5 Mute Swans, 18 Mallard, 17 Carrion Crows, 1 Curlew and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull W.

Shelduck in Coldharbour

January 27th
We didn't venture out until after lunch and then with a chilly and blustery wind blowing had a short walk at Reculver and a longer one at Shuart. Birds we saw included 44 Mute Swans, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Moorhen, 2 Jays, 1 Little Egret, 10 Redshank, 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese over the seawall at Minnis Bay, 56 Mallard, 2 Teal and 2 Chiffchaffs.

January 26th
It was milder and breezy this morning but there was not a great deal to see as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour, just 1 Common Buzzard, 10 Mute Swans, 27 Oystercatchers, 25 Mallard, 4 Redshank, 54 Carrion Crows, 2 Shelduck, 30 Common Scoter, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Green Woodpecker.
Later this morning Richard Collins found the Hooded Crow with Carrion Crows east of Coldharbour.

January 25th
On a wet and overcast morning we walked along the seawall from Reculver to Coldharbour. We saw 33 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 32 Carrion Crows, 1 Hooded Crow on the beach by the Towers at 0730, 5 Redshank, 18 Oystercatchers, 17 Ringed Plovers, 3 Curlew, 1 Grey Plover, 19 Mallard, 3 Stonechats, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Shelduck, 1 Corn Bunting, 14 Teal, 1 Little Egret and 1 adult male Peregrine.
Whilst out running this morning Julian Perry saw a ring-tailed Hen Harrier (106th)  on the southern side of the Marsh.
This morning at the Minnis Bay end of the recording area Terry Wilson counted 6 Curlew, 12 Ringed Plovers, 10 Dunlin, 35 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Redshank, 5 Grey Plovers, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, 30 Common Scoter and 30 Great Crested Grebes.

January 24th
After yesterday's washout this morning dawned bright but with sub zero temperatures as we arrived at Chamber's Wall. We walked up to Coldharbour and then on to the Oyster Farm with the tide a long way out. The highlight of the morning was finding a Hooded Crow (104th) out on the tide's edge at the Wantsum outflow with some of the local Carrion Crows. This is the first Hooded Crow seen in the area since 2011.

Hooded Crow

Other birds we saw included 6 Yellowhammers, 15 Blackbirds, 10 Chaffinches, 2 Marsh Harriers, 4 Stonechats, 12 Corn Buntings, 28 Linnets, 35 Mallard, 57 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Shelduck, 12 Redshank, 1 Green Woodpecker, 18 Oystercatchers, 30 Carrion Crows, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Snipe and 2 Gadwall.
This afternoon between 1330 and 1530 Mike Roser walked up to Coldharbour and his highights were 2 Snow Buntings at Coldharbour, 2 Short-eared Owls at the Oyster Farm, 22 Ringed Plovers, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Jack Snipe (105th) near Coldharbour.

January 23rd
On a thoroughly revolting morning with a fresh and freezing north wind blowing in wintry showers we did not spend a lot of time out and subsequently did not see a great deal. Matt spent 40 minutes at the Towers and only saw 200 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Sanderling and 3 Red-throated Divers. Whilst he was doing this we walked inland and recorded 2 Common Buzzards and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

January 22nd
We arrived at Reculver at first light just as the overnight rain had moved through east. In an uninspiring two hour seawatch we saw 470 Cormorants, 19 Red-throated Divers W, 1 Oystercatcher, 38 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 30 Common Scoter on the sea down toward Minnis Bay, 1 large auk W, 5 Kittiwakes W, 1 Redshank, 200 Herring Gulls W and 2 Shelduck W.
After this we drove down to Minnis Bay where the tide was coming in and counted 138 Oystercatchers, 61 Grey Plovers, 4 Curlew, 110 Great Crested Grebes, 82 Dunlin, 1 Little Egret, 34 Ringed Plovers, 86 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Fulmar and 14 Redshank.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese

January 21st
On another beautiful winter's morning we had our first ringing session of the year on the Marsh south of the railway. Birds we saw during three and a half hours included 2 Common Buzzards, 51 Cormorants flying out to sea, 140 Corn Buntings, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Redwing, 12 Yellowhammers, 17 Mute Swans, 11 Golden Plovers, 1 Sparrowhawk, 70 Reed Buntings, 7 Lapwings W, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 12 Chaffinches, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Fieldfare.

Birds ringed 23: Reed Bunting 18, Cetti's Warbler 1, Yellowhammer 2, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 1

Female Yellowhammer

January 20th
On a beautiful still, sunny and frosty morning we started at Reculver and then drove one car to Chamber's Wall before walking back to Reculver. We saw a good range of species including 1 juvenile Kittiwake, 1 Peregrine, 300 Cormorants, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 9 Yellowhammers, 54 Corn Buntings, 15 Chaffinches, 20 Blackbirds, 8 Redwing, 41 Mute Swans, 180 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 35 Reed Buntings, 4 Coot, 45 Linnets, 1 Little Egret, 3 Redshank, 39 Mallard, 4 Goldfinches, 4 Grey Plovers, 6 Shelduck, 5 Oystercatchers, 3 Turnstone, 40 Common Scoter, 13 Red-throated Divers, 3 Stonechats, 1 Common Buzzard, 48 Ringed Plovers, 1 Snipe (103rd), 50 Meadow Pipits, 4 Lapwings and 2 Long-tailed Tits.

January 19th
It was another cold morning as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and recorded 1 Kestrel, 1 Grey Heron, 18 Blackbirds, 2 Goldfinches, 4 Redwings, 13 Chaffinches, 2 Coot, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Stonechats, 35 Mallard, 66 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Oystercatchers, 1 Little Egret, 3 Shelduck, 5 Mute Swans, 2 Redshank and 1 Corn Buntings.

Female Stonechat

January 18th
On a freezing but still morning we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and on to the Oyster Farm lagoons. Birds we saw included 1 Short-eared Owl, 31 Corn Buntings, 7 Yellowhammers, 2 Redwings, 4 Coot, 424 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Blackbirds, 23 Mallard, 2 Little Egrets, 20 Reed Buntings, 5 Shelduck, 4 Goldfinches, 14 Oystercatchers, 1 Curlew, 2 Snow Buntings, 7 Mute Swans, 3 Grey Plovers, 1 Redshank and 2 Stonechats.

Female Snow Bunting

January 17th
With a cold NW wind blowing this morning I spent an hour and a half seawatchng at the Towers. Most birds recorded were flying W and included 300 Herring Gulls, 1 adult "intermedius"  Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 first winter Yellow-legged Gull (102nd), 80 Black-headed Gulls, 18 Common Gulls, 10 Great Black-backed Gulls, 31 Kittiwakes, 35 Cormorants, 4 Red-throated Divers, 1 male Common Scoter, 1 Guillemot and 1 Great Crested Grebe sitting on the sea and 278 Dark-bellied Brent Geese flying down towards Thanet.