December 31st
It was another blustery and showery morning as we walked at Reculver. We saw 160 Lapwings, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Jay, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Coot, 580 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 adult Black Brant, 18 Linnets, 1 Redshank, 1 Pied Wagtail and 2 Shelduck.
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| Adult Black Brant |
December 30th
On a mild but blustery morning we walked inland at Reculver and then along the seawall. We counted 4 Mute Swans, 1 Jay, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 5 Goldfinches, 875 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 adult Black Brant, 3 Red-throated Divers, 1 Pied Wagtail, 6 Meadow Pipits, 2 Stonechats, 1 female Marsh Harrier flying W out at sea, 28 Linnets, 1 Dartford Warbler and 2 Redshank.
December 29th
We made two visits to Reculver today and recorded 250 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 68 Oystercatchers, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 16 Red-throated Divers, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 1 Shelduck, 7 Goldfinches, 100 Woodpigeons, 2 Common Buzzards, 13 Mute Swans, 1 Little Egret, 11 Gadwall, 1 Mallard, 1 Coot, 1 Wigeon, 45 Linnets and 1 Teal.
December 28th
It was a blustery and occasionally drizzly morning as we spent an hour at Minnis Bay seawatching. We counted 55 Grey Plovers, 60 Dunlin, 110 Oystercatchers, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 26 Red-throated Divers, 33 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Rock Pipit, 4 Little Egrets, 3 Curlew, 1 Common Scoter and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits.
December 27th
Between us this morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and then inland at Reculver. It was a dreary morning with rain threatening but we managed to count 6 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Stonechats, 268 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 13 Turnstone, 11 Ringed Plovers, 31 Common Scoter, 2 Redshank, 80 House Sparrow, 15 Red-throated Divers, 3 Shelduck, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Oystercatcher, 220 Lapwings, 17 Teal, 11 Wigeon, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Curlew, 2 Mallard, 6 Dunlin, 50 Fieldfares, 1 female Marsh Harrier in off the sea, 12 Gadwall, 1 Tufted Duck and 1 Chiffchaff.
December 25th
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Christmas Day dawned wet with a chilly E wind blowing so we spent an hour and a half seawatching at Minnis Bay. We counted 1 Mute Swan, 57 Red-throated Divers, 1 Pintail E, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 30 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 16 Wigeon, 12 Shoveler, 2 large auks, 6 Lapwings W, 19 Teal, 21 Gannets, 1 Common Scoter, 5 Kittiwakes E, 1 Guillemot W and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull W.
December 24th
On a dull and sometimes drizzly morning we walked up to Coldharbour and counted 1 Pied Wagtail, 254 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 28 Redshank, 2 Stonechats, 14 Mallard, 3 Red-throated Divers, 11 Oystercatcher, 3 Turnstone, 80 House Sparrows, 12 Lapwings, 1 Little Egret, 2 Sanderling, 150 Woodpigeons, 39 Ringed Plovers, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Dartford Warbler and 24 Meadow Pipits.
December 23rd
As usual we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and recorded 2 Stonechats, 390 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 18 Redshank, 17 Oystercatchers, 28 Linnets, 1 Curlew, 1 Grey Plover, 19 Turnstone, 62 Ringed Plovers, 18 Mallard, 3 Shelduck, 1 Kestrel, 1 Velvet Scoter and 3 Eider flying E, 350 Woodpigeons being harried by a Peregrine, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose.
This afternoon forty minutes seawatching at Minnis Bay produced 10 Gannets flying E, 53 Red-throated Divers on the sea and flying E, 15 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Black-throated Diver diving and feeding close in shore.
December 22nd
There had been a heavy frost overnight but the sun was shining as I walked from Reculver to Coldharbour. I counted 580 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Common Buzzard, 13 Redshank, 60 Linnets, 2 Wigeon, 8 Goldfinches, 1 Curlew, 19 Oystercatchers, 20 Mallard, 2 Grey Plovers, 12 Turnstone, 32 Ringed Plovers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Shelduck, 1 Teal, 200 Woodpigeons, 1 Peregrine, 1 Kingfisher, 5 Stonechats, 1 Little Egret, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose and 1 Song Thrush.
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| Female Stonechat on Yellow Horned Poppy |
December 21st
At last we got a glimpse of the sun this morning as we walked from Reculver to the Wantsum outflow. Birds we saw included 506 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 14 Common Scoter, 53 Lapwings, 19 Oystercatchers, 37 Mallard, 35 Wigeon, 19 Redshank, 29 Goldfinches, 1 Curlew, 2 Shelduck, 16 Ringed Plovers, 1 Turnstone, 1 adult Black Brant at the Wantsum outflow and 16 Meadow Pipits.
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| Sunrise |
December 20th
On a slightly brighter morning we walked along the seawall from Reculver and Matt walked in from Chamber's Wall and between us we saw 420 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 14 Mallard, 1 Turnstone, 13 Goldfinches, 3 Stonechats, 26 Ringed Plovers, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrels, 200 Woodpigeons, 14 Corn Buntings, 1 Peregrine, 50 Fieldfares, 20 Redwings, 20 Blackbirds, 32 White-fronted Geese flying high NW and 2 Yellowhammers.
December 19th
It was damp and foggy this morning as Matt walked from Shuart and we met him on the seawall having walked in from Reculver. Between us we counted 82 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 immature Shag in Coldharbour, 9 Shelduck, 3 Teal, 3 Corn Buntings, 3 Curlew, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Redshank, 54 Mallard, 2 Wigeon, 2 Stonechats, 42 Barnacle Geese calling loudly as they emerged out of the fog and flew E, 1 White-fronted Goose, 16 Goldfinches and 1 Fieldfare.
December 18th
It was dull and dreary during this morning on our walk along the seawall from Reculver. We saw 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Lapwing on the beach, 22 Mallard, 2 Wigeon, 5 Redshank, 1 Shelduck, 1 Great Northern Diver feeding offshore, 286 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Red-throated Divers, 1 Turnsone, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Goldfinches, 2 Pied Wagtails and 1 Common Buzzard.
December 17th
On our walk to Coldharbour this morning we recorded 75 Sanderling, 3 Redshank, 20 Mallard, 35 Corn Buntings, 322 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 28 Ringed Plovers, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 13 Goldfinches, 1 Shelduck, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Grey Plovers, 17 Turnstone, 21 Dunlin, 2 Stonechats, 1 Little Egret, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Guillemot and 1 Common Buzzard.
