May 31st
On a bright and breezy afternoon with the threat of showers I had a walk at Reculver and saw 2 Blackcaps, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Hobby, 4 Shelduck, 23 Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck, 6 Reed Warblers, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Cetti's Warblers 3 Whitethroats, 2 Grey Partridges, 1 Whimbrel and 1 Chffchaff.
May 30th
Matt was out early this morning and walked from Shuart to Netherhale and Brooksend and on to Plumpudding. He counted 2 Green Woodpeckers, 6 Blackcaps, 3 Corn Buntings, 7 Tufted Duck, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, 14 Swallows, 4 Chiffchaffs, 1 Greenfinch, 7 Swifts, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Jay, 5 Coot, 1 Little Grebe, 6 Greylag Geese, 1 Little Egret, 1 Barn Owl hunting in daylight, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 5 Stonechats, a pair of Mute Swans with 7 cygnets and 8 Long-tailed Tits.
This afternoon I had a walk at Reculver and managed to avoid the passing showers. I recorded 10 Reed Warblers, 1 Turtle Dove, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Garden Warbler, 4 Blackcaps, 6 Sand Martins, 4 Tufted Duck, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 4 Pied Wagtails, 1 Green Woodpecker, 14 Mallard, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 1 male Marsh Harrier.
May 29th
This afternoon I had a walk at Reculver and saw 4 Blackcaps, 24 Stock Doves, 5 Whitethroats, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Kestrel, 12 Sand Martins, 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Egrets, 26 Mallard, 9 Reed Warblers, 1 Coot and 2 Cetti's Warblers.
On the insect front I recorded 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 5 Small Heaths, 1 Painted Lady, 2 Common Blues and 2 Banded Demoiselles.
 |
| Painted Lady |
May 28th
On a bright and breezy morning Matt walked at Reculver and from Chamber'sWall to Coldharbour and recorded 1 Cuckoo, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Common Terns, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Kestrels, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Swallows, 1 House Martin, 5 Sand Martins, 25 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Corn Bunting and 1 Jay.
May 27th
I managed to get out for an hour's birding at Reculver this afternoon and recorded 4 Blackaps, 12 Reed Warblers, 4 Whitethroats, 14 Sand Martins, 24 Stock Doves, 2 Shelduck, 5 Mute Swans, 26 Mallard, including a female with 9 ducklings, 3 male Tufted Ducks, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Garden Warbler singing, 2 Coot, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Jay.
I also saw 1 immature male Black-tailed Skimmer and 1 Broad-bodied Chaser.
 |
| Immature male Black-tailed Skimmer |
May 23rd
On wet but calm morning Matt walked along the seawall from Reculver to Plumpudding and back along the railway embankment. He saw 1 Fulmar, 10 Cetti's Warblers, 1 immature male Eider, 7 Swallows, 7 Little Egrets, 5 Stonechats, 6 Turnstone, 3 Corn Buntings, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Common Terns, 2 Tufted Ducks and 1 Marsh Harrier.
 |
| Immature male Eider - Matt Hindle |
May 22nd
This morning Matt walked from Chamber's Wall to Plumpudding and on to Brooksend and Netherhale and returned along the railway emabnkment. He saw 3 Green Woodpeckers, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Corn Buntings, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Cuckoos, 9 Blackcaps, 13 Cetti's Warblers, 29 Swallows, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling, 5 Grey Herons, 2 Marsh Harrier, 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 male Stonechat with 5 juveniles, 6 Coot, 9 Greylag Geese, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Greenfinches, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 9 Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Swifts, 3 Kestrels, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Common Buzzards, 1 Lapwing and 1 Little Grebe.
He also saw nine species of butterfly including 10 + Painted Ladies, 1 Brimstone and 5 freshly emerged Common Blues.
 |
| Summer plumaged Dunlin - Matt Hindle |
 |
| Ringed Plover - Matt Hindle |
 |
| Goldfinch - Matt Hindle |
 |
| Brimstone on railway embankment - Matt Hindle |
May 21st
Dave Smith was out in the Minnis Bay and Plumpudding area between 0450 and 0920 and his undoubted highlight was finding a Red-rumped Swallow flying W (169th) at the Shuart crossing. This is the eighth record of this species for the area. Other birds he saw were 3 Greylag Geese, 4 Mute Swans, 2 Shelduck, 7 Tufted Duck, 1 Eider, 3 Red-legged Partridges, 1 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Turtle Dove, 48 Swifts W, 5 Oystercatchers, 3 Ringed Plovers, 1 Turnstone, 18 Sanderling, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Common Terns, 3 Sandwich Terns, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Kestrels, 2 Jay, 4 Sand Martins, 17 Swallows, 4 House Martins, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Stonechats and 2 Yellow Wagtails.
 |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Dave Smith |
Matt was also out early and walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and Chamber's Wall. He saw 17 Swifts W, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls W, 17 Swallows W, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 7 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 8 Shelduck, 8 Little Egrets, 1 Canada Goose, 1 Sandwich Tern, 2 Stonechat, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Blackcaps, 3 House Martins, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Turnstones, 1 Kestrel, 2 Common Buzzards, 20 Sand Martins and 1 Marsh Harrier.
May 20th
On an increasingly wet morning Matt walked from Reculver to Plumpudding and back. He counted 1 Blackcap, 8 Swallows, 1 Cuckoo, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls W, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Kestrel, 7 Little Egrets, 1 immature White-fronted Goose E, 1 Shelduck, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 13 Turnstone, 4 Common Terns, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Whimbrel W, 2 Grey Herons, 2 Teal, 3 Corn Buntings, 1 Swift, 2 Tufted Ducks, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Stonechats, 3 Sandwich Tern and 2 Avocets W.
In the evening, after the rain, Dave Smith had a two hour walk aroung the Hillborough area. Birds he recorded included 11Stock Doves, 5 Swifts SW, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 2 Skylarks, 10 Sand Martins, 5 Swallows, 20 House Martins, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 3 Whitethroats.
May 19th
After overnight thundery showers Dave Smith arrived at 0517 and spent three hours in the Minnis Bay and Plumpudding area. Birds he saw included 1 Greylag Goose, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Shelduck, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 5 Great Crested Grbes, 3 Stock Doves, 1 Cuckoo, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 Lapwing, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Tern, 2 Grey Herons, 7 Little Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 5 Swallows, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Wheatears and 2 Yellow Wagtails.
May 18th
Dave Smith was out in the Shuart and Plumpudding area between 0445 and 0745 and his highlights were 4 Mute Swans, 3 Shelduck, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebes, 7 Swifts W, 3 Coot, 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Lapwings, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Redshank, 5 Mediterranean Gulls E, 4 Common Terns, 10 Little Egrets, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 7 Swallows, 3 House Martins W, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 adult and 4 recently fledged juvenile Stonechats and 3 Yellow Wagtails.
 |
| Stonechat - Dave Smith |
 |
| Meadow Pipit - Dave Smith |
 |
| Painted Lady - Dave Smith |
May 16th
Dave Smith was out at 0500 and for three hours birded the Minnis Bay and Plumpudding areas. The birds he saw included 1 Mute Swan, 5 Shelduck, 8 Tufted Duck, 1 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Coot, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Lapwings, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Common Terns, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Kestrel, 1 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Stonechats, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Rock Pipit and 5 Linnets.
May 15th
Matt walked aroung Shuart, Netherhale and Brooksend this morning and saw 7 Blackcaps, 3 Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Corn Buntings, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Greylag Geese, 3 Little Egrets, 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Coot, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Grey Herons, 2 Stonechats, 12 Swallows, 19 Pied Wagtails and 2 Kestrels.
Dave Smith was also out at Shuart at 0430 and in 3 hours birds he saw included 26 Greylag Geese, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Turtle Dove, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Swifts, 5 Coot, 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Lapwings, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Turnstone, 3 Grey Herons, 4 Little Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 1 Sand Martin, 9 Swallows, 3 Chiffchaffs and 1 Yellow Wagtail.
This afternoon I had a walk at Reculver where I recorded 5 Blackcaps, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Pied Wagtails, 2 Chiffchaffs, 9 Long-tailed Tits, 22 Sand Martins, 2 Shelduck, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 Garden Warbler, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Whitethroats, 1 summer plumaged Dunlin, 8 Reed Warblers, 3 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Coot.
 |
| Summer plumaged Dunlin |
 |
| Second summer Lesser Black-backed Gull |
