November 30th

On a typical, dull and quiet winter's morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back. We counted 22 Mute Swans, 3 Pied Wagtails, 6 Redshank, 3 Stonechats, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 11 Ringed Plovers, 14 Meadow Pipits, 1,385 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 85 Carrion Crows, 42 Mallard, 12 Corn Buntings, 16 Linnets, 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Shelduck, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Rock Pipit and 1 Kestrel.

Part of the flock of 1,385 Dark-bellied Brent Geese

Stonechat

Meadow Pipit

November 29th

We had intended to walk along the seawall from Reculver this morning but when we got out to the car we found a puncture in the front tyre. By the time the very efficient AA man had replaced the tyre with the spare and I had got the puncture fixed in Herne Bay it was mid morning so we decided to do our walk this afternoon. We arrived at a sunny Reculver after lunch and walked inland where we recorded 1 Common Buzzard, 80 Stock Doves, 250 Woodpigeons, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 56 Mallard, 3 Chiffchaffs, 32 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 52 Teal, 8 Little Grebes, 1 Redshank, 46 Coot, 10 Tufted Duck, 1 Dunlin, 9 Blackbirds, 3 Mute Swans and 1 Redwing.

November 28th

After yesterday's horrible weather today dawned sunny, calm and cold so we walked from Minnis Bay to Plumpudding lagoon and back. Birds we saw included 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 174 Sanderling, 67 Redshank, 22 Oystercatchers, 44 Turnstone, 2 Stonechats, 5 Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylarks, 21 Curlew, 1 Grey Plover, 21 Mallard, 15 Dunlin, 48 Ringed Plovers, 6 Goldfinches, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Corn Buntings, 2 Pied Wagtails and 2 Ring-necked Parakeets.         

Roosting Redshank

Derek Smith was also out in the sunshine this morning and walked from Shuart along the railway embankment and back via Coldharbour and Plumpudding. He saw 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Little Egret, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 10 Gadwall, 1 Teal, 2 Sparrowhawks, 7 Redshank, 36 Grey plovers, 33 Dunlin, 21 Curlew, 42 Ringed Plovers, 1 Water Rail, 65 Blackbirds, 33 Redwings, 12 Song Thrushes, 16 Fieldfares, 5 Stonechats, 2 Tree Sparrows, 6 Redpoll, 12 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and 3 Goldcrests.

November 27th

After a morning of heavy rain the wind increased to a strong north-westerly at midday and the rain stopped. Matt spent two hours at Reculver from 1230 and we joined him for some of the time but it was very slow. All he recorded were 14 Red-throated Divers, 1 Wigeon W, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 9 Gannets W, 1 Golden Plover W, 2 Pintail W, 2 Common Scoter W, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 2 Shelduck.

 November 26th

On a chilly and bright morning we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour and back and counted 620 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Kestrel, 17 Mute Swans, 1 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 20 Meadow Pipits, 37 Mallard, 1 Gannet E, 42 Carrion Crows on the beach, 10 Goldfinches, 7 Turnstone, 2 Shelduck, 20 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Water Rail, 4 Reed Buntings, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Cetti's Warbler.

 November 25th

At least the wind had dropped this morning although it was still damp and dreary. Our walk inland at Reculver produced 8 Chaffinches, 1 Pied Wagtails. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Common Buzzard, 16 Shoveler, 62 Gadwall, 34 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 26 Teal, 1 male Pintail, 68 Coot, 8 Little Grebes, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Little Egret and 2 Mute Swan.

November 24th

Although it was milder and the sun was shining this morning there was an even stronger southerly gale blowing thanks to Storm Bert. We spent an hour at Reculver and only recorded 270 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Shelduck, 22 Ringed Plovers, 6 Common Gulls E,1 adult Mediterranean Gull E, 1 Rock Pipit and 2 Pied Wagtails.

 November 23rd

At the beginning of what has been forecast to be a stormy weekend we spent an hour at Reculver before the rain and gale arrived. Southerly gales at this time of year are not very productive for Reculver and we only recorded 192 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Marsh Harrier flying W at sea, 4 Gannets, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Pied Wagtails in the car park.

 November 22nd

With a fresh to strong westerly wind blowing today there was not a great deal to see as we spent an hour at Reculver this morning and an hour at Minnis Bay this afternoon. At Reculver we counted 1 Red-throated Diver, 22 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 14 Common Scoter and 1 Shelduck and at Minnis Bay we saw 14 Common Scoter, 5 Pochard W, 5 Red-throated Divers, 16 Gannets, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Teal, 22 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 130 Sanderling,2 Curlew and 56 Grey Plover.

November 21st

This morning was bitterly cold and overcast but thankfully windless as we walked from Reculver to Coldharbour where we met Matt who had walked in from Shuart. We all then walked back to Reculver and inland. Between us we counted 645 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Little Egrets, 12 Lapwings, 21 Mute Swans, 7 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank calling in the Oyster Farm, 24 Ringed Plovers, 10 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Shelduck, 7 Linnets, 9 Oystercatchers, 1 Turnstone, 56 Carrion Crows, 5 Goldfinches, 8 Little Grebes, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 8 Red-throated Divers, 8 Stonechats, 11 Shoveler, 25 Teal, 66 Coot, 7 Tufted Duck, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Buzzards, 60 Mallard, 75 Gadwall, 1 male Pintail, 2 Water Rails, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests, 50 Blackbirds, 35 Redwing, 2 Siskin, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Repoll, 2 Grey Herons, 18 Golden Plovers and 1 Sparrowhawk.

 November 20th

At Reculver on a bright, cold and windy morning with the tide out we saw 17 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 23 Cormorants, 2 Razorbills E, 5 Wigeon and 2 Teal W, 2 Gannets E, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 35 Carrion Crows and 1 Sparrowhawk.

This afternoon at Reculver we counted 5 Pied Wagtails, 9 Redwings, 6 Goldfinches, 58 Mallard, 68 Coot, 8 Tufted Duck, 20 Teal, 1 Redshank, 60 Gadwall, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Green Sandpipers, 2 Pintail, 3 Little Grebes, 1 Dunlin, 10 Shoveler, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Cetti's Warblers and 10 Blackbirds.

November 19th

We spent an hour at Reculver this morning in pouring rain but did not see a great deal just 2 Common Scoter flying E, 322 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Shelduck and 68 Kittiwakes flying E including one tight flock of 64.

Later Matt also spent an hour at Reculver and counted 104 Kittiwakes flying W, 2 Gannets, 8 Red-throated Divers, 3 Little Gulls W, 1 Common Scoter and 1 Red-breasted Merganser E.

November 18th

On an even cooler morning we walked inland at Reculver and saw 1 Little Egret, 62 Coot, 9 Little Grebes, 1 Redshank, 7 Shoveler, 8 Teal, 1 Green Sandpiper, 12 Meadow Pipits, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 Common Buzzard, 48 Gadwall, 66 Mallard, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Pintail, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 24 Mute Swans, 1 Kestrel and 1 Stonechat.

November 17th  -  the 200th species for the year

On a sunny, chilly and breezy morning with the tide coming in we walked from Minnis Bay to Plumpudding lagoon and back. We counted 2 Pied Wagtails, 4 Ringed Plovers with 1 Purple Sandpiper flying W, 1 Gannet, 31 Oystercatchers, 5 Mallard, 2 Turnstone, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Snow Buntings on the beach just east of the lagoon, 300 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 65 Cormorants and 1 Redshank.

Snow Buntings

Matt walked at Reculver this morning and counted 55 Coot, 7 Little Grebes, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Black-necked Grebe (200th), 1 Pochard, 2 Pintail, 9 Shoveler, 10 Teal, 20 Tufted Duck, 56 Gadwall, 2 Wigeon, 60 Mallard, 1 Little Egret, 2 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Water Rails and 1 Brambling.

Black-necked Grebe - Matt Hindle

 November 16th

We spent a cold morning ringing on the Marshes south of the railway where we saw 12 Tree Sparrows, 6 Yellowhammers, 80 Redwings, 10 Goldfinch, 20 Blackbirds, 2 Sparrowhawks, 10 Fieldfares, 2 Goldcrests, 10 Skylarks, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 86 Cormorants S, 1 Marsh Harrier, 10 Song Thrushes, 8 Long-tailed Tits and 1 Chiffchaff.

Birds ringed 44: Long-tailed Tit 2, Goldcrest 2, Chiffchaff 1, Robin 3, Tree Sparrow 6, Reed Bunting 4, Chaffinch 2, Blue Tit 1, Yellowhammer 1, Redwing 12, Song Thrush 2, Blackbird 8.

Tree Sparrow