A total of only 99 species, though a few may not have been reported, was well below the ten-year average of 109.8 species. Highlights included a Coal Tit at the Obs on the 1st, a flock of four Glossy Ibises on 2nd, our first Lapland Bunting since 2018 on 9th, three Mistle Thrushes on 14th and two Black Redstarts in the churchyard on 24th. A Purple Sandpiper from 20th was probably the bird that has wintered here for several years.

A total of 166 species this year

160 species by this time last year

31st

Cloudy, light SW wind. There was a Red-throated Diver and two Great Crested Grebes offshore, six Shelducks flew west and three Common Scoters flew east. Waders included three Sanderlings and a Dunlin on the beach whilst five Snipe were visible on the Marsh Pool. A Marsh Harrier flew east and two Sandwich Terns and the lingering juvenile Arctic Tern were offshore. Also noted were a Great Spotted Woodpecker, one Swallow west, two pairs of Stonechats, a Song Thrush, two Chiffchaffs, 143 Chaffinches and a Redpoll flew west, and there were three Reed Buntings in amongst the beach vegetation.

30th

Sunny, light SW wind. Two Red-throated Divers flew east, there were two Great Crested Grebes offshore and 84 Brent Geese and four Little Egrets on the beach. Three redhead Goosanders, west at 7.50 am, were the first of the autumn. A male Merlin, in off the sea and chasing Meadow Pipits over the marsh, was our first of the year and an immature male Marsh Harrier flew west over the sea. Waders included of a flock of 30+ Golden Plovers west, three Sanderlings and a Dunlin on the beach and a Snipe on the Marsh Pool. A juvenile Arctic Tern lingered off the beach and a single Sandwich Tern was also noted. Vis mig included c50 Chaffinches, with a Brambling heard amongst them, a single Goldfinch and a Redpoll heard. Also noted were a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 15 Linnets and a Reed Bunting.

A late Speckled Wood butterfly was near the skate park.

29th

Cloudy, light SW wind. There were five Great Crested Grebes offshore, a Grey Heron on the tidal ponds, 105 Brent Geese and a Teal in flight with the local Mallards. Waders included three Sanderlings, the Purple Sandpiper and our first returning Snipe in the Marsh Pool. There were three Sandwich Terns offshore. A strong passage of Chaffinches with 482 flying west, one Goldfinch and 26 Redpolls.

28th

Four Shelducks and a Marsh Harrier flew west. A total of 70+ Fieldfares west was the first significant arrival of this species this autumn and was mirrored by similar counts elsewhere in the area. Also noted was a Grey Heron on the tidal ponds, one Chiffchaff, a westerly movement of Chaffinches, and Redpolls also noted.

27th

Sunny, clouding over, strong WNW wind. The strong winds produced little in the way of movement over the sea with two Great Crested Grebes, six Gannets, including two juveniles close inshore, and three Shelducks heading west. Waders include ten Redshanks roosting on the Marsh Pool. Also noted was a Teal in the brook, a Grey Wagtail and eight Pied Wagtails and a Goldcrest at the Obs.

25th

Cloudy, cool, moderate NW wind. A Great Northern Diver flew west, there were two Great Crested Grebes offshore, 67 Brent Geese on the beach, and three Shelducks and two Razorbills flew west. Waders included the adult Purple Sandpiper and 14 Redshanks were roosting on the Marsh Pool. Also noted were seven Pied Wagtails on the football pitch, two Chiffchaffs, and two Reed Buntings flew west.

24th

Sunny, cool, moderate SW wind. Two Black Redstarts in the churchyard, perching on the church roof for much of the time, were new for the year. A raft of 15 Great Crested Grebes offshore was the highest count of the season. There were 48 Brent Geese on the beach. Waders included a flock of 55 Lapwings flying west low over the sea, eight Sanderlings and three Dunlin on the mudflats, ten Redshanks roosting on the newly-restored Marsh Pool and the Purple Sandpiper. Two Pomarine Skuas offshore included an adult flying west, and two Arctic Terns flew west. Also noted were three Stock Doves, two being dive-bombed by a Peregrine, ten Skylarks west, four Swallows hawking around the Obs, and three juvenile Rooks on the beach.

22nd

Sunny, light SW wind. There were three Great Crested Grebes offshore, four Little Egrets on the beach and 133 Brent Geese were also on the beach, and later resting on the sea. Waders included 81 Ringed Plovers, with one Dunlin, on the beach off the Obs and the Purple Sandpiper was also reported. A juvenile Pomarine Skua flew west, an Arctic Skua was offshore and 18 Sandwich Terns were dotted around the buoys towards Hampton. Also noted were three Skylarks west, three Stonechats, a male Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest in the Elm Wood and two Rooks west.

21st

The Purple Sandpiper was still present. Two Blackcaps were noted.

20th

Cloudy, showers from 11am, a light southerly wind. There was one Red-throated Diver, two Great Crested Grebes and two Gannets offshore. 31 Brent Geese were along the shoreline and three Gadwall, a drake and two ducks, on the sea flew off west. Waders included our first returning Purple Sandpiper, two Sanderlings, a Dunlin and 13 Redshanks on the beach. An adult Little Gull could be picked out amongst the melee of feeding gulls near the Street. Also noted were a Little Grebe in the middle brook, a Kingfisher along the upper brook and a Grey Wagtail in the sewage works. A Reed Bunting was amongst the shingle vegetation but there was no sign of the Snow Bunting.

19th

The Snow Bunting was still present on the shingle.

18th

Cloudy, light SE wind. There were three Red-throated Divers and seven Great Crested Grebes offshore, five Little Egrets on the beach and two Grey Herons flew west. A large movement of Brent Geese, most between 10-11.15 am, with a count of 1,054 birds. There were also four Wigeon resting close inshore, a group of ten Pintail tucked in with a flock of Brents, five Common Scoters flew west and a flock of 25 flew east. Waders included a flock of 30 Dunlin flying west close inshore and nine Redshanks roosting in the remnant brook. There were four Sandwich Terns offshore. Also noted was a Kingfisher, a Song Thrush west over the Obs, ten Long-tailed Tits flew across the grassland to the scrub, a Goldcrest, a Redpoll by the brook above the sluice, and a Reed Bunting on the beach where a flock of 65 Carrion Crows were waiting for breakfast.

16th

Cloudy, showers, moderate NE wind. One Red-throated Diver was offshore and flock of 11 Shelducks, and ten Common Scoters flew west. One Sanderling was noted. Four Skylarks flew north, four Fieldfares over the football pitch were the first of the autumn, a Goldcrest was in the churchyard, 150 Chaffinches flew NE and Siskins and Bramblings were also noted.

15th

Cloudy, some drizzle, light northerly wind. There were four Little Egrets on the beach, 11 Brent Geese flew west, and three on the beach included one juvenile. A Pomarine Skua flew west. Three Skylarks flew west, two Goldcrests and a Firecrest were noted, a Brambling was in the churchyard and the Snow Bunting continued its residence. Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail were also seen.

14th

Three Shelducks flew west and an Arctic Skua flew east. Three Mistle Thrushes flew over the football pitch. Our first of the year of this species which in the past had been regular and had even bred in the churchyard. Three Goldcrests were along the east bank, two Bramblings were in the churchyard and the Snow Bunting was again on the beach.

13th

Cloudy, showers of drizzle, light NE wind. A Red-throated Diver flew west, a Great Crested Grebe was offshore, one Gannet flew east, one west, 181 Brent Geese and a Shelduck flew west, whilst four Common Scoters flew east and another lingered offshore. A juvenile Pomarine Skua flew east close inshore and a juvenile Kittiwake flew west. Also noted were a Kingfisher, eight Skylarks north, ten Long-tailed Tits, a Brambling was heard amongst a flock of Chaffinches and the Snow Bunting was again on the beach.

12th

A Snow Bunting was reported on the shingle in the afternoon.

11th

Cloudy, calm. There were three Red-throated Divers and three Great Crested Grebes offshore, a Grey Heron on the tidal ponds, 130 Brent Geese west, with 32 resting on the sea, and ten Wigeon west. Waders included two Snipe circling the area and three Redshanks on the beach. An Arctic Skua was offshore and two Mediterranean Gulls flew east. Also noted were a Kingfisher along the upper brook, five Skylarks north, a Song Thrush in the trees by the Obs, and our first Jay for some time.

10th

A Great White Egret was reported.

9th

Sunny, light SW wind. There was one Red-throated Diver and two Great Crested Grebes offshore. Waders included 114 Ringed Plover and a single Sanderling on the beach, a group of six Curlews west, with another on the beach, and 21 Redshanks in the east bay. A juvenile Arctic Skua was on the sea off the Obs. Bird of the day, however, was a Lapland Bunting that joined a flock of six Skylarks, flying west. This was our first, of this increasingly rare species in the Kent, since March 2018! Also noted were Kingfisher, a Rock Pipit in the remnant brook, three Stonechats, the Blackcap with white in the wing, and a heard only Redpoll.

Small White, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral butterflies appear to be the only one still on the wing here.

8th

Cloudy, light SW wind. There were two Great Crested Grebes offshore, a flock of 12 Little Egrets flew west, another three were on the beach, a Grey Heron flew west, eight Brent Geese flew west and four Egyptian Geese flew SE. Waders included two Sanderlings and two Dunlin on the beach. A Pomarine Skua flew east close inshore. Vis mig included 30 Skylarks and 120 Chaffinches, two Greenfinches were noted and Crossbill was heard over the churchyard. Also noted were a Kingfisher, three Stonechats and a Blackcap.

6th

There were five Great Crested Grebes on the sea towards Hampton. One Gannet flew west, a flock of nine Gadwall flew west and a Teal was along the middle brook. Waders included 40 Oystercatchers at high tide, 134 Ringed Plovers on the beach off the Obs and seven Redshanks on the beach. Also noted was a Kingfisher, two Grey Wagtails, a female Blackcap with white in the wing, 12 Chiffchaffs, 96 Chaffinches and two Reed Buntings west, and four Goldfinches in the bushes opposite the Obs.

4th

Sunny with a strong SW wind. There was a constant westerly movement of Sandwich Terns, perhaps 200+, during the morning, with 27 resting on the beach on the incoming tide. Two Arctic Skuas were seen offshore. A Little Grebe was along the middle brook and, at high tide, 11 Redshanks were roosting along the lower brook. Two Skylarks, a Swallow and a House Martin flew west and a Firecrest was in the Elm Wood.

2nd

Sunny then light cloud, light southerly wind. Four Glossy Ibises flew east over the caravan park early morning. Only our fourth record, the first multiple sighting but not surprising given the number of birds in the county and country this autumn. There were three Great Crested Grebes offshore. Waders included 152 Ringed Plovers on the beach off the Obs and three Sanderlings with them. A flock of 12 Skylarks flew east and there was a feeding flock of 170 House Martins. A Blackcap was calling along the upper brook and c25 Chiffchaffs were in the area. A Goldfinch was the first reported for some time.

Again, butterflies were Small White, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral.

1st

Sunny, then light cloud, calm. There were two Red-throated Divers and two Great Crested Grebes offshore, four Little Egrets on the beach, two Brent Geese and a Grey Heron flew west. Waders included eight Sanderlings on the beach. A Marsh Harrier flew high SE from the sea and Buzzard was also noted. A Coal Tit that appeared briefly in the trees by the Obs was new for the year. Also noted were a Kingfisher and a Great Spotted Woodpecker whilst “vis mig” included four Skylarks, a few Swallows, c300 House Martins, 20 Siskins and 12 Crossbills. There were also four Stonechats and the local flock of Linnets rose to 20.

Butterflies noted were Small White, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral.