Just 4 members met at Bluett Avenue for a sea watch, visit to Hersey Reserve and walk along the Old Toll Road, up Oakhill Road, Nettlestone Hill and down Pond Lane back to our cars. 2 more members joined us at Hersey Reserve. The tide was low and the sea flat calm so that we had excellent views of any birds sitting on the sea. We counted 7 Great Crested Grebe and a couple of Cormorant, a Mediterranean Gull, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Common Gull, Herring Gull and Black-headed Gulls and 2 Great Black Backed Gulls. On some bouys we saw 2 Sandwich Terns and another one flying, 13 Brent Geese. On the beach were 2 Crows 3 Rooks and about 12 Jackdaws. On one of the outflow pipes were 6 Turnstones. In Hersey Reserve we saw 4 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, the usual 1 Greenshank and 2 male and 1 female Shoveler, 27 Tufted Duck, a Water Rail, 3 Moorhen, 9 Coot, 1 Teal, 9 Mallard, 2 Mute Swan and 4 Little Grebe. When we sat in the hide we spotted 7 Snipe mainly hiding in the reeds. When I did a reconnoiter the day before there were 42 Tufted Duck, the largest count I have recorded there. Jim and Jane mentioned that there are usually about 30 Tufted Duck on Ryde Canoe Lake and the Reserve birds may have been disturbed from there. There was only 1 Greenfinch, and a handful of other birds during the morning: Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Magpie, Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Jay, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Blue Tit. The free flying Barnacle Geese were tracked down to the grass areas at Saltern Holiday Cottages but not all the flock was visible. 94 was counted together with the Swan Necked Goose and Snow Goose. 40 species in all were recorded. Jackie Hart
