ICE COLD IN RECULVER

Today's headline pays homage to Christopher Landon's 'Ice Cold in Alex'.  However, Reculver was not in any way ,shape or form like North Africa.  I started the morning by actually beating Marc, only by a few minutes though, to our Owl searching spot.  We recorded 2 LONG EARED OWLS with one bird passing closely over our heads.  I added year ticks in the form of Grey and Red Legged Partridge and we arrived at Reculver Towers just after 7.00 a.m.  By 7.15 .am. Marc had lost half his body weight in the nearby Public Convenience and we were soon enoying Kittiwakes, Red Throated Divers and Brent Geese passing the Towers.  A Sparrowhawk buzzed over the Caravan Park and as we passed the Oyster Farm I was fairly confident we had a Red-Breasted Merganser at sea but Judge John Deed was not so certain.  I'm sure we'll be able to add this later in the year to our lists.  Looking out to sea we saw two flocks of c100 birds each of Cormorant flying off in the direction of Herne Bay.  In the words of Blondie 'The Tide is High' and Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Dunlin were joined by Redshank fairly close to us.  The obligatory Little Egret and Little Grebe were seen and reaching Cold Harbour we met our chums the 3 SHORELARKS.  On our return we were joined by 'Nanook of the North' AKA Chris Hindle in some very natty head gear. We returned to theTowers and in the next 45 minutes 200+ RED-THROATED DIVERS flashed by with a small group  of 9 Wigeon noted . I thawed out in the car and returned home just after 11.30 a.m.