RECULVER IN THE SUNSHINE.

With term finishing yesterday and a week in Italy looming today was my last 'birding' for a week.  It was a little surprising, therefore that 'Dances with Owls' phoned me at 5.30 a.m. to let me know that he hadn't in fact found an owl but a very vocal NIGHTINGALE which I managed to connect with after a short drive.  The phone was soon ringing again, and now 'super lugs' had found a GRASSHOPPER WARBLER which we were both listening to before 6 o'clock and with a WHITETHROAT on site we had both added 3 year ticks in half an hour.  In glorious sunshine we made our way to the Green Wall after noting approximately 80 Sand Martin in the Bishopstone Colony with probably the last 2 remaining Brent Geese sitting on the sea.  A group of 12 Turnstone followed us down the shingle and a couple of Ringed Plover were scuttling up and down on the beach as well. Stonechat and Linnet made our notebooks and the first of 12 Sedge Warblers made their presence felt.  After last week's mega of a Yellowhammer, amazingly we found what was probably last week's bird again - Chiffchaff, Blackcap and another Whitethroat were noted.  A year tick in the form of Lesser Redpoll zipped over our heads and as we headed back to Cold Harbour Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting and four more Sedge Warblers added to our totals.  On a fairly uneventful return walk in glorious sunshine we were despairing in adding to our Year Lists but a familiar sound by the Towers soon revealed 3 SANDWICH TERNS.  We decamped to Shuart in the hope of once again finding a Red Kite but we added only the usual suspects of Marsh Harrier,Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.  But, once again a fantastic session with 6 year ticks added.