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Saturday 27th September 2014


Viz mig this morning included 172 Swallow, 71 House Martin, 38 Goldfinch, 31 Chaffinch, 16 Meadow Pipit, 9 Grey Wagtail and 2 Skylark heading south. Offshore 7 Sandwich Tern, 5 Shelduck and a Gadwall flew north and 3 Brent Geese, 2 Pintail and 8 Teal flew south whilst a Gannet drifted south with the tide. Other birds of note were a male Stonechat at the north end of the reserve and single Firecrest and Reed Warbler at the Obs.

Highlights in the moth traps were a Bordered Straw and two Pearly Underwings. Also in the traps were 60 Green Birch Shieldbugs, photo above, which have been present in good numbers all month. Another Western Conifer Seed Bug was found midday.

58 Birds ringed; 14 Meadow Pipit, 9 Chiffchaff, 7 Dunnock, 6 Blue Tit, 4 Grey Wagtail, 4 Robin, 3 Blackcap, 3 Great Tit, 2 Wren, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Firecrest, 1 Swallow, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Linnet, 1 Chaffinch. Also 2 Controls were caught; 1 Robin, 1 Meadow Pipit.


Friday 26th September 2014

A quiet day with 96 Swallow and 6 Grey Wagtail heading south, whilst offshore 8 Brent Geese flew north with another 3 south along with single Tufted Duck and Kestrel also south.

12 Birds ringed; 7 Meadow Pipit, 1 Blackcap, 1 Robin, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Grey Wagtail.

Thursday 25th September 2014

Viz mig this morning consisted of 226 Swallow, 19 Chaffinch, 18 Meadow Pipit, 14 Goldfinch, 9 Grey Wagtail, 1 Siskin, 1 House Martin and a Tree Pipit south. Offshore a skein of 70 Pink-footed Geese headed north early morning and 16 Greylags followed late morning, other wildfowl today included 24 Wigeon, 10 Pintail, 17 Common Scoter, 10 Teal, 2 Brent Geese and a Shoveler all heading south. Other birds of note were 2 Reed Bunting and a Yellowhammer on the reserve and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew over the compound.

16 Birds ringed; 5 Robin, 3 Grey Wagtail, 2 Blackcap, 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Song Thrush.

Wednesday 24th September 2014


After overnight rain cleared first thing, hopes were high for some good visible migration in the overcast conditions that prevailed before more rain showers mid morning. Not as much as was hoped though, as only 177 Swallows, 61 Meadow Pipit, 14 Chaffinch, and 11 Grey Wagtail all south was about the best, although 1 Hobby was also seen heading south. Offshore 1 Arctic Tern was seen going north, and 8 Brent Geese south.On the common the Linnet flock of 120 birds contained a Twite briefly,and there were also 3 Wheatear and 2 Sparrowhawk present.

Only 10 birds were ringed, these were 3 Grey Wagtail, 2 Robin, 2 Chiffchaff, and 1 each of Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit and Dunnock.

Tuesday 23rd September 2014

A calm overcast morning. Good numbers of birds were logged during the morning viz mig with 3310 Swallow, 55 Meadow Pipit, 35 Chaffinch, 19 Grey Wagtail, 4 Skylark, 2 Reed Bunting and 2 Tree Pipit south and a Red-throated Pipit flew west over the reserve. Other birds of note today were a Rock Pipit at the point before it headed south, 15 Chiffchaff and single Tree Sparrow, Brambling, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay. Offshore 37 Brent Geese, 3 Gannet and 9 Common Gull headed south and another 44 Brent Geese north.

48 Birds ringed; 11 Meadow Pipit, 7 Robin, 7 Chiffchaff, 6 Grey Wagtail, 2 Wren, 2 Swallow, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Blackbird, 1 Dunnock, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Goldcrest, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Jay, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Monday 22nd September 2014

A clear out of birds overnight, although a few new migrants arrived including 7 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, a male Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher. Overhead 95 Swallow, 3 Sand Martin, 11 Chaffinch, 8 Grey Wagtail, 8 Goldfinch and 2 Tree Pipit flew south and 2 House Martin, 5 Swallow and 5 Grey Wagtail headed north. Offshore 12 Brent Geese and 4 Gannet flew north whilst southerly movement included 1 Marsh Harrier, 5 Brent Geese, 5 Wigeon and a couple of Golden Plovers.

8 Birds ringed; 3 Grey Wagtail, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Sunday 21st September 2014


New migrants continue to drift through. The highlight today was 3 Red-backed Shrikes in the bushes along the reserve and on Icky Ridge, this is the most seen on site in one day. Other birds of note were a male Ring Ouzel, a Nightingale, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 8 Wheatear, a Whinchat and a variety of warbers. Southerly passage included 30 Swallow, 12 Grey Wagtail, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Jackdaw, 2 Tree Pipit, a Siskin and a Sparrowhawk.


Highlights amongst the moths this morning was a Palpita vitrealis, above, which has only been recorded in five previous years and a Barred Red that has only been noted in four previous years.

31 Birds ringed; 10 Grey Wagtail, 8 Chiffchaff, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Great Tit, 1 Blackcap, 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Dunnock, 1 Starling, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Goldcrest.