Sunday 8th November 2026

 

Dull, calm murky anticyclonic gloom with attempts by the sun to break through failing. On site migrants include 26 Mipit, 5 Chaffinch, 4 Fieldfare, 4 Songies, 3 Redwing, 2 Firecrest, 2 Stonechat, Blackcap, Brambling, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Redpoll, Rock Pipit, Short-eared Owl plus a couple of new Blackies. Very little vis mig with southbound 15 Chaffinch, 8 Mipit, 8 Skylark, 5 Goldfinch, 4 Song Thrush, 4 Stock Dove, Heron, Merlin & Rock Pipit. Purp still with us plus yet another Jay visited.

Ringing: 5 Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Jay, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Robin, 1 Wren.

Saturday 7th November 2026

Turnstone (Arenaria interpres). 

A slight NW wind, only brightening up by midday. 3 Firecrest within the compound, later being seen near the customs house. 3 Greenfinch, 1 Snow Bunting, a Purple Sandpiper and 2 Turnstone on the reserve and a Short-eared Owl early morning. 

Passerine/overhead movement

South: 90 Starling, 14 Skylark and 2 Redpoll. 

In: 80 Starling. 

Seawatching: 

South: 6 Brent Goose, 5 Shelduck, 3 Cormorant, 2 Egyptian Goose, 1 Kittiwake.   

North: 5 Brent Goose, 2 Little Egret, 1 Common Scoter and 1 Oystercatcher. 

East: 25 Cormorant. 

East then North: 3 Mute Swan. 

West: 22 Cormorant. 

Moth trapping: 14 moth species between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning goes to the Chestnut, which is a fairly common winter flying moth that we only rarely get down here. 

The Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii).
 

Bird ringing: 6 Blackbird, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Robin, 2 Song Thrush.  

Friday 6th November 2026

Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla). 

An overcast day a slight E breeze. Inside the compound highlights included some of the 35 Blackbirds on site today, 5 Firecrest, 1 Woodcock and a Chiffchaff. Out on the reserve: 5 Rock Pipit, 2 Turnstone, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Snow Bunting and some 20 Pied Wagtails by late evening.  

Passerine movement: 

South: 5 Chaffinch, 3 Skylark, 1 Reed Bunting 

North: 2 Skylark. 

Seawatching: 

North: 59 Common Scoter, 26 Brent Goose, 1 Gannet, 1 Shelduck

South: 55 Shelduck, 34 Common Scoter, 4 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Grey Heron and a Red-throated Diver.  

Out of the river then north: 3 Greylag Goose. 

Feeding offshore/on: 34 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Mediterranean Gull and a Red-throated Diver. 

87 Cormorant out and 2 back in the river. 

Moth trapping: 12 moth species between our 3 traps. 

Bird ringing: 16 Blackbird, 6 Wren, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 5 Meadow Pipit, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Robin.

 

Thursday 5th November 2026

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis). 

Overcast and windy but brightening during the afternoon. 1 Chiffchaff and 5 Firecrest inside the compound. Out on the reserve: 1 Snow Bunting near the sea watching hide, 2 Rock Pipit and a Purple Sandpiper near the point. 

Visible migration

South: 127 Brent Goose, 23 Wigeon, 11 Common Scoter, 8 Shelduck, 5 Teal, 4 Velvet Scoter, 3 Lapwing, 2 Pintail, 1 Curlew, 1 Dunlin and a Mallard. 

North: 131 Cormorant, 88 Wigeon, 60 Common Scoter, 6 Brent, 5 Eider, 5 Gadwall, 3 Shelduck, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Gannet, 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Greylag Goose, 1 Oystercatcher and a Red-throated Diver.  

East: 78 Cormorant. 

Feeding offshore: 45 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Common Gull and a Mediterranean Gull. 

Moth trapping: 2 Species between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning goes to Eudonia angustea, a common species in the Autumn that is lingering on later in the year nowadays.  

Eudonia angustea.  

Bird ringing: 9 Blackbird, 6 Goldcrest, 4 Firecrest, 4 Goldfinch, 

2 Wren, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Redwing. 

Wednesday 4th November 2026

 

Strong onshore wind brought southbound 316 Brent, 17 Teal, 14 Shelduck, 13 Black-headed Gull, 6 Common Scoter, 3 Wigeon & Tufted Duck with northbound 88 Common Scoter, 18 Kitts, 16 Gannet, 2 Curlew, 2 Dunlin, 2 Eider, 2 Goldeneye, 2 Little Gull, Golden Plover, Pomarine Skua, Red-throated Diver & Shelduck with an Arctic Skua in the rivermouth late morning. 8 Greylag Geese in then north up the river may be genuine wild birds (as opposed to the local feral population) as this species is very infrequent at this time of the year & not on this trajectory. On site at least 30 Blackbird, 2 Mealy Redpoll, 2 Redwing, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Snow Bunting & Woodcock.

Ringing: 13 Blackbird, 2 Mealy Redpoll, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Goldcrest.

Tuesday 3rd November 2026

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris). 4 birds in front of the observatory for the past few days. 

Showers from dawn, with wind building from the NNE. 1 Swallow feeding around the observatory and a Chiffchaff inside the compound. Across the site: 3 Mealy Redpoll and 2 Firecrest. 1 Short-Eared Owl on the beach early morning, 2 Ringed Plover, 11 Lapwing in front of the observatory early morning. 1 Rock Pipit near the point.  

Visible migration: 

South: 27 Shelduck, 22 Common Scoter, 8 Eider, 6 Wigeon, 2 Common Gull, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Red-throated Diver. 

North: 114 Common Scoter, 10 Brent Goose, 7 Cormorant, 5 Gannet, 5 Wigeon, 3 Little Gull, 3 Shelduck, 1 Curlew, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Oystercatcher and a Teal. 

East: 21 Cormorant. 

Feeding offshore: 35 Great Black-backed Gull, 8 Black-headed Gull, 2 Cormorant, 1 Mediterranean Gull. 

Moth trapping: 8 moth species between our 3 traps. 

Bird Ringing: 4 Blackbird and 1 Mealy Redpoll. 

Monday 2nd November 2026

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita). Good to see a small number still on site. 

A mostly sunny morning with a stronger NW wind and showers late morning. 1 Brambling mobile inside the compound, alongside 3 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest. 3 Fieldfare in front of the observatory. 1 Mealy Redpoll feeding in dunes. 2 Black Redstart across the reserve and fort. 4 Turnstone, 1 Rock Pipit and an Oystercatcher on the point. 

Visible migration: 

South: 132 Common Scoter, 46 Wigeon, 34 Brent Goose, 30 Shoveler, 15 Pintail, 13 Cormorant, 10 Meadow Pipit, 4 Lapwing, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Red-throated Diver, 2 Shelduck, 1 Mallard, 1 Pied Wagtail and a Rock Pipit.  

North: 62 Common Scoter, 16 Cormorant, 3 Wigeon, 2 Little Gull, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Pintail, a Red-throated Diver and a Shelduck. 

West: 2 Cormorant. 

Arriving in: 304 Starling. 

Feeding offshore: 300 Herring Gull, 80 Great Black-backed Gull, 4 Common Gull, 4 Common Scoter and a Gannet. 

Moth trapping: 7 species between our 3 traps. Here's a nice comparison below, between different morphs of the Red-headed Chestnut. 

Red-headed Chestnut (Conistra erythrocephala), dark and light morphs. 

Bird ringing: 6 Blackbird, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Redwing, 2 Robin, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Kestrel, 1 Mealy Redpoll.