Saturday 14th November 2026

Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilla).

A bright, sunny day with a slight NW wind and our first frost of the autumn. Inside the compound a Little Bunting was ringed, and 2 Firecrests present. 2 Woodcock with one in the moat and another out on the reserve. 1 Chiffchaff and a Fieldfare on site. 1 Snipe and a Purple Sandpiper near the point. 1 Rock Pipit circling the reserve. 2 Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipit and 4 Chaffinch south. 

4 Foxes seen on the reserve today, a particularly high count.  

Seawatching:

North: 100 Cormorant and 3 Common Scoter.

East: 16 Cormorant and 1 Marsh Harrier. 

South: 194 Cormorant, 10 Common Scoter, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Hen Harrier (ringtail) and an Oystercatcher. 

Feeding offshore: 1 Mediterranean Gull. 

Moth trapping: 1 moth (Angle Shades) between our 3 traps. 

Bird ringing: 2 Blackbird, 1 Little Bunting, 1 Meadow Pipit. 

 

Friday 13th November 2026

Yesterday's shrike still with us. 

Gloriously sunny with brisk NW wind. A Woodcock flushed inside the compound and a Fieldfare early morning. Out on the reserve the Shrike still present near manor terrace end of the reserve. 1 Purple Sandpiper near the point, an Oystercatcher and a Snipe. 3 Skylark South.  

North: 21 Brent Goose, 4 Common Scoter, 4 Little Egret. 

East then north (out the river then north): 2 Brent Goose. 

South: 134 Cormorant, 1 Black-headed Gull. 

Feeding offshore: 1 Mediterranean Gull. 

Moth trapping: 1 moth (a Large Wainscot) between our 3 traps. 

Bird ringing: 2 Goldfinch. 

Thursday 12th November 2026

Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius sp.).  

A clear morning with brisk NW wind. Quiet within the compound. 1 Red-tailed Shrike seen near manor road end of the reserve, also briefly joined by a little owl, first one recorded since 2022. At the tip of the reserve: 3 Turnstone and 2 Purple Sandpiper. 1 Firecrest north end of the reserve. 1 Snow Bunting south overhead. 

Seawatching: 

North: 12 Common Scoter, 5 Cormorant and 1 Brent Goose. 

East: 5 Cormorant.

South: 6 Egyptian Goose, 4 Cormorant and 2 Brent Goose.

West: 1 Red-throated Diver.

Feeding offshore: 5 Common Scoter.

Moth trapping: 4 moths between our 3 traps. 

One Clouded Yellow butterfly out on the reserve. 

 

Bird ringing: 2 Blackbird, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Robin, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Wren. 

Wednesday 11th November 2026

 

3 Turnstone & 2 Purps on the jetty. Grounded migrants hard to come by. Snow Bunting towards the point flew up high. Offshore very quiet with southbound 6 Common Scoter, 2 Teal, Red-breasted Merganser & Shelduck & northbound 13 Common Scoter, 3 Brent, 2 Red-throated Diver & Curlew.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird.

Tuesday 10th November 2026

Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima). 

Starting foggy, after a night of dense fog, but clearing shortly after sunrise, a NNE wind building through the morning. Inside the compound: 1 Brambling, 5 Song Thrush and a Firecrest. Out on the reserve: 1 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Oystercatcher and 3 Turnstone near the point. 

Seawatching: 

North: 6 Common Scoter.  

east then north (out of the river then north): 2 Brent Goose. 

East: 75 Cormorant.

South: 21 Cormorant, 2 Common Scoter and 1 Gannet.  

West: 7 Cormorant.

Feeding offshore: 4 Black-headed Gull. 

 

Moth trapping: 6 moth species between our 3 traps.

Bird ringing: 4 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Redwing.  

Monday 9th November 2026

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto).

Windless morning with banks of fog nearby, going from overcast to clear repeatedly. Inside the compound 2 Chaffinch, 2 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Greenfinch and a Redpoll. 2 Collared Dove perched on our MOTUS tower. Out on the reserve 3 Turnstone and a Purple Sandpiper all out at the point, 1 Stonechat near the cottage.   

Passerine movement: 9 Skylark south.

1 Meadow Pipit north.  

Seawatching: 

North: 1 Brent Goose.

East: 3 Cormorant and a Tufted Duck.

South: 6 Cormorant and a Brent Goose.

 

West: 1 Red-throated Diver.

Feeding offshore: 1 Common Gull. 

 

Moth trapping: 12 Species between our 3 traps. Dark Sword Grass is an immigrant species that keeps cropping up late in the year.

Dark Sword Grass (Agrotis ipsilon).

Bird ringing: 9 Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Robin. 

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.