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.  

Sunday 1st November 2026

Fairly classic start to November with 40 Blackbird, 8 Chaffinch, 7 Redwing, 4 Redpoll, 4 Songies, 3 Woodcock, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Goldcrest, Blackcap & Firecrest. 17 Lapwing were on the reserve first thing, Black Red on the Fort, Purp & Rock Pipit on the point. Southbound 67 Brent, 7 Shoveler, 4 Shelduck & Oyk.

Feathered Thorn is a classic late autumn species that failed to put in an appearance last year so good to get one.

Ringing: 19 Blackbird, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Redwing, 2 Robin, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Woodcock.

October 2026 ringing total

Mealy redpoll (Acanthis flammea flammea). 

677 Birds of 34 species which is on par with recent years, following a recently busy autumn last year with 1051 birds, owing to good numbers of Goldcrest which have only just started arriving in the past week. First Barn Owl for 30 years ringed. 

Species	Total ringed
Robin	100
Blackbird	89
Long-tailed Tit	66
Song Thrush	65
Goldcrest	52
Blackcap	51
Chiffchaff	51
Chaffinch	38
Blue Tit	27
Meadow Pipit	24
Great Tit	18
Wren	18
Firecrest	12
Redwing	10
Woodpigeon	7
Lesser Redpoll	11
Goldfinch	6
Dunnock	5
Cetti's Warbler	4
Jay	4
Brambling	3
Grey Wagtail	2
House Sparrow	2
Barn Owl	1
Black Redstart	1
Common Redpoll	2
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1
Greenfinch	1
Lesser Whitethroat	1
Linnet	1
Magpie	1
Siskin	1
Sparrowhawk	1
Yellow-browed Warbler	1
Grand total	677

Saturday 31st October 2026

Peregrine (Falco peregrinus).

A clear morning with an ESE wind. A Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Siskin, 1 Chiffchaff and a Black Redstart within the compound. Another Black Redstart on the reserve and also 1 Woodcock flushed over the road. 1 Snipe on the reserve.  

Visible migration:

South: 647 Brent Goose, 150 Teal, 77 Goldfinch, 75 Wigeon, 38 Meadow Pipit, 35 Woodpigeon, 26 Linnet, 26 Starling, 24 Pintail, 23 Common Scoter, 16 Chaffinch, 12 Redwing, 11 Skylark, 5 Pied Wagtail, 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Redpoll, 2 Shoveler, 1 Brambling and a Rock Pipit.   

North: 3 Oystercatcher.  

Feeding offshore: 2 Common Scoter, 1 Great Crested Grebe and a Red-throated Diver.   

Moth trapping: 12 Species between our 3 traps this morning.

Bird ringing: 15 Blackbird, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Robin, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush.  

Friday 30th October 2026

A sunny morning with a ESE wind. 1 Hawfinch late morning inside the compound, also inside the compound: 1 Firecrest, 1 Green Woodpecker and 2 Black Redstart on top of the fort. On the beach a Purple Sandpiper, a Turnstone and an Oystercatcher. 

Overhead migration: 86 Goldfinch, 66 Woodpigeon, 35 Stock Dove, 32 Starling, 24 Chaffinch, 18 Linnet, 16 Skylark, 11 Meadow Pipit, 10 Brambling, 10 Redwing, 9 Reed Bunting, 5 Pied Wagtail, 4 Greenfinch, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Rook, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Song Thrush, all south.

Seawatching: 

South: 46 Wigeon, 34 Teal, 28 Brent goose, 18 Pintail, 9 Common Scoter, 9 Shelduck, 6 Black-headed Gull, 4 Cormorant, 4 Common Gull, 1 Red-throated Diver,   

North: 3 Cormorant, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Red-throated Diver. 

West (up river): 12 Cormorant

East then south (out from the river): 1 White-fronted Goose

Moth trapping: 11 species of moths between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning is the Gem, a regular scarce immigrant all this time in the Autumn. 

The Gem (Orthonama obstipata).

Bird ringing: 16 Goldcrest, 17 Blackbird, 10 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Wren, 1 Blackcap, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Meadow Pipit.

Thursday 29th October 2026

Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe). 

Clear with little wind, very slight W turning to SSE. Inside the compound 3 Chiffchaff and 3 flocks of Long-tailed Tits over the duration of the day. On the reserve: 1 Black Redstart, 1 Yellowhammer and a Wheatear.3 Turnstone, 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Purple Sandpiper and an Oystercatcher on the beach. 

Overhead migration: 18020 Woodpigeon, 226 Stock Dove, 165 Goldfinch, 55 Chaffinch, 41 Skylark, 35 Linnet, 32 Meadow Pipit, 15 Song Thrush, 14 Greenfinch, 10 Brambling, 7 Blackbird, 5 Pied Wagtail, 5 Swallow, 5 Siskin, 4 Woodlark, 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Mistle Thrush, all south. 109 Starling off the sea. 

Seawatching: 

South: 27 Cormorant, 9 Shelduck, 6 Black-headed Gull, 4 Egyption Goose, 3 Brent Goose, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Common Scoter

West: 1 Great White Egret. 

Moth Trapping: 17 moth species present between our 3 traps. Turnip is a common species that we forget to feature as moth of the day. 

Turnip (Agrotis segetum).

Bird ringing: 36 Long-tailed Tit, 5 Blackbird, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 2 Meadow Pipit, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Dunnock, 1 Robin, 1 Magpie, 1 Woodpigeon, 1 Wren.