Saturday 4th August 2012

Star of the show this morning was a Wood Warbler which performed well despite evading capture. Half a dozen Willow Warblers were ringed along with a few juvenile Blackbirds, Linnets and a Whitethroat. Between rain shower this morning over 100 Swifts moved through, along with 10 Oyks, 12 Grey Plover, 7 Whimbrel, 15 Common Scoter, a Shelduck, Curlew, Dunlin, 5 Barwits and 14 Sand Martin. Invertebrates included Southern and Migrant Hawkers, 3 Lesser Cockroach in the moth traps and a Ground Lackey, the latter being a Nationally Scarce A species.

Friday 3rd July 2012

Willow Warbler seemed to be on the move last night with at least 9 on site, 7 of which were ringed. Other warblers included a new juvenile Blackcap only though, with other birds ringed being Goldfinch, Blackbird, Greenfinch and 7 Linnet. A Reed Warbler from a couple of days ago was Retrapped and a presumably local Lesser Whitethroat heard. Wheatears on the reserve reached the dizzying heights of 2 individuals whilst offshore 3 each of Sandwich and Common Tern, 5 Little Tern, 4 Grey Plover,  5 Common Scoter and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls whizzed by.

Thursday 2nd August 2012

A few waders and ducks on the  move today including Mallard, 28 Oyks, 8 Curlew, 13 Grey Plover, 3 Whimbrel, 17 Teal, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Turnstone, 1 Golden Plover, 6 Common Scoter, Redshank, 2 Ringed Plover and a Pochard. The fiorst wheatear of the autumn was out on the reserve with Willow and Garden Warbler new in.

Wednesday 1st August 2012

An encouraging SSE breeze is probably just a tad to early in the autumn to bring us a great deal. A couple of Reed & a Willow Warbler were new in with another Great-spotted Woodpecker passing through. Offshore a handful of waders, 3 Gannets, 3 Sand Martin & a Kitt going south plus 11 Sandwich Terns & 2 Great-crested Grebes north. The last couple of days a couple of baby Med Gulls have started turning up as they have been noticeable by their non-appearance so far. Baby Black-heads have also been very thin on the ground this autumn. What i will give a mention to is House Sparrows who seen to be churning out a respectable number of young and seem to have successfully turned a corner following record low numbers a couple of years ago. Finally a Hummingbird Hawk-moth showed up.

July 2012 ringing totals

July was a good moth for ringing, despite a break in coverage 309 birds of 24 species were ringed. Many of these being local and dispersing juveniles. This is the highest total for July since 2005 although probably compensates slightly for the poor number of fledglings last month. Top of the charts were Linnet (75), Greenfinch  (61) and Dunnock (27).

Linnet	75		Song Thrush	4
Greenfinch	61		Swallow	3
Dunnock	27		Chaffinch	3
House Sparrow	18		Blue Tit	2
Blackbird	16		Reed Warbler	2
Whitethroat	14		Black Redstart	2
Wren	13		Nightingale	1
Starling	13		Pied Wagtail	1
Blackcap	11		Lesser Whitethroat	1
Great Tit	11		Goldfinch	1
Wood Pigeon	8		Garden Warbler	1
Robin	7		Great-spotted Woodpecker	1
Chiffchaff	6		Green Woodpecker	1
Willow Warbler	5		Collared Dove	1
			Total	309

Tuesday 31st July 2012

A pleasant morning of drizzle produced an adult Pomarine Skua and an adult Med Gull. A good recovery from the BTO cam through though of a Wheatear ringed here on the 3rd of May this Year. The bird was a female presumably of the Greenland race (Wing = 103mm) and was found alive 5 days later in Zoutelande, in the Netherlands, trapped in some crop netting. This is a distance of 157km and is only the 3rd recovery of this species to the Netherlands. Hopefully one of the other 145 Wheatears ringed this spring will turn up somewhere just as interesting!

Monday 30th July 2012

Very quiet today in the bright, blustery weather. 4 Crossbills heading South with a Great-spotted Woodpecker, Dunlin, 3 Golden Plover, 3 Whimbrel, Curlew and 2 Ringed Plover. A Herald in the moth traps was an irregular visitor and first Slowworm of the year appeared

Sunday 29th July 2012

A flock of 8 Little Egrets going north is a goodly gang for us. Also on the move 15 Oyks, 12 Swifts, 9 Dunlin, 6 Grey Plover, 6 Swallows, 3 Teal, 3 Redshank, 2 Whimbrel & a Common Gull south. Offshore 26 Common Terns & a Kittiwake around high tide. In the bushes just the one new Willow Warbler today plus all the usuals.