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Saturday 17th May 2014

A nice overcast warm day with the slight breeze turning south south-east as the morning progressed. The Great Spotted Woodpecker was still on site along with a handful of migrants including 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroat, 2 Wheatear and single Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler. Passage included 3 Yellow Wagtail & 61 Swallow south and another 10 Swallow north. Offshore 3 Kittiwake south and 4 Sandwich Tern, 30 Brent Geese and a Little Egret north.

22 Birds ringed; 5 Greenfinch, 4 Song Thrush, 4 Linnet, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackbird, 2 Starling, 1 Robin, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.

Friday 16th May 2014


Another sunny day with very few birds about. The only migrants about were a Spotted Flycatcher, an unseasonal Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Reed Warbler, 50 Swallow (46 south & 4 north) and 5 Wheatear. A Common Myna was a surprise to see in the trees the back of the Obs, this is the first to be seen on the site . Offshore 48 Barnacle Geese headed south as did a couple of Dunlin.

12 Birds Ringed; 4 Greenfinch and single, House Sparrow, Song Thrush, Wren, Blackbird, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff & Lesser Whitethroat

Thursday 15th May 2014

Following a clear sky overnight and a calm sunny morning few migrants were located apart from 8 Wheatear, 7 Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff and a Spotted Flycatcher. A trickle of migrants drifted south including 39 Swallow, 2 Sand Martin and single Tree Pipit & Yellow Wagtail, whilst 17 Swallow and a flock of 21 Whimbrel headed north.


9 Birds ringed; 2 Wheatear, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Starling

Wednesday 14th May 2014

After yesterdays fall of birds, the clearing skies and cooler conditions overnight brought about something of a clear out. With little of yesterdays birds left and very few new arrivals, today was much quieter. The best of what was around included 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Redstart,(including a nice male), 20 Wheatear, 1 illusive Whinchat, much smaller numbers of Willow Warblers than yesterday and small numbers of both Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat. With very little offshore and only small numbers of Swallows and even less House Martins passing through that was about it . We can only hope for better over the next few days.
On the plus side, more insects are beginning to appear with 11 species of Butterfly seen today.

Only 9 birds ringed today with top bird being Willow Warbler with 3, and 1 each of Chiffchaff, Redstart, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Goldfinch and Great Tit.

Tuesday 13th May 2014

It actually felt like a Bird Observatory this morning with a healthy arrival of migrants. At least 30 Willow Warbler, 15 Wheatear, 12 Whitethroat, 10 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Whinchat, 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Garden Warbler, Turtle Dove, Redstart & Lesser Redpol noted on site. On the move heading south 48 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 4 Yellow Wags, 2 Swift, 2 Jackdaw & a Barnacle Goose plus north bound 4 Swallow & Sand Martin. Offshore Common & Little Terns were feeding just off the beach & a Kittiwake flew inland. Very pleasant until heavy showers late morning stopped play.

40 birds ringed: 17 Willow Warbler, 6 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Greenfinch, 1 Wheatear, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Lesser Redpol, 1 Ringed Plover.

Monday 12th May 2014

The winds have finally abated and migrants are popping out the the bushes again including 6 Whitethroat, 8 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap and a single Reed Warbler. On the reserve 16 Wheatear, a White Wagtail and a Yellow Wagtail were feeding on the short grass.  151 Swallow , 3 other Yellow Wagtail, a couple of House Martin and Siskin passed overhead. Whilst offshore 18 Kittiwake, 130 Common Scoter, a Little Egret and a few waders including a Little Stint, which was possibly our first spring record, headed south, a Great Northern Diver also flew over the Obs and up river.

12 Birds ringed; 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Whitethroat, and single Blackcap, Greenfinch & Chiffchaff.

Sunday 11th May 2014

The near gale force winds and intermittent showers did little to assist migration. Very little of note was seen except Hirundines and Swifts pushing through into the teeth of the wind, whilst offshore, Terns were loafing , including at least 33 common terns whilst a party of 4 Arctic Terns and 1 Sandwich Tern went north. Other birds of note over the sea were 2 Great-Crested Grebes, 2 Sanderling, 2 Grey Plover and 1 Fulmar all going south and 1 immature Black Swan in off and up the River Stour( the second in a week). On site 14 Wheatear, and both a Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat were singing, and 2 Yellow Wagtails and 1 Hobby went south, and 3 Peregrine still on docks.

Ringing total today was 6 birds. 1 each of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Greenfinch and Chaffinch and 2 Linnets.