Saturday 13th September 2014

A scattering of migrants about with 2 Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Garden Warbler in the compound, 2 Wheatear and 2 Yellow Wagtail on the reserve amongst at least 100 Linnet and 13 Pied Wagtails. Overhead 2 Swallow and 2 Grey Wagtail flew south and another Grey Wagtail headed north. Offshore 2 Brent Geese flew south and a Guillemot flew north.

Amongst the moths were 2 Dioryctria abietella, the first record for the site since 2007 of this conifer loving moth and occasional immigrant.

5 Birds ringed; single Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Garden Warbler & Pied Flycatcher.

Friday 12th September 2014

A small number of migrants about the site this morning with 6 Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Wheatear, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Whinchat and 1 Reed Warbler noted, whilst 2 Grey Wagtails headed south & 2 Swallow north. Offshore southerly passage included 33 Cormorant, 10 Wigeon, 7 Teal and an Arctic Skua. 

16 Birds ringed; 2 Robin, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Dunnock, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blue Tit.

Thursday 11th September 2014

A few migrants were scattered about this morning with 4 Wheatear, 3 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Yellow Wagtail and the first Goldcrest of the autumn. A Honey Buzzard appeared out of the murk and flew past the obs at eye level before landing in the bushes right by above a mist-net, but soon flew off up the river. Other birds overhead were single Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail & Swallow. Offshore 16 Teal, 9 Dunlin, 9 Wigeon & 5 Brent Geese flew south, whilst heading north were 5 Wigeon, 1 Teal & a Pintail.

5 Birds ringed; 2 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat.

Wednesday 10th September 2014

With a light northerly wind and a full moon with little cloud cover overnight, expectations were not great. And so it proved, with not much to report, just small numbers of autumn migrants, the best being 1 each of Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Grey Wagtails south and 1 Blue-headed Wagtail on site, whilst at the point the Purple Sandpiper again put in an appearance.

Ringing total. 26 birds, made up of 6 Goldfinch, 4 Blackcap, 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Linnet, 2 each of Robin, Blue Tit and Greenfinch, and 1 each of Great Tit, Chiffchaff and Wheatear.

Tuesday 9th September 2014

Another sunny day with few migrants about apart from 5 Wheatear, 5 Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Pied Flycatcher, a Garden Warbler and about 85 Meadow Pipit on the reserve. Overhead 25 Meadow Pipit, 4 Swallow, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Yellow Wagtail and a Snipe headed south. Late morning a Marsh Tit was seen moving through the bushes behind the obs before heading off towards the point, this is only the 4th site record.

22 Birds ringed; 10 Meadow Pipit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Dunnock, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Wheatear, 1 Woodpigeon, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff.

Monday 8th September 2014

A clear sky overnight and a sunny morning resulted in a big clear out overnight, there were however a few migrants still about with 5 Wheatear, single Stonechat, Reed Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Wryneck and surprisingly a Kingfisher noted. Overhead passage was steady all morning with 243 Swallow, 152 Meadow Pipit, 19 Grey Wagtail, 6 House Martin, 2 Yellow Wagtail and a Tree Pipit heading south.

55 Birds ringed; 25 Meadow Pipit, 11 Grey Wagtail (a record day catch for the Obs), 6 Robin, 3 Dunnock, 2 Blackcap, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Great Tit, 1 Greenfinch & 1 Kingfisher.

Sunday 7th September 2014

Despite the clear skies and full moon overnight, there were still birds about in the still misty conditions at first light. At least 2 of the Wrynecks were still present from yesterday, along with several Wheatears and a couple of Pied Flycatchers. There was still also a steady stream of migrants moving through, mostly made up of warblers, not surprisingly. A steady stream of Swallows past through south, accompanied by over 100 Meadow Pipit, 1 Tree Pipit, 4 Grey Wagtail, 1 Hobby, 1 Whinchat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Sedge Warbler and an arrival of Robins. On the point by the jetty were 1 Purple and 2 Common Sandpipers, whilst offshore a lingering group of gulls and terns included at least 9 Sandwich, 5 Common and 1 Little Tern + 9 Med Gulls and a Caspian Gull.

Ringing total was 42 birds. made up of 9 Blackcap, 8 Meadow Pipit, 5 Chiffchaff, 4 Robin, 4 Willow Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat and 1 each of Blue Tit, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail and Pied Flycatcher.