Saturday 27th August 2016

A strong breeze, again from the East throughout today didn't produce anything promising although a few niceties were on offer.

Arrivals worth a mention include 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Wheatear, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Reed Bunting (above) and 1 Willow Warbler.

Sea watching was half decent with the best of the rest in the form of 2 Black Terns feeding just offshore and a Sooty Shearwater that flew North.

Amongst others, 20 Oystercatcher, 17 Sandwich Tern, 12 Teal, 9 Common Tern, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Redshank, 1 Cormorant, 1 Common Gull and 1 Fulmar.

Ringing: 3 birds ringed this morning which were 2 Goldfinch and 1 Willow Warbler.

Friday 26th August 2016

Patchy cloud and short spells of rain and a thunderstorm in the early hours of the morning produced a few new arrivals but nothing exceptional. Albeit a little quiet.

Totals include 29 Swallow, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Wheatear, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Tree Pipit and 1 Kingfisher.

Sea watching produced 9 Common Tern, 5 Sandwich Tern, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Shelduck, 1 Cormorant, 1 Fulmar and 1 Black-tailed Godwit.

Agriphila geniculea was rather abundant this morning as 1,317 were caught in our moth traps. Many more around the site too and nearby.

Ringing: 6 birds ringed this morning including 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Robin, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Willow Warbler.

Thursday 25th August 2016

At this time of year we expect at least a few decent migrants and even some from the East. Today was exactly one of those days, i.e. brilliant.

Several decent migrants on-site and a good all round day of observations.

Starting with this cracking fresh juvenile Icterine Warbler, trapped and ringed early morning, (above).

Followed by 15 Goldfinch, 10 Willow Warbler, 10 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Swallow, 4 Common Whitethroat, 4 Wheatear and 1 Pied Flycatcher.

Sea watching produced very little, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Common Tern and 1 Fulmar.

Maple Prominent moth (above), is probably existing here in small numbers on Sycamore. 

Ringing: 9 birds ringed this morning including 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Icterine Warbler and 1 Blue Tit.

Wednesday 24th August 2016

Just one of the 5 or 6 Yellow Wagtails that were feeding up on their way south for the winter.

Aethes smeathmanniana is a widespread but local moth species that puts in an occasional appearance in our moth traps.

The tropical conditions today has curtailed a lot of migrant activity, but the big news was the appearance of yet another Serin,( or was it just one of the spring birds reappearing ). Apart from that only small movements of migrants today, with 11 Wheatear on site ( alongside the Wagtails ) , which included 17 Pied + the Yellow Wagtails already mentioned, 6 Willow Warbler on site along with 6 Whitethroat and 3 Lesser Whitethroat and a small number of Swallows and Sand Martins south. Offshore 22 Teal, 8 Wigeon, 2 Oyks and 1 each of Greenshank, Common Sandpiper and Whimbrel all going south.

5 birds were ringed; 2 Collared Dove and 1 each of Whitethroat, Robin and Blue Tit.

Tuesday 23rd August 2016

A flat, clear and calm night, followed by a hot day produced a decent arrival of new migrants.

Warblers were the order of the day with totals of 15 Willow Warbler, 10 Common Whitethroat, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler and 1 Blackcap.

Others in the form of 29 Swallow, 14 Goldfinch, 9 Wheatear, 5 Pied Wagtail, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Robin and 3 Sand Martin.

News of a Red-legged Partridge seen yesterday, was still on-site today.

At sea were 4 Oystercatcher, 3 Common Tern, 2 Cormorant, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Whimbrel and 1 Fulmar.

A few migrants showing up in the traps including this Rusty Dot Pearl.

Ringing: 18 birds ringed this morning including 11 Willow Warbler, 3 Robin, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Blackbird and 1 Woodpigeon.

Monday 22nd August 2016

The overnight rain gave the observatory a little soaking, as it surely needs it at the moment. The wind persisted throughout the day from the South and West.

A scattering of new arrivals despite the weather which include 53 Swift, 17 Sand Martin, 15 Goldfinch, 15 Willow Warbler, 13 Swallow, 12 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 House Martin and our female Common Redstart from the last few days.

Sea watching produced 10 Common Tern, 6 Teal, 6 Oystercatcher, 6 Ringed Plover, 5 Grey Plover, 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Great-Black Backed Gull, 1 Curlew and 1 Cormorant.

Ringing: 15 birds ringed this morning including 11 Willow Warbler, 2 House Sparrow, 1 Robin and 1 Common Whitethroat.

Sunday 21st August 2016

Blowing a hoolie still but a few migrants about including at least 6 Willow Warbler, 6 Whitethroat, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Swift, Redstart & an unseasonal Reed Bunting. A Sooty Shearwater went north at a reasonable range offshore at 0800hrs but apart from that it was rather quiet with southbound 7 Teal, 3 Turnstone, Oyk, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover & Dunlin.

4 birds Ringed: Willow Warbler, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Linnet.