Saturday 13th July 2019

Southbound 213 Black-headed Gull (+79 in off the sea then up river), 9 Oyk, 6 Curlew, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Tern, Auk sp., Common Gull, Fulmar, Med Gull & Whimbrel with northbound 167 Swift, 14 Sandwich Tern, 13 Common Tern, 2 Med Gull, Gannet & Oyk. 2 Skylark went north plus another one on the reserve.

The "common rustic" type moths are a bit of a nightmare. Smaller dull individuals with well marked white kidney marks are becoming more regular over the years so is Lesser Common Rustic slowly taking over ?

Ringing: 12 Linnet, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Wren.

Friday 12th July 2019

This female Blackbird comes and feeds around the moth traps whilst they are being emptied to forage for her young.

Southbound 67 black-headed Gull, 22 Swallow, 4 Little Egret & Canada Goose. On site single Great-spotted Woodpecker, Skylark & Yellow Wag plus a juvenile Song Thrush which is the first dispersing young Songie to have visited this summer.

Tree-lichen Beauty is now appearing. It was first noted here in 2003 and has colonised the site.

Thursday 11th July 2019

So good to have a few young Greenfinch on site in recent days.

Southbound 30 Black-headed Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Med Gull, 2 Swallow, Canada Goose, Common Gull & Common Tern with northbound 10 Swift, 3 Common Tern,  2 Med Gull & Grey Heron. On site a juvenile Great-spotted Woodpecker paid a brief visit.

Anarasia innoxiella was only identified as a separate species in 2017 following confusion with Peach Twig Borer with a handful of records here from 2016 onward. It lives on Acer (Maple/Sycamore) so could colonise.

Ringing: 6 Linnet, 4 Whitethroat, 3 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 1 Blackbird, 1 Dunnock, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Lesser Whitethroat.

Wednesday 10th July 2019

Shelduck with 8 ducklings legging it down the track to the cottage, then beyond the Mine Station, sharp right, over the seawall then out to sea at 0625 hrs. We know it goes on but only rarely get evidence for young ones.

Southbound 324 Black-headed Gull, 26 Whimbrel, 21 Teal, 15 Curlew, 8 Common Tern, 8 Pochard (very notable here), 4 Oyk, 4 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Gull, & Med Gull with northbound 15 Shelduck, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Tern, 2 Med Gull & Grey Heron. Redstart still with us plus a new dispersing Blackcap. On the plus side 2 very small tiny young Blackcap confirm successful breeding here for only the second time ever and 4 young Greenfinch ringed is the highest number in a day for several years.

Oncocera semirubella is one of the better looking micro moths.

Ringing: 9 Linnet, 5 Dunnock, 4 Greenfinch, 3 Blackcap, 2 Blue Tit, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whitethroat.

Tuesday 9th July 2019

With large number of Essex Skipper out finding a Small Skipper is still a challenge.

Southbound 42 Common Scoter, 24 Curlew, 18 Black-headed Gull, 5 Teal, 4 Oyk, 4 Med Gull, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Common Tern & 2 Great-crested Grebe with northbound 10 Common Tern & 7 Common Scoter. Skylark on the reserve plus lots of baby birds. 2 Eider were off the beach.

The Phoenix has only been noted in three previous years with this one the first for 13 years.

Ringing: 3 Herring Gull, 2 Goldfinch.

Monday 8th July 2019

It really is baby bird city at the moment. Last years drought did nobody any favours with juvenile productivity far better for many species this year. Whitethroats don't worry about the almost constant succession of dog walkers on the Butts and it doesn't effect the number of young reared.

Southbound 12 Teal, Common Tern, Med Gull & Sandwich Tern with northbound 15 Swift. Another dispersing juvenile Blackcap turned up which is beginning to suggest that they have turned out plenty of young elsewhere and it may (hopefully) be a good autumn passage for them later on.

Celpyha striana starting to appear - its foodplant is the roots of Dandelions.

Ringing: 13 Linnet, 4 House Sparrow, 2 Dunnock, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Robin, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Wren.

Sunday 7th July 2019

Why is a Muntjac walking down the beach at 0930 hrs on a Sunday morning when the site is busy with punters ?

Heading south single Common Tern, Curlew & Sandwich Tern with other migrants restricted to dispersing baby birds including a couple more Blackcap & Chiffchaff.

Aethes tesserana is yet another addition to the site list but this time not in the moth traps but on the fence by the Butts pond.

Ringing: 2 Blackcap, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Dunnock, 1 Great Tit, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Linnet, 1 Whitethroat.