Saturday 29th May 2021

First Small Heath of the year

 A few clouds first thing but the moderate ENE breeze had pushed them away by mid-morning, leaving a sunny and warm day albeit with an onshore wind; it was another quiet morning birdwise though with a Barnacle Goose south, 2 Black Redstarts, a Blackcap, another 106 Brent Geese heading out and north, 2 Chaffinches, 4 Common Scoter, 9 Common Tern, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, the first fledgling Robin of the year, a Sparrowhawk and 6 Swallows south.

Ringing: Dunnock 1, Robin 1, Blackcap - a Dutch control!

With the warming temperatures a few more micros are starting to appear including this Notocelia cynosbatella 

Friday 28th May 2021

Green Hairstreak

 We finally woke up to the long-prayed for SE breeze with some cloud cover so there was a touch more anticipation than of late but it proved to be a quiet morning with few grounded migrants; birds of note comprised 4 Black Redstarts, another 377 Brent Geese out of the river and north at sea, 2 Chaffinches, 18 Common Scoter north, 2 Common Tern, 2 Dunlin, 2 Fulmars, 3 Kittiwakes, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, a Reed Warbler, 15 Sanderling, 9 Sandwich Terns, 14 Swallows south, a Wheatear and 5 Whitethroats.

Ringing: Starling 2, Linnet 2 (including the first fledged juvenile)

Angle-barred Pug of the form "unicolor" can be very common here.   It used to be called Ash Pug with the subspecies living here, Tamarisk Pug with all three of these formally different, now lumped together as one species (I think that's right - according to the scribbled notes that I'm copying from anyway!)

Thursday 27th May 2021

 Light NW winds and some misty murky cloudy conditions produced a little smattering of migrants across the area including a Blackcap, 3 Chaffinches, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Reed Warblers, 5 Spotted Flycatchers, a Wheatear, 6 Whitethroats and 2 Willow Warblers.

Other birds of note comprised 2 Black Redstarts, another 163 Brent Geese heading out of the river and north, 17 Common Scoter north, 3 Fulmars, 4 House Martins, 9 Swallows and a Swift north, 2 Kittiwakes, a Mediterranean Gull and 2 Turnstone.

Coxcomb Prominent visits occasionally.

Ringing: Wren 1, Whitethroat 1, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Blackcap 1, Reed Warbler 1, Willow Warbler 2, Chiffchaff 1, Spotted Flycatcher 3, Linnet 1

Wednesday 26th May 2021

This Grey Heron flying past is wearing a ring.

Getting towards 'last knockings' as far as the bulk of spring migration is concerned although this mornings offerings include 2 Spot Fly, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler & Wheatear. Heading south 9 Swallow, 3 House Martin & Swift plus offshore 12 Black-headed Gull, 9 Kittiwake, 4 Oyk, 4 Sandwich Tern, 2 Fulmar & Whimbrel. Another 267 Brent Geese headed to there breeding grounds in the far north of Asia. 2 Little Tern were offshore, Turnstone on the point & 4 Black Reds are still with us.

First Nutmeg of the season - the sort of fairly nondescript species that can put beginners off moth trapping.

Ringing: 1 Spotted Flycatcher 

Tuesday 25th May 2021

Linnet

 Clear first thing but a band of drizzle moved in disrupting the morning and leaving a breezy, sometimes cloudy, sometimes showery rest of day; another good total of 469 Brent Geese came out of the river before turning north and was the migration spectacle of the morning.   

Other birds included 4 Black Redstarts, a Chaffinch, a Chiffchaff, 16 Common Scoters north, a Common Tern, 2 House Martins south, a flock of 7 Kittiwakes south, a Little Tern, a Mediterranean Gull, a Redshank on the beach (the first of the year and an unusual sight actually hanging out on the beach), a Reed Warbler, a new Robin from somewhere, 13 Swallows south, 15 Swifts south, a Whimbrel and a Turtle Dove which shot through at a rapid rate of knots - always a rare sight nowadays.

Ringing; Reed Warbler 1, Robin 1

Monday 24th May 2021

Brown Argus

 A short entry as there was wasn't too much to mention at all on this quiet day; the thick overnight clouds soon dissipated leaving a generally sunny day with a brisk WSW breeze.   Birds of note comprised 2 Black Redstarts, a Blackcap, 9 tardy Brent Geese heading out of the river and north, 3 Chiffchaffs still, a Fulmar, 4 Gannets, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 13 Swallows and a Willow Warbler.

Ringing: Willow Warbler 1 

Poplar Grey - moth species and numbers are still very low for the time of year

Sunday 23rd May 2021

Brent Geese heading over the fort - next stop...the tundra!

 Pre-dawn cloud soon dispersed leaving a good sunny, calm spell early morning but it wasn't too long before the wind started to pick up bringing more cloud cover for a breezy, overcast afternoon; the morning's highlight was a Roseate Tern which flew north close inshore at 06:00 while the main feature of the day was a good movement of 351 Brent Geese coming out of the river before angling north heading for their breeding ground in the far north - awesome to see some migration in action!

Other birds through the day comprised 2 Black Redstarts, a Blackcap, a Chaffinch, 3 Chiffchaffs, 18 Common Scoter north, 2 Common Terns, 4 Fulmars, 2 Gannets, an Avocet south, a Hobby, 2 Jackdaws, a Kittiwake, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 16 Little Terns lingering offshore, a Mediterranean Gull, 2 Peregrines hunting over the river, 3 Sanderling, 3 Sandwich Terns, 11 Swallows south, 2 Turnstone, 3 Wheatears, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers and a Shag north close inshore.

Ringing: Willow Warbler 1, Blackcap 1

Incurvaria masculella is a day-flyer that is easily overlooked as they don't sit still for long