Saturday 3rd July 2021

We need some more sunny spells to bring the butterflies out - even Meadow Brown's are in short supply.

Southbound 83 Black-headed Gull, 9 Common Scoter, 6 Curlew, 3 Oyk, 2 Common Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern, Swallow & Whimbrel with northbound 7 Sandwich Tern & Common Scoter. On site a couple of dispersing Chiffchaff arrived but, otherwise, it's baby birds time of the year. It was only on the 9th June that the last Sanderling of the spring were noted on their way to the far north with 2 today probably the first of the autumn on their way back to West Africa.

First site records in the moth department have been non-existent so far this year & we were not expecting to add what we thought was Pleurota bicostella to the list but may actually be the similar looking Sophronia semicostella which we have also not seen before.

Ringing: 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Starling, 1 Wood Pigeon.

Friday 2nd July 2021

Kestrel

Once the early morning cloud had dissipated it was a lovely, very calm, sunny and warm day; a day for lounging in the sun with few birds to distract you but what was here included the Black Redstarts (with another fledgling finding a mist-net), a Curlew, a very brief Great-spotted Woodpecker, 8 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Sandwich Terns and 12 Swifts which were probably just visiting from town.

Ringing: Woodpigeon 1, Dunnock 1, Black Redstart 1, Starling 2, House Sparrow 3, Greenfinch 2, Goldfinch 2

Bedstraw Hawkmoth is an immigrant that is more than welcome to settle on the profusion of Lady's Bedstraw on site

Thursday 1st July 2021

Great-spotted Woodpecker

 An overcast start to the month but it gradually broke up producing a pleasant day with the sun making some half-hearted appearances; the most notable event of the day was three juvenile Great-spotted Woodpeckers all arriving together mid-morning - possibly all members of the same brood but that's just speculation, anyway a record day count for the Obs!

Other birds comprised the Black Redstart family, two lingering Chiffchaffs, 5 Curlews south, a Grey Wagtail south, 9 Oystercatchers, 12 Sandwich Terns and 55 Swifts drifting north.

Also of note were another Norfolk Hawker, the first Emperor of the year and the first Ringlet of the year.

Ringing: Great-spotted Woodpecker 2, Dunnock 1, Blue Tit 1, House Sparrow 2, Linnet 4

Hornet Moth - a nationally scarce species on the Poplars, although we usually find them hanging onto mist-nets!

Already a record-breaking year for Norfolk Hawkers

June Ringing Totals

Lesser Whitethroat and Black Redstart fledglings

Another pretty poor return in relative terms (the lowest total since 1991) and again, not due to a lack of effort with few late spring migrants and many breeding species adversely affected by the very cold spring, producing reduced brood sizes.   

Early signs suggest though, that the species which bred slightly later (avoiding the worst of the cold weather) including Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats have fared better than the earlier nesting Tits and Thrushes - which also have the chance for some improved second broods, so hopefully plenty more fledglings will be on their way into the nets through July!

Wednesday 30th June 2021

Our male Pheasant has become less vocal but has taken to posing on the Fort roof.

As expected, migrants were noticeable by there absence on another cool & damp morning. Single Gannet & Sandwich Tern went north & a Swallow was loitering late morning. The Black Red family were around the front of the Fort - if they alarm call at you please take the hint and move away as the adults are alarm calling at you for a reason (although the bulk of Joe Public won't even notice this behaviour). The second pair of Black Redstart have been absent in recent days although, hopefully, they are just inside the dock rather than collecting food on the reserve.

Several more micros from coniferous areas turned up again including Lozotaeniodes formosana.

Ringing: 4 Linnet, 2 Dunnock, 1 Great Tit, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Wren.

Tuesday 29th June 2021

Black Redstart

 Another grey and overcast morning with spells of drizzle but it brightened towards lunchtime - although it was hardly tropical!   Quiet on the bird front although bits did included the Black Redstart family, a dispersing juvenile Chiffchaff, a Curlew north, a Grey Wagtail, a Mediterranean Gull, a Sand Martin, 5 Sandwich Terns, a Sparrowhawk and 36 Swifts drifting north.

Ringing: Lesser Whitethroat 1, Chiffchaff 1, Dunnock 1

A number of micro-moths normally associated with Pine woods turned up today including Dioryctria abietella 

Monday 28th June 2021

We do very well for Archer's Dart here

 A grey, damp morning after a wet night and before a drizzly, even greyer and damper afternoon; a Yellow Wagtail was flying around pretending it was August but apart from that we were limited to 4 Black Redstarts (including some fledglings), 8 Curlew south, a Mediterranean Gull, 2 Sandwich Terns and 6 Swifts.

Ringing: Black Redstart 1, Starling 4, House Sparrow 1, Linnet 1

Sunday 27th June 2021

Pied Wagtail have several young feeding on the reserve.

Breezy, dull murky morning. 3 Lapwing flew inland & a dispersing juvenile Mistle Thrush paid a visit. Offshore southbound 23 Black-headed Gull & Oyk with northbound 35 Common Scoter & 3 Sandwich Tern. Worth a mention is that our only pair of Song Thrush has managed to churn a brood out.

Another site speciality is the nationally scarce species Caryocolum marmorea. Living on Mouse-ear, it is very common here.

Ringing: 3 Blackbird, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Starling.