Saturday 28th August 2021

First noted in 2017, Celypha rufana is an immigrant that has possibly colonised

 Same again, with the sun poking out through the clouds on occasion and a moderate but increasing northerly based wind; very few migrants on the ground still, totalling 2 Whitethroats, 2 Yellow Wagtails, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, a Whinchat, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and 2 Willow Warblers.

Offshore, birds comprised 21 Common Terns, 48 Sandwich Terns, 55 Teal, a Common Scoter, 7 Wigeon, a Fulmar and an Arctic Skua.

Ringing: Robin 1, Blackcap 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Willow Warbler 1 

Friday 27th August 2021

Goldfinches

 A similar day again albeit with a lighter northerly breeze; there was a similar spread of not too much as 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and a Yellow Wagtail were the migrant highlights.

Offshore 15 Teal and 5 Dunlin went south and a few terns floated around.

Ringing: Pied Flycatcher 2, Blackbird 1

Dusky Thorn was only noted for the first time last year with this one making it two years in a row; it lives on Ash so is unlikely to make its home with us

Thursday 26th August 2021

The first Lesser Swallow Prominent that we have seen this year, although it is not annual here

 Largely overcast, although the sun did make a few appearances and a brisk NW wind so perhaps unsurprisingly it was a quiet day; offshore, birds comprised 5 Turnstone, 4 Oystercatchers, a Golden Plover, 2 Dunlin, a Greenshank, a Grey Plover and 9 Teal.

The few migrants on the land consisted of single Whinchat, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler.

Ringing: Nil

Wednesday 25th August 2021

This worn Wall, first seen a couple of days back, is on the observatory Buddleja and is our first for three years of this declining species.

Migrants were, once again, difficult to come across with todays meagre offerings 4 Whitethroat, 2 Sand Martin, 2 Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, Spot Fly & Wheatear. A Tree Sparrow with the sparrows at the cottage could well have been the one from the north end of the reserve a couple of days back.

Twin-spotted Wainscot is a reed bed species that wanders down here on only rare occasions.

Ringing: 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.

Tuesday 24th August 2021

These mating Small Red-eyed Damseflies at the cottage pond, makes it an unbelievable 21 species of Odonata noted this year

 A nice calmish start with some cloud cover but the NNE wind picked up significantly by mid-morning blowing the clouds away; again, there was a little scattering of migrants across the area which today included 3 Pied Flycatchers, a Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Willow Warblers, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and a Yellow Wagtail.

Also of note were 2 Arctic Skuas including a juvenile lingering just offshore, 3 Common Scoter, a Fulmar and 86 Teal and 6 Gadwall south at sea.

Ringing: Robin 1, Willow Warbler 1

Ancylosis oblitella is a nationally scarce species on the wing at the moment

Monday 23rd August 2021

Whinchat

 A nice day with a light northerly breeze and light cloud cover; it was perhaps, the first day of autumn proper - in terms of autumn passerines anyway as the little scatter of migrants across the area comprised 2 Whinchats, 2 Wheatears, a Redstart, 11 Willow Warblers, a Tree Pipit, a Reed Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtails, a Pied Flycatcher, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Whitethroats and a fine juvenile Cuckoo which found a mist-net early morning.

Conversely, the offshore passage was quieter today but birds of note did consist of 108 Teal, 8 Gadwall and 2 Oystercatchers whilst terns were conspicuous in their absence, partly we're sure due to the unprecedented 1,476 Common Terns which flew south yesterday evening - easily a record count and one that contained 6 Black Terns and 2 Little Terns.

Ringing: Cuckoo 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Pied Flycatcher 1

Bulrush Wainscot is a reedbed inhabitant only noted in a few previous years

Sunday 22nd August 2021

Despite the lack of migrants new dispersing juvenile Robins, on the look out for a winter territory, keep turning up most mornings suggestive of the fact that pairs nearby have reared some young.

The number of departing summer migrants turning up has been very poor with this mornings paltry offerings single Reed Warbler, Spot Fly & Whitethroat with not a single Wheatear or Willow Warbler noted. Southbound movers included 30 Swallow, 8 Black-headed Gull, 4 Turnstone, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, Sand Martin, Tufted Duck & Yellow Wag. There are plenty of birds on the reserve to look through with 220 Linnet, 160 House Sparrow, 16 Goldfinch & 14 Pied Wag plus the locals a welcome sight its just that we would appreciate a bit more variety.

Dark Spectacle is present in small numbers presumably feeding on nettles around the compound.

Ringing: 2 Robin, 1 Reed Warbler.