Saturday 26th August 2023

A goodly flock of 60 Sandwich, 12 Common, Arctic & Black Tern in the river then offshore to start the morning. Very little else on the move out to sea with landbirds southbound including 55 Swallow & 2 Sand Martin. Numbers of grounded migrants fairly pitiful with just a small handful of Willow Warbler, Whitethroat & Lesser 'throat. Finally a Black Red is still with us.

After the identification error on the blog ten days ago this is a Dusky Thorn that was caught yesterday.

Ringing: 2 Robin, 1 Whitethroat.

Friday 25th August 2023

Very quiet on the bird front today, with the switch in wind direction. A grey and yellow wagtail flew south and two tree sparrow over the compound were the first we've had this year, but they didn't seem to stick around. 

This is the first site record of Spilonata laricana,  a species that lives on larches and sitka sprue trees.

Birds Ringed: Grey Wagtail 1, Starling 2.

Thursday 24th August 2023

A wet and windy day saw the small migrants clear out. Very few willow warblers or other warbler species were seen around the reserve. Most of the visible passage was at sea. Another 2 arctic skua were seen flying south, making only 3 so far this autumn, which reflects the decline we've seen here over the last few years. Whimbrel, dunlin, and a single greenshank also flew south throughout the day, with the dunlin briefly alighting to feed at the point.

We've had a few maple prominents this year, perhaps living on our sycamore trees.

Birds Ringed: Robin 3, Willow Warbler 1.

 

Wednesday 23rd August 2023

 

Down to one chick which should hopefully make it - fingers crossed !

On site migrants today included 18 Willow Warbler, 8 Lesser 'throat, 6 Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler & Wheatear plus a visit from another juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker. Southbound 155 Swallow, 3 Redshank, 2 Whimbrel, Grey Wag & Osprey.

Doing okay for Palpita vitrealis laterly which is an autumnal migrant species from warmer climes.

Ringing: 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Wood Pigeon.

Tuesday 22nd August 2023

Despite the south esterly, migation continued apace today, with the first two spotted flycatchers of the autumn at the mine station, a new or perhaps the same hobby hunting over the reserve that has been intermittently reported for a few weeks, and a handful of migrant warblers, sedge, reed and whitethroat, amongst the expected willow warblers. The latter were in good numbers around the reserve, with around 20 at the mine station alone, clearly a new influx.

Two great spotted woodpecker juveniles were caught and ringed, the first to be ringed all year, though they're more likely to be dispersing locals, than 'true' migrants, along with a few more juvenile robins and blue tits.

Magpie Moth is a good looking species that we see infrequently.

Birds Ringed: Blue Tit 1. Great Spotted Woodpecker 2, Pied Wagtail 1, Reed Warbler 1, Robin 3, Sedge Warbler 1, Willow Warbler 3.

 

Monday 21st August 2023

A small influx of migrants today, with around 40 willow warblers on site, with multiple grey and yellow wagtails heading south. 3 whinchats, a wheatear, and a reed warbler were a back up cast for the remaining and remaining elusive, wryneck. A Southern Migrant Hawker was found by one of the regulars whilst searching for the wryneck, it seems to have been a good year for the species on the peninsula. 

Ethmia bipunctella is a nationally scarce species that lives on Viper's Bugloss that we haven't seen since 2017.

Birds Ringed: LInnet 1, Reed Warbler 1, Whitethroat 1, Willow Warbler 14.

Sunday 20th August 2023

Pleasant morning with southbound 76 Swallow, 8 Sand Martin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Hobby, Sandwich Tern, Hobby & Short-eared Owl. Grounded migrants included 8 Willow Warbler, 6 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Wheatear, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, Pied Fly, Reed Warbler, Yellow Wag plus what is presumably yesterdays Wryneck still on the reserve.

Pearly Underwing is a migrant whose numbers vary greatly from one year to the next with numbers this year very poor so far although they can continue to arrive at any time.

Ringing: 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Blue Tit, 1 Reed Warbler.