Thursday 6th August 2026

A Juvenile Dunlin (Calidris alpina) on the beach today, Calidris meaning grey coloured from aristotle days and alpina is latin for mountains, referencing their breeding grounds.  

A sunny and bright morning with a strong wind from the west. A Nightingale was a nice surprise on the first net round but on the whole mostly quiet within the compound, bar anouther visit from a Great Spotted Woodpecker and shouty Cetti's Warbler. Out on the beach a juvenile Dunlin and briefly on the grass in front of the observatory our Ring Plover family with both chicks remaining. A Peregrine was also seen on the crane again at the port.  

Seawatching produced: 12 Black-headed gull, 3 Sandwich Tern, a Dunlin, a Gadwall and a Whimbrel, all south. 18 Oystercatcher south west towards the port. A Cormorant West. Feeding offshore: 18 Sandwich Tern.  

Hirundine movement included 14 Swallow, 4 Swift and a Sand Martin south. 

Moth trapping: 56 moth species present between our 3 trapsBulrush Wainscot is the moth of the morning, with it being a wetland wanderer. Occurring infrequently here.     

Bulrush Wainscot (Nonagria typhae)

Bird ringing: 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nightingale.