Another productive ringing session on East Dunes this morning provided 145 captures, including 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroats, a Blackcap, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Sand Martins, 3 House Martins and 126 Swallows. One of the Swallows was a control, with a different sequence to the other controls in the last few weeks.
August 19th: On Jackson's Marsh were 2 Spoonbills, a Little Gull, 32 Greenshanks, 3 Spotted Redshanks, a Wood Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpipers, and Tennyson Sands 55 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Ruffs, a Little Ringed Plover and 3 Common Sandpipers. Around were 2 Redstarts, a Green Woodpecker, a Buzzard, 3 Wheatears, a Marsh Harrier, a Greenshank, 29 Little Egrets and the escaped Crimson Rosella. Knots increased to 65000.
Simultaneous ringing sessions in East Dunes and Aylmer Avenue resulted in 139 captures, including 3 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, a Sand Martin and 102 Swallows. At one point the tape-lure had to be switched off for 30 minutes until the main Swallow flock had moved on, to avoid the possibility of too many birds in the nets.
August 18th: Decreasing wind. Around were up to 5 Pied Flycatchers, a Redstart, 3 Garden Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Spoonbills, a Marsh Harrier, a Hen Harrier, a Hobby, a Greenshank and 2 Whimbrels. Offshore were 40000 Knots and 2 Arctic Skuas. Jackson's Marsh held 2 Greenshanks, 9 Green Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Redshanks and a Black-tailed Godwit, and Tennyson Sands 53 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Ruffs and a Common Sandpiper. South went 53 Crossbills, 2 Buzzards, 21 Yellow Wagtails, 250 Swifts and 9 Snipes.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes was productive, involving 81 new birds ringed and 6 retraps. The new birds included a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, a Garden Warbler, a Whitethroat, a Kestrel, 69 Swallows and a House Martin.
August 17th: Fairly windy most of day. On Tennyson Sands were 33 Black-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, a Little Ringed Plover and 3 Ruffs, and on Jackson's Marsh a Wood Sandpiper and 8 Little Egrets. Around were 5 Spoonbills and a Black Tern.
The eleventh session of CES was done this morning, resulting in 8 new birds ringed, including a Sparrowhawk, and 3 retraps. There was little around the site.
August 16th: Windy morning then decreasing somewhat. Tennyson Sands held 3 Spoonbills, 51 Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and 14 Snipes, and Jackson's Marsh 25 Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper and 10 Little Egrets. Around were a Peregrine, 2 Marsh Harriers, 31 more Snipes, a Spotted Redshank, 23 Whimbrels, 342 Redshanks, 374 Curlews, 10 Crossbills and 2 Wheatears. A Red-throated Diver flew north, and a Black Tern and 135 Swifts south. In the Shorebird Sanctuary was a Brent Goose. Offshore were 25 Eiders, 53 Gannets, 78 Common Terns and a Kittiwake. Going to roost were 3 Mediterranean Gulls.
The Feeding Station has been restarted and an afternoon ringing session yielded the usual tits and finches.
August 15th: On Jackson's Marsh were a Black-tailed Godwit and a Green Sandpiper, on Tennyson Sands 53 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, 3 Greenshanks and a Ruff, and on Croftmarsh 50 Golden Plovers. Around were a Marsh Harrier, a Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank and 2 Wheatears. Sea-watching produced 40 Gannets, 2 Wood Sandpipers and 3 Common Sandpipers south, 8 Common Scoters north, and 4 Arctic Skuas, a Kittiwake and a Guillemot present.
The catch improved in East Dunes, and the wind-shortened morning session yielded a Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, a Whitethroat and 20 Swallows, amongst others.
August 14th: Raptors were represented by a Merlin, an adult male Marsh Harrier and 5 Kestrels. The best waders were 467 Curlews, 9 Whimbrels, 43 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Greenshanks, 2 Common Sandpipers, 5 Ruffs and 29 Snipes (including 16 south). Little Egrets on Jackson's Marsh increased to 17. Other good birds were 2 Wheatears, a Redstart and 39 Sand Martins south. The escaped Crimson Rosella arrived back in the Field Station area.
Ringing in East Dunes continued to be poor following the change in wind direction, with just a few Swallows and a Blackcap netted.
August 13th: Tennyson Sands provided 2 Spoonbills, a Garganey, 3 Snipes, 52 Black-tailed Godwits and a Ruff, and Croftmarsh 7 Whimbrels and 5 Golden Plovers. South went 3 Buzzards and 20 Snipes, while other waders around were 3 Greenshanks, a Spotted Redshank, 7 Common Sandpipers, 100 Ringed Plovers and 2 Green Sandpipers. Adult males of Marsh Harrier and Peregrine hunted over New Saltmarsh, and a ringtail Montagu's Harrier appeared later. Also present were 2 Wheatears, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Crossbill and 7 Kestrels.
Tape-luring Swallows resulted in 10 new birds netted, but there was little sign of landed migrants in East Dunes.
August 12th: Still no obvious arrival of migrant landbirds from the east, or perhaps from anywhere. On Tennyson Sands were 2 Spoonbills, 15 Little Egrets, 5 Greenshanks, a Spotted Redshank, 55 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Ruffs, a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrels and 16 Snipes, and on Jackson's Marsh 4 Green Sandpipers, 10 Greenshanks and 4 Black-tailed Godwits. A Marsh Harrier flew over. Around were 3 Wheatears.
Too windy for a ringing session.
August 11th: Cloudy conditions with easterly wind, in autumn. However, not much sign of eastern arrivals. The usual 2 Wheatears, a Marsh Harrier and a Willow Warbler were around. On Tennyson Sands was a Garganey, a Spotted Redshank and the usual other waders. Croftmarsh held 35 Golden Plovers. A Great Skua, an Arctic Skua, a Wood Sandpiper and 16 Snipes flew south, and a Sooty Shearwater and 8 Arctic Skuas north.
Little was caught in a ringing session in East Dunes, apart from a Willow Warbler and some Swallows.
