Morning ringing sessions at East Dunes and Aylmer Avenue provided moderate returns, with several Goldcrests, and various warblers and finches being of note.
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| Lesser Redpoll ringed at Aylmer Avenue 30/09/2012 Photo - Liv Vincent |
September 29th: The Spoonbill returned to Jackson's Marsh, while on Tennyson Sands were a Pink-footed Goose and 15 Avocets, and on the Mere 5 Black-tailed Godwits. At least 4 Yellow-browed Warblers were on the reserve. Other landed birds included 6 Redstarts, a Treecreeper, a Stonechat, a Pied Flycatcher, a Crossbill, a Willow Warbler, 57 Goldcrests and 12 Chiffchaffs. Flying south were a Lapland Bunting, 2 Tree Pipits, a Hobby and various finches and other pipits. Around were a Green Woodpecker, 4 Greenshanks and a Spotted Redshank.
Simultaneous ringing sessions at East Dunes and Aylmer Avenue were very productive in both variety and numbers, with 200 new birds ringed. 146 of these were ringed at Aylmer during an all day session. Birds ringed included a Redstart, a Magpie, 8 Chiffchaffs and numerous Goldfinches and Greenfinches amongst others.
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| 1st year male Redstart ringed 29/09/2012 Photo - M.Briggs  Photo - M.Briggs  Photo - M.Briggs |
A morning and an afternoon ringing sessions on East Dunes provided a Sparrowhawk and several new Song Thrushes, but otherwise only a few common warblers and other species.
September 27th: The Spoonbill flew from Jackson's Marsh first south then north, early morning. On Tennyson Sands were 8 Avocets, 2 Ruffs and 2 Black-tailed Godwits. Around were a Cuckoo, a Redstart, a Willow Warbler, 2 Redwings, a Whimbrel and a Greenshank. Going south were 75 Pink-footed Geese, a Yellow Wagtail, 19 Tree Sparrows and 20 Siskins.
The main species caught in a morning and an afternoon ringing sessions on East Dunes were Dunnocks and Meadow Pipits, but a few warblers, Robins and others added variety.
September 26th: Wind decreasing. A Yellow-browed Warbler was found near the Yacht Club. On Jackson's Marsh were a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank and a Pintail, and on Tennyson Sands 14 Avocets and a Black-tailed Godwit. Around were a Merlin, 2 Marsh Harriers, a Green Woodpecker, a Crossbill, a Ring Ousel, 30+ Redstarts, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Reed Warbler, 10 Chiffchaffs, 14 Goldcrests and 4 Bramblings. South over land flew 29 Siskins and other finches. Heading south at sea were a Great Skua, 7 Arctic Skuas and 158 Wigeons, and north a Little Gull and a Pochard, while a Peregrine came in and 151 Gannets and 18 Red-throated Divers were offshore.
A morning ringing session on East Dunes was productive, with newly ringed birds including 28 Robins, 3 Redstarts, 16 Meadow Pipits, a Tree Pipit, 2 Blackcaps and the usual other species, and retraps featuring 2 Garden Warblers and 2 Robins. An evening session there added 6 more new Robins.
September 25th: Still windy. Jackson's Marsh held a Spoonbill, 2 Greenshanks and a Pink-footed Goose, Tennyson Sands 11 Avocets, a Greenshank, 4 Spotted Redshanks, 3 Ruffs and a Green Sandpiper. A Grey Phalarope landed on the sea, and a Purple Sandpiper went north. Landed migrants included 2 Whinchats, 6 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Willow Warbler, 13 Goldcrests, 10 Redstarts, 2 Redwings and 5 Chiffchaffs. Around was a Marsh Harrier.
Ringing on East Dunes in the morning produced 18 Robins, 2 Redstarts, a Wheatear, a Garden Warbler and the usual other species.
September 24th: Wet and windy. On Jackson's Marsh was the Spoonbill, on Tennyson Sands were a Pink-footed Goose, a Greenshank, 12 Avocets, 3 Ruffs, 4 Spotted Redshanks and 2 Black-tailed Godwits, and on the Mere was another Black-tailed Godwit. Landbirds included a Common Rosefinch in East Dunes, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 5 Redstarts, a Tree Pipit, 2 Redwings, 8 Bramblings, a Reed Warbler, 10 Goldcrests and 7 Chiffchaffs. At sea a Cory's Shearwater flew south at 1345hrs, 2 Long-tailed Skuas, 15 Great Skuas, 12 Arctic Skuas and a Black Tern also flew south, 2 Puffins, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 250 Gannets, 12 Fulmars, 7 Arctic Terns, 7 Little Gulls, a Sooty Shearwater and 370 Common Scoters flew north, and 10 Sandwich Terns and 8 Common Terns were offshore
September 23rd: Increasing easterly windy. The Spoonbill remained on Jackson's Marsh. There was an arrival of at least 30 Goldcrests, plus a Firecrest near Mill Hill. Other birds around were a Short-eared Owl and a Greenshank. On Tennyson Sands were 3 Spotted Redshanks, 12 Avocets and 19 Black-tailed Godwits, and on Jackson's Marsh 2 Ruffs and a Greenshank. At sea 201 Common Scoters and 3 Red-throated Divers flew north, while 7 Brent Geese, 7 Sandwich Terns and 3 Arctic Skuas were offshore.
Simultaneous morning ringing sessions at East Dunes and Aylmer Avenue were productive, involving Goldcrests, 2 Coal Tits, a Treecreeper, a Garden Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, several tape-lured Meadow Pipits, and the usual finches, tits, warblers and other species.
September 22nd: A single Spoonbill was on Jackson's Marsh, 24 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Avocets were on Tennyson Sands, and 1200 Golden Plovers were on Croftmarsh. Landed birds included 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 10 Bramblings, 15 Lesser Redpolls, 20 Siskins, 9 Redwings, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Garden Warbler and a Redstart. Around were a Hen Harrier, a Peregrine, a Buzzard, 3 Short-eared Owls, 2 Rooks and a Greenshank. Heading south were 7 Whooper Swans, 80 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Rock Pipits and 8 Red-throated Divers, and north a Pomarine Skua, 4 adult Little Gulls, 6 Auk Spp and 29 Common Scoters. Offshore were 3 more Red-throated Divers.
A morning ringing session on East Dunes provided the first Redwing of the autumn, 2 Goldcrests, a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a few tape-lured Meadow Pipits and the usual other species. An afternoon session there added a Pied Flycatcher and a Reed Warbler, amongst others.
September 21st: Mostly rainy. On Jackson's Marsh were 3 Spoonbills. Around were a Marsh Harrier, a Green Woodpecker, a Wheatear and a Goldcrest, while 65 Pink-footed Geese flew southeast and a Siskin south. Sea-watching provided 7 Red-throated Divers, 3 Wigeons and 3 Teals south, and a Great Skua, 2 Arctic Skuas, 63 Gannets, 17 Sandwich Terns and a Common Tern offshore.
