July 10th: On Jackson's Marsh were 13 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshanks and a Green Sandpiper, and on Tennyson Sands 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls. Around was a Hobby, and offshore were 40 Common Scoters. South went 3 Swifts.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue provided 50 birds processed, almost all juveniles. The news were 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Wrens, 7 Chaffinches, a Blue Tit, 4 Goldfinches, a Great Tit, 4 Whitethroats, 3 Dunnocks, a Blackcap, 8 Greenfinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. The retraps were 3 Blue Tits, 2 Coal Tits, 6 Great Tits, a Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch, a Whitethroat and a Greenfinch.
July 9th: On the Wash were 2 Scaups. Jackson's Marsh held a Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshanks, a Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover, 72 Redshanks and 12 Black-tailed Godwits, and on Tennyson Sands 5 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Greenshanks and a Whimbrel. Around were 289 Curlews, 4 Whimbrels, a Marsh Harrier and a Garden Warbler. Flying south were 250 Swifts. In Beach Car Park were 2 Crossbills.
July 8th: On Tennyson Sands was a Scaup, and on Jackson's Marsh were a Green Sandpiper, 4 Black-tailed Godwits and a Greenshank. South went 8 Swifts, and north 4 more. Around were 2 Hobbys and 10 Crossbills.
A pair of Yellow Wagtails have bred successfully on Jackson's Marsh this year, producing 4 young.
The 7th session of CES was done this morning, and was reasonably successful. The 27 news were 2 Wrens, 8 Whitethroats, 5 Great Tits, 2 Chaffinches, 6 Dunnocks, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blue Tits and a Goldfinch, and the 4 retraps were singles each of Linnet, Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Whitethroat.
The feeding station nets were somewhat more productive, the new birds being a Yellowhammer, 2 Coal Tits, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 19 Greenfinches, 7 Great Tits, 12 Chaffinches, a Dunnock, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Blue Tits and a Whitethroat, and the retraps 3 Chaffinches, 3 Blue Tits, 5 Great Tits and 2 Greenfinches.
In the late afternoon the Barn Owl nest was checked, and the chicks were ringed. A very healthy brood of four have been reared this year, with these chicks bucking the trend in the county, weighing in on the 'very heavy' end of the scale for Barn Owls. Two of the chicks were heavier than the female was five weeks ago, when they were last checked. Across the county, occupancy is at an all-time low when boxes have been checked, probably due to the late spring and cold conditions during the start of the breeding season. In around ten days' time, these chicks will have fledged and will be out and about around the reserve.
July 7th: At Beach Car Park were 7 Crossbills. On Jackson's Marsh were 3 Greenshanks, and on Tennyson Sands 2 Ruffs and a Greenshank. Flying south were 20 Curlews.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue provided 50 birds processed, almost all juveniles. The news were 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Wrens, 7 Chaffinches, a Blue Tit, 4 Goldfinches, a Great Tit, 4 Whitethroats, 3 Dunnocks, a Blackcap, 8 Greenfinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. The retraps were 3 Blue Tits, 2 Coal Tits, 6 Great Tits, a Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch, a Whitethroat and a Greenfinch.
July 9th: On the Wash were 2 Scaups. Jackson's Marsh held a Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshanks, a Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover, 72 Redshanks and 12 Black-tailed Godwits, and on Tennyson Sands 5 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Greenshanks and a Whimbrel. Around were 289 Curlews, 4 Whimbrels, a Marsh Harrier and a Garden Warbler. Flying south were 250 Swifts. In Beach Car Park were 2 Crossbills.
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| Crossbills in Beach Car Park, 9th July Photo - Dean Nicholson |
A pair of Yellow Wagtails have bred successfully on Jackson's Marsh this year, producing 4 young.
The 7th session of CES was done this morning, and was reasonably successful. The 27 news were 2 Wrens, 8 Whitethroats, 5 Great Tits, 2 Chaffinches, 6 Dunnocks, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blue Tits and a Goldfinch, and the 4 retraps were singles each of Linnet, Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Whitethroat.
The feeding station nets were somewhat more productive, the new birds being a Yellowhammer, 2 Coal Tits, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 19 Greenfinches, 7 Great Tits, 12 Chaffinches, a Dunnock, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Blue Tits and a Whitethroat, and the retraps 3 Chaffinches, 3 Blue Tits, 5 Great Tits and 2 Greenfinches.
In the late afternoon the Barn Owl nest was checked, and the chicks were ringed. A very healthy brood of four have been reared this year, with these chicks bucking the trend in the county, weighing in on the 'very heavy' end of the scale for Barn Owls. Two of the chicks were heavier than the female was five weeks ago, when they were last checked. Across the county, occupancy is at an all-time low when boxes have been checked, probably due to the late spring and cold conditions during the start of the breeding season. In around ten days' time, these chicks will have fledged and will be out and about around the reserve.
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| Brood of four Barn Owls ringed on 8th July 2013. Photo - Mick Briggs |
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| Juvenile Coal Tit ringed 8th July 2013. Photo - George Gregory |
July 7th: At Beach Car Park were 7 Crossbills. On Jackson's Marsh were 3 Greenshanks, and on Tennyson Sands 2 Ruffs and a Greenshank. Flying south were 20 Curlews.
July 6th: A quiet day on the reserve. The only birds of note were 8 Crossbills, a Yellowhammer and a Turtle Dove.
July 5th: In the East Dunes were a Song Thrush and a Coal Tit. Swifts and Sand Martins continued moving south throughout the day.
July 4th: Heading south were 3000 Sand Martins, 500 Swift, 60 Swallow and a Hobby, the latter observed chasing migrating Sand Martins. A Cuckoo was heard calling north of Mill Hill. A few Whimbrels are now present around the reserve. On Jackson's Marsh was a male Ruff, which is new in. A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore.
July 3rd: Two Barn Owls hunted over the saltmarsh early evening. An estuary count from the Wash Viewpoint produced 350 Curlews.
July 2nd: A Great White Egret was observed early morning, near the Wash Viewpoint. Flying south were 500 Swifts and several Sand Martins. An evening seawatch produced 50 Manx Shearwaters north. A Bittern was reported on the Mere.
July 1st: On Jackson's Marsh were 23 Black-tailed Godwits, a Green Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plovers. A pair of Turtle Doves were about, and a Cuckoo was calling in the East Dunes. Flying south were 400 Swifts and 100 Sand Martins. Offshore were several Sandwich Terns and a flock of 10 Common Scoters.
Butterflies of the day included a Painted Lady, 3 Small Heaths and 20 Speckled Woods.
