A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced a new Meadow Pipit, and 2 retrap Dunnock.
May 19th. Moderately strong, but decreasing, south-westerly wind.
An Osprey came in off the sea. Around were 2 Little Ringed Plover, 7000 Sanderling, a Wheatear, 2 Turtle Dove and a Cuckoo. Flying south were 24 Kittiwake and 2 Swallow, and north 5 Manx Shearwater and 20 Auk Sp.
The total of 7000 Sanderling is quite remarkable for a spring count and there are even few autumn counts of this magnitude. According to the annual WeBS report 2009/10, the largest all time spring count of Sanderling in the UK was of 8737 on the Ribble Estuary in May 1992.
May 18th. Rain most of day.
On Tennyson's Sands were 2 Spoonbill. A Cuckoo was heard.
May 17th. A Golden Oriole was heard north of the reserve in Seacroft. Birds around were 22 Jay, 4 Turtle Dove and 2 Cuckoo. On Tennyson's Sands/Jackson's Marsh were 2 Spoonbill, a Mediterranean Gull, 5 Black-tailed Godwit and a Little Ringed Plover.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 7 new birds: a Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, a Chaffinch and a Lesser Whitethroat; and no retraps.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by David and Liv Vincent, which included the second C.E.S session of the year, resulted in a total of 14 new birds and 19 retraps. The new birds were 10 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Robin, a Wren and a Lesser Whitethroat. The retraps were 5 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Dunnock, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler and singles of Robin, Blackbird, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Sedge Warbler.
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| One of two juvenile Robins, ringed 17th May 2015. Photo - David Vincent. |
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: a Whitethroat, a Robin, a Chaffinch, a Meadow Pipit and a Jay; and 3 retraps: a Linnet and 2 Reed Bunting.
May 15th. 2 Spoonbill were discovered on Tennyson's Sands, and a Little Stint by the Spit. A single Golden Oriole was in the Plantation early morning, then an adult male and a presumed female were near Mill Hill. Other birds around were 4 Jay, a Water Rail, 3 Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, a Turtle Dove and 3 Cuckoo.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 6 new birds: 3 Meadow Pipit, a Chaffinch, a Blackbird and a Woodpigeon; and 4 retraps: singles of Blackbird, Meadow Pipit, Wren and Dunnock.
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| Golden Orioles, 15 May 2015. Photo - David Johnstone |
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| Golden Oriole, 15 May 2015. Photo - David Johnstone |
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| Golden Oriole, 15 May 2015. Photo - David Johnstone |
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in no new birds; and 7 retraps: 4 Whitethroat, a Dunnock, a Blackbird and a Linnet.
May 13th. Birds around included a first-summer male Golden Oriole, 29 Jay, 150 Brent Goose, 2 Pink-footed Goose, 5 Wheatear, 4 Turtle Dove and 4 Cuckoo. Going west were 2 Swift and south 67 Swallow. A Spoonbill was on Tennyson Sands.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 2 retraps: a Blackbird and a Wren.
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| First-summer male Golden Oriole in East Dunes, 13th May 2015. Photo - Nige Lound |
Around were 35 Jay, 3+ Wheatear, 2 Pink-footed Goose, 8 Turtle Dove and 150 Brent Goose. Offshore were 30 Sandwich Tern. Flying south were a Turtle Dove, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Buzzard, a Mediterranean Gull, 40 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 158 Sandwich Tern, 6 Arctic Tern, a Turtle Dove, 21 Swift, 250 House Martin, 3 Sand Martin and 750 Swallow.
A rain-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 3 new birds: singles of Chiffchaff, Blackbird and Jay; and 2 retraps: singles of Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat.
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| The 18th Jay ringed here this year, 12 May 2015. Photo - George Gregory |
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 6 new birds: singles of Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Linnet, Chaffinch, Spotted Flycatcher and Jay; and 2 retrap Lesser Whitethroat.
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| Spotted Flycatcher, ringed 11 May 2015. Photo - George Gregory |
