Late July 2016

July 31st. Around, including birds trapped, were 9 Spoonbill, a Hobby, a Merlin, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Short-eared Owl, 3 Little Ringed Plover, an Arctic Skua, 2500 Sandwich Tern, a Green Woodpecker, 3 Cuckoo, 4 Goldcrest, a Treecreeper and 18 Willow Warbler. On Tennyson's Sands were a Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Green Sandpiper and 14 Greenshank. Flying south were 4 Arctic Skua, 700 Swallow and a Sand Martin.
 A Painted Lady was photographed nectaring on Ragwort. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was at Aylmer Avenue. A Harbour Porpoise was offshore.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 6 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, a Meadow Pipit, a Blackcap and a Linnet; and 3 retraps: singles of Great Tit, Wren and Sedge Warbler.

Spoonbills and Avocets, 31st July 2016.
Photo - Rob Watson

Painted Lady, 31st July 2016.
Photo - Rob Watson

July 30th. Soggy and misty start, gradually drying out.
 From Jackson's Marsh to the Wash went 4 Spoonbill. Going south were 200 Swallow, and north 5 Sand Martin. Birds around included a juvenile Marsh Harrier, 8 Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Cuckoo and a Green Woodpecker. On Jackson's Marsh was a Common Sandpiper, and on Tennyson's Sands a Little Ringed Plover.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 6 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Wren, 2 Whitethroat, a Linnet and a Blackcap; and 6 retraps: a Blackcap, a Whitethroat, a Dunnock, 2 Wren and a Sedge Warbler.

July 29th. Soggy start.
 On or off the shore were 2 Spoonbill, 2500 Sandwich Tern, 25 Gannet, 1000 Dunlin and 100 Little Tern. Around were a Red Kite, a Cuckoo, a House Sparrow, a Greenshank and a Whimbrel. On Tennyson's Sands were a Wigeon, 3 Little Ringed Plover, a Green Sandpiper, a Snipe, 68 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Greenshank; and on Jackson's Marsh an unseasonal Brent Goose, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover. Heading south were a Common Buzzard, 35 Common Scoter, 14 Whimbrel, 70 Swift, 300 Swallow, 6 Sand Martin and 4 House Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: 2 Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and a Whitethroat; and 7 retraps: a Wren, a Linnet, a Dunnock, 2 Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a Blackbird.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling provided 25 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, 5 Blue Tit, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Goldfinch, 2 Great Tit, 3 Dunnock and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker; and 11 retraps: a Dunnock, 5 Great Tit, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Blue Tit, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Greenfinch.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, 29th July.
Photo - Janet White

July 28th. On Jackson's Marsh were 3 Spoonbill, a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 2 juvenile Little Ringed Plover, a Ruff and 46 Black-tailed Godwit; and on Tennyson's Sands 4 Black-tailed Godwit. Birds around, including those trapped, were a Whimbrel, a Green Woodpecker, a Bullfinch, a Garden Warbler and a Treecreeper. Flying south were 45 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 23 new birds: 5 Wren, 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, 3 Linnet, a Garden Warbler, 2 Blackcap, a Great Tit, a Bullfinch, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Reed Bunting and a Swallow; and 5 retraps: singles of Treecreeper, Dunnock, Great Tit, Whitethroat and Blackcap.

Juvenile Bullfinch, ringed 28th July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

July 27th. Rain in morning.
 On Tennyson's Sands were a Spoonbill, a Wigeon, 12 Greenshank, 5 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 65 Black-tailed Godwit, a colour-ringed adult Mediterranean Gull (red PLY5 again) and a Snipe. On Jackson's Marsh were 2 Common Sandpiper, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover and a Ruff. Around were 800 Sandwich Tern. Going south were 2 Arctic Skua, a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 3 Whimbrel and 1100 Swift, and north a Manx Shearwater, an Arctic Skua and 12 Common Scoter..

July 26th. Birds around included a Cuckoo, 2 Greenshank and 2000 Sandwich Tern. On Tennyson's Sands were a Common Sandpiper and 45 Black-tailed Godwit. Heading south were 300 Swallow, 100 Sand Martin and 100 Swift, and north a Common Scoter
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 21 new birds: 5 Wren, a Reed Warbler, 6 Linnet, 3 Swallow, a Blackcap, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Whitethroat, a Robin and a Dunnock; and 6 retraps: 2 Whitethroat, 2 Linnet and 2 Great Tit.

Sunrise over East Dunes, 26th July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

Juvenile male Blackcap developing the first black feathers in its crown, ringed 26th July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

July 25th. On Jackson's Marsh were 5 Spoonbill of which 3 flew east in the morning; and on Tennyson's Sands a Mediterranean Gull, a Ruff, 2 Common Sandpiper, 31 Black-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank. Around were 4 Green Woodpecker, a Whimbrel and 25 Swallow. A Red Kite flew north, and 95 Swift, 7 Swallow and a Sand Martin south.
 The 9th session of CES was done this morning. The 19 new birds were a Willow Warbler, a Treecreeper, 2 Wren, 2 Long-tailed Tit, a Chiffchaff, 3 Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Linnet, 2 Blue Tit, a Great Tit, 2 Dunnock, a Song Thrush and a Woodpigeon; and the 9 retraps were a Dunnock, 2 Wren, a Chiffchaff, 2 Great Tit, a Chaffinch, a Linnet and a Blackcap.

Treecreeper, ringed 25th July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

Long-tailed Tit, ringed 25th July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

July 24th. On Jackson's Marsh were 6 Spoonbill, and on Tennyson's Sands 3 more Spoonbill, 4 Little Ringed Plover, a colour-ringed adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Little Tern, 2 Common Sandpiper and 29 Black-tailed Godwit. Birds around, including those trapped, were a Roseate Tern, 2 Green Woodpecker, a Merlin, a Peregrine, 3 Whimbrel, 11 Greenshank, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Yellow Wagtail and a juvenile Cuckoo. Flying south were a Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Swift, 6177 Swallow and 19 Sand Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 33 new birds: a Wren, a Robin, 21 Swallow, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Linnet, 2 Blackcap, a Goldfinch and a Green Woodpecker; and 8 retraps: 2 Wren, 3 Whitethroat, a Dunnock, a Blue Tit and a Swallow. For several hours a group of Swallows hawked insects and perched low in East Dunes, and no less than 22 of them ended up in nets without the use of a playback lure.

Colour-ringed adult Mediterranean Gull (red PLY5) on Tennyson's Sands, 24th July 2016. Ringed as an adult in Poland on 17th May 2011, it has now been recorded at Gibraltar Point on 18 separate occasions.
Photo - Nige Lound

Green Woodpecker showing its long, sticky tongue, used to catch ants, ringed 24th July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

Leopard Moths mating on Heligoland trap, 24th July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

Giant Tachinid Flies (Tachina grossa)  mating, 24th July 2016.
Photo - Rob Watson

Sea Holly, 24th July 2016.
Photo - Rob Watson

July 23rd. Around were 5 Spoonbill, 2 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, a Turnstone and 60 Swallow. On Tennyson's Sands were a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover, a Knot and 60+ Black-tailed Godwit.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 12 new birds: 3 Wren, a Blackcap, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Linnet and a Sedge Warbler; and 4 retraps: 3 Whitethroat and a Dunnock.

July 22nd. On Jackson's Marsh were 5 Spoonbill, 7 Common Sandpiper and 2 juvenile Little Ringed Plover. Birds around, including those trapped, were a juvenile Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker, a juvenile Wheatear and a Kingfisher. Going south were 2 Yellow Wagtail, 120 Swallow and 6 Sand Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 17 new birds: 4 Wren, a Blackcap, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Swallow, a Wheatear, 2 Great Tit, a Sedge Warbler, a Meadow Pipit and a Kingfisher; and 7 retraps: 2 Wren, a Robin, 2 Dunnock and 2 Great Tit.

Adult Ringed Plover with 3 recently hatched chicks, 22nd July 2016.
Photo - Nige Lound

Juvenile Wheatear, ringed 22nd July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

Kingfisher, ringed 22nd July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory

July 21st. Around were 9 Spoonbill, 60 Swallow, 400 Sandwich Tern, 3500 Sanderling and a Whimbrel. Heading north were 2 Swift, and south 3 Common Buzzard, 100 Swallow and 4 Sand Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Chris Hansell, provided 9 new birds: 3 Wren, a Chiffchaff, 3 Swallow, a Great Tit and a Blackcap; and 4 retraps: a Whitethroat, 2 Wren and a Dunnock.
 A nest box check revealed an adult female Barn Owl with a big brood patch, 5 warm eggs and a mouse as a food store.

Adult female Barn Owl, ringed 21st July 2016.
Photo - George Gregory