Late August 2016

August 31st. An Osprey flew west over Jackson's Marsh. Birds around, including those trapped, were 9 Spoonbill, a Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 198 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 387 Sandwich Tern, 36 Common Tern, a Common Buzzard, 2 Pied Flycatcher, a Whinchat and 2 Wheatear. Heading south were 1500 Swallow, 4 Sand Martin and 36 House Martin; and north an Arctic Skua.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 27 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Linnet, 2 Robin, 4 Whitethroat, a Whinchat, a Sedge Warbler, a Meadow Pipit, a Swallow, 6 Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Dunnock and 2 Blackbird; and 7 retraps: 3 Wren, a Linnet, a Dunnock, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat.

Pied Flycatcher, ringed 31st August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
August 30th. Around were 9 Spoonbill, 6 Greenshank, 3 Spotted Redshank and a Green Woodpecker. Flying south were a Swift, 6 House Martin and 45 Swallow.
 The 12th and final session of CES was done this morning. The 22 new birds were 6 Wren, 2 Goldcrest, a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, a Goldfinch, a Great Tit, 3 Dunnock and a Yellowhammer. The 11 retraps were a Wren, 2 Blackbird, a Robin, 2 Dunnock, 2 Blackcap, 2 Great Tit and a Blue Tit.

August 29th. Birds around, including those trapped, were 7 Spoonbill, 3 Marsh Harrier, 4 Common Buzzard, a Merlin, a Mediterranean Gull, 4 Spotted Redshank, 12 Greenshank, 197 Black-tailed Godwit, a Snipe, a Little Ringed Plover, a Kingfisher, a Green Woodpecker, a White Wagtail, 2 Whinchat, a Garden Warbler and a Treecreeper. Going south were a Swift and 1500 Swallow, and west a Common Buzzard and a  Marsh Harrier.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 13 new birds: a Garden Warbler, a Linnet, a Blackcap, a Meadow Pipit, 2 Robin, a Blue Tit, 2 Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, 2 Dunnock and a Blackbird; and 8 retraps: 2 Wren, 2 Blackcap, 2 Dunnock, a Whitethroat and a Robin.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by David Vincent resulted in 10 new birds: 5 Dunnock and singles of Wren, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Linnet and Whitethroat; and 9 retraps: 4 Dunnock, 2 Blackcap, a Wren, Great Tit and a Whitethroat.

August 28th. Around were 9 Spoonbill, a Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Black Tern, 1371 Sandwich Tern, an Arctic Tern, 3 Curlew Sandpiper, 4 Spotted Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, a Ruff, 6 Snipe, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Grey Heron, a Kingfisher, a Green Woodpecker and 26 Mistle Thrush. Heading south were 70 Swallow, and north a Fulmar.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 4 new birds: 2 Wren, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat; and 5 retraps: 3 Dunnock, a Great Tit and a Linnet.

August 27th. Birds around included 13 Spoonbill, a Caspian Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Spotted Redshank, 4 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 156 Black-tailed Godwit, 63 Avocet, a Common Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, 14 Greenshank, a Ruff, 5 Egyptian Goose, a Pintail, 7 Arctic Skua, a Merlin, Green Woodpecker, a Garden Warbler, a Grey Wagtail and a Wheatear. Flying south were 700 Swallow, 15 House Martin and 8 Sand Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 24 new birds: 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Robin, 4 Linnet, 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Blackcap, 2 Yellowhammer and a Sparrowhawk; and 7 retraps: a Linnet, 2 Great Tit, 2 Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a Dunnock.
 The highlights of overnight moth-trapping were Hedge Rustic, Angle-barred Pug, Centre-barred Swallow, Purple Bar and Bulrush Wainscot.

Caspian Gull, 27th august 2016.
Photo - James Siddle
Caspian Gull, 27th August 2016.
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth
Spotted Redshanks, 27th August 2016.
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth
Vestal, 27th August 2016.
Photo - Karen and Sarah Hand
White-point, 27th August 2016.
Photo - Karen and Sarah Hand
Sparrowhawk, ringed 27th August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
August 26th. Soggy start, then mostly sunny.
 Around were 7 Spoonbill, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Greenshank, a Green Woodpecker and a Treecreeper. Going south were 55 Swallow and 8 House Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Keith Collett, resulted in 9 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, 3 Robin, a Blackcap and a Swallow; and 6 retraps: a Blackbird, 2 Wren, a Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock.

August 25th. Rain until mid morning.
 Birds around, including those trapped, were 6 Spoonbill, 3 Marsh Harrier, 4+ Common Buzzard, a Merlin, a Kingfisher, 2 Water Rail, 12 Wigeon, 185 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ruff, a Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshank, 19 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Snipe, a Little Stint, 25 Arctic Skua, a Guillemot, 4 Whinchat, a Redstart, 2 Spotted Flycatcher and a Wheatear. Heading south were a Great Skua, a Hobby and 250 Swallow; and north 3 Black Tern, 4 Kittiwake, 9 Arctic Tern and 9 Mistle Thrush.
 A rain-delayed morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 24 new birds: 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 11 Whitethroat, 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Whinchat and a Dunnock; and 4 retraps: 2 Whitethroat, a Dunnock and a Wren.

Arctic Skuas, 25th August 2016.
Photo - James Siddle
Spotted Flycatcher, ringed 25th August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
Whinchat, ringed 25th August 2015.
Photo - George Gregory
Pied Flycatcher, 24th August 2016.
Photo - James Siddle
Spotted Flycatcher, 24th August 2016.
Photo - James Siddle
August 24th. Around, including birds trapped, were 13 Spoonbill, a Common Sandpiper, 4 Greenshank, a Little Ringed Plover, a Kingfisher, 3 Redstart, 3 Pied Flycatcher and a retrapped Redwing. Flying south were 90 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 38 new birds: 6 Wren, 10 Willow Warbler, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Blackcap, 3 Redstart, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, a Linnet, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Robin, 3 Whitethroat, a Chaffinch, a Dunnock and a Blackbird; and 7 retraps: 2 Blackcap, a Redwing, 3 Dunnock and a Chaffinch. The retrapped Redwing (moult score 46) was the bird ringed in East Dunes on June 21st, seen and photographed at Aylmer Avenue on June 29th, and retrapped in East Dunes on August 15th.

Moulting adult Redwing, retrapped 24th August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
Redstart, ringed 24th August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
August 23rd. Birds around, including those trapped, were 17 Spoonbill, a Red Kite, a Peregrine, a Merlin, 4 Marsh Harrier, 3 Yellow-legged Gull, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, 6 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Little Stint, 4 Spotted Redshank, a Wood Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, 15 Greenshank, 4 Snipe, 203 Black-tailed Godwit, a Kingfisher, a Green Woodpecker, 9 Swift, 8 Pied Flycatcher, 11 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Garden Warbler, 250 Willow Warbler, 27 Blackcap, 135 Whitethroat, 65 Lesser Whitethroat, 20 Whinchat, 20 Wheatear, 16 Redstart, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher, 80 Yellow Wagtail, 15 Tree Pipit and a Corn Bunting. The first-summer (portlandica) Common Tern was again on Tennyson's Sands; it first appeared 2 weeks ago. Going south were a Ruff, 1000 Swallow, 350 House Martin and 50 Sand Martin.
 The 11th session of CES was done this morning, with Keith Collett. The 46 new birds were 3 Wren, 20 Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 2 Robin, 8 Blackcap, 5 Whitethroat, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Blue Tit, a Dunnock and a Song Thrush; and 12 retraps: a Robin, a Song Thrush, 3 Wren, 2 Dunnock, a Chiffchaff, 2 Great Tit, a Whitethroat and a Blackcap.

August 22nd. Rain early morning.
 Around were 13 Spoonbill, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Merlin, a Little Tern, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, a Little Stint, a Green Sandpiper, a Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover, a Kingfisher, 1+ Green Woodpecker, 3 Whinchat, 5 Wheatear and a Treecreeper. The high tide wader roost consisted of 38000 Knot, 2500 Grey Plover, 3000 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4000 Oystercatcher, 339 Curlew, 24 Turnstone, 2000 Sanderling, 4000 Dunlin, a Purple Sandpiper, 5 Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper. Heading south were 4 Swift, 150 Swallow, 15 Sand Martin and 8 House Martin.
 A rain-delayed morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 20 new birds: 11 Willow Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Reed Warbler, a Meadow Pipit and 2 Sedge Warbler; and 5 retraps: singles of Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Whitethroat and Dunnock.
 A check of nest boxes revealed a retrap moulting adult female Barn Owl, a pullus large enough to ring and a pullus too small to ring.

Pullus Barn Owl, ringed 22nd August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
August 21st. Birds around, including those trapped, were 15 Spoonbill, a Wryneck, 4 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Wheatear, 5 Whinchat, 6 Yellow Wagtail, a Treecreeper, a Marsh Harrier, 3 Common Buzzard, 2 Ruff, 2 Little Stint, 4 Spotted Redshank, 6 Curlew Sandpiper, a Purple Sandpiper, 15 Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel. Flying south were 10 Swift and 7 Swallow. One observer recorded 101 species here on this day.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 17 new birds: 10 Willow Warbler, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Wheatear, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Meadow Pipit, a Dunnock and a Woodpigeon; and a retrap Dunnock.
 
     


Wryneck, 21st August 2016.
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth
Pied Flycatcher, ringed 21st August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
Wheatear, ringed 21st August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory