Late July 2017

July 31st. Around were 4 Spoonbill, 5 Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Arctic Skua, a Mediterranean Gull, 1000 Sandwich Tern, a Red Kite and a Hobby. Flying south were a Whimbrel, 9 Turnstone, 566 Common Tern, 746 Sandwich Tern, a Swift, a Short-eared Owl and 6 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 5 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Wren, a Sedge Warbler, a Linnet and a Goldfinch; and 5 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Dunnock, a Chiffchaff and a Great Tit.

Common Tern, 31st July 2017.
Photo - Paul Neale
July 30th. Soggy start, gradually drying out.
 On Jackson's Marsh were 6 Spoonbill; and on Tennyson's Sands 45 Black-tailed Godwit and a Kingfisher. Birds around included 2 Greenshank, a Green Woodpecker, a juvenile Peregrine and 3 Yellow Wagtail.
 A brief morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by David Vincent provided 12 new birds: 4 Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler and singles of Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Blackbird; and 7 retraps: singles of Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Sedge Warbler, Wren, Blackbird, Linnet and Long-tailed Tit.

Barn Owl, 30th July 2017.
Photo - Paul Neale
July 29th. Soggy start, gradually drying out.
 On Jackson's Marsh were 8 Spoonbill, a Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, 70 Black-tailed Godwit and a Yellow Wagtail; and on Tennyson's Sands a Spotted Redshank and 2 Black-tailed Godwit. Going south were 35 Swift; and west a Collared Dove.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 10 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, a Blackcap, a Linnet, a Reed Bunting, 3 Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler; and 4 retraps: 2 Dunnock, a Blackbird and a Whitethroat.

July 28th. Moderately strong south-westerly wind.
 On Tennyson's Sands were 300 Redshank and 76 Black-tailed Godwit; and on Jackson's Marsh 2 Common Sandpiper. Around were 16 Spoonbill, a Little Stint and 400 Dunlin. Heading south were 44 Dunlin, 32 Turnstone, 18 Whimbrel, 616 Knot, 82 Black-tailed Godwit, 800 Swift, 12 Sand Martin and 5 Swallow. Sea-watching revealed 10 Gannet, 800 Common Scoter, 2 Arctic Tern, 30 Common Tern, 6 Little Tern, 200 Sandwich Tern and a Great Crested Grebe.
 A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 4 new birds: a Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat and a Linnet; and 5 retraps: 2 Wren, 2 Whitethroat and a Dunnock.

July 27th. On Tennyson's Sands were 125 Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff and 8 Little Tern; and on Jackson's Marsh a Common Sandpiper. An Asio Spp was in East Dunes around dawn. Birds around included 14 Spoonbill, a Peregrine, a Grey Heron, a Little Stint, 3 Whimbrel, 50 Black-tailed Godwit, 7000 Knot, 800 Dunlin, 300 Sanderling, 2 Arctic Skua, a juvenile Cuckoo and 21 Yellow Wagtail. Flying south were an Alba Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 65 Sand Martin, 7 House Martin and 8 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Keith Collett, provided 9 new birds: a Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, a Linnet, a Yellow Wagtail, 2 Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock; and 12 retraps: a Great Tit, a Robin, a Linnet, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat and 3 Dunnock.
 Invertebrates included 9 Wasp Spiders discovered on the saltmarsh.

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail, ringed 27th July 2017.
Photo - George Gregory
Wasp Spider, 27th July 2017.
Photo - Jim Shaw
Wasp Spider, 27th July 2017.
Photo - Jim Shaw
 July 26th. Increasing, then decreasing, southerly wind; early afternoon rain.
 Around were 3 Spoonbill, an adult Hobby, a Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank, 5 Arctic Skua, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 400 Starling. By Millennium Ridge were a Little Stint, 21 Turnstone and a Curlew Sandpiper. On Tennyson's Sands were 78 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Ruff. Going south were 27 Arctic Tern, 25 Swift, 200 Sand Martin and 90 Swallow; and north 350 Common Scoter.
 A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 5 new birds: 2 Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Linnet and a Magpie; and 3 retraps: a Great Tit and 2 Dunnock.

Juvenile Magpie, ringed 26th July 2017.
 Photo - George Gregory
July 25th. Soggy start, gradually drying out.
 Birds around included 3 Spoonbill, 3 Marsh Harrier, 4 Greenshank,16 Arctic Skua, 2 Arctic Tern and 4 Yellow Wagtail. By Millennium Ridge were 2 Little Stint. On Tennyson's Sands were a Water Rail, a Knot, 4 Ruff and a Kingfisher. Heading south were 40 Shelduck, a Great Crested Grebe, 19 Whimbrel, 6 Sand Martin and 22 Swallow; and north a Great Skua.
 The ninth session of CES was done this morning. The 17 new birds were 3 Wren, 5 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, a Blue Tit, a Robin and a Great Tit. The 13 retraps were a Song Thrush, a Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, a Blue Tit, a Dunnock, a Great Tit, a Wren, a Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff and 2 Long-tailed Tit.

July 24th. Rainy spells.
 Around were 5 Spoonbill, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 60 Starling and 3 Siskin. On Tennyson's Sands were a Water Rail, 58 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Kingfisher. On or off the shore were 30 Common Scoter, 2 Arctic Tern, 300 Sandwich Tern, 5000 Knot, 2500 Sanderling, 800 Dunlin, 2 Little Stint, 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Turnstone and 150 Ringed Plover. Flying south were 12 Common Scoter, 8 Whimbrel, 7 Arctic Skua, 250 Swift and 300 Swallow; north 3 Arctic Skua; and north-west 35 Swift.

July 23rd. Rainy spells.
 Around were 3 Spoonbill, a juvenile Marsh Harrier, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Greenshank, a Snipe, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Snipe, 24 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Yellow Wagtail. On Tennyson's Sands were an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Water Rail, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff and 30 Black-tailed Godwit; and on Jackson's Marsh 2 Black-tailed Godwit. Sea-watching produced 250 Common Scoter, 5 Gannet, 520 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Tern, 4 Arctic Skua, 26 Whimbrel, 2000 Oystercatcher, 15000 Knot, 1500 Sanderling, 300 Ringed Plover and 20 Dunlin. Going south were 15 Sand Martin; and north a Fulmar.

July 22nd. Occasional rainy spells.
 On Tennyson's Sands were 4 Spoonbill, a Water Rail, 2 Mediterranean Gull, a Little Ringed Plover, a Spotted Redshank, 2 Ruff, a Knot and 56 Black-tailed Godwit; and on Jackson's Marsh 17 Black-tailed Godwit. Off Millennium Ridge were 2 Little Stint. Around were a Peregrine, a Hobby and 4 Arctic Skua. Heading south were an Eider, 7 Gannet, 2 Swift, an Alba Wagtail, 21 Sand Martin and 80 Swallow; and north 40 Common Scoter.

July 21st. Moderately strong southerly wind.
 On Tennyson's Sands were a Little Ringed Plover, 64 Black-tailed Godwit, a Knot and a Spotted Redshank; and on Jackson's Marsh 2 Common Sandpiper. Around were 5 Spoonbill, 3 Greenshank, 2 Ruff, 4 Whimbrel, 1200 Sanderling, 250 Sandwich Tern, an Arctic Tern, 9 Arctic Skua, a Cuckoo, a Grasshopper Warbler and 2 Treecreeper. Flying south were 5 Turnstone, 800 Swift and 16 Sand Martin.
 A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 5 new birds: a Wren, a Linnet and 3 Whitethroat; and 4 retraps: a Wren, a Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock.