Late May 2018.

May 31st. Fog until mid morning.
 Around were a Wood Warbler (in Plantation), a Little Stint, a Green Woodpecker, a Cuckoo, 2 Swift, a Hobby, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Wheatear, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, a Yellow Wagtail and 8 Swallow. On Fenland Lagoon were 35 Black-tailed Godwit and a Little Ringed Plover.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Keith Collett and Sam Prettyman, yielded a new Goldfinch; and 7 retraps: 3 Whitethroat, 2 Dunnock, a Sedge Warbler and a Blackbird.

Wood Warbler, 31st May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward 

Wheatear, 31st May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward 

May 30th. Thunder, lightning and rain until mid morning.
 Birds around, including those trapped were a Little Stint, a Whimbrel, 2 Sandwich Tern, a Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, 7 Swift, a Green Woodpecker, a Hobby, 8 Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a Garden Warbler, a Stonechat, a Whinchat, 2 Wheatear and a Hawfinch. On Tennyson's Sands were 2 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Garganey, 2 Pintail, a Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper; on Jackson's Marsh were a Great Crested Grebe, 46 Black-tailed Godwit and a Spoonbill; and on Fenland Lagoon were 2 Little Ringed Plover. Heading south were 20 Black-tailed Godwit and a Sand Martin.
 A ringing session from late morning to mid afternoon provided 8 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, a Whinchat, a Linnet and a Dunnock; and 9 retraps: a Chaffinch, 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, a Dunnock, 2 Whitethroat and a Blue Tit.

Mediterranean Gulls, 30th May 2018.
Video - Ben Ward 



Spoonbill, 30th May 2018.


Video - Ben Ward
 
Little Stint, 30th May 2018.
Video - Ben Ward 


Barn Owl, 30th May 2018.
Video - Ben Ward 

Whinchat, ringed 30th May 2018.
Photo - George Gregory
May 29th. Fog/mist until mid morning; slowly increasing north-easterly wind.
 Around were 2 Grey Partridge, a Redstart, a Wood Sandpiper, a Garganey, 2 Cuckoo, 2 Hobby, a Wheatear, 9 Turnstone, 8 Little Tern, 2 Swallow and a Hawfinch. On Tennyson's Sands were 2 Pintail, a Mediterranean Gull and 9 Black-tailed Godwit; and on Fenland Lagoon 2 Little Ringed Plover. Flying north were 58 Swift, 18 Swallow and 35 House Martin.
 The third session of CES was done this morning. The 8 new birds were 2 Whitethroat, 2 Robin, 3 Sedge Warbler and a Blackcap; and 10 retraps: 3 Chiffchaff, a Robin, a Whitethroat, a Dunnock, a Long-tailed Tit, a Blackcap, a Great Tit and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Hobby in the mist, 29th May 2018.
Photo - Nige Lound



Painted Lady, 29th May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward

Colour-flagged Ringed Plover, 29th May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward
May 28th. A Hoopoe was discovered on North Building Ridge mid morning. Birds around, including those trapped, were a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 87 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Greenshank, 6 Turnstone, 4 Sandwich Tern, a Whinchat, 7 Wheatear, a Spotted Flycatcher, 10 Little Tern, 5 Cuckoo, a Hobby, a Marsh Harrier, a Siskin, 25 House Martin and 10 Swallow. On Tennyson's Sands were 2 Garganey, 2 Pintail, a Mediterranean Gull and 8 Black-tailed Godwit; on Fenland Lagoon a Garganey, 2 Little Ringed Plover; on Croftmarsh 4 Grey Plover; and on the beach a Little Stint. Going north was a Fulmar.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 4 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat; and 8 retraps: 5 Whitethroat, a Dunnock, a Great Tit and a Blue Tit.

Garganey, 28th May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward

Muntjac, 28th May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward

Muntjac, 28th May 2018.
Photo - Nige Lound
May 27th. Increasing north-easterly wind.
 A Bee-eater was briefly in East Dunes before flying south-west. Around, including birds trapped, were 36 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Greenshank, a Ruff, 2 Cuckoo, a Tree Pipit, a Garden Warbler, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher, a Whinchat, a Siskin, a Tree Sparrow, a Marsh Harrier and 30 Swallow. On Croftmarsh were 2 Garganey; and on Jackson's Marsh 2 Pintail. Heading north were an Osprey and 9 Swift; and south a Spoonbill and 10 Crossbill.
 A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 3 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Chaffinch and a Garden Warbler; and a retrap Chaffinch.

Bee-eater, 27th May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward

Bee-eater, 27th May 2018.
 Video - Ben Ward

 Spotted Flycatcher, 27th May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward

May 26th. Birds around, including those trapped, were a male Red-backed Shrike in East Dunes, a Common Rosefinch singing east of Mill Hill, 2 Whimbrel, a Jay, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, a Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Black Redstart, a Whinchat, 3 Wheatear, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, 9 Swift, a Garden Warbler, 50 Swallow, 8 House Martin, a Yellow Wagtail and a Siskin. On Tennyson's Sands were a Garganey, 17 Black-tailed Godwit and a Ruff; and over Croftmarsh a Buzzard.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Chris Hansell and Sam Prettyman, provided 6 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Whitethroat and a Red-backed Shrike; and 3 retraps: a Sedge Warbler, a Whitethroat and a Linnet.
 An odd-looking Acrocephalus Sp was caught in the Heligoland Trap. It showed a mixture of features of Blyth's Reed Warbler, Caspian Reed Warbler and European Reed Warbler: a bold supercilium extending behind the eye, a greyish cast to upper body contrasting with a quite rufousy rump, a slight emargination on p4 on left wing only, moderately pale underbody, and wing formula/biometrics that indicated European Reed Warbler/Caspian Reed Warbler. It could possibly have been a hybrid or intergrade. The bird was not definitely identified and so was released unringed.

Red-backed Shrike, ringed 26th May 2018.
Photo - George Gregory



Great Spotted Woodpecker and Great Tit, 26th May 2018.
Photo - Paul Johnson

Meadow Pipit, 26th May 2018.
Photo - Paul Johnson
May 25th. Rain in the morning.
Around, including birds trapped were; a singing Marsh Warbler in the East Dunes, a singing Wood Warbler in the Plantation, a male Red-backed Shrike on Storm Ridge, 2 Common Rosefinch singing along Sykes Farm track, a Hawfinch, 3 Whimbrel, a Black Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, 12 Swift, 40 Swallow, 4 House Martin and a SiskinOn Tennyson's Sands were 2 Garganey, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff and a Common Sandpiper.
An afternoon ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new birds: a Willow Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher; and 3 retraps: 2 Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat.

Marsh Warbler, 25th May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward

Marsh Warbler song, 25th May 2018.
Video - Kevin Wilson

Common Rosefinch, 25th May 2018.
Photo - Roy Harvey



Common Rosefinch song, 25th May 2018.
Video - Kevin Wilson
Red-backed Shrike, 25th May 2018.
Photo - James Siddle
Spotted Flycatcher, ringed 25th May 2018.
Photo - George Gregory
Wood Warbler in the Plantation, 25th May 2018.
Photo - James Siddle
May 24th. Fairly strong north-easterly wind.
 A Glossy Ibis arrived from the north, circled around, then flew off south, mid morning. Birds around included a Pied Flycatcher, a Whinchat, 2 Wheatear, a Marsh Harrier, 600 Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel, 60 Sanderling, 150 Dunlin, 5 Turnstone, a Cuckoo, 14 Swift, a Hobby, a Jay, 2 Wheatear and 45 Swallow. On Tennyson's Sands were 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper and a Ruff; and on Fenland Lagoon 2 Little Ringed Plover, which then flew off north. Going north were 4 Swift.
 A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Keith Collett, yielded 6 new birds: 2 Reed Bunting, a Whitethroat and 2 Reed Bunting; and 3 retraps: a Blue Tit and 2 Whitethroat.

Brown Argus, 24th May 2018,
Photo - Ben Ward


Common Blue, 24th May 2018,
Photo - Ben Ward

Wall Brown, 24th May 2018,
Photo - Kevin Wilson


Little Ringed Plover, 24th May 2018,
Photo - Ben Ward
Woodpigeon, ringed 24th May 2018.
Photo - George Gregory
 May 23rd. Fairly strong northerly wind.
 Around were 43 Brent Goose, 2 Grey Partridge, 13 Little Tern, 14 Swift, a Cuckoo, a Hobby, 8 Sand Martin, 65 Swallow, 12 House Martin and a Wheatear. On Croftmarsh was a Garganey; on Tennyson's Sands 8 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper and a Mediterranean Gull; and on Fenland Lagoon a Black-tailed Godwit. Heading north were 2 Swift.

Mediterranean Gull 24rd May 2018,
 Video - Ben Ward

Ringing Control.
Willow Warbler, ringed GPBO 8 August 2016, controlled Catterick, Yorkshire, 6 May 2018.

May 22nd. Increasing northerly wind.
 The Spoonbill flew from Tennyson's Sands towards the Wash. Birds around included 15 Brent Goose, 350 Ringed Plover, 3 Turnstone, 14 Little Tern, a Cuckoo, a Wheatear, 6 Sand Martin, 35 Swallow and 8 House Martin. On Croftmarsh was a Garganey; and on Tennyson's Sands 5 Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Sandpiper. Flying north were 14 Swift, 2 Sand Martin, 43 Swallow and 2 House Martin; and south a Fulmar.
 A wind-restricted morning session in East Dunes provided 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and a Goldfinch; and 2 retrap Whitethroats.

Tawny Owl, 22nd May 2018,
Photo - Ben Ward

Long-tailed Tits, 22nd May 2018,
Photo - Ben Ward

May 21st. Fog until mid morning.
 On Tennyson's Sands was a Spoonbill and 11 Black-tailed Godwit; on Jackson's Marsh a Yellow Wagtail; and on Croftmarsh a Ruff. Around were a Marsh Harrier, a Whimbrel, 27 Little Tern, 5 Sandwich Tern, a Turtle Dove, a Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker, a Hobby and a Jay. Going north were 3 Black Tern.
 A fog-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes produced a new Whitethroat; and 2 retraps: a Song Thrush and a Whitethroat.

Spoonbill, 21st May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward



Cuckoo, 21st May 2018,
Photo - Ben Ward
Green Woodpecker, 21st May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward
Hobby, 21st May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward
Hobby, 21st May 2018.
Photo - Ben Ward