Late May 2019

May 31st. Around were 2 Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard, 3 Mediterranean Gull, a Cuckoo, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Short-eared Owl, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Tree Pipit.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 3 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Blue Tit; and 5 retraps: a Woodpigeon, a Great Tit, a Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler and a Blue Tit.
Muntjac and Roe, 31st May 2019.
Photo - Nige Lound

Roe buck, 31st May 2019.
Photo - Nige Lound

Spotted Flycatcher, 31st May 2019.

Pochard, 31st May 2019.

Great Crested Grebe, 31st May 2019.

Avocet copulating, 31st May 2019.

Sunset, 31st May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward

Woodpigeon, retrapped 31st May 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
May 30th. Increasing south-westerly wind.
 Birds around included 6 Brent Goose, 4 Eider, 2 Pochard, 9 Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Cuckoo and 2 Short-eared Owl. Heading south were a Red Kite, a first-summer Mediterranean Gull, 781 Swift, 6 Sand Martin, 69 House Martin and 46 Swallow.
 A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Keith Collett, provided 4 new birds: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Great Tit, a Reed Warbler and a Dunnock; and 3 retraps: a Great Tit and 2 Blue Tit.

Red Kite, 30th May 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont  
May 29th. Misty start, slowly clearing.
 A Red-rumped Swallow flew south offshore mid day. Around were a Wigeon, a Pochard, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Little Egret, 350 Ringed Plover, 2 Stock Dove, 6 Cuckoo, a Hobby and a Spotted Flycatcher. Flying south were 27 Swift, 54 Swallow and 9 House Martin; and east a Marsh Harrier.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue, including the 3rd session of CES, produced 47 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff, 8 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Coal Tit, 8 Goldfinch, 6 Linnet, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Reed Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, a Robin, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Swallow, a Dunnock and a Blackbird; and 51 retraps: 10 Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Great Tit, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Coal Tit, 3 Blackbird, 3 Chiffchaff, 8 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Wren, 6 Dunnock, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Blue Tit, a Blackcap, a Linnet, 5 Goldfinch and a Robin.

Broad-bodied Chaser, 29th May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward 
May 28th. Soggy start.
 Birds around included 4 Brent Goose, 91 Shelduck, a Wigeon, 4 Eider, a Great White Egret, a Water Rail, 802 Oystercatcher, 304 Grey Plover, 36 Curlew, 11 Turnstone, 1010 Sanderling, 105 Dunlin, a Greenshank, 90 Little Tern, a Collared Dove, a Short-eared Owl, 2 Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker, 4 Willow Warbler and 2 Starling. Going north were 22 Brent Goose, 4 Grey Plover, 3 Avocet, 141 Sanderling, 40 Dunlin, 2 Auk Sp and 2 Kittiwake; and south 2 Buzzard, 78 Swift, 60 House Martin and 11 Swallow. In off the sea came a Hobby and 2 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 8 new birds: 4 Wren, 2 Reed Bunting, a Linnet and a Great Tit; 3 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler and a Great Tit; and a control Reed Bunting.

Sanderling, 28th May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Pseudoscorpion (Dactylochelifer latreillei), 28th May 2019.
Photo - Liam Andrews
Marpissa niyoyi, 28th May 2019.
Photo - Liam Andrews
Dactylochelifer latreillei (left) and Marpissa niyoyi (right), 28th May 2019.
Photo - Liam Andrews
May 27th. Increasing westerly wind.
 A Red-rumped Swallow flew south early morning. Around were 3 Great Crested Grebe, a Marsh Harrier, a Mediterranean Gull, a Collared Dove, a Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl and 2 Corn Bunting. Heading south were a Spoonbill, a Marsh Harrier, a Red Kite, 6 Buzzard, 372 Swift, 2 Sand Martin, 168 House Martin and 32 Swallow.
 A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 2 new birds: a Linnet and a Chaffinch; and 3 retraps: a Chaffinch, a Linnet and a Great Tit.

Skylark, 27th May 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
May 26th. Rainy spells from mid morning.
 Birds around included a Pink-footed Goose, 30 Brent Goose, 3 Eider, a Pochard, 7 Little Egret, a Spoonbill, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Water Rail, a Greenshank, 90 Little Tern, a Sandwich Tern, 2 Turtle Dove, 4 Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker and a Yellow Wagtail. Going south were 9 Eider, 12 Common Scoter, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Red Kite, a Buzzard, 95 Swift, 10 Sand Martin, 180 House Martin and 79 Swallow.
 A rain-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new birds: a Willow Warbler and a Blackcap; and 2 retraps: a Great Tit and a Whitethroat.

Mediterranean Gull, 26th May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Red Kite, 26th May 2019.
Photo - Nige Lound
May 25th. A male Serin was briefly at Mill Hill early morning prior to flying towards West Dunes. A vocal Temmincks's Stint lingered only momentarily prior to be chased off north by a Ringed Plover in the evening. Around were 2 Pink-footed Goose, 22 Brent Goose, 7 Eider, 2 Spoonbill, a Marsh Harrier, 450 Ringed Plover, a Whimbrel, a Little Stint, 3 Greenshank, 60 Little Tern, a Mediterranean Gull, 2 Cuckoo, a Barn Owl, 2 Short-eared Owl, a Swift, 2 Hobby, a Spotted Flycatcher and Yellow Wagtail. Heading south were 8 Sand Martin and 45 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Linnet and a Reed Bunting; and 6 retraps: 2 Great Tit, 2 Whitethroat and 2 Sedge Warbler.

Reed Warbler, 25th May 2019.
Photo - Paul Johnson

Sedge Warbler, 25th May 2019.
Photo - Paul Johnson

Spoonbill, 25th May 2019.
Photo - Liam Andrews
Ring Reading:
Black-headed Gull ringed GPNNR 17 July 2007, ring read in field GPNNR 21 May 2019.

May 24th. A Red-rumped Swallow was briefly over Tennyson's Sands then headed south. Birds around included 17 Brent Goose, 2 Pink-footed Goose, a Spoonbill, 650 Ringed Plover, 400 Grey Plover, 107 Curlew, a Little Stint, 120 Little Tern, a Mistle Thrush, 4 Spotted Flycatcher, a Grey Wagtail and 3 Swallow. Heading south was a Red Kite.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 7 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Robin, a Linnet, a Great Tit, a Reed Warbler, a Chaffinch and a Whitethroat; and 7 retraps: a Whitethroat, a Great Tit, a Dunnock, a Blue Tit, a Wren, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler.

Spotted Flycatcher, 24th May 2019.
Photo - Nige Lound

Sunset, 24th May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
May 23rd. A female Golden Oriole was seen flying in from the north, briefly alighting near Mill Hill before flying west, later seen heading off high south. A Woodlark was in East Dunes; and a Firecrest was singing early morning at the northern end of West Dunes. Around were 78 Brent Goose, 5 Little Egret, a Great White Egret, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Marsh Harrier, a Whimbrel, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 6 Sandwich Tern, 3 Collared Dove, 3 Cuckoo, 2 Hobby, 4 Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Yellow Wagtail. Flying south were a Red Kite, a Buzzard, 3 Swift and a Siskin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Keith Collett, produced 3 new birds: a Wren, a Whitethroat and a Chaffinch; and 6 retraps: 3 Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler and a Wren.

May 22nd. Birds around, including those trapped, were 88 Brent Goose, 3 Barnacle Goose, 3 Eider, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Whimbrel, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 35 Little Tern, a Mediterranean Gull, a Collared Dove, a Turtle Dove, 7 Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, a Green Woodpecker, a Hobby, 2 Swift, a Redwing, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 5 Spotted Flycatcher, a Stonechat, 2 Tree Pipit and a Yellow Wagtail. Going south were a Wood Sandpiper, 39 Swallow and 16 House Martin; and north a Red-throated Diver and a Mediterranean Gull.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 4 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Redwing; and 3 retraps: 2 Whitethroat and a Dunnock.

Sedge Warbler, 22nd May 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
Skylark, 22nd May 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
Collared Dove, 22nd May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward

Roe buck, 22nd May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Redwing, ringed 22nd May 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
Spotted Flycatcher, ringed 22nd May 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
May 21st. A male Serin was discovered at Shovelers Pool, then was later relocated in East Dunes before ending up in the Plantation where it was last seen mid afternoon. Around, including birds trapped, were 34 Brent Goose, 9 Little Egret, a Great White Egret, 2 Great Crested Grebe, a Marsh Harrier, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 30 Little Tern, a Sandwich Tern, a Mediterranean Gull, 4 Cuckoo, a Barn Owl, a Short-eared Owl, a Swift, a Merlin, 3 Hobby, 25 Swallow, a Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Tree Pipit. Heading north of note were 11 Whimbrel and a Curlew Sandpiper; and south-west a Red Kite.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 4 new birds: a Spotted Flycatcher, a Tree Pipit, a Great Tit and a Dunnock; and 3 retraps: a Sedge Warbler, a Great Tit and a Whitethroat.

Serin, 21st May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward

Pipistrelle, 21st May 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward

Spotted Flycatcher, ringed 21st May 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
Tree Pipit, ringed 21st May 2019.
Photo - George Gregory