Early July 2019

July 10th. The Mandarin Duck remained on Tennyson's Sands. Also there were 63 Teal, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 33 Lapwing, 112 Black-tailed Godwit, a Spotted Redshank and a Snipe. Around were a Brent Goose, 11 Gadwall (5 chicks), an Eider, 9 Gannet, 11 Little Egret, a Marsh Harrier, 38 Avocet, 2 Common Sandpiper, a further Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 138 Redshank, 156 Sandwich Tern, a Mediterranean Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Stock Dove, a Short-eared Owl, a Grasshopper Warbler and 2150 Starling. Heading south were 8 Whimbrel, 2 Wood Sandpiper, 539 Swift, 42 Sand Martin, a Hobby and a Siskin.

 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 2 new birds: a Linnet and a Blackcap; and 6 retraps: 4 Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a Great Tit.

Gadwall, mother with chicks, 10th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward

Small Skipper, 10th July 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
Shore Crab, 10th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
July 9th. The fourth Mandarin Duck for the reserve, a female, was on Tennyson's Sands during the morning, also there; were 2 Great Crested Grebe, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 170 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 summer male Ruff, a Spotted Redshank and a Snipe. Birds around included 3 Gadwall, 17 Teal, an Eider, 5 Gannet, a Grey Heron, 19 Avocet, 32 Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Greenshank, 111 Redshank, 29 Sandwich Tern, a Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, 2800 Starling and 4 Yellow Wagtail. Heading south were 33 Whimbrel, 36 Curlew, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, 19 Knot, 42 Dunlin, an Arctic Tern, a Little Gull, 5 Swift and a Yellow Wagtail; and north a Great Crested Grebe.

Mandarin Duck, 9th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Juvenile Black-headed Gull, 9th July 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont

Sun beginning to rise, 9th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Mandarin Duck, 9th July 2019.
Video - Ben Ward
Short-eared Owl, 9th July 2019.
Video - Ben Ward

 July 8th. Birds around included 16 Teal, 21 Avocet, 11 Lapwing, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, a summer-plumaged male Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 21 Sandwich Tern, 3 Stock Dove, a Short-eared Owl, a Grasshopper Warbler, 1400 Starling and 3 Yellow Wagtail. Heading north were 160 Common Scoter and 3 Gannet; and south 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper and an Auk spp.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 10 new birds: 3 Wren, 2 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler, a Meadow Pipit and a Dunnock; and 5 retraps: a Linnet, a Great Tit, a Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a Dunnock.

Juvenile Cuckoo, 8th July 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
Swallow, 8th July 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
Brown Argus, 8th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward

Red Fox, 8th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
July 7th. On Tennyson's Sands were a Shoveler, a Great Crested Grebe, 42 Lapwing, 48 Black-tailed Godwit, a summer male Ruff, a Dunlin, 2 Common Tern and a Mediterranean Gull; on Jackson's Marsh 21 Black-tailed Godwit; on Fenland Lagoon 3 Grey Plover, a Greenshank and 19 Redshank; and on the Mere a Common Sandpiper. Around, including birds trapped, were 15 Teal, 75 Common Scoter, 164 Oystercatcher, 3 further Greenshank, a Sandwich Tern, a juvenile Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, a Kingfisher, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Hobby, 3 Grasshopper Warbler and 2400 Starling. Flying south were 4 Tufted Duck, a Gannet, a Whimbrel, 2 Curlew, 6 Dunlin and 6 Sandwich Tern.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 9 new birds: a Wren, 3 Linnet, a Blackcap, a Whitethroat, a Goldfinch, a Great Tit and a Reed Bunting; and 6 retraps: a Chiffchaff, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Whitethroat, 2 Blue Tit and a Blackcap. The retrapped Grasshopper Warbler was ringed as a just fledged juvenile on July 2nd.

Cuckoo, unfledged juvenile, 7th July 2019.
Video - Ben Ward

Grasshopper Warbler, retrapped 7th July 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
Grasshopper Warbler, retrapped 7th July 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
July 6th. Some rainy spells.
 At 0412hrs an Osprey momentarily circled the Bird Observatory prior to flying south through the reserve pursued by several Lesser Black-backed Gull, and headed out into the Wash. The first Caspian Gull of the year was noted on the building morning high tide, where there were also 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 32 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1600 Herring Gull. Birds around included a Brent Goose, 88 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall, 15 Teal, 4 Eider, 12 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, a Great Crested Grebe, 45 Avocet, 424 Oystercatcher, a Grey Plover, 28 Ringed Plover, 5 Whimbrel, 457 Curlew, 134 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Knot, 4 Sanderling, 7 Dunlin, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, 114 Redshank, 990 Black-headed Gull, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Short-eared Owl, 1100 Starling and a Treecreeper. Going south were a Greenshank, a Snipe, 274 Swift and 12 Sand Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 6 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Wren, a Whitethroat and 3 Linnet; and 4 retraps: 2 Great Tit, a Dunnock and a Whitethroat.

Osprey, 6th July 2019.
Video - Ben Ward

Caspian Gull, second summer, 6th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Yellow-legged Gull, first summer, 6th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
July 5th. A Great White Egret flew northwest at dusk. On Tennyson's Sands were a Spoonbill, a Great Crested Grebe and 2 Mediterranean Gull; on Jackson's Marsh a Grey Heron; and on Fenland Lagoon a Common Sandpiper. Around were 4 Gadwall, 12 Teal, a Shoveler, 4 Eider, 43 Lapwing, 3 Whimbrel, 54 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 2 Short-eared Owl, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Spotted Flycatcher and a White Wagtail. Heading south were a Greenshank, 2 Swift and a Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 10 new birds: a Wren, a Blackcap, 2 Sedge Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, a Linnet, a Reed Bunting and a Dunnock; and 8 retraps: 2 Blackcap and 6 Whitethroat.
 Dragonflies included a Red-veined Darter.

Emperor Dragonfly, ovipositing female, 5th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Mediterranean Gull, 5th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Common Sandpiper, 5th July 2019.

Adult and juvenile Swallows, 5th July 2019.
Black-headed Gull, juveniles, 5th July 2019.
July 4th. On Fenland Lagoon were a Water Rail, a Common Sandpiper and 2 Greenshank; and on Tennyson's Sands a Great Crested Grebe, a Spoonbill, 81 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Dunlin and a Spotted Redshank. Birds around included 162 Shelduck, an Eider, 19 Teal, 2 Shoveler, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Grey Heron, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk, 56 Avocet, 2 Grey Plover, 43 Lapwing, 254 Curlew, 137 Dunlin,58 Knot, 9 Sanderling, a Snipe, 7 Sandwich Tern, a Mediterranean Gull, 3 Stock Dove, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Short-eared Owl, a Peregrine and a Grasshopper Warbler. Flying south were 10 Shelduck, 5 Tufted Duck, 19 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 2433 Swift, 141 Sand Martin and 1500 Starling.
 The seventh session of CES was done this morning. The 24 new birds were 8 Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 2 Great Tit, 5 Whitethroat, a Robin, 2 Sedge Warbler and a Song Thrush. The 14 retraps were 5 Wren, 3 Sedge Warbler, a Robin, 4 Whitethroat and a Dunnock.

Roesel's Bush-cricket, 4th July 2019.
Photo - Ben Ward
Little Grebe with young, 4th July 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
Sunrise over the beach, 4th July 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
July 3rd. Around were a Brent Goose, 53 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall, 9 Teal, 3 Eider, 7 Little Egret, a Great Crested Grebe, 72 Avocet, a Golden Plover, 31 Lapwing, 25 Ringed Plover, 60 Curlew, 65 Black-tailed Godwit, 49 Knot, a Curlew Sandpiper, 7 Sanderling, 47 Dunlin, a Spotted Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 74 Redshank, a portandica type Arctic Tern, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Gull, a Mediterranean Gull, 5 Stock Dove, a Short-eared Owl, a Grasshopper Warbler and 6000 Starling. Going south were 17 Swift; and north 7 Sandwich Tern.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 9 new birds: a Robin, 2 Blackcap, 2 Great Tit, 3 Linnet and a Great Spotted Woodpecker; and 4 retraps: a Wren, 2 Great Tit and a Robin.

Arctic Tern, portlandica type, 3th July 2019.
Photo - Phil Milns
Golden Plover, 3rd July 2019.
Photo - Phil Milns

Little Gulls, 3rd July 2019.
Photos - Phil Millns

Sanderling, 3rd July 2019.
Photos - Owen Beaumont
Great Spotted Woodpecker, ringed 3rd July 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
Great Spotted Woodpecker, ringed 3rd July 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
July 2nd. Birds around, including those trapped, were a Brent Goose, 82 Shelduck, 11 Gadwall, 17 Teal, 2 Shoveler, an Eider, 10 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, a Great Crested Grebe, 258 Oystercatcher, 4 Grey Plover, 21 Lapwing, 12 Ringed Plover, 4 Whimbrel, 71 Curlew, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, 26 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpiper, 86 Redshank, a Mediterranean Gull, 6 Stock Dove, 425 Woodpigeon, a Barn Owl, a Short-eared Owl, 2 Sand Martin, 3 Grasshopper Warbler, 4200 Starling, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Yellow Wagtail. Heading north over the sea was an adult Little Gull; and south 62 Black-tailed Godwit.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 16 new birds: a Blackcap, 5 Linnet, 5 Whitethroat, 2 Robin, a Grasshopper Warbler and 2 Great Tit; and 4 retraps: a Great Tit, a Blackcap, a Dunnock and a Whitethroat.
 A male Red-veined Darter frequented the western side of the Old Saltmarsh.

An evening Moth Trapping in the North of the reserve produced an excellent haul of 503 Moths of 103 Species. Photos by Nige Lound.

Archer's Dart, 1st July 2019

Shore Wainscot, 1st July 2019
Blue-bordered Carpet, 1st July 2019
Lyme Grass, 1st July 2019

Mediterranean Gull, 2nd July 2019.
Photos - Ben Ward

Just fledged Grasshopper Warbler, ringed 2nd July 2019.
Photo - George Gregory
July 1st. Increasing westerly wind.
 A Nuthatch flew south down East Dunes early morning, then relocated to the Plantation in the afternoon where it was enjoyed by local birders. This constitutes only the 8th record for the reserve. A Quail was heard singing in the very early hours to the southern part of the reserve. Around were 3 Gadwall, 25 Teal, a Great Crested Grebe, 35 Avocet, 49 Lapwing, 36 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Sandwich Tern, 2 Stock Dove, a Collared Dove, a Short-eared Owl and 1700 Starling. On Jackson's Marsh were a Ruff, 4 Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpiper; and on Fenland Lagoon 2 Greenshank. Heading south were 27 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and 974 Swift; and north a Fulmar.
 A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 13 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Wren, 2 Linnet, 4 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Great Tit and a Meadow Pipit; and 5 retraps: a Linnet, a Wren, a Great Tit and 2 Whitethroat.

Ringed Plover, 1st July 2019.
Photo - Owen Beaumont
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