August 20th. Moderately strong southerly wind.
A Barred Warbler was trapped in East Dunes and ringed. On release it flew onto Storm Ridge. An Osprey flew south over Greenshanks Creek in the evening. On Jackson's Marsh were 9 Spoonbill and 4 Greenshank. Other birds around included 3 Whimbrel, 8 Turnstone, a Common Sandpiper, a Grasshopper Warbler, 5 Whinchat, 3 Wheatear and 2 Pied Flycatcher. Evening tide wader counts were 12 Common Sandpiper, 40000 Knot, 3000 Sanderling, 5000 Dunlin and 160 Grey Plover. Heading south were 12 Teal, 2 Swift, 32 Swallow, a Buzzard and 3 Yellow Wagtail.
A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 3 new birds: 2 Robin and a Barred Warbler; and 3 retraps: a Wren, a Dunnock and a Whitethroat.
Dragonflies included a Southern Hawker.
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| Osprey, 20 August 2020. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| LWT Chair of Trustees David Cohen enjoying the morning wader spectacle, 20 August 2020. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Barred Warbler, ringed 20 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
August 19th. The Gull-billed Tern was seen again several times before 0600hrs but not since. An Osprey came from the north and headed east out to sea mid-morning. On Tennyson's Sands were 3 Spoonbill. Around, including birds trapped, were 4 Whimbrel, 30000 Knot, 2100 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Tern, 85 Common Tern, 9 Arctic Tern, 200 Commic Tern, a Sparrowhawk, 80 Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, a Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Whitethroat and 6 Pied Flycatcher. Flying south were a Curlew Sandpiper, 14 Sand Martin, 86 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 6 Alba Wagtail.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 15 new birds: a Wren, 10 Willow Warbler, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Linnet, a Sparrowhawk and a Woodpigeon; and 2 retraps: a Blackcap and a Pied Flycatcher.
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| Sparrowhawk, ringed 19 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Grasshopper Warbler, ringed 19 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
August 18th. A Gull-billed Tern briefly was loafing among resting terns on Greenshanks Creek in the late evening prior to being flushed off by an unseen cause and not relocated. The only previous record for Gibraltar Point was on 3 August 1967. Offshore in the morning were a juvenile Long-tailed Skua and 4 Black Tern. The Barred Warbler continued to skulk in the East Dunes. Birds around, including those trapped, were 5 Whimbrel, 118 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 2800 Sandwich Tern, 4 Little Tern, 10 Spoonbill, a Grey Heron, 2 Marsh Harrier, 25 Willow Warbler, 16 Chiffchaff, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 8 Lesser Whitethroat, 19 Whitethroat, 18 Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart, 4 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear and 2 Yellow Wagtail. There was a build up of 45 Swallow and 40 Sand Martin. Going south were a Marsh Harrier, 2 Buzzard, 88 Swallow, 15 Sand Martin, 22 House Martin, 8 Yellow Wagtail and 13 Alba Wagtail.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 18 new birds: 8 Willow Warbler, a Wren, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Robin, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Linnet, 2 Whitethroat and a Dunnock; and 4 retraps: a Blue Tit, a Woodpigeon and 2 Whitethroat.
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| Gull-billed Tern, 18 August 2020. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Gull-billed Tern. 18 August 2020. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Pied Flycatcher, ringed 18 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Woodpigeon, retrapped 18 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
August 17th. A new Barred Warbler was seen intermittently in East Dunes. Around, including birds trapped, were 110 Teal, 4 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 2 Tawny Owl, 11 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, a Goldcrest, 2 Treecreeper, a Spotted Flycatcher, 18 Pied Flycatcher, 7 Whinchat, 5 Wheatear, a Tree Pipit and 4 Siskin. On Jackson's Marsh were 36 Avocet, 4 Green Sandpiper and a Spoonbill; and on Tennyson's Sand 190 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Snipe, 4 Spotted Redshank and 9 Greenshank. Heading south were a Marsh Harrier, a Red Kite and 4 Buzzard.
The eleventh session of CES was done this morning. The 37 new birds were 4 Wren, 2 Willow Warbler, 15 Blackcap, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blue Tit, 3 Whitethroat, a Robin, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Dunnock, 2 Blackbird and a Kestrel. The 21 retraps were 2 Robin, a Blackbird, 6 Whitethroat, 6 Blue Tit, 5 Blackcap and a Wren.
Migrant insects included a Brown Hawker.
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| Barred Warbler, 17th August 2020. Photos - James Siddle |
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| Pied Flycatcher, 17th August 2020. Photos - James Siddle |
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| Barred Warbler, 17th August 2020. Photo - Kev Wilson |
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| Kestrel, ringed 17 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Pied Flycatcher, ringed 17 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
August 16th. Easterly then increasing north-easterly wind and showers.
Around the offshore sandbars at low tide were a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Arctic Skua, a third calendar year Pomarine Skua and a juvenile Long-tailed Skua. An adult Roseate Tern was discovered in the high tide roost out from the Wash Viewpoint late afternoon. Heading north were 46 Common Scoter, 2 Kittiwake, 4 Little Gull, 10455 Sandwich Tern, 26 Little Tern, 355 Common Tern, 23 Arctic Tern, a Black Tern, 450 Commic Tern, 24 Arctic Skua, a Pomarine Skua, 6 Long-tailed Skua, a Red-throated Diver, a Black-throated Diver and 148 Gannet. Birds around, including those trapped, were 5 Eider, 3 Common Scoter, 4 Whimbrel, 280 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Turnstone, a Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, a Kittiwake, 900 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Tern, 55 Common Tern, 8 Arctic Tern, 5 Guillemot, 22 Spoonbill, a Sparrowhawk, a Marsh Harrier, 7 Willow Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 7 Pied Flycatcher, 4 Whinchat and 3 Wheatear. There was a build up of 40 Swallow. Flying south were 3 other Swallow.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 8 new birds: 4 Willow Warbler, a Robin, a Linnet, a Pied Flycatcher and a Sparrowhawk; and 5 retraps: a Great Tit,a Dunnock, a Wren and 2 Whitethroat.
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| Arctic Skua, 16th August 2020. Photo - Ben Ward |
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| Roseate Tern, resting on approach to evening high tide, 16th August 2020. Photo - Ben Ward |
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| Kittiwake, among loafing Terns, 16th August 2020. Photo - Ben Ward |
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| Sparrowhawk, ringed 16 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Pied Flycatcher, ringed 16 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Adult Whitethroat in main moult, retrapped 16 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
August 15th. Quite strong north-easterly wind.
On Jackson's Marsh were 13 Spoonbill and 70 Black-tailed Godwit. Around, including birds trapped, were 5 Eider, a Mediterranean Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull, 850 Sandwich Tern, 30 Little Tern, 90 Common Tern, 5 Whimbrel, a Hobby, 15 Willow Warbler, 11 Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart, 2 Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail. Going north were 254 Common Scoter, 4 Spoonbill, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Pomarine Skua, 4 Great Skua, 38 Arctic Skua, a Long-tailed Skua, 4 Black Tern, 4332 Sandwich Tern, 339 Common Tern, 15 Arctic Tern, 350 Commic Tern, 39 Little Tern, 4 Little Gull, an Auk sp, a Manx Shearwater, a Fulmar, 261 Gannet and a Swallow; and south 6 Teal and 4 Arctic Skua.
A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 10 new birds: 2 Willow Warbler, a Wren, a Reed Warbler, 2 Linnet, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, a Reed Bunting and a Pied Flycatcher.
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| Pied Flycatcher, ringed 15 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
August 14th. Quite strong northerly wind.
On Jackson's Marsh were 17 Spoonbill, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper. There was a build up of 30 Swallow. Birds around included a Whimbrel, 1700 Sandwich Tern, 230 Common Tern, 2 Arctic Tern, a juvenile Little Gull, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Arctic Skua, a Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk. Heading south were 5 Arctic Skua, a juvenile Long-tailed Skua, a Kittiwake and 3 Swallow; and north 119 Common Scoter, 2 Kittiwake, 2 Great Skua, 11 Arctic Skua, a Fulmar, 2 Sooty Shearwater and 166 Gannet. In off the sea came a Wheatear.
August 13th. Moderately strong northerly wind.
Around, including birds trapped, were 29 Golden Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 2 Tawny Owl, 6 Willow Warbler (including an acredula type), 9 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, a Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 90 Goldfinch. On Tennyson's Sands were 41 Little Egret. Going south were were 6 Swallow; and north a Marsh Harrier and a Red Kite.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new birds: a Robin and a Linnet; and 6 retraps: a Great Tit, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Dunnock, a Wren and a Garden Warbler.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling produced 5 new birds: a Wren, 3 Whitethroat and a Blue Tit; and 5 retraps: a Blue Tit, a Great Tit, a Wren, a Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat.
Moths included a Red Underwing and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth; and dragonflies a Brown Hawker.
August 12th. A new Barred Warbler was discovered in East Dunes late afternoon. On the beach were 3 first calendar year Yellow-legged Gull and a first calendar year Caspian Gull. A build up of hirundines totalled 130 House Martin, 50 Sand Martin and 170 Swallow. Birds around, including those trapped, were 5 Eider, 7 Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 1800 Sandwich Tern, 8 Arctic Tern, a Grey Heron, 2 Spoonbill, 23 Little Egret, 2 Buzzard, 2 Garden Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, a Cetti's Warbler, 2 Wood Warbler (1 Plantation and 1 East Dunes), 16 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Redstart, a Tree Pipit, 100 Linnet, 100 Goldfinch and 6 Crossbill. Flying south were a Marsh Harrier, 10 Whimbrel, a Wood Sandpiper, 6 House Martin and 3 Swallow.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 10 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 2 Wren, 3 Whitethroat, a Reed Bunting, a Blackcap and a Woodpigeon; and 3 retraps: a Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler and a Wren.
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| Essex Skipper on Rock Sea Lavender, 12 August 2020. Photo - Jack Wilson |
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| Pied Flycatcher, 12th August 2020. Photo - Ben Ward |
August 11th. A Barred Warbler was discovered in the Plantation. Around, including birds trapped, were a Whimbrel, a Garden Warbler, 30 Pied Flycatcher and 3 Redstart. Heading north were 6 Sand Martin.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: a Wren, a Willow Warbler, a Reed Warbler, a Garden Warbler and a Whitethroat; and 6 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Wren, 2 Dunnock and 2 Whitethroat.
A Painted Lady was in East Dunes.
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Pied Flycatcher, 11 August 2020. Photo - Paul Johnson |
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Garden Warbler, ringed 11 August 2020. Photo - George Gregory |
