May 20th. Birds around were 32 Mute Swan, a Whimbrel, a Sparrowhawk, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Buzzard, a Barn Owl, a Peregrine, 4 Cuckoo, 3 Sand Martin, 40 Swallow, 20 House Martin, a Cetti's Warbler, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Wheatear. On Croftmarsh were a Pink-footed Goose, 5 Avocet, a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Little Gull and a Yellow Wagtail; on Jackson's Marsh 2 Spoonbill; on Fenland Lagoon a Little Ringed Plover; and on Tennyson's Sands 9 Avocet, a Mediterranean Gull and a Cetti's Warbler. Heading north were a Swift, a Sand Martin and 8 Swallow; and south 6 Eider, 9 Common Scoter and 7 Swift.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes by Keith Collett produced 4 new birds: 2 Sedge Warbler and 2 Reed Bunting; and a retrap Whitethroat.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling produced 9 new birds: a Chiffchaff, 4 Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 8 retraps: 4 Whitethroat, 3 Sedge Warbler and a Great Tit.
May 19th. A Black Kite circled for 20 minutes then went south at 0850hrs. Around, including birds trapped, were 3 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, a Long-eared Owl and 3 Swallow. On Croftmarsh were 2 Avocet, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and 2 Little Gull; and on Tennyson's Sands 8 Avocet and a Spoonbill.
Thanks to a local resident on Gibraltar Road for allowing local birders access to see a Hoopoe in the back garden - the bird apparently turned up in the afternoon of 18 May.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 6 new birds: 2 Goldfinch, a Reed Bunting, a Robin, a Blackbird and a Long-eared Owl; and 4 retraps: a Blackbird, a Dunnock and 2 Whitethroat.
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| Hoopoe, 19 May 2021. Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Hoopoe, 19 May 2021. Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Black Kite, 19 May 2021. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Black Kite, 19 May 2021. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Long-eared Owl, ringed 19 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Long-eared Owl, ringed 19 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Common Sandpiper, 19 May 2021. Photo - Jim Shaw |
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| Little Gull. 19 May 2021. Photo - Jim Shaw |
May 18th. Birds around included 10 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Cuckoo, 8 Swallow and a Crossbill. On Croftmarsh were a Garganey, 2 Avocet and 2 Little Gull; and on Tennyson's Sands 8 Avocet and 2 Common Tern. Flying south were 30 Swallow. In off the sea came 9 Swift.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: 2 Blackcap, a Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler; and a retrap Sedge Warbler.
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| Garganey, 18 May 2021. Photo - Jim Shaw |
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| Meadow Saxifrage and Cowslips, 18 May 2021. Photo = Kevin Wilson |
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| Crossbill, 18 May 2021. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Crossbill, 18 May 2021. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
Ringing Recovery: Song Thrush, ringed GPBO 29 September 1965, recovered using a metal detector below a nest of Peregrines, Site Confidential 16 October 2000. This is obviously not a longevity record since the ring clearly remained there for decades before being detected.
May 17th. Around were 100 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 14 Swift, a Cuckoo, a Buzzard, a Ring-necked Parakeet, a Sand Martin, 20 Swallow, 2 Cetti's Warbler, a Garden Warbler, a Goldcrest and a Firecrest. On Croftmarsh were a Pink-footed Goose, 2 Avocet, a Little Ringed Plover and 2 Little Gull; and on Tennyson's Sands 41 Mute Swan, 10 Avocet, 2 Common Tern and a Cetti's Warbler. Going south were a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and 12 House Martin.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new birds: a Whitethroat and a Wood Pigeon; and 5 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, a Dunnock and a Sedge Warbler.
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| Broad-bodied Chaser, 17 May 2021. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
May 16th. Soggy start.
Birds around, including those trapped, were 45 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, a Cuckoo, 6 Gannet, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Marsh Harrier, 60 Swallow, a Wood Warbler (West Dunes/Cycle Track), a Firecrest and a Treecreeper. On Croftmarsh were 2 Avocet, 2 Little Gull and 2 Common Tern; and on Tennyson's Sands 8 Avocet. Heading south were 60 Little Tern, 2 Marsh Harrier, 3 Buzzard and 150 Swallow; west an Osprey; and north a Honey Buzzard (over East Dunes early morning).
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 2 new birds: a Chiffchaff and a Treecreeper; and 3 retraps: a Sedge Warbler, a Dunnock and a Whitethroat.
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| Treecreeper, ringed 16 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Treecreeper, ringed 16 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
May 15th. Mid morning rain.
Around were 8 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, a Cuckoo and a Spotted Redshank. On or over Jackson's Marsh were 2 Spoonbill, 59 Swallow, 2 Sand Martin and 2 House Martin; on Croftmarsh 2 Avocet, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Gull and 2 Common Tern; and on Tennyson's Sands 9 Avocet, 2 Mediterranean Gull and a Cetti's Warbler. Flying south were a Great White Egret, 4 Sand Martin, 22 Swallow and 48 House Martin; and north a Honey Buzzard (over East Dunes) and 3 Swallow.
A rain-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 4 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch, a Sedge Warbler and a Woodpigeon; and 2 retraps: a Whitethroat and a Dunnock.
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| Woodpigeon, ringed 15 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
May 14th. Birds around were 83 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, a Sand Martin, a Cetti's Warbler, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Wheatear. On Croftmarsh were a Pink-footed Goose, a Little Ringed Plover, 19 Black-tailed Godwit and a Little Gull; on the Mere 2 Mute Swan; on Jackson's Marsh 2 Mute Swan and 2 Spoonbill; and on Tennyson's Sands 26 Mute Swan, 18 Avocet, a Common Sandpiper, a Mediterranean Gull and a Cetti's Warbler. Going north were 2 Swift, a Whimbrel, 12 Kittiwake, 71 Sandwich Tern, 92 Little Tern, 17 Common Tern, a Red-throated Diver, a Fulmar, 12 Gannet and 3 Swallow; and south 2 Marsh Harrier and 7 Gannet.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 7 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, a Chaffinch and a Great Tit; and 2 retrap Whitethroat.
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| Sleeping Spoonbills, 14 May 2021. Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Chaffinch, ringed 14 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
Ringing Control: Blackbird, ringed GPBO 8 October 2017, controlled Omdal, Norway 5 May 2021.
May 13th. A Cattle Egret was discovered on Seacroft Fields. Around, including birds trapped, were 146 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 3 Cuckoo, a Whimbrel, 2 Buzzard, a Ring-necked Parakeet, a Cetti's Warbler, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, a Goldcrest, a Wheatear and a Whinchat. On Tennyson's Sands were 8 Avocet and a Cetti's Warbler; on Croftmarsh 2 Avocet, a Little Gull and 2 Common Tern; and on Fenland Lagoon a Little Ringed Plover. Heading south were a Spoonbill (early morning) and 5 Swallow.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 2 new birds: a Whinchat and a Whitethroat; and 2 retraps: a Robin and a Whitethroat.
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| Cattle Egret, 13 May 2021. Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Cattle Egret, 13 May 2021. Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Whinchat, ringed 13 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
May 12th. Moderately strong southerly wind, gradually decreasing.
Birds around, including those trapped, were 3 Cuckoo, a Whimbrel, 2 Sandwich Tern, a Buzzard, a Merlin, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Grasshopper Warbler, a Goldcrest and a Wheatear. On Tennyson's Sands were 8 Avocet, a Common Sandpiper and a Spoonbill (later on Jackson's Marsh); on Fenland Lagoon a Little Ringed Plover; and on Croftmarsh 2 Avocet, a Little Ringed Plover, a Little Gull and 2 Common Tern. Flying south were 70 Swift, 14 Swallow, 9 House Martin and a Yellow Wagtail.
A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 2 new birds: a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat; and 6 retraps: 2 Whitethroat, 2 Robin, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Chaffinch.
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| Little Gull and Little Ringed Plover, 12 May 2021. Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Whitethroat, 12 May 2021. Photo - Nige Lound |
May 11th. Around, including birds trapped, were 88 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Cuckoo, 3 Whimbrel, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 3 Sandwich Tern, 29 Little Tern, 3 Common Tern, 2 Arctic Tern, a Marsh Harrier, a Ring-necked Parakeet, a Merlin, 14 House Martin, 2 Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, 19 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 3 Grasshopper Warbler, 6 Lesser Whitethroat, 21 Whitethroat, 9 Blackcap, 3 Whinchat and 15 Wheatear. On Tennyson's Sands were 16 Avocet and a Cetti's Warbler; on Croftmarsh a Pink-footed Goose and a Little Gull; on Fenland Lagoon 2 Avocet and a Little Ringed Plover; and on Jackson's Marsh a Little Ringed Plover. Going south were 2 Swift, a Great White Egret, 115 Swallow and 15 House Martin.
The second session of CES was done this morning. The 17 new birds were 2 Wren, a Willow Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Robin, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, a Linnet, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Blackcap, a Chaffinch and 2 House Sparrow. The 15 retraps were 3 Sedge Warbler, 3 Wren, 2 Dunnock, a Chiffchaff, 2 Robin, a Blue Tit, 2 Whitethroat and a Great Tit.
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| Wheatear, 11 May 2021. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Wheatear, 11 May 2021. Photo - Kevin Wilson |
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| Acredula type Willow Warbler, ringed 11 May 2021. Photo - George Gregory |
