10th May. Around were a Grey Partridge,
4 Swift, 7 Cuckoo, 4 Whimbrel, a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, 2 Spoonbill, 3
Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, a Ring Ouzel and a Tree Pipit.
Highlights during the butterfly transect were 2 Brown Argus, 5 Small Heath, 2 Small Copper as well as several Common Blue and Green Hairstreak.
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Small Heath, 10th May. Photo - Ben Ward   |
9th May. Todays highlights included Turtle Dove, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, 3 Spoonbill, White Wagtail and Tree Pipit.
The second session of CES, with Liam Andrews, was done this morning. The 3 new birds were a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler; the 17 retraps were a Song Thrush, 2 Dunnock, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Robin, 2 Wren, 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Great Tit and 2 Whitethroat.
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Adder's-tongue Fern 9th May. Photo: Kev Wilson
8th May. A good day for Whimbrel with 58 recorded including 15 heading north. Also moving north offshore were 62 Sandwich Tern and 68 Little Tern whilst 45 Common Scoter headed south. Around were 4 Wheatear, 2 Ring Ouzel, 4 Cuckoo, a Great White Egret and a Common Redstart. At Seacroft were another Ring Ouzel and a Wood Warbler.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Liam Andrews, provided 5 new birds: a Blackcap, a Whitethroat, 2 Goldfinch and a Blackbird; and 4 retrap Whitethroat.
7th May. Passage waders on the lagoons included 22 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank. Also there, 3 Spoonbill and 2 Egyptian Geese. A full census of common birds was carried out on the Reserve with warbler totals as follows: 184 Whitethroat, 7 Lesser Whitethroat, 27 Blackcap, 25 Chiffchaff, 57 Sedge Warbler, 9 Reed Warbler, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Grasshopper warbler and only 2 Willow Warbler. Also around were 4 Cuckoo, 3 Wheatear, a Swift and a Hobby. Offshore 221 Sandwich Tern and 58 Little Tern flew north. A Firecrest was seen at Seacroft.
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A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Liam Andrews, produced 11 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 3 retraps: a Wren, a Blue Tit and a Lesser Whitethroat.
6th May. A very warm, pleasant day with lots of birds singing on territory in the dunes and around the Plantation. Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are in good numbers now with a few Lesser Whitethroats, Grasshopper Warblers and one or two Willow Warblers. whilst 4 Cetti's Warbler territories are established, Reed Warblers are still arriving and finding voice on the Mere and Tennyson's Sands where reed growth is becoming more vigorous. At lest 2 Garden Warblers were singing today - migrants that do not stay to breed. Other new migrants were a Firecrest along the Cycletrack, a Tree Pipit and a Wood Sandpiper. Moving south were a steady trickle of Swallows, 6 Buzzards, a Red Kite, 2 Marsh Harrier and a Hobby. A Common Crane was reported for yesterday - we'd be grateful for any information about this sighting - info to kwilson@lincstrust.co.uk
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Kyle Campbell, resulted in 9 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Bunting, 3 Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Linnet and a Jay; and 2 retrap Whitethroat.
Up to 6 Smooth Newts can be seen in the raised ponds in the woodland.
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| Sedge Warbler, ringed 6 May 2022. Photo - George Gregory  |
Meadow Saxifrage and Cowslips 6th May. Photo: Jim Shaw
Cuckoo Flower 6th May. Photo: Kev Wilson
Orange Tip 6th May. Photo: Kev Wilson
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Green Hairstreak 5th May. Photo: Kev Wilson
4th May. Overcast with thunderstorms and rain from the late afternoon. The third Wood Sandpiper of the spring and a new Spotted Redshank were the highlight from around the lagoons in the evening. A Hawfinch was noted in the Plantation late in the day. Birds around included 2 Pink-footed Goose, 3 Cuckoo, 24 Whimbrel, a Snipe, a further Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 3 Mediterranean Gull, a Spoonbill, 2 Marsh Harrier, an immature male Hen Harrier, a Short-eared Owl, a Hobby, 4 Jay, 2 Garden Warbler, a Redstart, 5 Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Pipit and 2 Siskin.
3rd May. A Nightingale was heard in the Plantation in the early hours of the morning and was located later around Sykes farm where it progressively found its voice, last heard mid morning. Now a great rarity on the Reserve, not recorded at all since 2016. 2 Hawfinch dropped in nearby as did a Tree Pipit.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Liam Andrews, produced 7 new birds: a Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Linnet, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler; and 4 retraps: 2 Whitethroat, a Great Tit and a Blue Tit.
2nd May. Misty start. 4 Barnacle Goose flew south in the early morning perhaps from the lagoons, 310 Swallow headed in that direction over the course of the day. The first Garden Warbler of the year was occasionally in song in the Plantation, where there also was a Tree Pipit; an acredula Willow Warbler frequented the Orchard, Birds grounded and around included a Snipe, 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 5 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Spoonbill, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Short-eared Owl (Old Saltmarsh), 5 singing Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Wheatear, 2 Greenland Wheatear and 4 Siskin.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Liam Andrews and Owen Beaumont, yielded 10 new birds: a Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, a Song Thrush and a Jay; and 8 retraps: 3 Wren, 2 Whitethroat, a Linnet and 2 Lesser Whitethroat.
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Jay, ringed 2nd May 2022. Photo - George Gregory    Photos : Tom Baker |
1st May. Another big day on the reserve with a whopping 124 species, 119 of which by midday. Best around were 38 Eider, 5 Cuckoo, 42 Whimbrel, a Jack Snipe, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Spoonbill, a Long-eared Owl, a Short-eared Owl, a Barn Owl, a residual Wryneck (East Dunes), a Merlin, a Firecrest (East Dunes), 3 Ring Ouzel, 2 Tree Pipit, a Water Pipit, a Little Gull and a Crossbill. Hirundine passage saw over 100 Swallows moving south and a spate of raptor passage , mostly early afternoon involved 7 Red Kites, 6 Marsh Harriers, 15 Common Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk flying south.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Kyle Campbell and Owen Beaumont, provided 8 new birds: a Wren, a Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Blue Tit, a Chaffinch, a Swallow and a Whitethroat; and 5 retraps: 2 Dunnock, a Wren, a Great Tit and a Willow Warbler.
Video - Ben Ward
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| Whitethroat, ringed 1st May 2022. Photo - George Gregory      Photos: Tom Baker |
