September 10th. A very busy morning with several hundred Meadow Pipit arriving off the sea and many moving south. Mixed in were 10 Tree Pipit, 12 Grey Wagtail and a few Yellow and Alba Wagtail. Moving south were pulses of Hirundines; and north 7 Dark-bellied Brent Goose. Large numbers of waders gathered on the high tide, with an estimated minimum 80,000 Knot between Gibraltar Point and Wainfleet currently. Counting was interrupted by an Osprey that caused a flush, a Peregrine that successfully caught a small wader and human and dog activity. Other birds around, including those trapped, were a Sparrowhawk, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, a Merlin, 5 Goldcrest and 5 Willow Warbler. On Tennyson's Sands were 19 Spoonbill; and on the Mere 6 Spotted Redshank and 5 Greenshank.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 13 new birds: 2 Wren, a Goldcrest, a Willow Warbler, 2 Robin, 4 Blackcap, a Reed Warbler, a Whitethroat and a Dunnock; and 4 retraps: a Whitethroat, a Blackbird, a Blackcap and a Dunnock.
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| Peregrine, 10 September 2022. Photo - Nige Lound |
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Osprey, 10 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Sanderling, 10 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Curlew Sandpiper with Dunlin and Sanderling, 10 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Turnstone with 2 Knot, 10 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Ringed Plover, 10 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
September 9th. Occasional rainy or misty spells from mid morning.
Birds around, including those trapped, were a Willow Warbler, 2 Wheatear, a Tree Pipit and a Grey Wagtail. On Jackson's Marsh were 3 Spoonbill; and on Tennyson's Sands a Buzzard and a Grey Heron. A large Hirundine movement involved predominantly House Martins - with 3,500 mostly south during the morning. 3 Swift also moved through. Numbers of Robin and Dunnock are passing through, as evidenced by new birds trapped and ringed.
A rain-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 13 new birds: 5 Robin, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Bunting, a Blackcap, a Linnet and 4 Dunnock; and a retrap Dunnock.
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| Wheatear, 9 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker  Photo - Tom Baker |
Around, including birds trapped, were a Sparrowhawk, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, 4 Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 10 Arctic Skua, a Short-eared Owl, a Kingfisher, a Chiffchaff, a Garden Warbler, 2 Pied Flycatcher, a Wheatear and a Whinchat. On the Mere were 2 Spotted Redshank; and on Tennyson's Sands a Ruff, a Spoonbill and a Cetti's Warbler. Going south were 3 Swift, 15 Arctic Skua, 30 Swallow, 8 House Martin and 2 Grey Wagtail.
A long, rain-delayed ringing session in East Dunes provided 13 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Garden Warbler, a Goldfinch, 2 Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler, a Robin, a Reed Bunting and 4 Dunnock; and 4 retraps: 3 Whitethroat and a Wren.
September 7th. Moderately strong southerly wind.
Birds around, including those trapped, were a Whimbrel, a Spoonbill, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Pied Flycatcher, a Whinchat, 5 Wheatear and 3 Tree Pipit. On the Mere was a Ruff. On Tennyson's Sands were 250 Black-tailed Godwit, a Kingfisher, 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Pintail and 64 Shoveler. There was a southerly movement of Swallow, House Martin and Meadow Pipit. Offshore a feeding flock involved 350 Sandwich Tern and 60 Common Tern with many more mixed Terns moving south. Up to 6 Arctic Skua were harassing terns in the feeding flock at any one time with a further 31 moving south. A juvenile Long-tailed Skua was present throughout and a Sooty Shearwater went north close in. Waders and wildfowl were also arriving in small flocks during the watch (0700-0900hrs).
A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 8 new birds: 4 Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Robin, a Whitethroat and a Pied Flycatcher; and 4 retrap Long-tailed Tit.
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Shoveler in flight, 7 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Pintail with Shovelers, 7 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Common Seals, 7 August 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
September 6th. Soggy start, gradually drying out.
Around, including birds trapped, were 3 Swift, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Green Woodpecker, 8 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Whinchat, 5 Wheatear, 3 Redstart, 4 Tree Pipit and a Grey Wagtail. On the Mere were 3 Ruff and 7 Spotted Redshank. A Hawfinch headed south down the West Dunes early morning but returned north 10 minutes later. Southerly migration involved 3 Great Skua and moderate numbers of Meadow Pipit, Swallow and House Martin with 6 Swift, 3 Tree Sparrow, 2 Tree Pipit, 14 Yellow Wagtail, 8 Grey Wagtail, 14 Alba Wagtail and 2 Marsh Harrier.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Liam Andrews, yielded 8 new birds: a Wren, a Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart, 2 Blackcap, a Linnet, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Dunnock; and 4 retraps: a Whitethroat, a Robin, a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap.
Offshore late evening, a large feeding flock involved 1400 mixed gulls and terns with 2 Little Gull and up to 25 Arctic Skua and a Pomarine Skua in attendance with other Skuas passing southward including a further 24 Arctic Skua and a Long-tailed Skua. Two Black terns moved south and a Sooty Shearwater went north.
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| Ruff, 6 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker  Ruff, 6 September 2022. Photo - Harry Fenwick.  Redshank ('white-cap'), 6 September 2022. Photo - Harry Fenwick  Photo - Tom Baker  Photo - Tom Baker |
A Red-breasted Flycatcher was discovered at the north end of West Dunes late afternoon. Vocal and mobile between the Pines and Hawthorns, it was not seen after the rain started. Other birds around, including those trapped, were 10 Willow Warbler, 3 Redstart, 7 Wheatear, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Tree Pipit, 3 Spotted Flycatcher and 12 Pied Flycatcher. Flying south were a Spoonbill, 13 Buzzard, a Red Kite, a Sparrowhawk, 14 Sand Martin, 150 House Martin, 250 Swallow, 28 Alba Wagtail, 15 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 30 Meadow Pipit, a Tree Pipit, 12 Tree Sparrow and a Swift. Highlights from offshore were a Long-tailed Skua mobbing a Great Skua before both moved south, 12 Arctic Skua, a Fulmar and a feeding flock of 450 mixed Terns.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 6 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Robin, a Pied Flycatcher, a Reed Bunting and a Dunnock; and 5 retraps: a Robin, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Dunnock and a Wren.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling provided 3 new birds: a Whitethroat, a Blue Tit and a Redstart; and 3 retraps: 2 Long-tailed Tit and a Blackbird.
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Black-tailed Godwits, 5 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Wheatear, 5 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Spotted Flycatcher, 5 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
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Pied Flycatcher, 5 September 2022. Photo - Kev Wilson |
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Reed Warbler, 5 September 2022. Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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Red Kite, 5 September 2022. Photo - Richard Levett |
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Common Darter, 5 September 2022. Photo - Tom Baker |
September 4th. Birds around, including those trapped, were 6 Spoonbill, 3 Sparrowhawk, a Kingfisher, 2 Merlin, a Peregrine, 6 Goldcrest, a Garden Warbler, 6 Pied Flycatcher, a Stonechat (first of autumn), 3 Wheatear and a Grey Wagtail. On the Mere were a Little Stint and 3 Ruff. Offshore, a Black Tern went south. A large gathering of Hirundines was over the West Dunes from early morning with pulses of southerly migration - mostly Swallow and House Martin. Small numbers of Meadow Pipit have also started to move south in the last few days.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 12 new birds: 2 Goldcrest, 2 Robin, a Garden Warbler, 2 Pied Flycatcher, a Whitethroat, a Reed Bunting, 2 Blackcap and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 9 retraps: 2 Robin, a Whitethroat, 2 Long-tailed Tit, a Wren, a Dunnock, a Blackcap and a Great Tit.
Three juvenile Herring Gulls with an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Photo - Tom Baker
September 3rd. Around, including birds trapped, were a Caspian Gull, 5 Buzzard, 4 Sparrowhawk, 11 Willow Warbler, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Redstart, 10 Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 7 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Tree Pipit and a Treecreeper. On Tennyson's Sands were a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope, 4 Ruff, a Little Stint and a Green Sandpiper. and on the Mere 8 Spotted Redshank, a Little Stint, 2 Curlew Sandpiper and 3 Ruff. Flying south was an Osprey; and north a Curlew Sandpiper.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 9 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, a Robin, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Pied Flycatcher, a Chaffinch, a Reed Bunting, a Dunnock and a Blackbird; and 5 retraps: a Blue Tit, 2 Whitethroat, a Dunnock and a Reed Bunting.
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Red-necked Phalarope with Snipe, 3 September 2022. Photo - James Siddle |
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Curlew Sandpiper with Ruff, 3 September 2022. Photo - James Siddle |
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Curlew Sandpipers with Dunlin, 3 September 2022. Photo - Kev Wilson |
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Little Stint, 3 September 2022. Photo - James Siddle |
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Spotted Redshank, 3 September 2022. Photo - James Siddle |
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Whinchat, 3 September 2022. Photo - James Siddle |
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Spotted Flycatcher, 3 September 2022. Photo James Siddle |
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Wheatear, 3 September 2022. Photo - Kev Wilson |
September 2nd. An arrival of migrants involved at least 10 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 4 Whinchat and 3 Redstart, mostly in East Dunes. A mid morning recce up to the North End dunes and saltings was rewarded with a Wryneck, a Long-eared Owl, 8 Wheatear and a further 2 Redstart, 2 Whinchat, 4 Pied Flycatcher and an impressive flock of 189 Linnet. A feeding flock of Hirundines built up during the morning with 200 Swallow, 65 House Martin and 6 Sand Martin present, with smaller numbers moving south. Some new Teal arrived off the sea (c40) and moved onto Tennyson's Sands where 7 Snipe were feeding and water levels were at record low levels. There was also plenty of exposed mud on the Mere where the Curlew Sandpiper remained with a small group of Dunlin, joined mid morning by a Little Stint and a flock of 16 Spotted Redshanks - an excellent number for the Reserve. 8 Buzzard were thermalling over the west of the Reserve mid morning and may have been an indicator of some immigration/movement.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, a Pied Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap; and 4 retraps: a Song Thrush, a Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock.
A Harbour Porpoise was close inshore, heading north.
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| Curlew Sandpiper, 2 September 2022. Photo - Nige Lound |
Pied Flycatcher, 2 September 2022.
Video - Kev Wilson
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Spotted Flycatcher, 2 September 2022. Photo - Kev Wilson |
Birds around, including those trapped, were a Sparrowhawk, a Long-eared Owl, 45 Swallow, 4 Whinchat, a Wheatear, a Redstart and 6 Willow Warbler. On the Mere were 3 Water Rail, 2 Greenshank and 8 Spotted Redshank; and on Tennyson's Sands a Snipe. Highlights from the morning sea-watch were a Long-tailed Skua, a Bonxie, 14 Arctic Skua, 2 Arctic Tern, 8 Commic Tern, 70 Sandwich Tern, 5 Little Tern, a Little Gull, a Sooty Shearwater, 19 Pintail, 2 Red-throated Diver and 3 Fulmar.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Liam Andrews, produced 6 new birds: a Wren, a Willow Warbler, a Linnet, a Blackcap and 2 Whitethroat; and a retrap Dunnock.
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Devil's-bit Scabious, 1 September 2022. Photo - Kev Wilson |
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Common Fleabane, 1 September 2022. Photo - Kev Wilson. |