June 10th. Much warmer today, although with an increasing northeasterly wind.
A ringtail Montagu's Harrier was hunting the south marshes early morning, a party of at least 4 Crossbill flew south, a Spoonbill was on Fenland Lagoon and 2 Wheatear were on the North Saltings. Around was a Cuckoo.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 3 new birds: 2 Dunnock and a Magpie; and 4 retraps: a Chaffinch, a Blackbird, a Whitethroat and a Dunnock.
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| Fledgling Magpie, ringed 10 June 2023. Photo - George Gregory |
June 9th. Increasing north-easterly wind.
A Great White Egret flew over the Reserve early morning and an unseasonal Merlin was over the Old Saltmarsh. Also unusual for June was a Red-throated Diver heading north offshore. Other birds at sea were 3 Kittiwake and low numbers of Sandwich and Little Tern, Gannet and Auks. Elsewhere, the highlights were 2 Crossbill, a Spoonbill, a Greenshank, a Mediterranean Gull, a Barn Owl, 3 Cuckoo and 4 Wheatear.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: 2 Linnet, a Chaffinch, a Song Thrush and a Woodpigeon; and a retrap Blackbird.
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| Woodpigeon, ringed 9 June 2023. Photo - George Gregory  Common Blue Butterfly, 9th June 2023. Photo - Beth Mcguire |
June 8th. Continuing the run of dry and cold north-easterly winds, with very little passage over land or sea.
Recording commenced with 2 Crossbill again around the North Car Park and they were joined by another 4 that dropped in from some height. A short while later, an immature Night Heron appeared in flight, having possibly come out of roost in the West Dunes or Jackson's Marsh. It circled widely for around 15 minutes, often mobbed by the local Black-headed Gulls, before being lost to view. Around were 7 Wheatear, 2 Barn Owl, a Short-eared Owl and a Cuckoo.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new birds: a Linnet and a Dunnock.
A check of another nest box revealed another control adult Barn Owl.
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| Barn Owl, controlled 8 June 2023. Photo - George Gregory  Yellow-barred Longhorn Moth 8th June 2023. Photo - Rob Watson |
June 7th. Weather conditions much the same with cool north-east wind and overcast but without drizzle today.
A female Red-backed Shrike was a new arrival on the Outer Dunes north-east of Mill Hill late morning and 3 Crossbill were around the North Car Park Pines. 7 Wheatear on the north saltings involved an unusually late arrival and 2 Hobby were hunting East Dunes in the evening. Other birds around were 6 Greenshank, 3 Cuckoo, 9 Wheatear, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 10 Swift, a Barn Owl and a Short-eared Owl. A Spoonbill came in off the Wash towards the lagoons.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Bethany McGuire, yielded 4 new birds: a Willow Warbler, 2 Linnet and a Reed Warbler; and 2 retraps: a Whitethroat and a Song Thrush.
Ringing Controls:
Turtle Dove, ringed GPBO 12 May 2017, ring read in field Burgh le Marsh, Lincolnshire 6 May 2023.
Chiffchaff, ringed Portland Bill, Dorset 16 April 2023, controlled GPBO 28 May 2023.
Barn Owl, ringed Rutland Water NR, Rutland 7 July 2022, controlled GPBO 5 June 2023 - see photo below
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June 6th. Another cool and overcast morning with a north-easterly breeze and occasional light drizzle. A Spoonbill was around the lagoons early on and then flew out to sea. A Great White Egret also flew out to sea during the early afternoon. Other birds around included 4 Cuckoo, 3 Wheatear, 2 Greenshank, 90 Black-tailed Godwit and a Barn Owl. Some very good news this week concerns the pair of nesting Stonechats that have fledged at least one juvenile.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 4 new birds: 3 Linnet and a Dunnock; and a retrap Whitethroat.
Recent seawatching has produced low numbers of Gannets, Sandwich terns and Auks, but this evening, 3 Arctic Skuas headed north.
A Poplar Hawk-moth was on the Heligoland Trap.
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| Poplar Hawk-moth, 6 June 2023. Photo - George Gregory  Greenshank, 6th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Greenshanks with Black-headed Gulls, 6th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Spoonbill, 6th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Sedge Warbler, 6th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Marram Weevil, 6th June 2023. Photo - Beth Mcguire |
June 5th. Birds around included 651 Sanderling, a Peregrine, 2 Barn Owl, 5 Greenshank, 30 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Grasshopper Warbler, a Wheatear and 3 Cuckoo.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Kevin Armstrong and Bethany McGuire, produced 3 new Linnet; and 3 retraps: a Robin and 2 Whitethroat.
A check of the nest boxes revealed a control adult Barn Owl.
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| Barn Owl, controlled 5 June 2023. Photo - George Gregory  Reed Warbler, 5th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Shelduck pair with chicks, 5th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Herring Gull, 5th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Great Black-backed Gulls with Common Gull and Herring Gull, 5th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Black-headed Gull chasing Magpie, 5th June. Photo - Tom Baker  Great Spotted Woodpecker juvenile, 5th June 2023. Photo - Tom Baker  Yellow Shell, 5th June 2023. Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
June 4th. Around were 3 Cuckoo, 2 Red Kite, 3 Marsh Harrier, a Crossbill and a Short-eared Owl.
The fourth session of CES, with Kyle Campbell, was done this morning. The 16 new birds were a Chiffchaff, 2 Robin, 4 Whitethroat, a Linnet, a Blue Tit, 6 Dunnock and a Blackbird; and the 16 retraps were 2 Robin, 2 Willow Warbler, a Wren, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackbird, a Chaffinch, 4 Whitethroat and a Dunnock.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes by Mike Polling resulted in 4 new birds: a Robin, a Reed Bunting, a Linnet and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 5 retraps: 2 Whitethroat, a Linnet, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Dunnock.
June 3rd. Gradually increasing north-easterly wind.
An elusive Marsh Warbler was singing near the entrance to Sykes Farm early afternoon. Other birds around were 5 Marsh Harrier, 3 Wheatear, 4 Cuckoo, 3 Siskin, a Coal Tit, a Bullfinch, a Barn Owl and a Short-eared Owl. An emergence of Fox Moths attracted 3 Hobby during the evening.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 4 new birds: a Chaffinch, 2 fledgling Dunnock and a fledgling Great Tit; and a retrap Whitethroat.
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June 2nd. Increasing north-easterly wind.
Again, very little movement over land given the wind direction. However, a Common Rosefinch was a new arrival and flew south down the East Dunes, calling and probably not going very far. Also around, including birds trapped, were a Garganey, a House Sparrow, 3 Siskin, a Barn Owl, 2 Short-eared Owl, a Garden Warbler and a Wheatear. Going north was a Marsh Harrier. Offshore, small numbers of Common Scoter, Sandwich Tern, Auks and Gannet, with the highlight being a single Arctic Skua harassing Sandwich Terns.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 7 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Garden Warbler, a Whitethroat, 2 Linnet, a Wheatear and a Skylark; and 2 retraps: a Reed Bunting and a Whitethroat.
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| Wheatear, ringed 2 June 2023. Photo - George Gregory  Mistle Thrush juvenile and adult, 2nd June 2023. Photo - Carl Rumble  Short-eared Owl, 2nd June 2023. Photo - Carl Rumble .jpg) Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2nd June 2023. Photo - Carl Rumble |
June 1st. Increasing north-easterly wind.
Two Glossy Ibis circled the Reserve, attempted to land at the Mere, but were seen off by the resident Black-headed Gull and then they left high over the Wash towards Norfolk just after 0900hrs. Offshore, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and a small number of Auks and Gannet moved north. Other birds around, including those trapped, were 4 Cuckoo, a Barn Owl, a Short-eared Owl, 2 Wheatear and a Spotted Flycatcher.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in a new Spotted Flycatcher; and 5 retraps: a Wren, a Song Thrush, 2 Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat.
One of our small population of Water Voles was predated by a Stoat down Mill Pond Road.
Stoat predating Water Vole. Video - Kev Wilson
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