October 31st. Cloudy, with moderate south-westerly wind.
Groups of Whooper Swans were moving through again, with 55 during the morning. 3 Cattle Egrets and 10 Pintail were on Tennyson's Sands with Teal remaining at 1000+. Also around were 4 Marsh Harriers, male Hen Harrier and 8 Water Rails.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 5 new birds: a Cetti's Warbler, 2 Goldfinch and 2 Blackbird; and 7 retraps: a Blackbird, 2 Dunnock, 2 Long-tailed Tit, a Wren and a Robin.
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Whooper Swans, 31st October 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
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Whooper Swans, 31st October 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
Highlights of morning vis-mig down the west side included Lapland Bunting, 2 Raven, 26 Whooper Swans and a Yellowhammer. Other birds around included 3 Cattle Egret, a male Hen Harrier, Merlin, Goldeneye, Coal Tit, 2 Bearded Tit, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 62 Redwing, 6 Fieldfare, 2 Bullfinch, 3 Stonechat and 4 Corn Bunting.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 16 new birds: 2 Wren, 6 Long-tailed Tit, a Chaffinch, a Goldfinch, a Redwing, a Song Thrush, 3 Blackbird and a Kestrel; and 2 retraps: a Robin and a Dunnock.
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Black-tailed Godwits, 30th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Corn Bunting, 30th October 2024. Photo-Steve Clipperton |
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Corn Buntings, 30th October 2024. Photo-Steve Clipperton |
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Rock Pipit, 30th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Rock Pipit, 30th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Pintail, 30th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Shoveler. 30th October 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
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Brent Geese, 30th October 2024. Photo-Steve Clipperton |
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| Kestrel, ringed 30 October 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
Whooper Swans were on the move south from first thing with 149 having passed by 0830hrs. Otherwise, in the quiet and calm conditions, a few Skylark and Finch flocks were also on the move, including 7 Bramblings. Corvids featured prominently during the morning with numbers of Jackdaws, Rooks, Carrion Crows, 3 Ravens and a Jay south. A group of 96 Carrion Crows on the beach was the largest gathering of the year. Poor visibility over the sea resulted in little coverage, but 8 Pintail and 2 Goosander moved south close in with 18 Eider later. A Goldeneye was an increasingly rare sight on the lagoons. Also on the lagoons were 2 Cattle Egrets again, 5 Pintail and single Greenshank and Green Sandpiper.
Around the Plantation were single Hawfinch and Yellow-browed Warbler again, with a Ring Ouzel over. An arrival of Thrushes occurred during the early afternoon with some 30 Fieldfares, 30 Song Thrushes and 300 Redwings dropping in. Other birds around included 4 Marsh Harriers, a Short-eared Owl and 2 Water Pipits.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 10 new birds: a Wren, 2 Reed Bunting, a Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch, a Great Tit and a Robin; and 5 retraps: a Wren, a Goldfinch, a Great Tit, a Robin and a Dunnock.
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Cattle Egret with Shoveler and Teal, 29th October 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
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Cattle Egrets, 29th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Goldeneye, 29th October 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
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Pintails, 29th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Water Rail, 29th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Carrion Crows, 29th October 2024. Photo - Jason Virgin |
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Great Spotted Woodpecker, 29th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
October 28th. Spells of rain or drizzle, with light south-westerly wind.
Birds around included 2 Cattle Egrets again on Croftmarsh, the Yellow-browed Warbler remaining in the Plantation, 2 Ravens, a Jay, a Merlin, a Peregrine, 5 Marsh Harriers, a Hen Harrier and a Mediterranean Gull.
October 27th. After two days of grim, foggy or drizzly weather, today was a real contrast: clear, and sunny with light westerly to south-westerly wind.
There was a big arrival/passage of Woodpigeons from early on with various Finches, Pipits, Skylarks, Lapwings, Golden Plovers and Whooper Swans moving south, and small groups of Redwings, Fieldfares, Starlings and Song Thrushes arriving. Some large flocks of Pink-footed Geese were commuting over the Wash again. Yesterday's Hawfinch was again around the Plantation with a new Yellow-browed Warbler there too. A flock of 8 Bearded Tits dropped into Tennyson's Sands reedbed.
Also around were 80 Brent Geese, a Ring-necked Parakeet, a Ring Ouzel, 5 Stonechats, 2 Water Pipits, 6 Cetti's Warblers, a Red Kite, a Peregrine and a Coal Tit (probably Continental).
A sound-recording made of yesterday's powerful Crossbill has enabled it to be identified as a Parrot Crossbill.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 9 new birds: 3 Wren, a Goldcrest, a Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, a Fieldfare and a Blackbird; and 7 retraps: a Dunnock, 4 Wren, a Song Thrush and a Robin.
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| Bearded Tit, 27th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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| Golden Plovers, 27th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Whooper Swans, 27th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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| Pintails, 27th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton  Kestrel, 27th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton  Marsh Harrier, 27th October 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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| Fieldfare, ringed 27 October 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
A good day for Finches, with another arrival of Chaffinches, and more Siskins, a few Bramblings and Redpolls, 2 Bullfinches, a Crossbill sp and a Hawfinch. Several flocks of Redwings arrived with a few new Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs. A total of 8 Cetti's Warblers was a site record. There were still plenty of Robins around. Several groups of Pink-footed Geese flew over, including some calling in the fog, and small groups of Whooper Swans headed south.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 2 new Goldcrest; and 5 retraps: a Wren, a Robin, a Goldcrest and 2 Long-tailed Tit.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Dave Vincent resulted in 12 new birds: 3 Wren, 2 Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff, a Cetti's Warbler, 2 Dunnock and 3 Redwing; and 6 retraps: a Blue Tit, a Goldcrest, a Long-tailed Tit and 3 Dunnock.
October 25th. Quite thick fog on and off all day, with light south-easterly wind.
Overnight moth-trapping produced another Marbled Fern.
New birds were arriving in the fog, noticeably Chaffinches, with some Bramblings, Redwings, Song Thrushes and Starlings. A Yellow-browed Warbler was also a new arrival in the East Dunes. Other birds around included at least 4 Bearded Tits, 6 Cetti's Warblers,3 Marsh Harriers, a Great White Egret and 2 Cattle Egrets.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 8 new birds: 2 Wren, a Robin, 4 Chaffinches and a Blackbird; 2 retrap Robins; and a control Goldcrest.
A late afternoon/roost ringing session at Aylmer Avenue provided 8 new birds: 3 Redwing, 2 Blackbird, a Blue Tit, a Great Tit and a Blackcap; and 3 retraps: a Blue Tit, a Great Tit and a Robin.
Ringing Control: Goldcrest, ringed Top House Farm, Rawcliffe Bridge, East Yorkshire 16 March 2024, controlled GPBO 25 October 2024.
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Great White Egret, 25th October 2024. Photo - Merv Goddard |
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Marbled Fern, 25th October 2024. Photo - Sam Goddard |
The morning started with over 5000 Pink-footed Geese moving north-west out of the Wash, 3 Marsh Harriers leaving the roost, 1800 Lapwing commuting between feeding and roosting sites and 5000 Woodpigeon heading south in various sized flocks. 2 Cattle Egrets remained on Croftmarsh with 6 Bearded Tits nearby on Tennyson's Sands. Also on there were a Great White Egret and 4 Water Rails, while a Red-breasted Merganser was an unusual visitor on the Mere late afternoon. A Ring Ouzel was in East Dunes and at least 6 Cetti's Warblers were recorded.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 3 new birds: a Linnet, a Chaffinch and a Robin; and 5 retraps: 2 Wren, a Great Tit and 2 Long-tailed Tit.
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| Red-breasted Merganser, 24th October 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
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Common Darter, 24th October 2024. Photo - Zara Brown |
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Radford's Flame Shoulder, 24th October 2024. Photo - Sam Goddard |
Calling and heading south in the mist were 30+ Whooper Swans (in 2 groups) and 1000+ Pink-footed Geese (in several groups). Six Bearded Tits were around Jackson's Marsh. A Water Pipit was flying around Jackson's Marsh scrape in the afternoon.
During the late afternoon close to dusk there were 9000+ Pink-footed Geese visible from Fenella Hope hide over distant farmland, all moving into the Wash to roost. Another 500 were on Croftmarsh until after dark. Also on Tennyson's Sands were 2500+ Teal, 100+ Shoveler, 10+ Pintail, 500+ Lapwing, 2 Water Rail, 30 Little Grebe, a Marsh Harrier, a Merlin and a Barn Owl.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 5 new birds: a Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Reed Bunting, a Redwing and a Song Thrush.
October 22nd. Mostly cloudy, with fresh south-westerly wind.
Visible migration between 7.15am and 8.30am from the Hump yielded 8 Brambling, 84 Chaffinch, 94 Goldfinch, 3 Grey Wagtail, 4 House Sparrow, 28 Redpoll, 34 Meadow Pipit, 46 Siskin, 6 Swallow, 43 Whooper Swan, a Yellowhammer and 800 Woodpigeon, all moving south.
Visible migration from Mill Hill during the morning revealed more birds moving south including 3490 Wood Pigeon, a Tree Sparrow, 87 Meadow Pipit, 78 Skylark, 6 Swallow, 18 Rock Pipit, 219 Chaffinch, 4 Brambling, 27 Greenfinch, 141 Linnet, 12 Redpoll, 738 Goldfinch, 38 Siskin, 35 Reed Bunting, 25 Whooper Swan and 1 Woodlark.
A total of 3000 Pink-footed Geese and 4 Marsh Harrier moved out of the Wash at first light. Birds around included 2 Sparrowhawk, 5 Stonechat, a Cetti's Warbler, a Peregrine, a Merlin, a Marsh Harrier, a Great White Egret, 3 Water Rail, 4 Egyptian Geese, whilst on Croftmarsh there were 2 Cattle Egret with the cows. Over the sea, a Red-breasted Merganser moved south.
A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: a Goldcrest, a Robin, a Meadow Pipit, a Blackbird and a Sparrowhawk.
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| Double Rainbow, 22nd October 2024. Picture - Nigel Lound |
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| Sparrowhawk, ringed 22 October 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Sparrowhawk, ringed 22 October 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
Flying south in the morning were 16 Whooper Swans and 5 Swallows along with a Purple Sandpiper along the beach with a Velvet Scoter south shortly afterwards. Also south from Mill Hill were a Snow Bunting, a Tree Sparrow and a Mediterranean Gull. Another 10 Whooper Swans went south over Harvey's Hide in the afternoon. A Snipe was on Freshwater Marsh. Around Aylmer Avenue were 30 House Martins.
During the late afternoon/early evening 3600 Pink-footed Geese went into the Wash to roost, whilst 2 Great White Egrets went into the Plantation to roost. Around late on were 2 Merlin, 3 Marsh Harriers, a Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl. 26 Pintail were on the Wash along with 300 Teal.
On Tennyson's Sands were 2000 Teal, 132 Shoveler, 16 Gadwall, 300 Wigeon, 14 Pintail, 7 Tufted Duck, 4 Egyptian Geese and a Cetti's Warbler, whilst a Cattle Egret was on Croftmarsh. During the day 14 Swallow moved south and 3 Stonechat were around the East Dunes frontage.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group produced 35 new birds: 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, a Long-tailed Tit, a Wren, 3 Blue Tit, 2 Robin, a Coal Tit, a Chaffinch, 16 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Great Tit, a Greenfinch, a Redwing and a Blackbird; and 8 retraps: a Dunnock, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Goldcrest, a Great Tit, a Wren and a Blackbird.
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| Whooper Swans, 21st October 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Leucistic Pink-footed Goose with Pink-footed Geese, 21st October 2024. Photo - Nigel Lound |
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| Lesser Redpoll, ringed 21 October 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
