August 22nd. Cloudy, with light westerly wind.
A good variety of birds around today; 107 species recorded by one birder during 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. Highlights included the first Pomarine Skua of the autumn, 15 Arctic Skuas, 2 Caspian Gulls, 2 Little Stints, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper, 6 Ruff, 4 Marsh Harriers, a Cuckoo, a Redpoll, Bullfinch, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Coal Tit.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 4 new birds: 2 Willow Warbler, a Blackcap and a Linnet; and 5 retraps: a Dunnock, 3 Long-tailed Tit and a Blue Tit.
August 21st. Cloudy, with increasing north-north-easterly wind.
A morning sea-watch in the ideal conditions produced 2 Sooty Shearwater, 3 Manx Shearwater, 3 Fulmar, 1 Little Gull, 1 Red-throated Diver, 6 Wigeon, 17 Arctic Skua and good numbers of Terns with 172 Common Tern, 30 Commic Tern, 340 Sandwich Tern and 69 Gannet and 260 Common Scoter all moving north.
Two Goosander were on Greenshanks Creek and 2 Turnstone were on the beach along with a 3CY Caspian Gull and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.
On the Mere there were 3 Spotted Redshank, 10 Greenshank and 3 Green Sandpiper, whilst on Tennyson's Sands there were 58 Mallard, 53 Teal, 51 Avocet, 565 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper and 27 Spoonbill. Also around were 110 Jackdaw, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Stonechat and 1 Crossbill (South).
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 6 new birds: 4 Willow Warbler, a Linnet and a Sparrowhawk; and 5 retraps: 2 Robin, a Wren and 2 Dunnock.
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| Female Sparrowhawk, ringed 21 August 2025. Photo - George Gregory |
