Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory Blog: Mid October 2025

October 15th. Cloudy, with some brief late morning drizzle and moderate northerly to north-easterly wind.

On New Saltmarsh were 9 Brent Geese.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 32 new birds: a Wren, 4 Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff, a Garden Warbler, a Reed Bunting, a Robin, 4 Goldfinch, 2 Great Tit, 3 Redwing and 14 Blackbird; and 12 retraps: 2 Robin, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Redwing, 2 Blackbird and a Dunnock.

October 14th. A cloudy day with occasional drizzle in a light northerly breeze.

Most of yesterday's influx of thrush arrivals had moved on overnight. However at least four Yellow-browed Warblers remained included one in the Sallows just north of North Car Park, another in Barrie's Plot just south of Roadside Pond, (another was just north of the reserve near Drake Road/Sea Front Road), another one was in Measure's Clump.

Heading north along the beach were 8 Grey Herons in one long line and a single Gannet was seen heading south over the sea whilst 10 Common Scoter were on the sea. Also about were 500 Pink-footed Geese, 4 Snipe, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 3 Ring Ouzels, a Green Woodpecker and 5 Cetti's Warblers and lots of Robins.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 21 new birds: 7 Goldcrest, a Wren, 2 Robin, 4 Redwing and 7 Blackbird; and 3 retraps: a Blue Tit and 2 Goldcrest.

The Mere which is so dry now that its just grazing for Horses rather than a water bird habitat!
7th October 2025 - Photo - David Nutt

Eclipse Male Wigeon, 14th October 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

Chaffinch, 7th October 2025
Photo - David Nutt

October 13th. Misty start, then cloudy with occasional drizzle in a light north to north-east breeze.

Early news concerned a big arrival of thrushes, mostly Redwings (In their thousands) and Blackbirds with some Fieldfares and Song Thrushes, and other autumn migrants all over the reserve. A Yellow-browed Warbler (68th for the Observatory ever) and the twelfth and thirteenth Cetti's Warblers ringed this autumn were trapped in East Dunes.

A Spotted Flycatcher was on the Cycle Track near the Sykes Farm entrance. At least 4 Bearded Tits and a Cetti's Warblers were seen from Fenella Hope hide on Tennyson's Sands. Thrushes were still much in evidence at dusk with over 600 Redwing and 100 Blackbirds in the West Dunes along with a vocal Ring Ouzel. At Sykes Farm, a Yellow-browed Warbler was calling near dusk around the back of the Pole Barn. A Water Pipit was heard calling over Sykes Farm during the day and presumably the same bird was reported calling during the late afternoon around the Fenland Lagoon.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group resulted in 98 new birds: 9 Goldcrest, a Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Cetti's Warbler, a Great Tit, a Robin, a Blue Tit, a Dunnock, 51 Redwing, 4 Song Thrush, 26 Blackbird and a Kingfisher; 3 retraps: 2 Long-tailed Tit and a Goldcrest; and a control Brambling with a Stavanger ring (Norway).

Yellow-browed Warbler, ringed 13 October 2025.
Photo - SBRG

Kingfisher, ringed 13th October 2025
Photo - SBRG

A Stavanger (Norway) Brambling Control, caught 13th October 2025
Photo - SBRG

Ring Ouzel, 13th October 2025
Photo - Mike Watts
One of hundreds of Redwings that arrived this morning, 13thOctober 2025
Photo - Jack Hood
One Redwing of thousands around the reserve, 13th October 2025
Photo - Mike Watts
One Blackbird of hundreds that arrived this morning, 13th October 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

Kestrel, 13th October 2025
Photo - Mike Watts
Kestrel, 13th October 2025
Photo - Mike Watts
Roe Deer, 13th October 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

October 12th. A very foggy start, slowly clearing by mid day, then mostly cloudy, with a very light westerly wind becoming variable later on.

The eleventh Cetti's Warbler ringed this autumn was trapped in East Dunes and another Cetti's Warbler was calling early on from near to the reserve entrance in the West Dunes. Birding conditions during the morning were virtually impossible with visibility down to less than 100 feet across most of the reserve for most of the time. No birds were on the move and the ones already on the reserve were generally keeping their heads down from the thick wet fog.

Despite this, on Tennyson's Sands were a Jack Snipe (mid afternoon till early evening), 163 Teal, 32 Shoveler, a Water Rail, a Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Cetti's Warblers. Also around were a Barn Owl, a Merlin, a Marsh Harrier, a Red Kite, 3 Water Pipit (all together calling over Sykes Farm), 2 Redwing, and a Treecreeper.

A morning ringing session, in combination with the Ringing Demonstration, by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group, provided 6 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Wren, a Long-tailed Tit, 2 Blackcap and a Cetti's Warbler; and 8 retraps: 4 Goldcrest, 2 Wren and 2 Robin.

A morning ringing session in the West Dunes by Mick Briggs provided 30 new birds: 10 Goldfinch, 5 Blackcap, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Wren, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Robin, 1 Great Tit and 1 Song Thrush; and 24 retraps: 6 Blue Tit, 3 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Goldfinch, 3 Robin, 3 Great Tit, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Dunnock and 1 Song Thrush.

About 45 guests visited the Observatory ringing demonstration through the course of the morning despite the horrendous weather, indeed the carpark was full for much of the morning. It would seem a good experience was had by all despite the relatively small amount of birds to view being ringed and much positive feedback was received. Many thanks to the team from Sorby Breck Ringing Group for hosting the demonstration during their weekend visit.

An evening ringing session by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group provided a catch of 4 new Rock Pipits, just the 17th to 20th ever ringed at the Observatory.

Bird Ringing Demonstration, 12 October 2025.
Photo - George Gregory

Four Rock Pipits, ringed 13th October 2025
Photo - Jack Baddams SBRG

Jack Snipe on Tennyson's Sands still in the early evening, 12th October 2025

Video - Stuart Ainsworth

Jack Snipe hiding in the reeds on Tennyson's Sands, 12th October 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

Long-tailed Tit, 12th October 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

Barn Owl, 12th October 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

October 11th. Partly cloudy, with a very light westerly breeze becoming variable through the day.

Early news involved several thousand Pink-footed Geese flying around. The morning high tide roost produced 7200 Oystercatcher, 2250 Grey Plover, 186 Ringed Plover, 235 Curlew, 5900 Bar-tailed Godwit, 59 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Turnstone, 70,000 Knot, 2050 Sanderling, 10,100 Dunlin, 194 Redshank and 56 Cormorant.

Heading south were 25 Whooper Swans and a Marsh Harrier. The tenth Cetti's Warbler of the autumn was ringed in the East Dunes with another one re-trapped. At least 32 Crossbills went south in four flocks along the West Dunes. Also around were 55 Brent Geese, 4 Greenshanks (Fenland Lagoon), a Red Kite (Croft Marsh), a Merlin, a Peregrine, a Buzzard, a Water Pipit (heard calling over Harvey's Hide), a Cetti's Warbler (Cycle Track near North Car Park), a Green Woodpecker (Plantation), a Brambling, 3 Swallows (South) and 3 Stonechats.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group produced 41 new birds: a Wren, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaff, 13 Long-tailed Tit, a Cetti's Warbler, 3 Robin, a Goldfinch, 6 Blue Tit, a Robin, 2 Dunnock, a Song Thrush, 4 Redwing and a Sparrowhawk; and 8 retraps: a Cetti's Warbler, a Robin, a Redwing, 2 Long-tailed Tit, a Great Tit, a Goldcrest and a Wren.

An evening ringing session by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group produced 2 new Skylark.

Please note: There will be a Ringing Demonstration at the Bird Observatory tomorrow. The event is free however donations will be welcomed towards the Bird Observatory's upkeep. Staff and Volunteers will be on hand to assist with directions for the event from the Visitor Centre car park.