Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory Blog

Mid May 2025

May 16th. A mainly cloudy day which felt colder with the stiff north-north-easterly wind.

Early news concerned a Serin sitting on telephone wires with Goldfinch near the reserve entrance briefly before flying off north. Then at the Visitor Centre Carpark there was a Quail calling from the Old Saltmarsh, and a Tree Pipit flew over. Birds around included a Spoonbill flying around, a Cuckoo and a Barn Owl hunting.

A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 4 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Reed Bunting; and 4 retraps: a Blue Tit, a Wren, a Great Tit and a Whitethroat.

May 15th. Cloudy, with fresh northerly wind.

A look at the sea produced 1 drake Eider on the sea along with 17 Common Scoter and a further 8 heading north. Also heading north were 36 Little Tern, 6 Sandwich Tern, 13 Gannet, and 3 Auks sp. Heading south was a single Fulmar.

On the water bodies were 4 Gadwall, 1 drake Pochard, 1 Water Rail, 78 Avocet, 3 Whimbrel, 94 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Spoonbill, 7 Great White Egret and 3 Grey Heron. Also around were 2 Cuckoo, a Barn Owl, a Peregrine (West) and a Yellow Wagtail.

A check of another Barn Owl nest site revealed 4 warm eggs.

x7 Great White Egrets, 15th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

Bittern, 14th May 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

Common Sandpiper, 14th May 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

Yellow Wagtail, 14th May 2025
Photo - Jack Hood

May 14th. Mostly clear and sunny, then cloudy, with increasing north-easterly wind.

Highlights of the day was again the Bittern showing occasionally on both Jacksons Marsh and Tennyson's Sands. On the water bodies around the reserve were 52 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 74 Avocet, 82 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 6 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Common Tern, 1 2CY Mediterranean Gull, 1 Spoonbill, 5 Great White Egret, 2 Grey Heron and a Yellow Wagtail.

Other birds around the reserve included a male Stonechat (near Weather Station), a Red-legged Partridge (quite scarce here now!), 2 Swift (North), 1 Cuckoo, 1 Hobby (North pm over Tennyson's Sands), 1 Buzzard, 1 Barn Owl, a Fieldfare (East Dunes), and a male singing Yellowhammer (increasing scarce here now as well).

A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided just a new Reed Bunting.

A check of a Barn Owl nest site revealed a pair, of which one was ringed.

Barn Owl, ringed 14 May 2025.
Photo - George Gregory

Black-Headed Gull, 14th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Common Terns, 14th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

Common Sandpiper, 14th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Bittern, 14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Bittern - having a wander!, 14th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Barn Owl, 14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Male Blackcap, 14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Little Egret, 14th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Common Tern, 14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Hares, 14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Whitethroat (With ring on!), 14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Great Spotted Woodpecker, 14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Male Yellowhammer in Song, 14th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

Wall Brown Butterfly (A species thought lost from Gib until today! after no records last year),
14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Wall Brown Butterfly (A species thought lost from Gib until today! after no records last year),
14th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

May 13th. A cloudless start to the day warming up quickly despite the light north-north-easterly wind.

Highlights today included a Cattle Egret (North), 2CY Mediterranean Gull and a pair of Stonechats near the Weather Station.

On the water bodies today were 42 Shelduck, 21 Tufted Duck, 10 Gadwall, 4 Wigeon, 67 Avocet, 116 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Spoonbill, 5 Great White Egret and 2 Grey Heron. Also around were a Cuckoo and a Buzzard.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new birds: a Chiffchaff and a Reed Bunting.

2CY Mediterranean Gull, 13th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Greenshank, 13th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Avocet, 13th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Common Sandpiper, 13th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Female Blackcap, 13th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Female Stonechat, 13th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Green Hairstreak, 13th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

May 12th. Clear and sunny, with light easterly wind.

Highlight of the day again was the Bittern which showed well on and off for most of the day on Jackson's Marsh although could be obviously elusive at times! On the Water bodies around the reserve were 41 Shelduck, 8 Gadwall, 1 Pochard (Drake), 84 Avocet, 1 Whimbrel, 97 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 1 Dunlin, 4 Spoonbill, 6 Little Egret, 7 Great White Egret and 3 Grey Heron.

Elsewhere around the reserve were 10 Little Tern, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (Adults heading North), 2 Barn Owl, 2 Cuckoo, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Stonechat (Male) and 3 Yellow Wagtail.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch and a Whitethroat.

Bittern on Jacksons Marsh, 12th May 2025
Photo - Nige Lound

Little Egret, 12th May 2025
Photo - Nige Lound

Buck Roe Deer - Monarch of the West Dunes!, 12th May 2025
Photo - Nige Lound

May 11th. Clear and sunny, with a freshening easterly wind.

There were 7 Great White Egrets and 2 Spoonbills on Tennyson's Sands from Harvey's Hide, whilst on Jacksons Marsh the Bittern was showing again around 9am but no sign later in the morning, although 2 Hobbies were hunting over Croft Marsh. Birds around included a Grey Heron, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Cuckoos, 2 Kestrels, and 2 Barn Owls.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided a new Chaffinch; and 3 retraps: 2 Chaffinch and a Chiffchaff.

This morning was the 2nd Constant Effort Site session of the year in West Dunes. Results were 11 new birds: 3 Sedge Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Robin, 1 Blackcap, 1 Great Tit and 1 Wren; and 11 retraps: 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Wren, 1 Blackbird, 1 Robin, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap and 1 Great Tit.

Of interest during the 2nd CES session was this Lesser Whitethroat (See picture below) which showed some extreme central tail feather wear after its winter back in Sub-Saharan Africa. They were so worn that just the shafts were left of the central two feathers. This wear demonstrates along with a dull top of the eye that this bird is a 2CY individual.

Ringed Lesser Whitethroat, 11th May 2025
Photo - Michael Briggs

Ringed Lesser Whitethroat showing extreme central tail feather wear, 11th May 2025
Photo - Michael Briggs

Ringed female Blackcap, 11th May 2025
Photo - Michael Briggs

Ringed Sedge Warbler, 11th May 2025
Photo - Michael Briggs

Bittern on Jacksons Marsh, 11th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Spoonbill, 11th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Grey Heron, 11th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Little Egret, 11th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Meadow Pipit, 11th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Oystercatchers, 11th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Early May 2025

May 10th. A clear blue sky day with an occasional cloud moving through on a light north easterly remaining cool in the freshening breeze.

The Black Redstart was again present around the Visitor Centre garden. Of interest, the first Lapwing chicks of the year were visible on Moat Pond/scrape from Harvey's Hide. During the late afternoon, a Bittern was discovered on Jackson's Lagoon which showed well to Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust members on an organised members event before skulking back into the reedbed.

On the water bodies were 2 Water Rail, 59 Avocet, a Whimbrel, 94 Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, a Spoonbill, 7 Great White Egrets and 3 Grey Herons. Elsewhere on the reserve were 110 Brent Geese, 6 Whimbrel, a Cuckoo, a Tree Pipit (East Dunes), 2 Hobbies (East Dunes-pm) and 3 Spoonbills (x2 west + x1 north, u-turned south-all pm).

A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 2 new Lesser Whitethroat; and a retrap Whitethroat.

Michael Briggs giving a talk to one of a number of groups of members of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust at the Observatory during a larger members only evening event at the field station. 10th May 2025
Photo - Kev Wilson

A good variety of insects were seen in the warmer conditions including an emergence of Common Blue Butterflies, several Small Heath and Green Hairstreak remaining in good numbers. A Hairy Dragonfly was in East Dunes.

Hairy Dragonfly, 10th May 2025.
Photo - Kev Wilson

x7 Great White Egrets together on Tennyson's Sands, 10th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

x3 Lapwing chicks on Moat scrape, 10th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

May 9th. A broken cloud start to the day, quickly clearing to a clear blue sky day, warming up despite the light northerly breeze.

On the water bodies around the reserve were 22 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall, 26 Tufted Duck, 3 Water Rail, 62 Avocets, a Whimbrel, 125 Black-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, 3 Mediterranean Gulls (2 adults and a 2CY - all brief birds!), a Spoonbill, 4 Great White Egrets and 2 Grey Herons.

The Black Redstart was again at the Visitor Centre, whilst a Ring Ouzel was noted flying south during the morning. Other birds around included 130 Brent Geese, 18 Whimbrel (north), a Red Kite and a Cuckoo.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and a Reed Bunting; and 2 retraps: a Chaffinch and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Black-tailed Godwits, 9th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Mediterranean Gull, 9th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Oystercatcher (with ring on its leg!), 9th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

2CY Mediterranean Gull, 9th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Mediterranean Gulls, 9th May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Great White Egret, 9th May 2025
Photo - Jeremy Eyeons

Red Kite, 9th May 2025
Photo - Jeremy Eyeons

Small Copper Butterflies, 9th May 2025
Photo - Jeremy Eyeons

May 8th. Cloudy, with light north-easterly wind.

The star of the day was a Black Redstart around the Visitor Centre through all of the day. On the water bodies around the reserve were 6 Shoveler, 7 Gadwall, 60 Avocet, 7 Whimbrel, 81 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 2 Spoonbills, 2 Great White Egrets and a Grey Heron.

A look at the sea revealed a Fulmar and 2 Gannets heading north, whilst 5 Common Scoter and 3 Gannets were heading south. On the River Steeping late on was a Curlew Sandpiper. Other birds around included 150 Brent Geese, 2 Cuckoos, a Hen Harrier, a Barn Owl, 21 Whitethroats, 11 Chiffchaffs, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Stonechat, 16 Swallows, a Yellow Wagtail and a Bullfinch.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 4 new birds: 3 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler.

Black Redstart, 8th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

Little Egret, 8th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Swallows, 8th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Swallow, 8th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

May 7th. A mostly cloudy day with occasional breaks accompanied by a light northerly to north-easterly breeze.

Early news involved a vocal Hawfinch high south over East Dunes. Also heading south were a Siskin and a Tree Pipit. A Caspian Gull was on the beach.

On the water bodies were 33 Tufted Duck, 11 Gadwall, 63 Avocets, 80 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshanks, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Great White Egrets, 2 Grey Herons and 2 Water Rails. Around were a 2 Buzzards, 2 Hobby (Late afternoon in the East Dunes), a Barn Owl, a Cuckoo, 8 Blackcaps, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Jay, and 2 Stonechats. On the golf course there were 8 Whimbrel showing well from the road during the evening.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided a new Whitethroat; and 5 retraps: a Dunnock, 2 Whitethroat and 2 Chiffchaff.

Meadow Pipit, 7th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

Black-tailed Godwits, 7th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Reed Warbler, 7th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Oystercatcher, 7th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Whimbrels, 7th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Stonechat, 7th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Brent Geese over the Wash View Point, 7th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Drake Shoveler, 7th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Black-headed Gulls, 7th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Stag Roe Deer, 7th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Female Roe Deer, 7th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

May 6th. Cloudy and cool at first with rain showers later on in the morning. Brightening to a broken cloud and sunny day with moderate north, then north-easterly wind.

Birds around included 45 Brent Geese, 2 Whimbrel and a Barn Owl. On Tennyson's Sands were 44 Avocets, 80 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Great White Egrets, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Terns and a Marsh Harrier. On the golf course there were 9 Whimbrel showing well from the road during the evening.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 6 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Sedge Warbler, a Chaffinch, 2 Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting; and 2 retraps: a Wren and a Whitethroat.

Common Tern and Black-headed Gull, 6th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Common Terns, 6th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Sparrowhawk, 6th May 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

May 5th. A mostly cloudy day with sunny intervals and a strong North-easterly wind keeping it cool.

Early news concerned a Turtle Dove near Mill Hill.

Overnight moth trapping revealed this rare wasp as part of the by-catch.

Ermotylus marginatus - a rare species of Ichneumonid Wasp, 5th May 2025
Photo - Nigel Lound

May 4th. Quite cloudy but sunny intervals throughout and occasional showers in the late afternoon, with increasingly fresh northerly wind.

Early news was of a Hawfinch was by Mill Pond early morning briefly before flying off south down West Dunes. On the sea were 2 Eider, going north were 2 Common Scoter, 188 Little Tern, 2 Artic Tern, 8 Sandwich Tern, a Red-throated Diver, a Great Northern Diver (08.20am) and 10 Gannet.

On the water bodies were 9 Gadwall, 59 Avocet, 2 Whimbrel, 48 Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, 3 Great White Egret and a Marsh Harrier. Elsewhere around the reserve there were 3 Swift (south), a Cuckoo, 100 Oystercatcher, 2000 Grey Plover, 8 Whimbrel, 80 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1200 Dunlin and 2 Jay (south).

Of interest a colour-ringed Avocet on Tennyson's Sands turned out to be a bird originally ringed on the 10th June 2021 on the Castletown Estate in Cumbria UK. The colour ring sightings reports show that the bird has spent much of its autumns around Frampton Marsh, Middle Marsh, Alkborough and North Killingholme Haven Pits. This is the first time it has been recorded during the early part of the breeding season so maybe it will stay around and breed on the reserve.

Hawfinch near North Carpark, 4th May 2025
Photo - James Siddle

Stag Roe Deer - losing its velvet - Ouch!, 4th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

Willow Warbler, 4th May 2025
Photo - Mike Watts

May 3rd. A cloudy start clearing somewhat, with a light westerly breeze, increasing gradually to a fresh northerly.

The first Turtle Dove of the year was out from Mill Hill early morning, whilst a Firecrest was trapped and ringed in East Dunes. Also a Tree Pipit flew south early morning along with 5 Jays. On the water bodies were 5 Gadwall, a Water Rail, 60 Avocet, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Terns, 5 Great White Egrets, 2 Grey Herons, a Marsh Harrier and a Yellow Wagtail.

A Short-toed Lark picked up on call, flew north over the Freshwater Marsh late afternoon but could not be relocated in an extensive search of suitable areas in difficult, windy conditions.

Other birds around included 110 Brent Geese, 7 Whimbrel, 7000 Knot and a Cuckoo

A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 5 new birds: a Firecrest, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Robin and a Goldfinch; and 4 retraps: a Chiffchaff, 2 Whitethroat and a Dunnock.

Firecrest, ringed 3rd May 2025.
Photo - George Gregory

Turtle Dove, 3rd May 2025.
Photo - Kev Wilson

Bat Research Project: A brilliant effort by Jane Harris, Ian Nixon and the Lincolnshire Bat Group resulted in the trapping of 10 Nathusius Pipistrelle Bats overnight. Six were fitted with Motus tags to enable them to be radio-tracked. Remarkably, a further Nathusius Pipistrelle Bat that had been tagged on the Suffolk coast in late April had arrived at Gib and was detected during the survey.

Releasing a tagged Nathusius Pipistrelle Bat.
Video from thermal-image camera (best viewed in full screen mode) - Lincolnshire Bat Group

May 2nd. After a some heavy overnight thunder storms, a dry day with partly sunny conditions. A light/moderate northerly wind blowing through the day.

On Tennyson's Sands there were 2 Cattle Egrets showing in front of Fenella Hope Hide early on. Later on in the morning there were 2 Whinchats on the fence line at the back of Tennyson's Sands. Also during the morning there were 6 Common Sandpiper on the River Steeping banks and a Ring Ouzel.

On the water bodies around the reserve there were a drake Pochard, 8 Shoveler, 9 Gadwall, 3 Water Rail, 57 Avocet, 3 Whimbrel, 49 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Common Sandpiper (besides the 6 on the River Steeping), a Spoonbill, 3 Great White Egrets and a Grey Heron.

On the sea there were an Eider and 64 Little Terns fishing. Other birds around included 85 Brent Geese, 4 Whimbrel, a Cuckoo and a Barn Owl, whilst a ringtail Hen Harrier and a Jay went south.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Jenni Godber, provided 5 new birds: a Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, a Goldfinch and a Sedge Warbler; and 4 retraps: a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat, a Dunnock and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Great White Egrets, 2nd May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Black-tailed Godwits, 2nd May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Avocet, 2nd May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Black-tailed Godwit, 2nd May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Distant Hen Harrier, 2nd May 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

May 1st. Clear, sunny and very hot, with a light southerly wind (turning into the one of the hottest Lincolnshire May Days on record!).

Around were 143 Brent Geese, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (2 adults west), a Cuckoo, a Greenshank, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Peregrine. Flying south were a Jay, 2 Spoonbills, 6 Whimbrel, 5 Buzzards and a trickle of 15 Swallows.

On the water bodies there were a 2CY Mediterranean Gull, a Water Rail, 2 Common Terns, 59 Avocet, 40 Black-tailed Godwit, a Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, 14 Ruff, 2 Great White Egrets, a Spoonbill and an Egyptian Goose. During the evening, a group of 150 Black-tailed Godwits arrived joining the birds already present making 190 Black-tailed Godwits on Tennyson's Sands.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 3 new birds: 2 Willow Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 3 retraps: a Dunnock and 2 Wren.

A brief morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Dave Vincent produced just a retrap Great Tit.