November 7th. Cloudy, with light westerly wind.
Highlights during the morning again, were at Sykes Farm where the Pallas's Warbler, 2 Hume's Warblers and a Yellow-browed Warbler were still present but elusive, often showing for just seconds at a time and ranging widely around the farm and orchard, often with the Long-tailed Tit flock. At least 3 Chiffchaffs and plenty of Goldcrests didn't make getting on to the right birds easy either.
A group of 3 Waxwings were found around the Ringing Hollow late in the morning before moving off south into the Wash. Plenty of Fieldfares were on the move through the morning accompanied by smaller groups of Blackbird, Redwing, Siskin and Brambling. Incredibly, caught up in the south bound urge was a very late Swallow over the Mere where there was also a Water Pipit, a Grey Wagtail and a Water Rail.
Also around was a couple of Barn Owls whilst flying north-west were 4 Whooper Swan.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 10 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Wren, a Goldcrest, 2 Reed Bunting, a Song Thrush and 4 Blackbird; and 4 retraps: 2 Goldcrest, a Blackbird and a Wren.
November 6th. Cloudy, with light easterly wind.
There was no sign of the Hume's Warbler around North Car Park early morning but it was relocated later at Sykes Farm in what turned out to be a remarkable November day for rare warblers and allies.
At least 7 Firecrests were recorded, mostly new arrivals, with 2 together in the West Dunes and 2 together in the East Dunes. Another 2 were outside the recording area at Seacroft. Following up a vocal Hume's Warbler at Sykes Farm led to the discovery of a cracking Pallas's Warbler, with both moving to a large Sycamore tree where they were joined by a second Hume's Warbler, the regular Yellow-browed Warbler and a Firecrest.
Several flocks of Fieldfares and Siskins were arriving/passing through during the morning with around 20 Brambling and 2 Lapland Buntings. Both Hume's Warblers being seen into the afternoon. A Velvet Scoter was on the sea. Late afternoon, a group of 20 White-fronted Geese flew over Sykes Farm heading into the Wash.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Sharon Yardy, produced 18 new birds: 3 Goldcrest, a Wren, a Robin, 7 Common Redpoll, a Redpoll sp, a Reed Bunting and 4 Blackbird; and 4 retraps: 2 Blackbird, a Blue Tit and a Dunnock.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Dave Vincent produced 6 new birds: 2 Goldcrest, 2 Robin and 2 Blackbird; 5 retraps: 4 Long-tailed Tit and a Goldcrest; and a control Goldcrest with a Slovenian ring.
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| 1 of 2 Hume's Warblers, 6th November 2026 Photo - Josh Jones |
Highlights of the morning sea-watch were 2 Pomarine Skuas, a small Skua species, 77 Little Gulls and a late Sandwich Tern
A Firecrest was found near Mill Pond and another Firecrest and 2 Common Redpoll were trapped and ringed in East Dunes, where 3 Woodcock were also new arrivals. Small parties of Redwing and Fieldfare also arrived during the day, mostly passing through in a westerly direction. The Yellow-browed Warbler was still at Sykes Farm and there was an increase of Lapwings up to 500 on local fields with the Golden Plover flock (800).
Late afternoon, a Hume's Warbler was heard calling from thick cover along the Cycle Track, later giving brief views with the Tit flock moving through the low Sycamores along the northern boundary of North Car Park. The Jack Snipe was again showing very well on the Mere in the evening.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 4 new Birds: a Firecrest, a Reed Bunting and 2 Common Redpoll; and 2 retrap Blackbird.
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| Female Common Redpoll, ringed 5th November 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Male Common Redpoll, ringed 5th November 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Firecrest, ringed 5th November 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
Difficult conditions for birding all round but a couple of periods of sea-watching during the morning were productive with the following birds mostly moving north: 12 Velvet Scoters (including a flock of 10 that later went back south), 6 Arctic Terns, a Commic Tern, 110 Little Gulls, 60 Kittiwakes, a Long-tailed Duck and a Manx Shearwater. A Common Redpoll was in the East Dunes, the Yellow-browed Warbler was heard at Sykes Farm and the Jack Snipe showed well on the Mere. Flying south were 140 Pink-footed Geese.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: a Blackcap, a Song Thrush and 3 Blackbird; and a retrap Robin.
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| Jack Snipe, 4th November 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
Another good morning sea-watch with northbound flocks of Common Scoter, Kittiwakes and Little Gulls with Gannets, 4 Long-tailed Duck, a Great Skua, a Pomarine Skua and a Little Auk. A Short-eared Owl and several Starlings arrived over the sea.
Around the Reserve were a Black Redstart (Cycle Track), a Snow Bunting down the beach and several Woodcocks, Fieldfares, Redwings and Blackbirds new in, with a Jack Snipe on the Mere and the Yellow-browed Warbler (Sykes Farm).
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 8 new birds: 4 Robin, a Redwing, 2 Blackbird and a Sparrowhawk; and 2 retraps: a Robin and a Redwing.
Ringing Control: Redshank, ringed Friskney New Marsh, Lincolnshire 3 September 2019, controlled GPBO 1 November 2026.
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| Eiders over the sea heading North, 3rd November 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Brent Geese heading north over the sea, 3rd November 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Shelducks heading north over the sea, 3rd November 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Chaffinches on the move in the sun, 3rd November 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Redshank bath time on the Mere, 3rd November 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Young Male Sparrowhawk, ringed 3rd November 2026 Photo - George Gregory |
Flying south early were 300 Pink-footed Geese. A morning sea-watch produced good numbers of Common Scoter, with 2 Velvet Scoter and a Goosander heading south and a Little Auk, a Sooty Shearwater and 450 Little Gulls moving north. 6 Skua sp also went south.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 9 new birds: a Chaffinch, 4 Redwing, a Song Thrush and 3 Blackbird; and 4 retraps: a Dunnock, 2 Blackbird and a Song Thrush.
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| Green Sandpiper, 31st October 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Whooper Swans, 31st October 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Mallards clear out! 31st October 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Greylag Goose arrival, 31st October 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Sunset over Tennyson's Sands which is still very low on the water depth. 31st October 2026, Photo - David Nutt |
Another morning with thick fog spoiling potential fieldwork other than ringing. It was apparent that new Blackbirds, Redwings, Fieldfares and Starlings were arriving form the calls overhead - occasional small flocks were even visible at times! The Water Pipit and Yellow-browed Warbler were both still present.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with a Ringing Demonstration, by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group, yielded 32 new birds: a Stonechat, 5 Reed Bunting, a Robin, 2 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush and 21 Blackbird; and 14 retraps: 2 Blackbird, 3 Great Tit, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Wren, a Robin and 6 Long-tailed Tit
An evening ringing session around New Saltmarsh by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group yielded 11 new birds: 3 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 5 Skylark and a Rock Pipit; and a control Redshank.
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| Water Pipit, 1st November 2026 Photo - Rob Watson |
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| Ringing Demonstration, 1st November 2026. Photo - Eleanor Wilkins |
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| Sorby Breck Ringing Group, 1st November 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Stonechat, ringed 1st November 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
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