Thick fog on and off hampered bird viewing considerably but the still conditions were ideal for hearing bird calls. Around were about 30 Brent Geese and about 100 Pink-footed Geese. A Firecrest was trapped and ringed at Aylmer Avenue and the Yellow-browed Warbler was still at Sykes Farm.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Michael Salerman-March, resulted in 13 new birds: 2 Wren, a Robin, 3 Blackcap, 3 Reed Bunting, 3 Song Thrush and a Blackbird; and 4 retraps: a Robin, 2 Blackbird and a Dunnock.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Dave Vincent resulted in 6 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Firecrest and 4 Robin; and 2 retraps: a Robin and a Great Tit.
 |
Oystercatchers over the beach, October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Firecrest, ringed 29th October 2026
Photo - Dave Vincent |
October 28th. Cloudy, with increasing south-westerly wind.
An extremely busy morning for recording with well over 100,000 waders up at roost and several thousand birds moving overland, including 6000 Woodpigeons and 2000 mixed Finches. Visible migration highlights were a Swallow, 2 Woodlark, 3 Twite and 2 Lapland Bunting. A Marsh Harrier came in off the sea, 2 Peregrines and a Merlin were around.
Five Firecrests were around today including a 'flock' of 3 at Sykes Farm, where the Yellow-browed Warbler remained. The Water Pipit was on the Mere and a Black Redstart at the Visitor Centre. Four Stonechats were dotted around. Flying north-west were 33 Pink-footed Geese and 30 Whooper Swans came out from roost while 17 White-fronted Geese were in local fields. Spotted Redshank and Greenshank were on Tennyson's Sands with 700 Teal.
A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 9 new birds: 2 Robin, a Great Tit and 6 Blackbird; and 9 retraps: 3 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Blue Tit and 3 Blackbird.
 |
Water Pipit, 28th October 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
 |
Whooper Swans over Tennyson's Sands, 28th October 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
 |
White-fronted Geese, 28th October 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
 |
Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Shoveler, 28th October 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
October 27th. Cloudy with moderate westerly breeze and occasional rain during the morning.
A morning sea-watch saw a southerly passage of Gannets, mostly juvenile birds, with some auks, Red-throated Divers and Great Crested Grebes, and with several parties of Whooper Swans heading south, including 30 from roost on Greenshanks Creek. The larger divers have been comparatively scarce so far this autumn so it was good to get a close Great Northern Diver, heading north initially then turning back south close in. Other highlights were a Long-tailed Duck and 7 Little Gulls.
A Yellow-browed Warbler was around Sykes Farm.
 |
Whooper Swans over the sea, 27th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Yellow-browed Warbler, 27th October 2026
Photo - Michael Salerman |
 |
Pied Wagtail, 27th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Robin around the Field Station Wall, 27th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
October 26th. Cloudy, with moderate south-westerly to southerly wind, and rain from mid morning.
Whooper Swans roosted on the New Saltmarsh (11) and Tennyson's Sands (25), both parties flying into the Wash early morning. Visible migration was very busy over the East Dunes , with over 2000 birds, mostly Finches heading south in two hours. Yellow-browed Warbler and Firecrest were at Sykes Farm with another Firecrest at North Car Park.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Chris Routh and Katharina Maletz provided 20 new birds: a Robin, 2 Blue Tit, a Redwing, 3 Song Thrush and 13 Blackbird; and 4 retraps: 3 Blackbird and a Blue Tit.
 |
Whooper Swans, 26th October 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
 |
Colour ringed Avocet, 26th October 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
 |
Redwing, 26th October 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
Sunrise and wader flock leaving the roost, 26th October 2026.
Video - Kev Wilson
 |
Ringing at Aylmer Avenue, 26th October 2026.
Photo - George Gregory |
October 25th. Partly cloudy, with strong, gusting/gale force westerly wind.
An early morning sea-watch was fairly unproductive: a few distant Kittiwakes, Gannets, Auks and Red-throated Divers. Some Geese and Swans on the move included some small parties of Whoopers with 6 on Tennyson's Sands. Around the Reserve there was little evidence of new migrant arrivals in the conditions, but the Water Pipit was still at the Mere with 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Black Redstarts were at the Visitor Centre and at least 4 Stonechats were present.
 |
Black Redstart, 25th October 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
 |
Black Redstart, 25th October 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
 |
Green Sandpipers, 25th October 2026
Photo - Tony Foster |
 |
Pied Wagtail, 25th October 2026
Photo - Caroline Sedgley |
 |
Conical Brittlestems, 25th October 2026
Photo - Tony Foster |
 |
Crowned Earthstar, 25th October 2026
Photo - Tony Foster |
 |
Glistening Inkcaps, 25th October 2026
Photo - Tony Foster |
October 24th. Clear, cold start, becoming cloudy, with increasing south-westerly wind, and rain from early afternoon.
Morning highlights were: busy visible migration along the West and East Dunes, featuring Woodlark, Crossbill and Twite, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers were 1 at Sykes Farm and 1 in the West Dunes, 5 Firecrests including 1 at Sykes Farm, 2 in the West Dunes and 1 re-trapped at Aylmer Avenue, a male Black Redstart at the Visitor Centre and a Northern Bullfinch at North Car Park.
A Water Pipit showed well at the Mere with 2 Green Sandpipers. A Great White Egret flew south along with a Grey Heron.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue, with Chris Routh, Caroline Milson and Katherine Maletz produced 17 new birds: 4 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Robin, a Blue Tit, a Lesser Redpoll, 2 Greenfinch, a Song Thrush, 2 Blackbird and a Woodcock; and 7 retraps: a Wren, a Goldcrest, a Great Tit, 2 Blue Tit, a Robin and a Firecrest.
 |
Lapwings on the move, 24th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Whooper Swans in the horrendous afternoon weather visiting Tennyson's Sands
24th October 2026, Photo - Jack Hood |
 |
Green Sandpipers on the Mere, 24th October 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
.jpeg) |
A distant Water Pipit on the Mere, 24th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Water Pipit on the Mere, 24th October 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
 |
A smart looking Stonechat, 24th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Black Redstart, 24th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Black Redstart, 24th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
 |
Pied Wagtail, 24th October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
October 23rd. Soggy start after overnight rain, mostly cloudy, with light south-easterly wind, and rain from mid afternoon.
There was a good overland passage over the East Dunes early morning and it was busy for Thrushes and Robins in the dunes, with a scattering of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests. and another day total of 10 Firecrests despite some likely areas not being checked. Two Yellow-browed Warblers were around Sykes Farm and the Plantation, and 2 Coal Tits were new arrivals.
A long ringing session at Aylmer Avenue, with Chris Routh and Katharina Maletz, resulted in 37 new birds: 9 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, a Wren, a Robin, a Siskin, a Great Tit, 2 Song Thrush and 20 Blackbird; and 6 retraps: a Blue Tit, 2 Goldcrest, a Great Tit, a Robin and a Blackbird.
Ringing Control: Blackcap, ringed GPBO 6 November 2025, controlled Oude Shulpweg, Castricum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands 25 September 2026.
 |
Last of the Autumn sunlight in Sykes Farm, October 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
October 22nd. Soggy start after overnight rain, mostly cloudy, with late morning rain and moderate south-westerly wind.
On New Saltmarsh were 80 Brent Geese, and around the dunes 10 Firecrests including 2 new birds ringed. At the Visitor Centre 2 Black Redstarts were present, but the recent male was replaced by a female/immature type, indicating the turnover of birds here. A Yellow-browed Warbler was still at Sykes Farm. Flying south were 250 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Tundra Bean Geese, 26 White-fronted Geese, 25 Whooper Swans, 2 Jays (including 1 trapped and ringed) and the first Twite of the autumn
A rain-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 16 new birds: 2 Firecrest, a Goldcrest, 3 Robin, 2 Chaffinch, a Reed Bunting, 2 Blue Tit, 4 Blackbird and a Jay; and 6 retraps: a Firecrest, a Dunnock, a Goldcrest, 2 Robin and a Wren.
 |
Black Redstart, 22nd October 2026
Photo - Ste Taylor |
 |
Black Redstart, 22nd October 2026
Photo - Ste Taylor |
October 21st. Mostly cloudy, with increasing south-easterly then south-westerly wind, and rain in afternoon.
Following on from yesterday's Firecrest arrival, today's numbers were quite remarkable - with possibly as many as 18 birds around the Reserve (including 5 new birds ringed early morning in East Dunes). Often accompanying small parties of new Goldcrests, in ones and twos, there was one party of three Firecrests with 5 Goldcrests, and another party included two Firecrests and a new Yellow-browed Warbler in East Dunes.
The regular Yellow-browed Warbler remained at Sykes Farm, with another Firecrest. New Thrushes and Robins arrived during the morning with 6 Ring Ouzel, 11 Woodcock (one trapped and ringed) and 11 Stonechat.
Visible migration was very busy too with southbound Finches, Pipits, Larks and Starlings, 3 Swallows, 52 White-fronted Geese in 3 skeins, 38 Pink-footed Geese, 4 Bean Geese, a late Hobby, a Red Kite, 80 Golden Plover, 170 Lapwing, a Snow Bunting and 4 Jays.
Just a 20 minute sea-watch recorded 7 Little Gulls, 35 Gannet and 80 Wigeon heading south. 110 Brent Geese were on the New Saltmarsh. During the afternoon, two Pipits came from the Jackson's Marsh area, the lead bird identified on call as a Tree Pipit, but the following bird gave two similar but softer calls recalling Olive-backed Pipit - heavy rain prevented any subsequent search for these birds.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 28 new birds: 5 Firecrest, 3 Wren, 5 Goldcrest, 7 Robin, a Reed Bunting, a Dunnock, 5 Blackbird and a Woodcock; and a retrap Robin.
 |
Firecrest, ringed 21st October 2026.
Photo - George Gregory |
 |
Woodcock, ringed 21st October 2026.
Photo - George Gregory |
.jpeg)
