July 6th. A cloudy start to the day, quickly breaking up in a light westerly wind making the temperatures start to pick up and reaching the high twenties late afternoon.
July 5th. A broken cloud start to the day, becoming warm (Low twenties) in an increasing south-westerly wind.
Heading south between 10.15am and 11.45am were 250 Sand Martins over the beach and East Dunes along with 27 Swallows and 4 Swifts. Also flying south early morning were 16 Curlew. Around today were 35 Little Terns, 39 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Terns and 2 Gannets (Over the beach and the sea). On the beach were 2 Mediterranean Gulls whilst also recorded was a Grasshopper Warbler.
On the water bodies were 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Dunlin, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Spoonbill, 1 Great White Egret and 1 Buzzard.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 9 new birds: 2 Wren, 3 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat and a Blue Tit; and 8 retraps: 3 Dunnock, a Blue Tit, a Whitethroat, 2 Long-tailed Tit and a Great Tit.
The seventh session of CES was dine this morning by Mike Polling. The 16 new birds were 2 Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Whitethroat, a Chaffinch and 2 Dunnock; and the 6 retraps were a Robin, a Sedge Warbler, a Wren, a Whitethroat, a Long-tailed Tit and a Chiffchaff.
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| Spotted Redshank No1, 5th July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Spotted Redshank No2, 5th July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Spotted Redshank No3, 5th July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Greenshanks, 5th July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
Highlight of the day was a singing Quail just to the North of the sleeper track in the East Dunes. Another highlight of the day was not "Tickable" as it was from a local cage! A white Budgerigar was seen flying over East Dunes. Heading south were 62 Sand Martin, 65 Swift and 36 Swallow whilst over the sea were 30 Common Scoter (South) and 4 Gannet.
On the water bodies were 200 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 64 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Great White Egret and 2 Mediterranean Gulls on Tennyson's Sands from North Hide. A ringtail Hen Harrier was hunting over Croft Marsh late morning.
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| The foreshore looking North, 30th June 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Greenshanks Creek at Low Tide looking North, 30th June 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
Little movement overland this morning save for a few parties of Swifts and Sand Martins and an early Tree Pipit but no coverage of the sea. Two Quails were calling early morning, with one at the north end of the Old Saltmarsh, audible from Mill Hill, and the other on the New Saltmarsh again, south of the Bird Observatory platform. Around was a Barn Owl. A Cattle Egret was a new arrival today on the lagoons.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in a new Robin; and a retrap Whitethroat.
We have received some great photos of the hepatic Cuckoo that was around in late May.
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| "Hepatic" Cuckoo, 23rd May 2026 Photo - Danny Kelly |
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| Cattle Egret, 3rd June 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
The big feature of the morning was the constant stream of southbound Swifts, most intense between 0745 and 0815hrs when 2060 passed in 10 minutes and 2400 in 15 minutes. Over 8000 had passed through prior to 0900hrs. Typically a Hobby was also mixed in with the movement.
On the water bodies were 1 Wood Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshanks, 1 Greenshank, 1 Dunlin, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Gull, 3 Grey Herons, 14 Spoonbills and 1 Great White Egret.
Overnight moth-trapping this week by Nige Lound has produced the 1st Hornet Clearwing Moth to a lure for the reserve, 2nd record ever of Bordered Beauty Moth and the 3rd ever record of Small Marbled Moth for the Reserve.
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| Black-tailed Godwit and Spotted Redshank, 2nd July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Spoonbills on Tennyson's Sands, 2nd July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Little Tern carrying food, 1st July 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Little Tern, 1st July 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Hornet Clearwing Moth, 28th June 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Bordered Beauty Moth, 28th June 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Small Marbled Moth, 28th June 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
News from the shorebird sanctuary today was that hatched to date in the protected area are 30 Little Terns, 44 Ringed Plovers and 14 Oystercatchers.
Heading south were 120 Swift, 30 Sand Martin and a Red Kite. Offshore there were 9 Eider, 80 Common Scoter (north) and an Arctic Tern (south) with evidence of more returning waders and small groups of Teal heading into the Wash.
On the water bodies were 17 Teal, 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Wood Sandpiper, 60 Avocet, 300 Black-tailed Godwit, 84 Redshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Little Gull, 11 Spoonbill, 1 Great White Egret.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 19 new birds: 3 Wren, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Linnet, 2 Great Tit, 2 Whitethroat, a Blackcap and 5 Dunnock; and 11 retraps: 3 Great Tit, 3 Dunnock, 3 Long-tailed Tit, a Chaffinch and a Robin.
Hummingbird Hawk Moths were recorded today around Mill Hill and North Car Park today.
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| x3 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper (Bottom Left) and 2 Wood Sandpipers. 1st July 2026, Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Spotted Redshank, 1st July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Great White Egret, 1st July 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Spoonbills, 30th June 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Little Egret, 30th June 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Juvenile Grey Heron, 30th June 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Shelduck chicks at home on the sea, 1st July 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Little Tern chick (Taken under license), 1st July 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Oystercatcher chicks (Taken under license), 1st July 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Ringed Plover with two chicks (Taken under license), 1st July 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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