July 18th. Cloudy start, gradually clearing and becoming hot, with light south-easterly wind.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 7 new birds: 4 Wren, a Blackcap, a Robin and a Linnet; and 4 retraps: a Dunnock, a Linnet and 2 Whitethroat.
July 17th. A partly cloudy day with a hint of a southerly breeze, getting hot during the afternoon.
Early news concerned 3 Crossbills around North Carpark. A Curlew Sandpiper flew south along the beach with 5 Dunlin along with 3 Mediterranean Gulls (an adult and two juveniles). On the Wash there were 3500 Sandwich Tern and 350 Redshank. Sand Martins were moving south in good numbers as well. Around was a Barn Owl.
On the water bodies around the reserve, there were 35 Little Grebe, 145 Mallard, 18 Teal, 357 Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Lapwing, 175 Avocet, 2 male Ruff, 35 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 2 Great White Egrets, 1 Grey Heron and 22 Spoonbill.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 7 new birds: a Wren, a Chiffchaff and 5 Whitethroat; and 2 retraps: a Whitethroat and a Dunnock.
Colour-ring Sighting Control: The details on the colour-ringed Sanderling that Tom Baker photographed on the 15th July 2025 (See 15th July for photo) have come back courtesy of our colour-ring coordinator Nigel Lound. The bird has amazingly not been reported since its first ringing in Punta Balea, Cangas (Pontevedra), Spain on the 26th May 2023. The bird has moved 1389.4km and survived for 783 days.
Colour-ring Sighting Control: We have just received the details back for a colour-ringed Black-headed Gull (EZ70562 with colour-ring 2TJN) that was photographed on the 8th July 2025. This bird was originally ringed on the 14th January 2017 at Pitsea Landfill Site as a third calendar year bird, Essex. The bird was next reported at Gibraltar Point on the 12th August 2018 and has been sighted at Gibraltar Point again in 2018, twice in 2021, twice in 2022 and once in 2023 and then not again until the 8th July 2025. In-between these sightings, it has not been reported anywhere else! perhaps just showing amazing site fidelity! This bird is now in its eleventh calendar year! Many Thanks to Nigel Lound for this incredible record!
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| Colour-ringed Black-headed Gull, 8th July 2025 Photo - Nigel Lound |
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| Spotted Redshank, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Spoonbill begging food from parent, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Black-tailed Godwit, 17th July 2025 Photo -Paul Neale |
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| Great White Egrets, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Green Sandpiper, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Grey Heron, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Tufted Duck with young duckling finally proving breeding this year!, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Sedge Warbler, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Crossbill, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Common Blue, 17th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
Morning migration included 532 Swifts heading south accompanied by 4 Sand Martins and a Red Kite (8.30ish).
On the water bodies around the reserve were 1 juvenile Water Rail, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 41 Little Grebe, 154 Mallard, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 206 Avocet, 30 Lapwing, 1 Spotted Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 120 Redshank, 452 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 9 Cormorant, 21 Spoonbill, 12 Little Egret, 4 Great White Egret and 1 Grey Heron.
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| Little Tern attacking an unfortunate Hare, 16th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Little Tern not giving up! 16th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Little Tern - all is well again, 16th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
On the water bodies around the reserve today were 114 Mallard, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Shoveler, 35 Teal, 35 Little Grebe, 230 Avocet, 455 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 216 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 6 Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 41 Little Egret, 4 Great White Egret, 31 Spoonbill (including colour ringed bird ND9L), 332 Black-headed Gulls and a Kingfisher.
During the evening a Hobby, a Red Kite and 2300 Swift went south over Tennyson's Sands from 7pm until 9pm.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff and 2 Whitethroat; and 3 retraps: a Wren, a Dunnock and a Whitethroat.
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| Sanderlings flying along the beach on the mornings high tide, 15th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Sandwich Tern with food, 15th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Colour Ringed Sanderling, 15th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Skylark, 15th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Seal in the sea, 15th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Dunlin being harassed by Little Egrets, 14th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Snipe, 14th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Cormorant, 15th July 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Little Egrets and Spoonbills from Harvey's Hide, 14th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Ruddy Darter Dragonfly, 14th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
During the morning Tennyson's Sands held a Spotted Redshank, 7 Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpiper, a Snipe, 3 Great White Egret and 27 Spoonbill whilst on Jackson's Marsh, there were 2 Green Sandpiper. At the Visitor Centre, there was a female/juvenile Black Redstart.
In the late afternoon, a check of the Mere revealed 181 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpiper, all right in front of the hide - unfortunately nobody had a camera! Whilst watching these birds it became evident that a strong migration phase was underway with Sand Martins and Swifts pouring through, mainly along the east side of the reserve visible from the Mere hide. In just 30 to 40 minutes, 640 Sand Martin, 270 Swift, a Hobby and 3 Great White Egret went south into rapidly strengthening headwind so probably a locally related movement through a moving weather front.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced a new Chiffchaff; and 2 retrap Whitethroat.
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| Spotted Redshank (Note the tiny Little Grebe chick with its parent in the background), 14th July 2025. Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Green Sandpiper, 14th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Greenshanks, 14th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Common Sandpiper, 14th July 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Little Egrets and a couple of Spoonbills at sunrise on the Mere, 13th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Barn Owl, 13th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Sedge Warbler, 13th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
Highlight of the morning was a Red Kite that drifted south over the Visitor Centre at 10.20am. At lunch time a Crossbill was heard over Sykes Farm, and then during the evening 3 Greenshanks flew over. Heading south were 4 Whimbrel whilst around the boats on the river and around the Freshwater Marsh were 150 Sand Martins and 250 Swallows. A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling from scrub on the Freshwater Marsh.
On the water bodies were 1 Water Rail, 41 Little Grebe, 168 Avocet, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 92 Redshank, 9 Greenshank, 1 male Ruff, 27 Spoonbill, 3 Great White Egret.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 2 new birds: a Chiffchaff and a Wren; and 3 retraps: 2 Whitethroat and a Dunnock.
A total of 26 new birds and 9 retraps were processed over in the West Dunes today with the Eighth Session of the CES ringing site being completed (Session Seven was unfortunately missed due to rain last Sunday before the time that the session would have finished). This resulted in 13 new birds: 1 Wren, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Robin, 4 Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap and 1 Great Tit; and 5 retraps: 1 Wren, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Long-tailed Tit and 1 Dunnock.
The West Dunes feeding station nets produced 13 new birds: 3 Chaffinch, 4 Great Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Greenfinch and 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker; and 4 retraps: 1 Chaffinch and 3 Great Tit.
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| An early start to the CES which started over an hour before the sun came up. 13th July 2025, Photo - Michael Briggs |
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| Juvenile Coal Tit ringed, 13th July 2025 Photo - Michael Briggs |
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| Great White Egret pouncing on Black-headed Gulls! 13th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Black-tailed Godwits, 13th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Red Kite, 13th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Spoonbill stretching, 13th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Spoonbills arriving, 13th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| A pair of Small Skippers, 13th July 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
On the water bodies around the reserve were 32 Little Grebe, 298 Avocet, 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 16 Lapwing, 448 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 24 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Dunlin, 29 Spoonbill, 44 Little Egret, 2 Great White Egret and 1 Grey Heron.
Around were 66 Curlew (on Seacroft Golf Course at first light), a juvenile Cuckoo and 8 Mistle Thrush.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat and 3 Dunnock; and 4 retraps: 2 Dunnock and 2 Whitethroat.
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| Little Egrets from Harvey's Hide on Tennyson's Sands, 12th July 2025 Photo - Nigel Lound |
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| Little Egrets and Grey Heron on Tennyson's Sands, 12th July 2025 Photo - Nigel Lound |
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 9 new birds: a Wren, a Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, a Robin, a Linnet, a Blackcap, a Dunnock and a Kingfisher; and 4 retraps: 2 Robin, a Wren and a Whitethroat.
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| Kingfisher, ringed 11 July 2025. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Sandwich Tern with lunch! 9th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Ringed Plover chick looking for mum and food! 9th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Little Tern looking for breakfast! 9th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Tern at dawn, 9th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Sandwich Tern with more breakfast! 9th July 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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