October 28th. Cloudy, with increasing south-westerly wind.
Flying north-west were 33 Pink-footed Geese and 30 Whooper Swans (from roost). The Yellow-browed Warbler was still at Sykes Farm. Around was a Peregrine.
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.
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.
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. Vis mig 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.
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| Ringing at Aylmer Avenue, 26 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.
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| Black Redstart, 25th October 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Black Redstart, 25th October 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Green Sandpipers, 25th October 2026 Photo - Tony Foster |
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| Pied Wagtail, 25th October 2026 Photo - Caroline Sedgley |
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| Conical Brittlestems, 25th October 2026 Photo - Tony Foster |
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| Crowned Earthstar, 25th October 2026 Photo - Tony Foster |
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| Glistening Inkcaps, 25th October 2026 Photo - Tony Foster |
Morning highlights were: busy visible migration along the West and East Dunes, featuring Woodlark, Crossbill and Twite, Yellow-browed Warblers at Sykes Farm and 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 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.
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.
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.
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| Black Redstart, 22nd October 2026 Photo - Ste Taylor |
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| Black Redstart, 22nd October 2026 Photo - Ste Taylor |
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.
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| Firecrest, ringed 21st October 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Woodcock, ringed 21st October 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
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