June 20th. Another warm day with broken cloud, sunshine and temperatures up to the low twenties and a light south-westerly breeze switching around to an easterly by early evening.
Swifts (300+), Starlings and Curlews (50+) were recorded moving south from the East Dunes early morning with a single Buzzard and a Peregrine, also off shore 150+ Common Scoter moved south in one flock. Also a single Gannet went South and 3 Eider went North.
On the lagoons were a Pochard, 91 Avocet, 20 Lapwing, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 81 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Snipe, a Spotted Redshank and, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 4 Spoonbill and a Little Gull.
Also around were a Peregrine, 2 Cuckoo and 2 Crossbill.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 13 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Linnet, 2 Whitethroat, a Great Tit, 4 Blue Tit, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap and 2 Dunnock; and 9 retraps: 2 Whitethroat, 2 Great Tit, 3 Dunnock, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff.
Oystercatcher and chicks June 2026.
Trail cam footage from Mike Watts
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Eider ducks on the beach, 20th June 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
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Little Tern sitting on eggs (Photo taken under license), 20th June 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
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The first Little Tern chicks of 2026 (Photo taken under license), 20th June 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
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A Little Tern chasing off a persistent Herring Gull, 20th June 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
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Little Tern fishing over the sea (Photo taken under license), 20th June 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
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A hunting Little Tern (Photo taken under license), 20th June 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
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An Oystercatcher chick out exploring (Photo taken under license), 20th June 2026
Photo - Mike Watts |
June 19th. A blue sky day from the get go and getting hot with it, with temperatures up into the high twenties accompanied by a light southerly breeze.
Early news concerned an Icterine Warbler trapped and ringed at the Observatory. Visible migration again involved Swifts and Starlings but fewer than yesterday and a Green Sandpiper also flew south.
On the water bodies were 3 Barnacle Geese (On Tennyson Sands and somewhat unusual at this time of year!), a Little Ringed Plover, a Green Sandpiper, a Great White Egret, 2 Spoonbill, a Little Gull and a Grey Wagtail.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 6 new birds: a Treecreeper, an Icterine Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a Dunnock; and 2 retraps: a Dunnock and a Whitethroat.
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Icterine Warbler, ringed 19th June 2026
Photo - George Gregory |
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Icterine Warbler, 19th June 2026
Photo - Kev Wilson |
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Barnacle Geese on Tennyson's Sands, 19th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Grey Wagtail, 19th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Tachinid Fly, 19th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Nursery Web Spider, 19th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Ichneumon Wasp, 19th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
June 18th. A much warmer day (mid 20s) with broken sunshine throughout not being cooled down by a light to moderate south-westerly wind.
On the move south today were 300 Swift, 120 Starling, 8 Curlew, 17 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow, 3 House Martin, a Raven, a Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper and a Crossbill.
On the water bodies were a Green Sandpiper, a Great White Egret and 2 Spoonbill.
Other birds recorded included a Peregrine, a Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Cuckoo and 2 more Crossbills were around the Pines at North Car park.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 23 new birds: 7 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Chiffchaff, a Robin, 2 Blackcap, 3 Great Tit, 3 Whitethroat, a Meadow Pipit, a Dunnock and a Magpie; and 9 retraps: 3 Whitethroat, 3 Great Tit, a Chiffchaff, a Long-tailed Tit and a Dunnock.
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Scarlet Tiger Moth, adult found after larva was seen a couple of weeks ago
June 2026, Photo - Nige Lound |
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Birds Wing Moth - less than annual, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
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Pine Hawk Moth, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
June 17th. A wet start to the day with light rain for much of the morning, the cloud then breaking somewhat with a moderate south-westerly blowing through the day warming the temperature to around 20 degrees.
The only news received today was about 25 Swifts which were flying south early morning.
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Barred Yellow Moth, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
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Star-wort Moth - a coastal Gib speciality, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
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Ghost Moth female, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
June 16th. A more cloudy day with occasional sunny breaks with a light easterly blowing throughout.
A good day for birds of prey with a Honey Buzzard drifting high south late morning, a ringtail Montagu's Harrier pausing to hunt the New Saltmarsh before moving south early evening and a Short-eared Owl was around.
Sea-watching in the easterly wind resulted in 6 Eider, 50 Common Scoter, 10 Sandwich Tern, 1 Kittiwake (North), 1 Fulmar (North), 6 Manx Shearwater (North) and 48 Gannet. On the beach were 30 Ringed Plover, 60 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Turnstone and an adult Little Stint over the high tide with a group of Dunlin.
Elsewhere around the reserve were 1 Spoonbill, 1 Grasshopper Warbler and 2 Cuckoo.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 6 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch, 2 Great Tit and a Dunnock; and 3 retraps: 2 Whitethroat and a Great Tit.
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Beautiful China-mark Moth, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
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L-album Wainscot, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
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Tawny Wave, June 2026
Photo - Nige Lound |
June 15th. Another fine sunny start to the day quickly clouding over with the cool northerly wind switching around to an easterly by late afternoon.
The fine weather provided a great opportunity for getting around the census area, counting common birds, with many family parties of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Dunnock and Robins etc active. Lesser Whitethroats had been quiet during the latter part of spring, but several singing birds and others feeding young are now apparent. Cuckoos are also more in evidence this week, with 4 again this morning. Dispersal from other local sites has brought a small number of Coal Tits to the Reserve with one of today's birds in song. A late Firecrest was also around.
Totals from the water bodies were 12 Gadwall, 1 Pintail, 6 Teal, 25 Tufted Duck, 11 Little Grebe, 79 Avocet, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 14 Lapwing, 77 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Redshank, 1 Little Gull (Tennyson's Sands still) and 1 Spoonbill.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 7 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Great Tit, a Robin, a Blackcap, a Whitethroat and 2 Meadow Pipit; and 7 retraps: 3 Dunnock, a Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting and a Whitethroat.
June 14th. Another sunny start to the day quickly clouding over to some extent with the westerly wind moving around to a northerly by lunchtime.
A morning sea watch resulted in 47 Little Tern, 10 Sandwich Tern, 2 Razorbill (North), 4 Auk species (North) and 3 Gannet.
A Serin was vocal around private gardens early morning but disappeared and could not be relocated near to the Reserve entrance. Two Crossbills were still present. A Green Sandpiper was a new arrival on Tennyson's Sands. Other highlights today included, around the reserves water bodies, 2 Spoonbill, 1 Great White Egret, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 3 Redshank. Also about were 4 Cuckoo.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 11 new birds: a Willow Warbler, 6 Whitethroat, a Great Tit, a Blackcap, a Dunnock and a Starling; and 10 retraps: a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat, a Dunnock and 4 Great Tit.
The fifth session of CES was done this morning by Mike Polling. The 29 new birds were 5 Chiffchaff, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Robin, 3 Blackcap, 4 Whitethroat, 3 Blue Tit, a Chaffinch, a Great Tit and 3 Dunnock; and the 6 retraps were a Chiffchaff, a Wren, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Long-tailed Tit and a Whitethroat.
June 13th. A sunny start to the day quickly becoming more cloudy with a moderate to strong westerly wind blowing all day.
A distant large shearwater was picked up at some distance and watched as it continuously soared up and down without flapping over 500 metres at 0620hrs. It was later seen at sites further up the coast by two observers - all concluded that it was a Cory's Shearwater. There followed a distant small Skua sp also heading north.
Two Crossbills were new arrivals. Other highlights today were still on the water bodies where there were 75 Avocet, 150 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Spoonbill, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Little Gull.
Also about were a Cuckoo, 60 Swifts (South), 16 House Martins, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 2 Grasshopper Warblers.
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Black-tailed Godwits with the odd Lapwing thrown in, 13th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Two Spoonbills, 13th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Swift, 13th June 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
June 12th. A broken cloud start to the day with increasing sun through the day in a moderate westerly wind.
Highlight of the day were two Barnacle Geese that flew south over the shorebird sanctuary. A few brief sea watches during the day recorded 1 Great Crested Grebe (South), 60 Common Scoter, 22 Manx Shearwaters, a few Auk sp and a feeding flock of 200 Sandwich Terns and 30 Gannets.
On the water bodies around the reserve were 16 Shelduck, 9 Gadwall, 1 female Pintail, 2 Teal, 12 Tufted Duck, 10 Little Grebe, 63 Avocets, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 143 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Common Tern, 4 Spoonbill and a 2nd calendar year Little Gull.
Also around were 50 Swift (South), 2 Cuckoo, 2 Buzzard, 12 House Martin, 2 Cetti's Warbler (Tennyson's Sands and Mill Hill) and 1 Grasshopper Warbler.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch and a Great Tit; and 9 retraps: 3 Whitethroat, a Blackcap, 3 Dunnock, a Blue Tit and a Great Tit.
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Avocet chick, 12th June 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
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Redshank, 12th June 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
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Spoonbills, 12th June 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
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Little Gull, 12th June 2026
Photo - Jack Hood |
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Clouded-bordered Brindle Moth (Top) & Angle Shades Moth (Bottom)
showing their effective camouflage, both very common moths.
12th June 2026, Photo - Nige Lound |
June 11th. A cloudy day with rain from mid morning for most of the day, heavy at times with an increasing south westerly wind.
Highlights were on the water bodies with a Little Ringed Plover, a Little Gull remaining and a Spoonbill. Also around were a Grasshopper Warbler, 6 Starlings and a Cuckoo.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 29 new birds: a Chiffchaff, 11 Great Tit, 10 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, a Chaffinch, a Robin, a Blue Tit, a Reed Bunting and a Starling; and 8 retraps: 2 Great Tit, 2 Dunnock, 3 Whitethroat and a Blackcap.
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Shoveler chicks, 11th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Black-tailed Godwit in summer plumage, 11th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Black-tailed Godwit in winter plumage, 11th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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Muntjac Deer taking a swim, 11th June 2026
Photo - Tom Baker |
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The foreshore and beach erosion, 9th June 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
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Big skies over Tennyson's Sands, 9th June 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
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Rough weather incoming! 9th June 2026
Photo - David Nutt |
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