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| Drake Pochard, 27th May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Little Gull flying with the Black-tailed Godwits, 27th May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Little Gull thinking its a Black-tailed Godwit? 27th May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| A Great White Egret arguing with a crow, 27th May 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Roe Deer and Fawn with Spoonbills in the background, 27th May 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Painted Lady Butterfly, 27th May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
On the water bodies were a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, a Little Gull and 3 Great White Egret. Other birds around included 2 Cuckoos, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Red Kite and a Hobby.
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| Ruff, 26th May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Little Gull, 26th May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Little Ringed Plover, 26th May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Turtle Dove on the Heligoland Trap, 26th May 2026 Photo - Kevin Gray |
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| One of the grazing Horses enjoying a cool down dip in the scorching conditions 26th May 2026, Photo - Jason Virgin |
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| Common Blue Damselfly, 26th May 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Four-spotted Chaser Dragonfly, 26th May 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Orange Tip, 26th May 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
The Golden Oriole (a first-summer male) was heard singing again from just after 0500hrs, with more frequent bouts of song and giving excellent views. Another 2 Golden Orioles were seen arriving from the north together while the Sykes Farm bird was still singing. The two new birds flew rapidly down the West Dunes being mobbed by a small number of Passerines (Meadow Pipits?) but rather than joining the original bird, they veered off south-east towards the south end of the East Dunes and may have carried on out across the Wash.
Several flocks of waders were on the move this morning including Grey Plovers and Ringed Plovers heading off north and Knot and Sanderling arriving on the Wash. One or two Spotted Flycatchers were around the West Dunes and 2 Cuckoo were around Shoveler's Pool. A Little Gull was a new arrival around the lagoons and 1 Great White Egret remained. Two Crossbills arrived in North Car Park with a further 4 Crossbills moving south down the East Dunes later. Other then a few Chaffinches, Swallows and Swifts, there was no visible migration.
On the water bodies around the reserve were 3 Shoveler, 18 Gadwall, 1 drake Teal, 1 drake Pochard, 22 Tufted Duck, 48 Avocet, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Whimbrel, 130 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Redshank, 2 Common Tern, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Peregrine (Over Fresh Water Marsh before drifting off to the North) and a Cetti's Warbler (North Hide, with another one around Mill Hill).
Still a few Painted Ladies around and a Hairy Dragonfly was also seen.
A heat-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided just a new Chiffchaff; and a retrap Whitethroat.
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| Golden Oriole, 25th May 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Little Ringed Plover, 25th May 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Black-tailed Godwits, 25th May 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
Highlight of the day was a Golden Oriole which was singing from Sykes Farm prior to 0600hrs but not subsequently.
A Tree Pipit and a Spotted Flycatcher were in the West Dunes and 2 Hobby were hawking moths around the Freshwater Marsh in the evening. A Red Kite went South and 3 Great White Egrets were on Tennyson's Sands early on. Also a Mediterranean Gull flew over Jackson's Marsh calling loudly.
On the water bodies were 11 shoveler, 23 Gadwall, 1 drake Teal, 1 drake Pochard, 27 Tufted Duck, 12 Little Grebe, 57 Avocet, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 131 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Tern and 2 Grey Herons.
Elsewhere there were 5 Buzzard, 2 Cetti's Warblers (Mill Hill and North Hide), 5 Chiffchaff, 7 Reed Warbler and 6 Blackcap. A light influx of Painted Ladies was noted and a harbour Porpoise was noted offshore.
Overnight Moth trapping in Sykes Farm resulted in 494 Moths of 84 Species and included a stunning Eyed Hawkmoth and a Cream-bordered Green Pea Moth.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff and 2 Chaffinch; and 2 retraps: a Long-tailed Tit and a Whitethroat.
The third session of CES was done this morning by Dave Vincent. The 25 new birds were 14 Long-tailed Tit, a Goldcrest, 3 Robin, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Dunnock; and the 13 retraps were 2 Wren, 3 Blue Tit, 2 Dunnock, 2 Chiffchaff and 4 Long-tailed Tit.
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| Eyed Hawk Moth, 24th May 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Cream-bordered Green Pea Moth, 24th May 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
The morning started with a Hobby around the West Dunes, a brief Turtle Dove down the East Dunes. Two Great White Egrets, a Spoonbill, 2 Common Terns and a drake Pochard were on the water bodies. An increase of Cuckoos was recorded - at least 4 birds around including a Hepatic individual. A Hobby was seen catching Fox Moths in the evening.
Following last years first records of Scarlet Tiger Moth for the Reserve, it was interesting to find a well grown caterpillar of the species today.
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| Two Great White Egrets, 23rd May 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| Common Terns on Tennyson's Sands, 23rd May 2026 Photo - Jack Hood |
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Scarlet Tiger Moth caterpillar, 23rd May 2026. Photo - Sam Wilson |
On the water bodies were 4 Shoveler, 15 Gadwall, 20 Tufted Duck, 7 Little Grebe, 60 Avocet, 124 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 11 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 2 Common Tern and 2 Great White Egret.
Also about were 6 Swift (South), 1 Cuckoo, 2 Collared Dove (South), 2 Cetti's Warblers (Mill Hill and North Hide), 28 Sedge Warbler, 18 Reed Warbler, 2 Grasshopper Warbler and 60 Whitethroat.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 8 new birds: a Long-tailed Tit, a Chiffchaff, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Great Tit, a Blackcap and a Jackdaw; and a retrap Goldfinch.
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| Avocet, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Oystercatcher, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Common Tern, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Common Terns, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Great White Egret, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Little Grebe, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Coot chick, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Reed Warbler, 22nd May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
Plenty of birds singing in the dunes and a light passage of Swallows, House Martins, Swifts accompanied by a Red Kite. A Spotted Flycatcher was a new arrival in the East Dunes and a Grey Partridge was the highlight of the day, also in East Dunes. On the sea were 7 Common Scoter
On the water bodies were 105 Shelduck, 9 Shoveler, 36 Gadwall, 1 Teal, 50 Mallard, 29 Tufted Duck, 12 Little Grebe, 54 Avocet, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 140 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Dunlin, 3 Redshank, 1 Water Rail, 2 Common Tern Two Spoonbill, 1 Great White Egret and 8 Little Egret.
Also about were 2 Cuckoos, 4 Collared Doves, 2 Cetti's Warblers (Mill Hill and North Hide), 4 Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 7 Sedge Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 8 Blackcap and 11 Whitethroat.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 4 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Goldfinch and 2 Reed Bunting; and 7 retraps: 4 Whitethroat, 2 Long-tailed Tit and a Great Tit.
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| Spoonbills on Tennyson's Sands, 21st May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Dunlins on Tennyson's Sands, 21st May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| An angry Shelduck chasing off a drake Tufted Duck, 21st May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| A Female Sparrowhawk wondering about dinner? 21st May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Female Sparrowhawk being chased of by an angry Oystercatcher (Note regrowing tail feathers on the Sparrowhawk), 21st May 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| A Hare crossing a track, 21st May 2026 Photo - Tom Baker |
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