Early July 2024

July 5th. Cloudy, with moderate south-westerly wind.

 Swifts continued to head south.

 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 14 new birds: 5 Chiffchaff, a Long-tailed Tit, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, a Blue Tit, a Goldfinch and 3 Dunnock; and 8 retraps: 6 Long-tailed Tit, a Blue Tit and a Great Tit,.

July 4th. Sunny start, then mostly clouding over, with increasing south-westerly wind.

 A Lesser Yellowlegs was discovered with roosting Redshanks on Tennyson's Sands late morning and showed very well. Also there were 15 Spoonbill, 20 Black-tailed Godwits and a Spotted Redshank. Offshore there was a light movement of returning waders and Terns, and 100 Swifts went south.

Lesser Yellowlegs, 4th July 2024. 
Photo - Nige Lound

 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 17 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Wren, 2 Blackcap, a Linnet, a Blue Tit, 4 Whitethroat, a Great Tit and 3 Dunnock; and 5 retrap Long-tailed Tit.

July 3rd. Early morning rain and remaining cloudy and damp.

 Both ringtail Hen Harrier and Montagu's Harrier were seen along with a Marsh Harrier from the Wash Viewpoint during the morning. 50 Common Scoter were offshore with several Sandwich Terns. On the lagoons Redshanks were starting to build up at roost with 71 along with 2 Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank and 27 Black-tailed Godwit. A Common Sandpiper was along the river. Other birds around included Cuckoo, Peregrine and 30 Sand Martins.

July 2nd. Early morning rain, gradually drying out, cloudy, with fairly light variable wind.

 Some more Swifts headed south, the Montagu's Harrier showed well with 2 Short-eared Owls close by and a Spotted Redshank was on Tennyson's Sands.

Montagu's Harrier, 2nd July 2024. 
Photo - Phil Hyde

Montagu's Harrier, 2nd July 2024. 
Photo - Rob Watson

July 1st. Cloudy, with increasing westerly wind, and some rain later.

 A moderate number of Swifts went south. An unseasonal Osprey flew west over the Fenland Lagoon and the Montagu's Harrier was reported again (per Birdguides). 11 Spoonbills flew towards the Haven.

 The seventh session of CES was done this morning. The 15 new birds were 2 Wren, 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Long-tailed Tit, a Robin, 3 Whitethroat and a Dunnock; and the 6 retraps were 2 Wren, a Dunnock, a Sedge Warbler, a Willow Warbler and a Blue Tit.