September 30th. A very wet start to the day with the overnight heavy rain continuing for much of the day. Feeling cold in the occasional breaks with a strong east-south-easterly.
Early news involved, amazingly a Yellow-browed Warbler was still calling at Sykes Farm even in the heavy rain and gusting wind with another one later on in the Orchard. Mid afternoon there were 5 Ruff on Tennyson's Sands visible from Harvey's Hide.
Tennyson's Sands and the Mere combined held 85 Pink Footed Geese, 10 Egyptian Geese, 14 Shoveler, 14 Wigeon, 124 Mallard, 21 Pintail, 1538 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck, 2 Water-Rail, 33 Little Grebe, 28 Avocet, 43 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Snipe whilst there were 3 Great White Egrets around.
Early evening the Richard's Pipit flew out of the saltmarsh at the Wash Viewpoint, calling. It was probably driven out of the marsh by the incoming high tide.
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Yellow-browed Warbler 30th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Great Spotted Woodpecker, 30th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Great Spotted Woodpecker, 30th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Great White Egret, 30th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
On Tennyson's Sands from Harvey's Hide were 4 Great White Egrets before they flew south into the Wash, whilst flying north out of the Wash in multiple skeins were 950 Pink-footed Geese. Around Aylmer Avenue before flying south were 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, whilst 2 Marsh Harriers were over the Old Saltmarsh. There were 3 Yellow-browed Warblers being their usual vocal selves with a single at Aylmer Avenue and 2 around Sykes Farm. A Green Woodpecker was vocal in Measures following a Tawny Owl there before first light. A single Redstart was around Aylmer Avenue and a Wheatear was on South Marsh Road briefly.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group resulted in 17 new birds: a Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff, a Wren, 6 Blackcap, 2 Great Tit, 2 Goldfinch, a Robin, a Redwing, a Song Thrush and a Blackbird; and retraps: 4 Dunnock, 4 Robin, a Goldcrest, a Garden Warbler and a Wren.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue resulted in 12 new birds: 4 Wren, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Dunnock, 2 Robin, a Great Tit and a Blackcap; and a single retrap: a Chiffchaff.
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Great White Egret, 29th September 2024. Photo - Zara Brown |
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Great White Egret, 29th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Spoonbills, 29th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Greenshank, 29th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Spoonbills, 29th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton |
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Shoveler, 29th September 2024. Photo - Steve Clipperton  Photo - Tom Baker  Photo - Tom Baker  Photo - Tom Baker |
A wintery feel to the morning was complemented by the appearance of 8 Whooper Swans on Tennyson's Sands with around 750 Teal. A Blyth's Reed Warbler was discovered in East Dunes and fortunately was quite vocal, which enabled it to be located although typically not easily seen during a couple of hours up to 11am. A Barred Warbler and a Yellow-browed Warbler were trapped and ringed in East Dunes. Four other Yellow-browed Warblers were seen: further north up the East Dunes, in West Dunes, Orchard, and Aylmer Avenue. The Richard's Pipit was seen in flight briefly calling loudly as it went across South Marsh Road before landing in Old Saltmarsh early morning.
Around were 2 Redstarts, a Willow Warbler, 6 Buzzard, 4 Marsh Harrier, 3 Sparrowhawk and a Collared Dove, whilst at least 5 Redwings went west. Up to 2000 Pink-footed Geese were around Croftmarsh with a White-fronted Goose. The male Hen Harrier was still present and a ringtail Hen Harrier flew south. Three Jay's flew south down the East Dunes and the male Brambling was still on Mill Pond Road first thing.
A long ringing session in East Dunes by the Sorby Breck Ringing Group provided 52 new birds: 5 Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 8 Wren, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Blackcap, 3 Blue Tit, 4 Chaffinch, a Goldfinch, 4 Meadow Pipit, 5 Reed Bunting, 8 Robin, a Barred Warbler, 6 Dunnock, 2 Song Thrush and 2 Redwing; and 11 retraps: a Chiffchaff, a Dunnock, 3 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Robin and 2 Wren.
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Blyth's Reed Warbler, 28th September 2024. Photo - James Siddle |
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Blyth's Reed Warbler, 28th September 2024. Photo - James Siddle |
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Blyth's Reed Warbler, 28th September 2024. Photo - James Siddle |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler, ringed 28 September 2024. Photo - George Gregory  Yellow-browed Warbler, 28th September 2024. Photo - James Siddle  Whooper Swans, 28th September 2024. Photo - Paul Neale  Whooper Swans, 28th September 2024. Photo - Paul Neale  Spoonbills, 28th September 2024. Photo - Paul Neale |
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| The Sorby Breck Ringing Group at the Bird Observatory, 28 September 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Barred Warbler, ringed 28 September 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
September 27th. Some early morning rain, with increasingly strong then slowly decreasing north to north-westerly wind.
A morning sea-watch saw a passage of Arctic Skuas moving south, often shearing at some speed with the backing northerly wind. 3 Great Skuas, 3 Long-tailed Skuas and a Pomarine Skua were also involved in the movement. Also offshore, several Red-throated Divers headed south while 15 Arctic Terns went north. Meadow Pipits and Swallows were arriving off the sea, two Bramblings flew south and another was grounded on Mill Pond Road. About 500 Pink-footed Geese were flying around.
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Brambling, 27th September 2024. Photo - Rob Watson  Long-tailed Skua, 27th September 2024. Photo - Sam Goddard. |
Five Yellow-browed Warblers were present today, with 2 around Sykes Farm and others in West Dunes, Aylmer Ave and on East Dunes north of Mill Hill. An Eastern Lesser Whitethroat was a new arrival, 2 Fieldfares flew west and 2 Hobbies were around. The Little Stint remained on Tennyson's Sands. There was a steady passage of Meadow Pipits before the morning rain. Other birds around were a Redstart, a Wheatear and 3 Stonechat.
An evening sea-watch for 40 minutes before the storm broke produced a feeding flock of 80 Sandwich Terns, 20 Common Terns and 4 Arctic Terns with 8 Arctic Skuas and 90 Commic Terns heading south.
A rain-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 9 new birds: 2 Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 4 Robin, a Reed Bunting and a Dunnock; and 2 retraps: a Dunnock and a Robin.
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Redstart, 26th September 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
At least 3000 Pink-footed Geese left the roost on Croftmarsh early and there followed skeins totalling 650 passing over north-west. Duck numbers on the lagoons remained high with over 1000 each of Wigeon and Teal. Amongst the waders on Tennyson's Sands were 2 Spotted Redshanks and a Little Stint.
Visible migration involved moderate numbers of Meadow Pipits and Swallows, fewer Linnets and increasing numbers of Rock Pipit, Chaffinch and Skylarks, with a few Alba and Grey Wagtails and the first Brambling of the autumn. Birds of prey were concentrated around the foreshore where the regular adult Hobby was in dispute with the regular male Hen Harrier over a Meadow Pipit. A Merlin and a Peregrine were both present nearby. Offshore, 2 Black-throated Diver and a Pomarine Skua were the highlights. In the Dunes, a further increase of Robins and Chiffchaffs was noticeable, with new Song Thrushes and 2 Firecrest in West Dunes. A late Sedge Warbler was near the Freshwater Marsh, a Redstart was in the Plantation, a Black Redstart was at Sykes Farm and Yellow-browed Warblers remained at Mill Hill and Sykes Farm.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 28 new birds: 16 Chiffchaff, 2 Wren, 3 Robin, a Stonechat, a Goldfinch, 2 Blackcap, a Linnet, a Swallow and a Reed Bunting; and 2 retraps: a Dunnock and a Wren.
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Pink-footed Geese, leaving the roost on Tennyson's Sands, 25th September 2024. Photos - Nige Lound |
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| Stonechat, ringed 25 September 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
September 24th. A soggy start, gradually drying out, cloudy, with light to moderate north-westerly wind.
Early news involved a Ring Ouzel again in the East Dunes with the regular Yellow-browed Warbler still around Mill Hill, a Yellow-browed Warbler being really vocal along Sykes Farm Track, with another YBW in the West Dunes, and yet another YBW and a Firecrest trapped and ringed in East Dunes. A single Redstart was also present. Flying north-west out of the Wash were at least 2000 Pink-footed Geese, and south a Hobby, a few hundred Meadow Pipits and a good number of Hirundines - some 1200 Swallow headed south on a broad front mid morning to early afternoon. Over the saltmarshes were 2 Marsh Harriers. A Cattle Egret arrived from the east and landed on Jackson's Marsh. 2 Curlew Sandpipers were on Tennyson's sands.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 20 new birds: 5 Chiffchaff, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Firecrest, 4 Blackcap, a Reed Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 2 Robin, a Blue Tit and 4 Goldfinch; and 8 retraps: a Wren, 5 Long-tailed Tit, a Robin and a Bullfinch.
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Cattle Egret, 24th September 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
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Marsh Harrier, 24th September 2024. Photo - Jack Hood  Photo - Tom Baker  Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler, ringed 24 September 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Firecrest, ringed 24 September 2024. Photo - George Gregory |
There was plenty happening today with the overnight rain having grounded migrant birds on the coast. Early on there was a Nuthatch in the Plantation (an extreme rarity on the coast here), with a Grey Wagtail flying over. A Yellow-browed Warbler was calling around Sykes Farm, with presumably the same bird later around the Plantation feeding station and another Yellow-browed Warbler at Aylmer Avenue.
Two Hen Harriers (male and ringtail) and a Ring-necked Parakeet were over the East Dunes mid morning, along a Firecrest around Mill Hill. Late morning there was a Lapland Bunting over East Dunes, along with a vocal Ring Ouzel. A Bullfinch was around Sykes Farm entrance late morning also. At least two Marsh Harrier were over the saltmarshes. The wader roost again contained over 100,000 Knot with 25-30,000 other waders. There was a Cattle Egret briefly on Tennyson's Sands along with 25 Spoonbills.
A morning sea watch was productive with 19 Arctic Skuas, 4 Bonxies, 3 Pomarine Skuas, a Long-tailed Skua, 28 Red-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver, a Black-throated Diver, a Fulmar, 3 Little Gulls300 Common Scoter and various wildfowl heading south.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced just a new Woodpigeon.
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Yellow-browed Warbler, 23rd September 2024. Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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Siskin, 23rd September 2024. Photo - Jack Hood |
September 22nd. Mostly cloudy, with light but slowly increasing north-easterly wind.
The morning WeBS count was a challenge, with two counters compiling the morning totals over high tide; 108000 Knot, 6800 Oystercatcher, 6500 Grey Plover, 1885 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10540 Dunlin, 4450 Sanderling and 347 Ringed Plover
A Yellow-browed Warbler was around North Car Park early morning, with another one around Mill Hill. On Fenland Lagoon were a Stonechat, a Wheatear and a Kingfisher and on Tennyson's Sands the Curlew Sandpiper remained. Hobby, Peregrine, Merlin and 3 Marsh Harriers were also seen.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 7 new birds: a Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Garden Warbler, a Chaffinch, a Whitethroat and 2 Song Thrush; and 4 retraps: 2 Dunnock, a Wren and a Robin.
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Curlew Sandpiper, 22nd September 2024. Photo - Jason Virgin  Little Egret, 22nd September 2024. Photo - Rob Smith |
Another spectacular wader roost was observed from Mill Hill to start the day. Subsequently, it was another day of good variety but no migrants in any particular quantity. Yellow-browed Warblers were again at Mill Hill and along the road edge north of Aylmer Avenue, the Common Rosefinch was seen again in East Dunes, the Richard's Pipit was on the Old Saltmarsh edge, a Barred Warbler was trapped in East Dunes, and a Honey Buzzard went south early on. Other birds around were 3 Cattle Egret, 3 Great White Egret, a Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 3 Greenshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 18 Pintail, 2 Hobby, 4 Marsh Harrier, 6 Common Buzzard, a Caspian Gull, 2 Redstart, 2 Wheatear, a Stonechat and a Whinchat.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 11 new birds: a Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 2 Robin, a Redstart, a Reed Warbler, a Reed Bunting, a Barred Warbler and a Woodpigeon; and 3 retraps: a Blackcap and 2 Wren.
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| Barred Warbler, ringed 21 September 2024. Photo - George Gregory  Ruddy Darter, 21st September 2024. Photo - Rob Smith  Willow Emerald, 21st September 2024. Photo - Rob Smith |
