Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory Blog: Early August 2026

August 10th. Cloudy start, with some early morning light rain, gradually clearing completely, with a moderate north-westerly to north-easterly wind and becoming hotter again during the day.

At least one Roseate Tern was still present with an outlying group of Terns on the beach, but the main Tern roost and the feeding flock were not checked. A scan through the large Gull roost revealed two juvenile Caspian Gulls. Offshore 4 Arctic Skuas went north with anther 2 blogging. 15 Little Terns were fishing close inshore with the last two fledged juveniles being fed by the parents on the beach.

4000 Sanderling came up to roost but the tide wasn't high enough to push up the 30,000 Knot that were seen on Wainfleet Marsh to the south.

Moving south were small numbers of waders again including 2 Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover. A Little Stint paused briefly at Greenshanks Creek with a small party of Dunlin. Three juvenile Marsh Harriers circled high south.

On the "Not so" watery bodies around the reserve were 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 1 Redshank, 2 Snipe, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull and 28 Spoonbills included at least one juvenile.

Up to 8 Humming-bird Hawk Moths were recorded and during the evening, there were 50+ Yellow Wagtails on Field 10.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes provide 11 new birds: 10 Willow Warbler and a Linnet; and 5 retraps: a Robin, 2 Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock.

Spoonbill juvenile getting fed, 9th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton

Spotted Redshank, 9th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton

Humming-bird Hawk Moth, 8th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton
Humming-bird Hawk Moth, 8th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton

August 9th. Clear, becoming hot, clouding over later, with light south-easterly wind.

A strong movement of Hirundines was underway in the morning with some Swifts, Yellow Wagtails, Kestrels, 3 Buzzards and a Red Kite also moving south. The dune scrub was busy with warblers etc until the day became hot early on. An effort was made to read colour-rings on Sandwich and Common Terns along the beach but this was hampered by heat haze. However, a vocal Roseate Tern was picked up on call over the sea before it joined the roost. Another 3 Roseate Terns then arrived, apparently two pairs.

Precious little water was remaining on the lagoons but there were 13 Spoonbill, 2 Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper and a Spotted Redshank from North Hide, Tennyson's Sands, with 4 Humming-bird Hawk Moths on the Buddleia by the hide. Other birds around included 2 Wheatear and a Cuckoo.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 8 new birds: 2 Wren, 4 Willow Warbler, a Blackcap and a Whitethroat.

Roseate Terns, 9th August 2026
Photo - Kev Wilson

Artic Tern juvenile, 9th August 2026
Photo - Kev Wilson

August 8th. Clear, becoming hot, clouding over later, with light southerly wind.

After a clear night yesterday's arrivals seem mostly to have moved on. In the Observatory area was a Wheatear. Flying south were a number of hirundines along with a Red Kite. On the saltings at the North End were 20+ Whimbrel.

On the water bodies were 11 Shoveler, 24 Teal, 31 Avocet, 5 Lapwing, 6 Little Ringed Plover, 709 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Dunlin, 6 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 11 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Great White Egret and 26 Spoonbills.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 3 new birds: a Sedge Warbler, a Blackcap and a Reed Warbler; and 4 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Dunnock, a Wren and a Whitethroat.

Swift catching a fly, 8th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton
Roe Deer in the dunes, 8th August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound
Humming-bird Hawk Moth, 8th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton
Humming-bird Hawk Moth, 8th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton
Humming-bird Hawk Moth, 8th August 2026
Photo - Steve Clipperton

August 7th. Mostly clear morning, clouding over somewhat later, with light south-westerly wind.

A much calmer morning and the dune scrub was busy with warblers: Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs with an obvious arrival of Willow Warblers. Other new arrivals were the first Garden Warbler of the autumn, a Pied Flycatcher, a Tree Pipit and 2 Tree Sparrow.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 13 new birds: 10 Willow Warbler, 2 Robin and a Kingfisher; and 3 retraps: a Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock.

The tenth session of CES was done by Mike Polling this morning. The 21 new birds were 2 Wren, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Robin, 6 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, a Greenfinch and a Blackbird; and the 14 retraps were 3 Wren, 2 Robin, 3 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Dunnock, a Blackbird and a Chiffchaff.

August 6th. Another sunny day with occasional cloud rolling through later in the day on an increasing strong westerly wind.

Not quite as hectic for recording as yesterday but still plenty going on and great variety of birds. Again, Swifts (520), Swallows (150) and Sand Martins (80) were on the move but a build up of well over 250 House Martins feeding over the West side was impressive. Other visible migration included 2 Red Kite, 4 Kestrel, 2 Marsh Harrier and 2 Buzzard with wader flocks along the tideline into the Wash again. About a mile offshore, a long line of 1840 Sandwich Terns were fishing and drifting south into the Wash.

On the water bodies were 4 Gadwall, 43 Teal, 29 Avocet, 6 Little Ringed Plover, 296 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe, 3 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 27 Spoonbill.

Other birds around included a Kingfisher, 3 Green Woodpecker, a Cuckoo, a Song Thrush and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls. A further increase of Willow Warblers was noted in sheltered areas, but the strong wind wasn't ideal for counting warblers.

August 5th. Mostly cloudy, becoming moderately hot, with increasing south-westerly wind.

A brilliant morning watching from Mill Hill 0620-0920hrs with both departing and arriving migrants. A constant stream of southbound Swifts (4220) was accompanied by pulses of Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins with 20 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Marsh Harriers, 5 Kestrels, a Merlin and a Peregrine.

Flocks of summer-plumaged waders were arriving form the north including Turnstone, Knot, Dunlin, Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit with Redshank and Whimbrel and a Little Stint. On the beach, 55 Arctic Terns were mixed with 30 Common Terns and 500 Sandwich Terns. Just a single Arctic Skua today. Amongst the numerous Gulls a juvenile Caspian Gull was the first of the autumn. Whitethroats and Willow Warblers were showing well in the adjacent scrub.

On the water bodies were 32 Avocet, 7 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Whimbrel, 250 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe, 5 Common Sandpiper, 7 Green Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshank, 9 Greenshank and 3 Spoonbill.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 4 new birds: 3 Whitethroat and a Grasshopper Warbler; and a retrap Whitethroat.

Little Stint, 5thn August 2026
Photo - Kev Wilson

Grasshopper Warbler, ringed 5 August 2026.
Photo - George Gregory

August 4th. Cloudy, becoming hot and humid, with light north-east then south-west wind.

A better morning for counting common birds in the dunes, with the first Pied Flycatcher of the autumn seen on the Sleeper Track. Wader numbers continue to increase with over 28000 Knot going up to roost along with 5500 Oystercatcher, 8000 Sanderling and 7000 Dunlin. On the beach were 11 Turnstone and on the sea were 1 Guillemot, 1 Gannet (North) and 108 Cormorant. A Merlin was in dispute with a Kestrel over the New Saltmarsh. Another arrival of Painted Ladies was noted with 80 along the dune frontage.

On the water bodies around the reserve were 1 Water Rail, 40 Avocet, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 340 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe, 4 Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 7 Little Egret and 27 Spoonbill.

Its not often that we get any records from evenings (although Saturday's efforts were well rewarded with the finding of the two Black Storks!), but a very pleasant evening was spent watching the Terns and Gulls come in to roost including over 2500 Sandwich Terns whilst wader passage involved over 130 Whimbrel heading south along the shore.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 3 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Blackcap and a Linnet; and 3 retraps: 2 Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler.

Waders over this morning's high tide, 4th August 2026
Photo - David Nutt

Waders over Greenshanks Creek Ridge over High Tide, 4th August 2026
Photo - David Nutt

Waders over the sea over the high tide, 4th August 2026
Photo - David Nutt

Waders over the sea over high tide, 4th August 2026
Photo - David Nutt

30,000 waders were roosting here until they were flushed - 4th August 2026.
Photo - David Nutt

Humming Bird Hawk Moth, 4th August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound

August 3rd. Cloudy start, then clearing, with increasing north-easterly wind.

The morning plan was to count birds in the dunes but this was thwarted by increasingly sunny and windy conditions that saw a lull in bird activity and suggested that sea-watching would have been a better plan. In a brief watch, there were regular Gannets and Terns moving north into the wind, with 3 Arctic Skuas. The wader roost was building up too with over 19000 Knot already present well before high tide.

On the water bodies around the reserve were 4 Shoveler, 6 Little Grebe, 35 Avocet, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 350 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 6 Common Sandpiper, 7 Green Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshank, 8 Greenshank and 9 Spoonbill. Flying south-west was a Buzzard and also recorded was a Green Woodpecker.

A wind-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided a new Chiffchaff; and a retrap Wren.

Eiders on the Beach, 3rd August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound

Muntjac in the Middle of the Mere, 3rd August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound

August 2nd. Mostly cloudy, with increasing north-easterly wind.

The two Black Storks were seen again in saltmarsh well to the south of the Reserve and occasionally in flight. The high tide wader roost involved 40,000 birds. Both Barn and Short-eared Owls were seen. Flying south was a Buzzard.

On the water bodies were 4 Shoveler, 180 Mallard, 24 Teal, 1 male Pochard, 36 Avocet, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 696 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 3 Greenshank, 120 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Grey Heron and 30 Spoonbill.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 15 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, 5 Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, 5 Linnet and a Great Spotted Woodpecker; and a retrap Robin.

Black Stork, 1st August 2026
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth

Black Stork, 1st August 2026
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth

Black Storks, 1st August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound

Snipe, 2nd August 2026
Photo - Mike Watts

Incoming Cormorant, 2nd August 2026
Photo - Mike Watts

Swallow, 2nd August 2026
Photo - Mike Watts

Swallows and one Sand Martin - building up ready for migration, 2nd August 2026
Photo - Mike Watts

Blackcap juvenile, 2nd August 2026
Photo - Mike Watts

August 1st. Clear, then cloudy, then clear, then cloudy, becoming fairly hot, with light south-westerly wind.

A productive morning session on Mill Hill 0610-0920hrs when 80 bird species were recorded including a Tree Sparrow and the first Kingfisher of the autumn, 4 Green Woodpecker, 10,000 Knot up to roost, many Hirundines moving south and a good spread of warblers in the scrub. Around was a Barn Owl.

On the water bodies were 20 Teal, 35 Avocet, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 Whimbrel, 200 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, 21 Avocet, 1 Great White Egret and 21 Spoonbill.

In the early evening, news broke that 2 juvenile Black Storks had been found in the New Saltmarsh where they remained hidden for much of the time, before giving prolonged flight views around the Wash Viewpoint before eventually drifting slowly south. A Hobby was seen hunting whilst the Storks were being watched.

A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 17 new birds: a Wren, 7 Willow Warbler, 7 Whitethroat and 2 Linnet; and 3 retraps: a Dunnock and 2 Whitethroat

Black Stork, 1st August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound

Black Stork, 1st August 2026
Photo - Jack Hood

Avocets, 1st August 2026
Photo - Jack Hood

Male Pochard and female Shoveler, 1st August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound

Green Woodpecker juvenile, 1st August 2026
Photo - Nige Lound