October 23rd. Soggy start after overnight rain, mostly cloudy, with light south-easterly wind, and rain from mid afternoon.
A long ringing session at Aylmer Avenue, with Chris Routh and Katherina Maletz, resulted in 37 new birds: 9 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, a Wren, a Robin, a Siskin, a Great Tit, 2 Song Thrush and 20 Blackbird; and 6 retraps: a Blue Tit, 2 Goldcrest, a Great Tit, a Robin and a Blackbird.
Ringing Control: Blackcap, ringed GPBO 6 November 2025, controlled Oude Shulpweg, Castricum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands 25 September 2026.
October 22nd. Soggy start after overnight rain, mostly cloudy, with late morning rain and moderate south-westerly wind.
On New Saltmarsh were 80 Brent Geese, and around the dunes 7 Fircrests including 2 new birds ringed. At the Visitor Centre 2 Black Redstarts were present but the recent male was replaced by a female/immature type, indicating the turnover of birds here. Flying south were 250 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Tundra Bean Geese, 25 Whooper Swans and 2 Jays (including 1 trapped and ringed).
A rain-shortened morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 16 new birds: 2 Firecrest, a Goldcrest, 3 Robin, 2 Chaffinch, a Reed Bunting, 2 Blue Tit, 4 Blackbird and a Jay; and 6 retraps: a Firecrest, a Dunnock, a Goldcrest, 2 Robin and a Wren.
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| Black Redstart, 22nd October 2026 Photo - Ste Taylor |
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| Black Redstart, 22nd October 2026 Photo - Ste Taylor |
Following on from yesterday's Firecrest arrival, today's numbers were quite remarkable - with possibly as many as 18 birds around the Reserve (including 5 new birds ringed early morning in East Dunes). Often accompanying small parties of new Goldcrests, in ones and twos, there was one party of three Firecrests with 5 Goldcrests, and another party included two Firecrests and a new Yellow-browed Warbler in East Dunes.
The regular Yellow-browed Warbler remained at Sykes Farm, with another Firecrest. New Thrushes and Robins arrived during the morning with 6 Ring Ouzel, 11 Woodcock (one trapped and ringed) and 11 Stonechat.
Visible migration was very busy too with southbound Finches, Pipits, Larks and Starlings, 3 Swallows, 52 White-fronted Geese in 3 skeins, 38 Pink-footed Geese, 4 Bean Geese, a late Hobby, a Red Kite, 80 Golden Plover, 170 Lapwing, a Snow Bunting and 4 Jays.
Just a 20 minute sea-watch recorded 7 Little Gulls, 35 Gannet and 80 Wigeon heading south. 110 Brent Geese were on the New Saltmarsh. During the afternoon, two Pipits came from the Jackson's Marsh area, the lead bird identified on call as a Tree Pipit, but the following bird gave two similar but softer calls recalling Olive-backed Pipit - heavy rain prevented any subsequent search for these birds.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 28 new birds: 5 Firecrest, 3 Wren, 5 Goldcrest, 7 Robin, a Reed Bunting, a Dunnock, 5 Blackbird and a Woodcock; and a retrap Robin.
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| Firecrest, ringed 21st October 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Woodcock, ringed 21st October 2026. Photo - George Gregory |
