Mid July 2012

July 20th: Occasional rain. On Tennyson Sands were a Green Sandpiper, a Ruff, a Greenshank and 80 Lapwings, and on Jackson's Marsh 3 Black-tailed Godwits. A Hobby was around. An escaped Crimson Rosella was in East Dunes.
A ringing session in East Dunes this morning yielded a Pied Wagtail, a species of which only a few are ringed here annually.

                                   Juvenile Pied Wagtail (George Gregory)

July 19th: An arrival of waders included 1500 Dunlins and 1000 Sanderlings. In East Dunes was a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Good waders on Tennyson Sands were 3 Ruffs, a Green Sandpiper and 120 Lapwings.
A ringing session in East Dunes provided 31 captures, including 4 juvenile Chiffchaffs and 8 Blackcaps.

July 18th: Tennyson Sands held 3 Ruffs, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, a Green Sandpiper and 2 Greenshanks, and Jackson's Marsh 4 Black-tailed Godwits. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in East Dunes. About 300 Swifts flew south. Offshore were 2200 Sandwich Terns and 60 Little Terns.
In the moth traps was a Four-dotted Footman.

July 17th: On Jackson's Marsh were 12 Black-tailed Godwits, and on Tennyson Sands an adult Mediterranean Gull, 3 Ruffs, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper and 3 Little Ringed Plovers. Elsewhere were a Redstart, a Grasshopper Warbler, 2000 Sandwich Terns and 3 Common Sandpipers.
The eighth session of CES was done this morning, resulting in 16 new birds ringed and just 1 retrap. The new birds included a Treecreeper, a Willow Warbler and 2 Chiffchaffs, all juveniles.

July 16th: Rain from mid morning. Flying south were 8 Whimbrels and several Swifts. On the water bodies were 2 Ruffs and 12 Black-tailed Godwits.

July 15th: Around were a Redstart, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Montagu's Harrier, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 150 Sanderlings and a Greenshank. Tennyson Sands held 3 Ruffs. North went 103 Common Scoters, 30+ Gannets and 5 Auk Spp. A Harbour Porpoise was offshore.
A ringing session on East Dunes yielded 31 captures, mostly new young birds, including 2 Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff.
On the Moths and Butterflies Course the moth traps produced 30+ Crescent Stripeds, a Crescent, 6+ Starworts, 2 Rosy Waves and a Green Arches (3rd reserve record).

July 14th: On Tennyson Sands were 2 Common Sandpipers. A Buzzard Spp was seen briefly near Aylmer Avenue. Around was a Yellow Wagtail.

July 13th: 5 Arctic Skuas went south. Good waders were 6 Greenshanks, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and 6 Whimbrels. On Tennyson Sands were a Mediterranean Gull and 3 Sandwich Terns.

July 12th: Waders were represented by 3 Common Sandpipers, 6 Whimbrels, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Ruffs and 4 Black-tailed Godwits. A Grey Wagtail, 80 Common Scoters, a Sand Martin and a Great Crested Grebe flew south, while 8 more Sand Martins arrived in off the sea. Offshore were 2 Little Terns, 13 Common Scoters, 600 Sandwich Terns and 2 Arctic Skuas. Around were a Grasshopper Warbler, a ringtail Montagu's Harrier, a singing male Yellowhammer and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

July 11th: A female Redstart in East Dunes was early. Heading south were 5 Golden Plovers. A Merlin appeared over New Saltmarsh at dusk.