Late May 2015

May 31st. Rainy and windy morning.
 A Spoonbill was on Jackson's Marsh. Around were 2 Cuckoo. South offshore went 13 Manx Shearwater, of which 2 then went back north.

May 30th. A Caspian Tern was found by Richard Doan and Kevin Wilson late evening, out on the mudflats, from The Wash Viewpoint. On Tennyson's Sands were 2 Spoonbill, 3 Little Stint and a Greenshank. Other birds around included a first-summer Little Gull, 2 Kittiwake, 3000 Sanderling, 4 Turtle Dove, 3 Common Buzzard, 4 Cuckoo and 7 Jay.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 3 new birds: a Robin, a Blackcap and a Dunnock; and 4 retraps: 2 Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock.

Sanderling, 30 May 2015.
Photo - Philip Millns
May 29th. Rain on and off.
3 Spoonbill, 2 Little Stint, 4 Greenshank, 3 Mediterranean Gull and a Little Ringed Plover were on Tennyson's Sands. Around were a Marsh Harrier, 4 Cuckoo and 2 Turtle Dove. Flying south were 44 Swift and 6 House Martin.

May 28th. On Tennyson's Sands were 3 Spoonbill and a Little Ringed Plover. Birds around included a Marsh Harrier, 2 Cuckoo and a Turtle Dove. Heading south were a Buzzard Sp, a Swift, 3 Swallow and 5 House Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in a new Linnet and a retrap Whitethroat.
 A check of the nest boxes and nest holes, with James Siddle, yielded 36 new birds: 1 adult and 2 pulli Stock Dove, 23 pulli Great Tit, 6 pulli Blue Tit and 4 pulli Jackdaw; and 2 retrap adult Great Tit. Of 32 boxes and holes checked 15 were occupied. Only 3 dead pulli were found, which is a low number compared to some years of poor weather and lack of food.

May 27th. On Tennyson Sands were 4 Spoonbill and a Little Ringed Plover. Around were 5 Jay, a Turtle Dove and 5 Cuckoo. A Honey Buzzard and a Swift flew south.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided a new very juvenile Chaffinch, and a retrap adult male Chaffinch.
3 of the 4 Spoonbill on Tennyson's Sands, 27th May 2015
Photo - Nige Lound
May 26th. On Tennyson's Sands were a pair of Garganey, 2 Spoonbill and a Little Ringed Plover. Other birds around were 3 Jay, 2 Cuckoo and a Turtle Dove.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new Blackcap; and 3 retraps: 2 Lesser Whitethroat and a Meadow Pipit.
This Muntjac showed well in the Plantation on 26th May 2015.
Photo - Phillip Millns
Drake Garganey on Tennyson's Sands, 26th May 2015.
Photo - Nige Lound
May 25th. Around were 66 Brent Goose, 400 Dunlin, 550 Ringed Plover, a Turtle Dove and a Cuckoo. Flying south were 3 Mute Swan.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded a new Lesser Whitethroat; and 6 retraps: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Chaffinch, a Dunnock and 2 Whitethroat.
 Meanwhile over at Aylmer Avenue, Mick Briggs completed the third C.E.S. session of the year and did quite nicely for the time of year. Along with some other nets in the area there were 16 new birds and 41 retraps. The new birds were 4 Robin, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap. 2 Chiffchaff and singles of Dunnock, Blackbird, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Long-tailed Tit and Linnet. The retraps were 13 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Sedge Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 3 Dunnock, 3 Blackbird, 3 Great Tit, 2 Wren, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler and singles of Robin, Blackcap and Linnet.

May 24th. A Spoonbill remained on Tennyson's Sands, and the male Wigeon on Jackson's Marsh. Birds around included 2 Jay, 6 Teal, 3 Siskin, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 40 Sandwich Tern, 14 Lapwing, a Curlew Sandpiper and 4 Cuckoo.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 2 new birds: a Lesser Whitethroat and a Woodpigeon; and 2 retraps: a Blue Tit and a Dunnock.

May 23rd. The 3 Spoonbill were still on Tennyson's Sands, and a male Wigeon was on Jackson's Marsh. Around were 2 Jay, 3 Whimbrel, 10 Blackcap, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Turtle Dove and a Cuckoo.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with James Siddle, produced no new birds; and 3 retraps: 2 Dunnock and a Whitethroat.

May 22nd. The 3 Spoonbill remained on Tennyson Sands. Other birds around were 6 Turtle Dove and a Cuckoo. Going south were 50 Swallow and 10 House Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 2 new birds: singles of Great Tit and Linnet; and no retraps.

The old Coastguard building after the more recent Field Station buildings have been demolished, 22 May 2015.
Photo - George Gregory
The old Coastguard building after the more recent Field Station buildings have been demolished, 22 May 2015.
Photo - George Gregory
May 21st. On Jackson's Marsh was a Temminck's Stint, and on Tennyson Sands were 3 Spoonbill. Around were 17 Jay, a Turtle Dove and 2 Cuckoo. Offshore were 2 Eider, 7 Kittiwake and 2 Red-throated Diver in summer plumage. Also, just north of the NNR boundary, an Icterine Warbler was heard singing from thick scrub and sycamores at Seacroft Marsh SSSI between 1pm and 4pm at least. It showed briefly on a few occasions.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Mike Polling, provided no new birds; and 3 retraps: singles of Sedge Warbler, Dunnock and Whitethroat.