Late April 2017

April 30th. Quite strong south-easterly wind.
 On Tennyson's Sands were a Spoonbill, a Spotted Redshank, a Turnstone, 11 Common Tern and a Reed Warbler; and on the Mere a Reed Warbler. Around were a Marsh Harrier, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 2 adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Little Tern, 2 Cuckoo, a Ring Ouzel, a Wheatear, a Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler, a Yellow Wagtail and 12 Swallow. Going south were 3 Common Scoter and 4 Gannet.

Spoonbill on Tennyson's Sands, 30th April 2017
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth

Common Terns on Tennyson's Sands, 30th April 2017
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth

Green Carpet 30th April 2017
Photo - John Shaughnessy

Wheatear, 30th April 2017.
Photo - Rob Watson

April 29th. Birds around, including those trapped, were 58 Brent Goose, 2 Wigeon, 2 Marsh Harrier, a ringtail Hen Harrier, a Greenshank, 10000 Knot, a Snipe, 78 Little Tern, 2 Turtle Dove, a Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, 2 Swallow, 3 Wheatear, 3 Grasshopper Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroat, 5 Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a male Brambling. On Tennyson's Sands were a Spotted Redshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Mediterranean Gull. Flying south were 3 Yellow Wagtail and a Brambling, and north a Pink-footed Goose, 5 Sand Martin and 2 House Martin.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 5 new birds: 2 Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Garden Warbler and a Greenland Wheatear; and 4 retraps: singles of Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Wren and Blue Tit.

Grasshopper Warbler 29th April 2017
Photo - James Siddle

Mediterranean Gulls on Tennyson's Sands, 29th April 2017
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth

Garden Warbler, ringed 29th April, 2017.
Photo - George Gregory

Greenland Wheatear, ringed 29th April 2017.
Photo - George Gregory

Greenland Wheatear, ringed 29th April 2017.
Photo - George Gregory

April 28th. Around, including birds trapped, were a ringtail Hen Harrier, 6 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, 15000 Knot, 5000 Grey Plover, 2000 Bar-tailed Godwit, 34 Little Tern, a Short-eared Owl, a Cuckoo, a Hobby, a Ring Ouzel, 2 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, a House Martin and 4 Swallow. On Croftmarsh were 8 Black-tailed Godwit.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Keith Collett, provided 3 new birds: singles of Meadow Pipit, Blackcap and Great Tit; and 4 retraps: a Blue Tit, a Blackcap and 2 Wren.

April 27th. Frosty start, gradually warming up; some light rain later.
 A Woodlark was in West Dunes. Other birds around, including those trapped, were 17 Brent Goose, 11 Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank, a Snipe, 2 Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, 20 House Martin, 20 Swallow, 7 Wheatear, 5 Sedge Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 7 Whitethroat, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler and 5 Chiffchaff. The 2 Garganey were still on the Mere. Heading north were 70 Little Tern and 31 Arctic Tern; and south 3 Common Scoter.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 11 new birds: 5 Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap, a Blackbird and a Cuckoo; and 2 retraps; a Great Tit and a Blackbird.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling produced 3 new Goldfinch; and 4 retraps: 3 Chaffinch and a Blue Tit.

Cuckoo, ringed 27th April 2017.
Photo - George Gregory

26th. Rain/wintry showers overnight until early morning, then several wintry showers later.
 Around were a Whimbrel, a male Marsh Harrier, a Cuckoo, a Wheatear, 6 House Martin, a singing Willow Warbler and a singing Lesser Whitethroat. The pair of Garganey remained on the Mere.

April 25th. Cold start, then sun, then rain.
 Birds around, including those trapped, were a Whimbrel, a Greenshank, a Cuckoo, a Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff and 2 Willow Warbler. Flying north was a Swallow; and south a Mediterranean Gull.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 5 new birds: singles of Wren, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch and Blackcap; and a retrap Wren.

April 24th. A White Stork flew south-east over the Wash in the afternoon. Around, including birds trapped, were a Red Kite, a Little Ringed Plover, 18 Whimbrel, a Ruff, a Spotted Redshank, a Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, 5 Wheatear, 4 Fieldfare, 20 Swallow, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler and a Siskin. Offshore were a Little Tern, 2 Common Tern, 10 Sandwich Tern and 11 Eider. Going south were 90 Common Scoter, 2 Gannet, a large Diver Sp, a Sparrowhawk, a Hobby, 40 Swallow, 7 Sand Martin, a House Martin and 6 Chaffinch; and north 2 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue provided 18 new birds: a Wren, a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 2 Reed Bunting, a Sedge Warbler, 5 Goldfinch, a Whitethroat, a Blackcap, 2 Chaffinch, a Dunnock and 2 Greenfinch; and 12 retraps: a Mistle Thrush, a Robin, a Wren, 2 Blackbird, 4 Goldfinch, a Sedge Warbler, a Willow Warbler and a Long-tailed Tit.

Mistle Thrush, retrapped 24th April 2017.
Photo - George Gregory

April 23rd. West in off the sea came an Osprey. Birds around, including those trapped, were a Red-legged Partridge, a Whimbrel, a Spotted Redshank, a Cuckoo, a Kingfisher, a Whinchat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap and 2 Willow Warbler. Single Reed Warblers were singing at Tennyson's Sands and the Mere. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was on Jackson's Marsh. Offshore were 2 Little Tern. Flying north were a Marsh Harrier and a Swallow; and south 5 more Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with James Siddle, produced 13 new birds: a Blue Tit, a Chaffinch, 4 Blackcap, a Goldfinch, 4 Linnet, a Whitethroat and a Blackbird; and 3 retraps: singles of Blackbird, Wren and Dunnock.
 Offshore were 2 Harbour Porpoise.

Blackcap singing in the Plantation, 23rd April 2017
Photo - Richard Doan

Linnet, 23rd April 2017
Photo - Richard Doan

Whinchat, 23rd April 2017
Photo - Richard Doan

 April 22nd. Around, including birds trapped, were 3 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, 35 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Cuckoo, a Redwing, a Fieldfare, a Jay, 4 Sedge Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warbler and a Yellow Wagtail. Going south were 2 Swallow; and north a Marsh Harrier.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 9 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Reed Bunting, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Great Tit; and 5 retraps: a Linnet, a Wren, 2 Reed Bunting and a Great Tit.

Lesser Whitethroat, ringed 22nd April 2017.
Photo - George Gregory

April 21st. Birds around, including those trapped, were a Common Buzzard, 126 Ringed Plover, 6 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, 1000 Dunlin, 11 Sandwich Tern, 3 Cuckoo, 2 Wheatear, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 7 Sedge Warbler, 15 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 6 Chiffchaff, 7 Willow Warbler, a Firecrest singing at Aylmer Avenue and a Brambling. The pair of Garganey were still on the Mere. Flying south were 9 Common Scoter, 13 Sandwich Tern, 13 Rook, 41 Carrion Crow, 6 Jackdaw, 14 Swallow, 70 Linnet, 20 Goldfinch and a Brambling; and north 3 Swallow.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 5 new birds: a Wren and 4 Blackcap; and a retrap Reed Bunting.