Early August 2016

August 10th. Around, including birds trapped, were 9 Spoonbill, a Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Redstart, a Wheatear, 18 Mistle Thrush and 12 Willow Warbler. Heading south were a Tree Pipit, 7 Swallow and a Common Buzzard.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 11 new birds: 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, a Robin, a Whitethroat and a Song Thrush; 8 retraps: a Dunnock, 2 Wren, a Great Tit, 2 Blackcap, a Linnet and a Great Spotted Woodpecker; and a control Willow Warbler.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, retrapped 10th August 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
August 9th. Birds around, including those trapped, were a Curlew Sandpiper, a Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Whinchat, a Wheatear, 17 Willow Warbler, a Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker, 200 Ringed Plover, 2000 Sandwich Tern and a Merlin. On the water bodies were a Ruff, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Snipe, 2 Little Ringed Plover, a Green Sandpiper, 15 Greenshank and 133 Black-tailed Godwit. Flying south were 2 Gannet, 9 Arctic Skua, 346 Common Tern, 31 Arctic Tern, a Swift and 14 Swallow.
 Butterflies included 15 Painted Lady.
 The 10th session of CES was done this morning. The 14 new birds were a Wren, 3 Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, a Linnet, a Chaffinch, a Goldfinch and 4 Dunnock; and 5 retraps: singles of Blackbird, Wren, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Dunnock.

August 8th. Moderately strong westerly wind.
 Around were a juvenile Peregrine, a Merlin, a Wheatear, a Whimbrel, 5 Marsh Harrier, 6 Kestrel, a Cuckoo and 35 Willow Warbler. On Tennyson's Sands were 465 Redshank, 132 Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Greenshank, a Little Ringed Plover, a Ruff and 3 Snipe. Going south were a Red Kite, 3 Marsh Harrier, a Kestrel, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, a Grey Heron, 294 Common Tern, 34 Arctic Tern, 148 Commic Tern, 150 Swallow, 14 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin and 7 Swift.
 Butterflies included 7 Painted Lady.
 A wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 17 new birds: 12 Willow Warbler, a Wren, a Great Tit, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Linnet and a Cormorant; and no retraps. The Cormorant was roosting on the Heligoland Trap.
Wheatear, 8th August 2016
Photo - Nige Lound
August 7th. Moderately strong south-westerly wind.
Birds around included a Little Stint (at Greenshanks Creek), a Whimbrel, 3 Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, a Merlin, a Green Woodpecker, a Kingfisher, a Cuckoo, a Redstart and 25+ Willow Warbler. On Tennyson's Sands were 4 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Greenshank, 6 Snipe and 50 Black-tailed Godwit. Heading south were 2 Marsh Harrier, a Common Buzzard, 300 Swift, 1500 Swallow, 120 House Martin and 250 Sand Martin.
 In East Dunes were 3 Painted Lady.
 A brief, wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded a new Linnet; and 2 retraps: a Great Tit and a Linnet.

August 6th. On Tennyson's Sands were 3 Spoonbill, 400 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 5 Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper. Around, including birds trapped, were a Merlin, a Peregrine, a Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Whimbrel, 7000 Sanderling, 9200 Dunlin, 20000 Knot, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 42 Willow Warbler, 43 Whitethroat, 16 Sedge Warbler and a Garden Warbler. Flying south were 1200 Swallow and 80 Sand Martin.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 18 new birds: 8 Willow Warbler, a Linnet, a Garden Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, a Goldfinch and a Reed Warbler; and 4 retraps: singles of Robin, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Dunnock.

Spoonbills, 6th August 2016.
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth
August 5th. Birds around, including those trapped, were 7000 Sanderling, 3 Whimbrel, 3 Green Sandpiper, 12 Greenshank, 2 Marsh Harrier, a Green Woodpecker, a Crossbill, a Tree Sparrow, 15 Willow Warbler and a Redstart. On Tennyson's Sands were an adult  Mediterranean Gull, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Snipe and 8 Black-tailed Godwit. Going south were a Tree Pipit and 60 Swallow.
 Butterflies included a Painted Lady.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 19 new birds: 3 Wren, 6 Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap, 2 Linnet, a Meadow Pipit, a Whitethroat and a Robin; and 5 retraps: 2 Dunnock, 2 Wren and a Blackcap.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling produced 36 new birds: 8 Willow Warbler, 2 Wren, 3 Goldcrest, a Chaffinch, 7 Whitethroat, 3 Great Tit, a Redstart, 3 Goldfinch, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Blue Tit, 3 Dunnock, a Song Thrush and a Great Spotted Woodpecker; and 15 retraps: 3 Great Tit, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Dunnock, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, a Long-tailed Tit and a Goldcrest.

August 4th. Moderately strong south-westerly wind.
 Around were 2 Spoonbill, 2 Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker, a Merlin, 7 Little Ringed Plover, the leucistic Sanderling, 2 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpiper and 12 Mistle Thrush. On Jackson's Marsh were 7 Black-tailed Godwit; and on Tennyson's Sands an immature Mediterranean Gull, a Green Sandpiper, 260 Redshank and 12 Greenshank. Heading south were 2 Grey Heron, a Ruff, 22 Whimbrel, a Marsh Harrier, 860 Swift, 28 Swallow, 12 House Martin and 32 Sand Martin.
 In East Dunes were 2 Painted Lady.
 A brief, wind-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in a new Sedge Warbler; and 4 retraps: singles of Linnet, Dunnock, Whitethroat and Wren.

Merlin and Kestrel, 4th August 2016.
Photo - Nige Lound
Leucistic Sanderling, 4th August 2016.
Photo - Nige Lound
Swift flying south offshore, 4th August 2016.
Photo - Alex Scott
Waders flying offshore, 4th August 2016.
Photo - Alex Scott
August 3rd. Moderately strong south-westerly wind, with brief light rain in the morning.
 On Tennyson's Sands were 2 Spoonbill, a Green Sandpiper, a Ruff, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 7 Snipe, 2 Dunlin, an Oystercatcher and 17 Greenshank, and on Jackson's Marsh 48 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Common Sandpiper. Birds around included a Cuckoo, a Marsh Harrier and a Greenshank. Flying south were an Arctic Skua, 740 Swift, 30 House Martin and 75 Swallow, and north an Arctic Skua. Roosting on Jackson's Marsh hedge were 96 Little Egret, the highest ever count here.
 A wind- and rain-restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 2 new birds: a Whitethroat and a Dunnock; and 5 retraps: 2 Great Tit, a Blackcap, a Linnet and a Wren.

August 2nd.  On Jackson's Marsh were a Spoonbill, 56 Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Sandpiper, whilst on Tennyson's Sands were another 21 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Greenshank, a juvenile Shoveler, a Great Crested Grebe, 3 Snipe, a Ruff and 3 Little Ringed Plover. Around, including birds trapped, were a Garden Warbler, 2 Cuckoo, 2 Grey Partridge, 500 Sandwich Tern, 2500 Knot, 8000 Dunlin, 5000 Sanderling (including a leucistic individual) and a Whimbrel. Going south were an Arctic Skua, a Common Scoter and 2 Swallow, and north 3 Gadwall.
 A Painted Lady was in East Dunes.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 9 new birds: a Wren, a Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, a Garden Warbler, a Linnet and 2 Dunnock; and 7 retraps: 2 Linnet, a Blue Tit, a Wren, a Whitethroat and 2 Dunnock.

Leucistic Sanderling, 2nd August 2016.
Photo - Nige Lound
August 1st. On Jackson's Marsh were 9 Spoonbill, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff and 45 Black-tailed Godwit, and on Tennyson's Sands a Mediterranean Gull, 4 Greenshank and 6 Black-tailed Godwit. Birds around included 3 Little Ringed Plover, 4400 Sanderling, 5000 Dunlin, a Green Woodpecker, a Cuckoo, a Greenshank, 4 Sand Martin, a Garden Warbler, a Yellowhammer and a Yellow Wagtail. Heading south were 2 Arctic Skua and 85 Swallow.
 Butterflies included 2 Painted Lady.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 12 new birds: 4 Wren, 6 Willow Warbler, a Robin and a Meadow Pipit; and 3 retraps: singles of Linnet, Wren and Dunnock.

Recently fledged Little Terns, 1st August 2016.
Photo - Nige Lound