Early May 2014

May 10th. Intermittent rain, windy.
 The Serin remained in the Plantation. Other birds around included a Spotted Flycatcher, a Whimbrel, a Cuckoo and a Turtle Dove.

Spotted Flycatcher in the Plantation, 10th May 2014
Photo - Garry Wright

May 9th. Occasional rain early morning, then increasing wind.
 The Serin was again at the feeding station in the Plantation, and the pair of Garganey remained on Jackson's Marsh. A Firecrest was around Mill Hill. Other birds around included 3 Wheatear, a Common Sandpiper, a Mediterranean Gull and a Greenshank. Offshore was a Black Tern. A Great White Egret flew inland late afternoon. South went a Pink-footed Goose and 40 Swift.
 A brief morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 2 new birds: a Whitethroat and a Robin; and 5 retraps: 4 Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting.
Garganey pair on Jackson's Marsh 9th May 2014
Photo - Richard Doan
May 8th. Quite windy.
The pair of Garganey were again on Jackson's Marsh, a Serin was at the feeding station in the Plantation, and on Fenland Lagoon was a 2CY Mediterranean Gull. Around were a Hobby, a Turtle Dove, 2 Wheatear, 28 Little Tern and 4 Whimbrel.
A restricted morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 3 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Chaffinch; and 2 retrap Whitethroat.

Serin at Feeding Station, 8th May 2014
Photo - Russell Hayes
May 7th. Flying south were 2 Red-rumped Swallow, with many Swallow, and fewer Swift and House Martin. The pair of Garganey remained on Jackson's Marsh. Around were 2 Cuckoo, 2 Turtle Dove, 3 Wheatear, 2 Common Sandpiper, 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 37 Avocet, a Grey Heron and 2 Bullfinch.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Mike Polling, produced 5 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat and 3 Whitethroat; and a retrap Whitethroat.
 A check on the nest-boxes, with Mike Polling, resulted in 9 Great Tit pulli ringed, and several other boxes with various species of sitting females, small pulli or eggs.

May 6th. Rainy early morning, then damp. The pair of Garganey were still on Jackson's Marsh early morning. Around the reserve were 7 Greenshank, 62 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 3 Turtle Dove, 15 Little Tern, a drake Pochard, a Common Buzzard, a Marsh Harrier and a Cuckoo. Over 100 Swallow flew south as did 9 Swift. A drake Eider and a Great Crested Grebe were on the sea.
 A delayed morning ringing session in East Dunes resulted in 6 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Bunting and a Chaffinch; and 2 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat.

May 5th. A ringtail Montagu's Harrier flew north across the reserve early morning. A pair of Garganey were on Jackson's Marsh. Around were a Hen Harrier, a Mediterranean Gull, a male Redstart, a Coal Tit, a Turtle Dove, 2 Wheatear and a Cuckoo.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes was disappointing. The news were a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat; and the retraps 2 Lesser Whitethroat.

May 4th. A Great White Egret was discovered on Jackson's Marsh. On Tennyson Sands were 30 Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Sandpiper. Around were a Wheatear and a Cuckoo. Flying south were 7 Swallows.
  A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 8 new birds: a Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Lesser Whitethroat and a Goldfinch; and a retrap Wren.
  A simultaneous ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by David and Liv Vincent, which included the first C.E.S session of the year, resulted in a total of 15 new birds and 16 retraps. Of the C.E.S nets the new birds were 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Blackbird and a Robin. The retraps were 3 Chaffinch, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat (one of which was ringed in 2009), 2 Great Tit, a Chiffchaff, a Blue Tit, a Dunnock and a Wren. Of the other nets the new birds were 2 Chaffinch, 2 Goldfinch and a Willow Warbler. The retraps were a Chaffinch and a Greenfinch.

Great White Egret on Tennyson's Sands, 4th May 2014
Photo - Richard Doan


Great White Egret, 4th May 2014.
Photo - James Siddle
May 3rd. Birds around included a Cuckoo, a Spotted Redshank and a Buzzard. On Jackson's Marsh were 2 Greenshank.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 9 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Goldfinch, a Chaffinch, a Meadow Pipit and a Pied Flycatcher; and 4 retraps: a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat, a Dunnock and a Goldfinch.

Pied Flycatcher, ringed 3rd May 2014.
Photo - George Gregory
May 2nd. A mobile Quail was in various locations around the reserve. Around were a male Wheatear, a Common Tern, a Great Crested Grebe, a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Cuckoo. A Whimbrel, 130 Little Terns and 110 Barnacle Geese flew north.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 8 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, 2 Redstart, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Tree Pipit and a Song Thrush; and 2 retraps: a Blue Tit and a Dunnock.

Redstart, ringed 2nd May 2014.
Photo - George Gregory
May 1st. Rain overnight, wet and misty most of day.
 A mobile Spoonbill arrived from the south, flew around the reserve, then ended up on Jackson's Marsh, together with a drake Goosander, 2 Greenshank, 92 Black-tailed Godwit and a Mediterranean Gull. On Tennyson Sands were 2 Barnacle Geese. Birds around included a Wood Warbler, 2 Ring Ouzel, a Jay, a Tree Pipit, 2 Turtle Dove, a Fieldfare, 3 Brambling, 7 Wheatear, a Marsh Harrier, 2 Whimbrel and a Cuckoo.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes was disappointing. The only new bird was a Linnet; while the retraps were a Dunnock, a Great Tit and a Whitethroat.

Wood Warbler in East Dunes, 1st May 2014.
Photo - Kevin Wilson
Tree Pipit in East Dunes, 1st May 2014.
Photo - Nigel Lound
Adult Spoonbill on Jackson's Marsh, 1st May 2014.
Photo - Nigel Lound