Mid May 2014

May 20th. On Jackson's Marsh were a Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 8 retraps: a Blue Tit, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Dunnock and a Sedge Warbler.

May 19th. Birds around included a Cuckoo and a Marsh Harrier. On Jackson's Marsh was a Curlew Sandpiper. South went 3 Swift, a Yellow Wagtail, 60 Kittiwake, a Grey Heron and 7 Little Egret.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced a new Whitethroat, and 4 retraps: 2 Great Tit, a Dunnock and a Whitethroat.

May 18th. Around were 3 Mediterranean Gulls, a Cuckoo, a Red Kite and 2 Turtle Dove. Offshore were 8 Little Tern, 2 Arctic Tern, 4 Sandwich Tern, a Common Scoter, a Great Crested Grebe and 17 Eider.
 A brief morning ringing session in East Dunes was disappointing, with just 3 Dunnock retrapped.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by David and Liv Vincent, which included the second C.E.S session of the year, resulted in a total of 17 new birds and 20 retraps. Of the C.E.S nets the new birds were 4 Whitethroat, 2 Swallow, a Robin, a Reed Warbler, a Linnet and a Blackbird. The retraps were 4 Whitethroat, 4 Great Tit, a Robin, a Swallow, a Blackcap and a Willow Warbler. Of the other nets the new birds were 4 Greenfinch, a Chaffinch, a Goldfinch and a Wren. The retraps were 4 Chaffinch, a Goldfinch, a Greenfinch, a Dunnock and a Chiffchaff.

Red Kite over Tennyson's Sands, 18th May 2014
Photo - Garry Wright
May 17th. Birds around included a Red Kite, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Peregrine, 3 Common Buzzard, 2 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, 2 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Pink-footed Goose. A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 7 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch, 2 Blackcap, a Garden Warbler and a Song Thrush; and 5 retraps: singles of Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit and Dunnock.

May 16th. A Nightingale was discovered singing around North Building at dawn. Other notables included 3 Cuckoo and 12 Turtle Dove. Heading north were 5 Common Scoter and a Common Buzzard, meanwhile 158 Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 35 House Martin flew south. The Wood Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper remained on Jackson's Marsh.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes was disappointing. The only new was a Blackbird, and a Blue Tit and a Dunnock were retrapped.

May 15th. Around were 2 Cuckoo, a Turtle Dove, 2 Spotted Flycatcher and 4 Wheatear. Jackson's Marsh produced a Spoonbill, a Wood Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover, 50 Black-tailed Godwit, 38 Dunlin and 5 Redshank. South went 200 Swallow, 3 Rook and 2 Yellow Wagtail. No sign of the Serin today.
 During a morning ringing session in East Dunes, with Mike Polling, there was just 1 new bird: a Sedge Warbler; but 5 retraps: 3 Whitethroat, a Great Tit and a Robin; and a control Chiffchaff.
 A check of the nest boxes, again with Mike Polling, resulted in 17 pulli ringed: 4 Jackdaw, 7 Blue Tit and 6 Great Tit; and 2 adult Stock Dove ringed.

May 14th. The Serin remained at the bird feeding station. Birds around included 3 Jay, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Whinchat, 4 Wheatear and a Mediterranean Gull.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 9 new birds: 3 Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Robin, 3 Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 3 retraps: a Chaffinch and 2 Whitethroat.

May 13th. Brief light rain mid morning, soggy.
 The Serin was still in the Plantation. Also around were 2 Garganey, 20 Black-tailed Godwit, a Green Woodpecker and a Cuckoo.
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes provided 6 new birds: a Goldcrest, 2 Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, a Meadow Pipit and a Chaffinch; and 3 retraps: a Blue Tit, a Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting.

May 12th. Occasional rain.
 The Serin remained in the Plantation. Other birds around included 3 Turtle Dove, 4 Whimbrel and a Cuckoo. Another Whimbrel flew north. On Jackson's Marsh were 40 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Dunlin and 2 Common Sandpiper
 A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 7 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, 2 Chaffinch, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting; and 5 retraps: a Great Tit, a Blue Tit, 2 Dunnock and a Whitethroat.
Black-tailed Godwit over Jackson's Marsh scrape
Photo - Richard Doan
May 11th. Intermittent rain, windy, again.
 The Serin was still in the Plantation. Also around were a Cuckoo and 2 Turtle Doves.