Weather: SE force 3 hot and sunny
A lovely early autumn day with a little migration, the single Willow Warbler arrival was trapped for ringing, A small passage of Swallows enabled 2 to be ringed, an event that is not too regular in most years.
Three Linnets and 3 Wrens completed the ringing for the day. A single House Martin was a visitor, also 8 Swifts. At this afternoons high tide good counts of waders were made. There were 2,800 Dunlin, 650 Ringed Plover, 2,600 Oystercatchers, 40 Knot, 120 Redshank, 14 Curlew, 3 Whimbrel, 14 Sanderling, 24 Turnstone, a Bar-tailed Godwit and scarcer visitor of a Lapwing. Lots of gulls were about also 260 Sandwich Terns and a single Common Tern. Various other scarce but regular arrivals were a Merlin (chasing Meadow Pipits at the north end), also a Raven and a Goosander. A Great White Egret came in off the sea and became bird of the day despite its recent increase in the lower estuary. The remains of a Bottlenose Dolphin lay on the shore and was reported to the cetacean strandings investigation programme.
With the warm weather came several insects of note including 60 Red Admirals, 140 Small Whites, a Painted Lady, a Peacock, 3 Common Blues, a Silver Y moth and an Emperor dragonfly.
Photos BT
