Sedge Warbler foreign captures from 16th May 2026.

 On the 16th of May this year we were ringing at Sculthorpe Moor with OHK and were rather surprised to extract two foreign Sedge Warblers from the same net. One had a ring with the Barcelona scheme address and the other was Moroccan.

We were particularly excited about the Moroccan ring as only 9 Sedge Warblers have been recorded with rings from Morocco up to the 2024 ringing report. The recoveries took a while to come through but we now know that both birds were actually ringed in Morocco, only a day apart but from the west and east of the country.

The Spanish ring, B131139, was used March 24th this year at the Yasmina Hotel, Merzouga, where Spanish ringers monitor birds during the  spring migration. The following day, BB02033 was used by Moroccan ringers at Oulad, Ghanem near the west coast. 

Sculthorpe Moor - 23rd August 2026

 Fifty one birds on the record sheet today, and the first session in the right kind of habitat when we didn't get any Sedge Warblers at all. Captures were mostly young birds, although 3 adult Chiffchaffs bucked that trend and there was also an adult Blackcap and Great Tit.

We connected with a tit flock in the middle of the morning, hence the figures showing rather too many tits for our liking, although that did draw along the two Nuthatches. We do try to focus on summer migrants while we have the chance.

Male Blackcap

Juvenile Whitethroat

3M Nuthatch

Total: 46 (5)

Blackcap - 6
Blue Tit - 13 (1)
Chiffchaff - 11 (2)
Great Tit - 4
Long-tailed Tit - 1
Reed Warbler - 4 (1)
Robin - 2
Nuthatch - 2
Whitethroat - 3
Wren - 0 (1)

Barn Owl ringing - 19th August 2026

 Today we ringed the last of our Barn Owls for the year. The three were a late brood in one of the barns on the Sandringham estate, bringing the total of Sandringham young ringed this year to 47. 

Including the other sites brings the pulli Barn Owl ringed figure up to 99. A very good year, although unlike most sites last year, Sandringham birds did quite well in 2025, bucking the national trend.

Sadly one of this year's cohort has already been reported as a road casualty just 17 days after ringing.

Oldest, P4 =56.6

Middle chick, P4 = 37.2

Youngest chick, P4= 25.2

And that's the last one safely back in the box.

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe - 16th August 2026

 A first morning session at this site for the autumn and it seems that it's possible to get almost the same in terms of quantity, whether you do 6 hours in the morning or 3 hours in the evening with half the number of nets!

The morning had a rather quiet feel to it and we finished on 41 birds.

Juvenile Cetti's Warbler

Juvenile Song Thrush

Total: 37 (4)

Blackcap - 2
Cetti's Warbler - 1 (1)
Chiffchaff - 2
Dunnock - 2
Reed Warbler - 11
Robin - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1 (2)
Song Thrush - 1
Whitethroat - 10
Wren - 6 (1)

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe - 14th August 2026

 A short session for roosting birds brought details of 39 birds to the sheet. Leading species was Swallows, with a few Reed and Sedge Warblers. The Pied Wagtails were dropping straight down into the reedbed, many avoiding the nets and a single Reed Bunting was a surprise.

Juvenile Pied Wagtail yarelli

Juvenile Sedge Warbler

Total: 38 (1)

Pied Wagtail - 3
Reed Bunting - 1
Reed Warbler - 4
Sedge Warbler - 7 (1)
Swallow - 23

Sculthorpe Moor - 14th August 2026

 Another session with juveniles dominating the record sheet. Six hours in the field, 66 birds captured from three doubles and just one adult, a male Blackcap, ringed. 

Without a doubt adult summer migrants are now well on their way south. The birds being caught in this area, outside of the beavers' enclosure, are juveniles that appear to be moving through in loose flocks. We could see them up in the tall trees, but being inexperienced birds, they responded to the audio-lures and moved into the nets. First net came down around 10:30am with the others away before midday.

Two of three Willow Warblers on the day.

One of 30 juvenile Chiffchaffs

     The site is filled with Hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) a tall,

      native UK perennial wildflower known for its fluffy pink-purple flower
   clusters and value to pollinators. It grows up to 120 cm tall, blooming
  from July to September in damp meadows, marshes, and pond edges.

Total: 64 (4)

Blackcap - 11
Chiffchaff - 29 (1)
Great Tit - 1
Reed Warbler - 13 (3)
Robin - 1
Sedge Warbler - 3
Willow Warbler - 3
Wren - 3

Sculthorpe Moor Discovery day - 12th August 2026

 Today we ran a demonstration for families close to the visitor centre. The event was running between 10am and 12:30pm, however we managed, despite the time and heat, to get a few birds to talk about.

Total: 17

Blackbird - 1
Blackcap - 2
Blue Tit - 6
Dunnock - 2
Robin - 1
Wren - 5