A farm in North Norfolk - 26th November 2025

 

A good morning at this farm with CJH just back from completing a summer contract on Fair Isle. They got a chance to become reacquainted with the likes of Blue Tits and Dunnocks, and did rather more birds in a session than was usually available at the observatory. Of course, they have rather more unusual species, but we did get another inter-site Reed Bunting and a few Yellowhammers including a rather dull female.

Female Yellowhammer

Goldfinch

Total: 46 (17)

Blackbird - 2 (1)
Blue Tit - 7 (5)
Dunnock - 6 (1)
Goldfinch - 2
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 1 (8)
Reed Bunting - 17 (1)
Robin - 3
Wren - 0 (1)
Yellowhammer - 7

Sculthorpe Moor - 24th November 2025

 At this time of year it's possible to do some thermalling and still get home to make dinner for a reasonable time so we started off with a couple of nets for roosting Reed Buntings then tried the north fields, working around the showers.

The Reed Buntings only resulted in 12 birds before nets had to be pushed up in the rain, but it was still worthwhile as a recaptured bird was from the North Norfolk farm and had been ringed by us on the 8th of November. We are starting to build up a picture of how Reed Buntings use sites in Norfolk as we've had three separate movements between four of our sites in the last month.

The clouds were threatening more rain by the time we got to the north fields so I didn't try for owls. The field that has been too dry until very recently was now flooded and although CL saw 100+ Snipe and 4 Woodcock was only able to capture 2 Meadow Pipits.

Total: 12 (2)

Meadow Pipit - 2
Reed Bunting - 10 (2)

A farm in North Norfolk - 21st November 2025

 A window of opportunity before the wind and rain resumes, no trainees available unfortunately to help with the 92 birds captured today. Reed Bunting was the leading species and we were very pleased to recatch a bird that we ringed at the Ingoldisthorpe site as a 3J in the middle of August earlier this year. Many of the REEBUs were colour ringed for the project. Yellowhammer was the second most frequently captured with a few tits, Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blackbirds making up the numbers.

Adult male Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer juvenile (above) and adult (below) tails for comparison.

In addition to the retrices shape on these two males, note extent of white and shape of the dark pigment along the feather shaft.

The wild bird seed crop is doing well this winter.

Observation of a Woodcock in the access track on the way out.

Totals: 85 (7)

Blackbird - 2
Blue Tit - 8 (2)
Dunnock - 2
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 13 (2)
Reed Bunting - 31 (3)
Robin - 3
Wren - 4
Yellowhammer - 21

A farm in North West Norfolk - 18th November 2025

 Three double nets were erected and 27 birds captured. There was a single retrap, a Reed Bunting ringed by us at the Rivers Trust lagoons Ingoldisthorpe on 30th July this year. Leading species was Yellowhammer with 13. Five Reed Buntings were colour ringed for our project.

We almost caught a Kestrel that was seen to hit the net, but did not fall into the panel.

Total: 26 (1)

Blackbird - 1
Blue Tit - 1
Dunnock - 2
Reed Bunting - 5 (1)
Robin - 1
Wren - 3
Yellowhammer - 13

Morston - 9th November 2025

 No large influx of Blackbirds unfortunately, or unusual vagrants this morning. A net in the wood on the hill brought 5 Goldcrest to the record sheet and the most unexpected capture was a young Kingfisher that found the net, placed for birds flying along the drainage channel.

3M Kingfisher

Goldcrest

Total: 16 (3)

Blackbird - 2
Blue Tit - 1 (1)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Dunnock - 2 (1)
Goldcrest - 5
Kingfisher - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Reed Bunting - 1
Wren - 1 (1)

A farm in North Norfolk - 8th November 2025

 A first session of the winter ringing program at this farm. The wild bird seed crop has done much better than last year and the total captured was probably our best ever at this site.

Total birds captured 119, of which 115 were new. Ringing team of CL, DKL and Sophia a prospective trainee that found herself rather more involved than expected as she scribed throughout the session on her first outing with us. Things are looking good for Bunting and possibly Finch ringing at this farm.

Yellowhammer male

Male Reed Bunting

Adult female Starling

Total: 115 (4)

Blackbird - 2
Blue Tit - 19 (1)
Chaffinch - 3
Dunnock - 8
Goldcrest - 4
Long-tailed Tit - 8 (3)
Redwing - 2
Reed Bunting - 51
Robin - 2
Starling - 1
Yellowhammer - 14
Wren - 1

Water Pipit project - Autumn 2025

 Now that autumn is definitely here the winter migrants are with us, so it's time to try for new birds for the Water Pipit project. The last two seasons have been poor,  but things seem to be looking up as 6 birds have already been marked by the Stour Ringing Group in Dorset.

One of the October 2025 captures from Lytchett Bay, 

image by Stour Ringing Group

One of our birds has also appeared in the 2024 BTO ringing report and has taken the longevity record in the United Kingdom. The bird ringed at Cantley Beet Factory on 26/11/2020 was then observed at Strumpshaw fen on 15 & 19 November 2024.

There were 2 other contenders before this bird clinched the record in November 2024. 

Photographer: Stephen Vickers 

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe Lagoons - 30th October 2025

 The latest in the year that we've monitored this site yet. We were hoping to attract migrant winter thrushes (but failed miserably.) We still managed to catch 42 birds, rather more tits than we would have liked but a decent number of Goldcrests and Reed Bunting, three Cetti's Warblers that rather surprised us as we didn't play for them and the first Meadow Pipits for the site.

Adult Meadow Pipit

Cetti's Warbler juvenile

Total: 39 (3)

Blue Tit - 12 (1)
Cetti's Warbler - 3
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 7
Goldfinch - 1
Great Tit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 3
Reed Bunting - 5
Robin - 1 (1)
Wren - 4 (1)

Around Norwich for gull and swan ring reading (plus a bonus Turnstone) - 29th October 2025

 We travelled via Walcott to try our luck with the Turnstones along the front and managed to catch one for the flagging project. Once the birds saw the capture they became even more wary and our chances of a further capture were gone.

Age 3 Turnstone

From there we went to Thorpe Green for ring reading. We got some darvic codes including a returning bird from Poland. Also a metal ringed adult that had been seen there last year with a Finnish ring. Chris also managed to capture and ring a juvenile Black-headed gull.

Polish ringed Black-headed gull

On then to Whittlingham Country Park for swans, gulls and another metal ringed individuals from Finland. It was our first observation of the first winter bird. Details awaited.

It took several images to capture the entire ring number on this 1w Black-headed gull 

from Finland. Details awaited.

We collected several Mute Swan codes, with three on birds

that had moved from Hoveton where we ringed them last winter.

Dersingham Bog - 22nd October 2025

 An end of the day attempt to see what comes into the reedbed at night. The answer seemed to be that there were Reed Buntings and a few Stonechats present throughout the afternoon with little other than Meadow Pipits dropping in at the end of the day. We only managed to catch 5 Meadow Pipits with most other captures coming from a large tit flock.

Total: 28 (2)

Blue Tit - 6
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 2 (2)
Goldfinch - 1
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 11
Meadow Pipit - 5
Robin - 1

Deepdale Farm - 22nd October 2025

 Now the summer migrants have left and other species are arriving to spend the winter, we concentrate our focus on sites that offer slightly different habitat and importantly sheltered areas in windy conditions. Today started much windier than forecast, but we persevered omitting to put up the net that often performs best since today it would have been completely exposed to the wind and billowing like the sails of a galleon. We put up a couple of extra nets across the track, as thrushes often move out of the worst of the wind between the hedgerows as they work their way inland.

The wind soon calmed a bit and we actually did rather better than we expected. LC was with us on her first visit to this farm and gained experience of two new species, Green Woodpecker and Goldcrest.

Birds were passing overhead as we worked and Redpoll, Brambling and Crossbill were all heard. Chris flushed a Woodcock that managed to evade the nets we'd put up for thrushes.

3F Green Woodpecker

Total: 36 (6)

Blackbird - 12
Blue Tit - 9 (5)
Dunnock - 0 (1)
Goldcrest - 5
Great Tit - 3
Green Woodpecker - 2
Redwing - 1
Robin - 2
Wren - 2

Salthouse garden - 18th October 2025

 Another day by the coast, attracting tit flocks in the hope that they would bring a vagrant with them. There were two flocks today forming the greater part of our catch, 67 new and 2 retrapped birds but nothing really unusual. The garden held quite a few Blackbirds although only 3 were caught from a minor influx after 10am. One capture had to be released when hunting in the adjacent field sent several Red-legged Partridges into the garden site for cover. One found its way into a mist net but was released safely and again evaded the hunting. Best birds were probably 3 Redpoll.

Lesser Redpoll male

Adult male Chaffinch

One of 15 Goldcrest

Total: 67 (2)

Blackbird - 3
Blue Tit - 16 (1)
Chaffinch - 2
Chiffchaff - 2
Dunnock - 4
Goldcrest -15
Great Tit - 7
Long-tailed Tit - 7 (1)
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Redwing - 1
Robin - 5
Wren - 2

Morston - 16th October 2025

 Not much arriving today, just a few Blackbirds and an odd Redwing. The total consisted of a tit flock that found the nets put up for Redwing as they crossed from the brambles along the coastal path away from the seaward side of the site, 8 Dunnocks also 5 Reed Buntings that we managed to lure in. Only one Stonechat today and the only one that we managed to see.

Reed Bunting 3M

Most unexpected observation was of a single Swallow rushing westwards.

Total: 37 (7)

Blackbird - 2
Blue Tit - 5 (3)
Cetti's Warbler - 1 (1)
Dunnock - 7 (1)
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 11 (2)
Reed Bunting - 5
Robin - 1
Stonechat - 1
Wren - 3

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldesthorpe - 14th October 2025

 We have never monitored this site once the summer migrants have left so were unsure of what we might find. We started off with flocks of Redwing overhead, a pleasant surprise although we did know that thrush arrivals have been reported over the last few days. We managed to catch a few of those. Then we noticed some birds along the field edges where grass has been left to grow a few feet high and reeds are beginning to encroach.  One bird was a Stonechat, but later Chris heard the unmistakable pinging call of Bearded Tits. Three of those found their way into our nets.

Male Bearded Tit. One of 2 male and 1 female birds caught with 

another female seen but not caught.

A large flock of Long-tailed and Blue Tits was a bit of a surprise. We have seen Blue Tits in the trees of course, and caught a few, but this large group came right down to the hedge behind the lagoons and connected with two of the nets.

Our first Redwing of the winter

We were joined by Maiana,  collecting samples for the Zoological Society London  studying Usuto virus and she very kindly scribed  for the two of us. The help was much appreciated.

Totals: 64 (9)
Blackbird - 3
Bearded Tit - 3
Blue Tit - 32 (6)
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (2)_
Chiffchaff - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 12
Redwing - 5
Reed Bunting - 1
Robin - 0 (1)
Song Thrush - 2
Wren - 5

Morston - 12th October 2025

 Low wind this morning and not too cold, a heavy mist contributed to the slow start as birds took a while to get moving. There were hardly any Stonechats about and summer migrants are now long gone.

Meadow Pipit

We tried Meadow Pipit on a dog-leg around a bramble bush, narrowly missing a large Sparrowhawk that went storming into the net just over the audio-lure. Unfortunately she escaped the net just before we could get to her.

The total, just over the 30 mark, was partly down to a mixed tit flock that travelled along the ditch and ended up in the nets put up for Meadow Pipits. We could have also used the same nets to try for Redwings but barely any came through.

The winter birdfeed crop is looking very autumnal and shaping up nicely for seed provision throughout the winter period.

Total: 22 (11)

Blue Tit - 4 (4)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Dunnock - 0 (3)
Greenfinch - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 8
Meadow Pipit - 4
Robin - 2 (3)
Stonechat - 0 (1)
Wren - 2

Sculthorpe Moor - 10th October 2025

 A calm, misty start to the day with two doubles and a single erected outside of the beavers' enclosure. We were aware of some large tit flocks in the trees and tits formed just over half of the catch. We were pleased to get 5 Reed Buntings for the colour marking project, along with 5 Goldcrest and 3 Cetti's Warblers. Just a single Chiffchaff was an indicator that most of these have now moved off site.

One of three Cetti's Warblers captured this morning.

Total:     34 (7)

Blue Tit - 14 - (5)
Cetti's Warbler - 3
Chiffchaff - 1
Great Tit - 1
Goldcrest - 5
Long-tailed Tit - 5 (1)
Reed Bunting - 5
Robin - 0 (1)

Deepdale Farm - 8th October 2025

 A very brief session aimed at catching Meadow Pipits, but there weren't many about and the wind soon strengthened in addition to some squally showers moving through. Despite catching absolutely none of the pipits, a short net through the hedge did provide a few birds, mostly Goldcrest. Off site at 10:15 with only 9 captures.

Total: 9

Blue Tit - 1
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 4
Great Tit - 2
Wren - 1

Red-tailed Shrike at Dunwich Heath - 6th October 2025

 An easy twitch where the viewers were spotted even before we reached the carpark. Not a lifer as we've seen Red-tailed Shrike in Kenya, but a new bird for the UK.

There's something very special about heathland next to the sea, especially on a beautiful day.

Nanjizal, Cornwall - 2nd October 2025

 It's looking as though this will be our last ringing day since the weather will probably be against us by tomorrow morning. Rain and wind is forecast, and with Storm Amy battering the British Isles the chances of getting out ringing are very slim.

But today was a good day. Numbers were down but there were two goodies that made the 5:20am wake up call, all week, worthwhile. Blackcaps continue to dominate with Chiffchaffs continuing to move through the valley. Meadow Pipits have been attracted to calls these last couple of days while the number of Firecrest is dropping. 

The best birds of the day were a juvenile Barred Warbler and a Yellow-browed Warbler.

There was no doubt as to the age of this bird. Demongin confirmed our assessment.

 The next round and finally we have managed to catch a Yellow-browed Warbler. This bird was fitted with a colour combination for a project that was started last year, hoping to discover where these autumn vagrants go after arriving in the UK.

Demongin didn't have much to say on ageing these little gems.

  With thanks to KW and team for opening in the dark and sharing their site. All necessary permits and permissions held for conducting bird captures, ringing and colour marking.

Total: 136 (17)

Blackcap - 60 (2)
Barred Warbler - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 2 (1)
Chaffinch - 3
Chiffchaff- - 25 (9)
Firecrest - 9 (2)
Goldcrest - 6 (2)
Meadow Pipit - 25
Robin - 3
Whitethroat - 1
Willow Warbler - 0 (1)
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1

Nanjizal, Cornwall - 1st October 2025

 Day six and the weather is still holding for us. Another 200+ bird day but no unusual species this morning.

Grasshopper Warbler, age 3

A few to be getting on with.

Meadow Pipits, adult above and juvenile below.

Meadow Pipit, age 3

Total: 232 (42)

Blackbird - 2 (2)
Blackcap - 88 (5)
Blue Tit - 4
Cetti's Warbler - 2 (4)
Chiffchaff - 68 (8)
Dunnock - 1 (1)
Firecrest - 19(10)
Garden Warbler -1
Goldcrest - 10 (4)
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (5)
Meadow Pipit - 19
Reed Warbler - 5
Robin - 5 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 2
Wren - 5 (1)

Nanjizal, Cornwall - 30th September 2025

 A chilly, misty start but the birds were still in the valley. We actually caught more than yesterday. We spent the afternoon walking at Kenidjack where there were very few birds to see. A visit to Pendeen churchyard where a Yellow-browed Warbler has been seen yielded a single call heard but no sight of the bird.

Total: 293 (23)

Blackbird - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 138 (4)
Blue Tit - 4 (3)
Cetti's Warbler - 3
Chaffinch - 2
Chiffchaff - 96 (5)
Firecrest - 18 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Goldcrest - 8 (4)
Great Tit - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 7
Reed Warbler - 4 (1)
Robin - 1 (3)
Sedge Warbler - 1
Song Thrush - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Wren - 6 (1)

Nanjizal, Cornwall - 29th September 2025

Very low wind today and looking good for a better catch from the first round. We ended up on 271 new and 24 retraps of 20 species. A lot were Blackcaps with Common Redstart, Common Nightingale and Coal Tit rather less commonly captured here. Off site 2:30pm

Common Nightingale age 3

3M Common Redstart

Total: 271 (24)

Blackbird - 0 (2)
Blackcap - 136 (5)
Blue Tit - 5
Cetti's Warbler - 1 (4)
Chaffinch - 5
Chiffchaff - 59 (4)
Coal Tit - 2
Dunnock - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Firecrest - 21 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Goldcrest - 10
Goldfinch - 1
Common Nightingale - 1
Common Redstart - 1
Reed Warbler - 2 (1)
Robin - 20 (2)
Sedge Warbler - 1 (1)
Wren - 1 (2)