Trying for Turnstones - 16th December 2025

 It has become increasingly difficult to catch Turnstones at Sheringham, in part due to the siting of a sauna cart, that attracts sea swimmers in the winter and includes a basket of burning coals where we used to catch them. On top of this more and more people are feeding them. The birds recognise individuals and while at Sheringham we saw evidence of bread being flung from the promenade, seed sprinkled under benches as well as seeing three other people leave food out for the Turnstones. Despite arriving early, before most dog walkers were about, they were not hungry enough to be tempted near the walk in trap.

So, on then to Walcott where birds are always on the refurbished beach or walking on the concrete sea wall. With this amount of food left out there really is little hope for us. Furthest offering is oats and the closest breadcrumbs. 

We did manage to record JCT, a bird caught in October.

Black-headed Gull, 3rd year wintering at Mill Pond, Pembrook - 14th December 2025

 

Report of 2C19 received today. This bird was ringed in the garden of our house in Little Snoring, Norfolk on June 6th 2022. Since that time the bird has been seen at the Mill Pond, Pembrook on 19th December 2023, at Pensthorpe, Norfolk in April 2024 (only a few miles up the road from where it was ringed) and back at the Mill Pond in January of this year. The bird was adult when ringed and this is the third winter it has been recorded in Pembrook. Many thanks to the observers Bob and Annie Haycock for the report and photograph.

Sculthorpe Moor - 13th December 2025

 A try for roosting birds resulted in 19 new Reed Buntings and a recaptured bird ringed at Morston in October. There have been some very nice records of birds moving between sites as we focus on getting darvic rings on birds for the project. We haven't been able to get a ring readable in the field on all of these  but current total for new Reed Buntings in 2025 stands at 223.

Total: 19 (1)

A farm in North West Norfolk - 13th December 2025

 As we arrived in the semi dark there were large flocks of Fieldfare, Redwing and Blackbird feeding on the ample harvest of Hawthorn berries. We got three singles up and a double to try for finches using the wild bird seed crop. It was noticeable that the thrushes were soon on their way, including those well away from where we were working and we concluded that these were migratory flocks moving through as we had seen a few weeks earlier at Whinhill Orchard. We did quite well, considering the double failed to net a single bird, and the surrounding area became shrouded in mist for part of the morning.

Joined by LC we processed 34 new and 3 recaptured birds. Highlights were 5 Redwing, 5 Chaffinch and 8 Blackbirds including some very nice examples of continental birds.

3M Blackbird

Redwing

Total: 34 (3)

Blackbird - 8
Blue Tit - 12 (2)
Chaffinch - 5
Dunnock - 2 (1)
Great Tit - 1
Redwing - 5
Robin - 1

 

Deepdale Farm - 12th December 2025

 It's really not that cold still so we tried a night session using the thermal imager and a single net for owls.

My efforts failed, again so sign of Barn Owl, a common theme of my attempts for owls this season, then a couple of male Tawny Owl that sat up in trees either side of the net but refused to come any further. The squeaky mouse sound was no more successful.

Thankfully Chris did rather better returning with two Skylarks and and two Woodcock for his efforts.

Skylark

Woodcock, primary coverts showing typical terminal pattern of juvenile birds.

Total: 4

Skylark - 2
Woodcock - 2

A farm in North Norfolk - 7th December 2025

 We started the morning with a couple of Woodcock flying over in the semi-dark before any nets were set. We have seen fewer birds on the wild seed crop these last couple of sessions, but today's catch was interesting nonetheless with two very unexpected Chiffchaff captured along the hedge where buntings wait between forays into the seed crop. This is a very unusual capture for December, one being the Scandinavian abietinus race, and they were not associating with either of the Lotti flocks that managed to find our nets.

Age 4 Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus c.abietinus) Sandinavian race

Paler underneath than collybita, olive upper parts 

Age 3 Chiffchaff ( Phylloscopus c. collybita)

Male Yellowhammer

Another Reed Bunting for the darvic marked project

Total: 29 (13)

Blackbird - 1
Blue Tit - 0 (4)
Chiffchaff - 2
Dunnock - 4
Long-tailed Tit - 8 (7)
Reed Bunting - 8
Robin - 0 (2)
Wren - 2
Yellowhammer - 4

Whinhill Orchard, Stanhoe - 5th December 2025

 A reconnaissance visit to see whether there are winter thrushes on the windfalls. We weren't expecting much as there are so many berries on hawthorns just about everywhere, and incoming migrants have a great deal to eat without moving far from the coast. We still decided to have a look as there was a ground frost over night and apples on the ground.

The nets were put up under the gaze of the Cold moon, the last super moon of the year. 

Cold moon over the orchard.

We heard a few Fieldfare around but apart from a group that dropped in briefly then moved on, there was little actively feeding in the orchard. Blackbirds were very few and far between. We heard a single Redwing.

We only just made it into double figures, seven Greenfinch was a real bonus and we did manage to catch one Fieldfare, somehow.

3 male Greenfinch (above) with 4 female below.

4F Fieldfare

If it gets colder the orchard might come into its own later, as long as there are birds around.

Total: 10

Chaffinch - 1
Dunnock - 1
Fieldfare - 1
Greenfinch - 7

A farm in North Norfolk - 3rd December 2025

A rather disappointing day, only 17 birds captured. The early mist didn't help and the best thing about the morning was probably listening to the sound of the seals carrying from Blakeley Point.

Total: 12 (7)

Blue Tit - 1 (1)
Dunnock - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (1)
Reed Bunting - 6 (2)
Robin - 3 (1)
Wren - 1

Titchwell - 2nd December 2025

We spent the morning at Titchwell and started off on the meadow trail looking for Firecrest and Chiffchaff. We got side tracked by news that the Bittern was showing well at Patty's Pool and had really good views.

We managed to find two Firecrest and several Chiffchaffs including at least one very pale 'tristis' individual.

There were plenty of Robins prepared to get close, used to visitors picnicking and offering crumbs.

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