Blakeney Point - 5th July 2025

 It was a clear, bright and very windy day as we trundled along the beach on our way to meet EMS and the team of wardens to find and mark Little Tern chicks. Two years ago there had been more than 50 of a suitable size to be ringed with darvics, although last year had been a disaster with an eventual mass desertion and there had been no attempt to ring any of the birds.

As we slowly walked the beach it became increasingly clear that this appeared to be another poor year. Apart from a handful of juveniles that had already fledged there were just a few very small chicks, too small to take  a ring, with 4 that could be marked and some nests still with eggs. The Black-headed gull numbers looked to be on the increase and their colony was rather too close to where the terns were nesting.

We were seeing adults bringing food in, and I hope that perhaps there are more nests and young in an area away from where we checked, although that doesn't seem very likely. There is a second colony that wasn't looked at and we hope that there will be more youngsters not far from fledging there.

Our time was limited and we ended having marked just 4 birds. An Oystercatcher chick was a bonus.

Total: 5

Little Tern - 4
Oystercatcher - 1

Sculthorpe Moor - 4th July 2025

 We caught 31 birds before closing at 11am due to a freshening wind. We tried a net in a new position where we often see birds moving into the reeds around the scrape. It turned out to be a good choice as one of the Sedge Warblers was carrying a ring from the French Museum de Paris scheme. This bird was almost certainly bred in the UK, possibly at Sculthorpe Moor, and would have been captured and ringed on the migration south through France. 

Sedge Warbler ringed under French ringing scheme

Museum de Paris ring

We will await details of where this bird was trapped and ringed. Every summer there is a massive ringing effort in France, trapping birds using the reedbeds as many sites are supporting efforts for the Acrola project, recording migrating Aquatic Warblers.

There were only three retraps with a lot of recently fledged birds turning up in the nets.

Juvenile Grasshopper Warbler

Of the 11 species represented there were juveniles of Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Grasshopper Warbler, Great Tit, Wren, Dunnock and Jay.

Totals: 28 (3)

Blackbird - 1
Blackcap - 1
Chiffchaff - 8
Dunnock - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Great Tit - 1
Jay - 1

Reed Warbler - 5
Sedge Warbler - 6 (2 including a French control)
Whitethroat - 1
Wren - 2 (1)

 

GPS tracking of Nightjars - 3rd July 2025

Today we spent more time on the project to confirm foraging areas for the Dersingham Bog Nightjars. This work is being undertaken as most feeding happens away from the breeding area and a project to increase areas of reedbed along the North Norfolk coast may affect the areas that Nightjars rely on.

GPS tracker being attached to the central tail feathers

Birds are processed as normal then have the tracker fitted. 

We managed to retrieve a fourth tracker and deploy a fifth. Trackers are fitted using a feather mount and must be retrieved about a week after fitting, or will fall off a couple of weeks later, should the bird not be recaptured. Retrieval is required in order to download the information. Routes taken on each night are shown separately and the retrieved tags are already informing on areas used, extending all the way to the coast and will help protect areas important for the Nightjars when the planning for extension of reedbeds is finalised.

All necessary endorsements to conduct this GPS tag fitting work held.

Norfolk Rivers Trust - Ingoldisthorpe 30th June 2025

 A restricted session due to the presence of a schedule 1 species, known to be nesting on site. We got just 4 nets up, away from the nest site to avoid creating any disturbance. The ringing of birds at this time of year is unusual here, but was undertaken to support sampling work on a variety of mainly warbler species in the county of Norfolk, looking for evidence of ongoing or past viral infections including Usutu virus, that are now found in some UK bird populations. The sampling process added no more than a few additional minutes before the birds could be released as usual.

Usutu virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and has been found, in very rare cases, to affect humans presumably following a bite from an infected insect.

A total of 22 birds were captured with 13 of these suitable for sampling. We started early and had nets down by 10:30am to avoid the warmer hours of the day.

Age 6 Woodpigeon (sampling of Wood Pigeon 

not within the study remit)

Total: 15 (7)

Blackcap - 5 (1)
Chiffchaff - 4 (1)
Reed Bunting - 0 (1)
Reed Warbler - 1 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 3 (1)
Song Thrush - 0 (1)
Wood Pigeon - 1
Wren - 1 (1)

Blakeney Point - 28th & 29th June 2025

 It continues to be a busy time as young birds edge closer to fledging. 6 young Oystercatchers ringed and marked with darvics on the point, courtesy of EMS & BIB .

Stock image taken on Blakeney Point 2024

Total:8

Oystercatcher - 8

Gull and Tern ringing Scolt Head, Norfolk - 25th June 2025

Fine weather allowed this session to target young Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gull at the colony on Scolt Head to go ahead, and be fitted with darvic rings, allowing data to be collected without the need to recapture birds. Information on survival rates, movements and longevity will be collected by observations of interested individuals for years to come.

The planning for this day started months ago with much preparation to ensure a smooth process on the day. The Scolt Head warden selected the date based on chicks being close to fledging to maximise the chances of birds successfully leaving the colony, weather and good tides to bring the equipment and team over to the colony, also assembling a team from Natural England to support the ringers with the capture and marking efforts.

The team consisted of ringers representing Iceni Bird Monitoring Group collaborating with National Trust and Natural England personnel. All necessary permits, endorsements and permissions to carry out this work held.

Over the course of the day 323 birds were marked with darvic rings. This is the first large scale colour ringing effort for gulls and Sandwich Terns in Norfolk for several years.

The birds will be dispersing from the colony soon and sightings of birds in this project can be reported on  https://iceni.shinyapps.io/sightings/ to get an immediate report history of the bird seen.

The Sandwich Terns have green darvics starting K followed by a second letter then a number in white, Mediterranean Gulls have yellow rings starting 2 followed by 3 numbers in black, and Black-headed Gulls have red rings starting 2C or 2H followed by two numbers printed in white. Full details are on the European colour ring birding website. For colour ring projects details see European colour ring birding

Totals: 323

Black-headed Gull - 112
Mediterranean Gull - 83
Sandwich Tern - 128

Resightings of Little Terns YN(BAV) and YN(BCH) at Beacon Ponds, Kilnsea - June 2025

Two of the Little Terns hatched on Blakeney Point in 2023 have been sighted in the colony at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire.

They have now reached an age where they are likely to make a breeding attempt. Last year, BCH was seen at Gronant, Wales in the breeding colony. An unexpected observation as young birds do not usually migrate all the way back to the UK after their first winter.

Many thanks to Tate Lloyd, assistant warden for the observations and images. We hope there may be further records of these terns throughout the breeding season.

Dersingham Bog - 23th June 2025

 We needed to try to retrieve the GPS trackers today, so against our better judgement and despite the strong wind gave it a go.

The first nest went very well, female retrapped and tracker retrieved. Two chicks also ringed.

First tracker retrieval accomplished

The second nest was in a much too windy location, and as she is still on eggs we'll try her tomorrow.

The third nest had a sitting bird that we managed to catch. However, it turned out to be the male rather than female. He was not GPS tagged as the chicks have virtually no down left and are fully feathered. They should fledge soon and tracking him is likely to result in non-retrieval of the GPS device. We'll look again tomorrow to see if she is back.

He was a recapture, ringed on the nest on 24th June 2016.

We also ringed and wing-tagged a nest of three Marsh Harrier. All were males.

Totals: 7 (2)

Marsh Harrier - 3 pulli

Nightjar - 4 pulli (2 adults, 1 had GPS tracker retrieved)

Oystercatchers - 20th June 2025

 A call from Anglian Water staff to notify us that the Oystercatchers at Fakenham Sewage Works have two largish youngsters and within a couple of days we're on site to mark them for the project.

Capture was quite quick and they were soon back, wandering around the filterbeds under the watchful eye of their parents.

Total: 2

Oystercatcher (pulli) - 2

Sculthorpe Moor - 20th June 2025

 Fledging is well underway on the moor. Today along with Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Wren, Great Tit and Blue Tit young, we caught a second female juvenile Kingfisher that had been bred on the reserve and the first absolute proof that Grasshopper Warbler have managed to get young off.

Juvenile Grasshopper Warbler

3F Kingfisher

It is sad that the Marsh Harriers appear to have failed, neither adult having been seen near the nest site for some days now, however other avian families are doing better.

Total: 19 (5)

Blackcap - 4
Blue Tit - 1
Bullfinch - 1
Chiffchaff - 1 (1)
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Great Tit - 1
Kingfisher - 1
Marsh Tit - 0 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 6 (3)
Reed Warbler - 1
Wren - 2

Dersingham Bog, Nightjar project - 17th June 2025

We are thrilled to be working with Natural England to learn more about Nightjar foraging routes beyond Dersingham Bog, and grateful to Greg Conway of the British Trust for Ornithology for training with regard to fitting and removal of GPS trackers.

We managed to catch three birds and fit tags that will record their movements. Most feeding occurs away from the breeding grounds, so knowledge of areas used by the birds is important, in order to preserve those sites in future years. One area of particular concern is the plan to increase the amount of reedbed along the North Norfolk coast as that may inadvertently destroy areas that the Nightjars depend on for feeding.

GPS tag fitted on adult female

 It is necessary to recapture the bird usually within a week or two, in order to collect the data before the tag falls off, so this work will require a sustained effort during the summer.

Total: 2 (1)

Nightjar - 2 (1) - all received GPS feather mounted trackers.

Marsh Harrier wing tagging - 17th June 2025

 There have been a few disappointments regarding Marsh Harrier this year. A few pairs didn't return to their usual areas and some known nests were predated. It was therefore a relief to tag a brood of three this afternoon. There was a definite male (requiring an F ring) and female (requiring the slightly larger G ring), with a third bird that had a toe span measurement that might have been either male or female. In such cases it is usual to err on the side of caution and fit the larger ring. In this case the weight and wing measurement pointed to it being a female.

Tag fitting of first chick, a definite female.

Processing complete, the chick is ready to be re bagged and wait 

while the other siblings are processed. 

The male weighed 470g compared to the other two at 620g & 670g

The final chick, measured, ringed, tagged and ready for return to the nest.

Total: 3

Marsh Harrier pulli - 3

Sculthorpe Moor - 16th June 2025

 

Captures totalled 31 today, including a Reed Warbler recorded for the third consecutive year. There were juveniles of several species, Wren, Kingfisher, Blue, Great, Coal Tit and also a young Marsh Tit that was fitted with a darvic for the ongoing project.

Some of the Long-tailed and Blue Tits are already starting their primary moult confirming that they've finished breeding.

4M Reed Warbler

Juvenile Marsh Tit

4M Whitethroat

Total: 22 (9)

Blue Tit - 6 (1)
Chiffchaff - 2 (2)
Coal Tit - 1
Great Tit - 3 (1)
Kingfisher - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 2 (2)

Marsh Tit - 1
Reed Warbler - 2 (1)
Robin - 1
Whitethroat - 1
Wren - 2 (2)

Deepdale Farm - 14th June 2025

 After some heavy rain in the night it was quite still at 6am, but soon began to get windier as forecast. Despite the light showers that affected us between about 08:30am and 10:00am, that had not been in the forecast, we managed without any problems and finished on 31 birds.

Recaptures included a Chiffchaff ringed as a 3J in 2022 and caught every year since and a male Yellowhammer ringed in 2022 and not seen since its recapture in June of that year.

Known age Yellowhammer, hatch year 2021

A new Yellowhammer, aged 5, had changed part of its tail.

There were some nice captures of juvenile Long-tailed Tit and Robin, out in largish groups and without any apparent parental supervision.

Red Kite nest, probably with chicks from the behaviour of the adults, also located.

Total: 26 (5)

Blackcap - 1
Blue Tit - 2
Chiffchaff - 5 (2)
Dunnock - 2
Goldcrest - 0 (1)
Long-tailed Tit - 9
Robin - 6
Whitethroat - 0 (1)
Yellowhammer - 1 (1)

Sculthorpe Moor, Hawk & Owl Trust - 13th June 2025

 Today we met up with Chris's trainee DW for Barn Owl ringing at the trust. One box with a video feed was known to have two owlets, pretty good going in a season when so many boxes are being found without eggs. There were also two other boxes to check with a third known to have recently fledged Jackdaws.

The owlets were assessed at 37 and 45 days old so their two eggs would have had other eggs laid between the laying dates. There was a single addled egg.

The older female chick getting a ring.

The second box had a pair exit the box as we approached. It seemed likely that there would be no chicks, but there were, about three weeks behind the family in the first box. They will need another visit in a few weeks.

The final box looked as though squirrels were the culprits that have filled the box with sticks. This box will be emptied later in the year along the one from the meadow that had Jackdaws earlier.

Total: 2

Barn Owl - 2

Norfolk Rivers Trust - Ingoldisthorpe 9th June 2025

 The wind was just low enough to allow a restricted mist netting session ( avoiding any risk of disturbing the nesting Marsh Harrier). The nest was also checked, via use of a drone, and the young found to be too young for ringing and tagging just yet. We were fairly sure, from another female's behaviour, there is a second nest close by but nothing could be found

We got a 9m up over the chalk stream, two 18m, 3 panel nets on the first bund after the base area, and a 12m net behind where the cars were parked.

Considering the limited number of nets up, a total of 28 birds wasn't bad. These included 5 retraps including a female Reed Warbler ringed as as an adult in2023. The number was swelled by a few recently fledged tits, and a Robin, Treecreeper and Blackcap.

Juvenile Treecreeper

Juvenile Robin

Juvenile Blackcap

Total: 23 (5)

Blackcap - 4 (1)
Blue Tit - 1
Dunnock - 1
Great Tit - 6
Long-tailed Tit - 3
Reed Bunting - 0 (1)
Reed Warbler - 2 (1)
Robin - 2
Sedge Warbler - 1 (2)
Song Thrush - 1
Treecreeper - 1
Wren - 1

Deepdale Farm, Open Farm Sunday - 1st June 2025

The day started with a ringing demonstration at 8:30am. We had 4 nets up in the rides most sheltered from the SW breeze. We had a few birds that were caught shortly after the nets went up, that had to be processed and returned due to the possibility that young were being feed.

It turned out to be a slightly odd, if brief session. First bird was a 3JJ Chiffchaff that was returned to the area where it had leapt into a net as the adults were calling in that area and probably feeding it before the bird becoming independent following fledging. The next bird was a retrap Blackcap, ringed at an adjacent ringing site by another group in August 2021. Since that time it has been recorded at Hilly Piece on three occasions, although not in 2023. The second half of that Blackcap pairing was a bird hatched last year that we had already ringed in April of this year. The next bird was an adult Dunnock.

By this point we had been joined by the six people booked in for the demonstration. First of all they were able to see two Whitethroats, then two lesser Whitethroats. Then an adult Wren, another Whitethroat and finally a Blue Tit already with a BP 5 and in full primary moult.

They seemed to find the session very interesting, although none were able to video a release successfully as the birds were just too fast. While taking the nets down we caught another pair of Blackcaps, this time a new male and a female that had been ringed by us on the same day as the first Blackcap female.

We were quite surprised to find a bird already well into wing moult on 1st June 2025.

Whitethroat

Totals: 10 (3)

Blackcap - 1 (3)
Blue Tit - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Dunnock - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Whitethroat - 3
Wren - 1

Then once the nets were down we joined the exhibitors down at the farm and set up our stand with information and equipment linked to Iceni Bird Monitoring Group and some informative leaflets, miniature bird boxes and stuffed owls on loan from the Hawk and Owl Trust, Sculthorpe Moor. The day was very well attended and there was a great deal of interest in the work of the Hawk and Owl Trust and projects and monitoring undertaken by Iceni Bird Monitoring Group.

Sculthorpe Moor - 31st May 2025

 Monitoring at the beaver enclosure gave us 15 captures, a third of which were retraps. Very pleased, in particular, to reconnect with Reed Warbler BDC6025 that was ringed here in July 2023.

Still only one juvenile from this year, a 3JJ Dunnock.

4M Chiffchaff NTV583

Total: 10 (5)

Blackbird - 1
Chiffchaff - 2 (3)
Dunnock - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Reed Warbler - 1 (1)
Robin - 1
Sedge Warbler - 2
Wren - 1 (1)

Poland - 15th to 23rd May 2025 - part 2 Biebrza Marshes

Valdi helped with some information for the marshes site. We knew that there had been no snow last winter and fields, usually wet, would be completely dry. Added to this there had been no records of Aquatic Warbler at a regular and usually easy site this year so the chances of the main three marshes specialities of Citrine Wagtail, Bluethroat and Aquatic Warbler may be a struggle with so little water on the fields.

We picked up a few extra species around the villages in the marshes, Kestrel, Rook and Jackdaw having been species missing in the earlier location.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Efforts here would mostly centre on seeing Citrine Wagtail, Bluethroat and Aquatic Warbler. None would be new to us, but rarely seen unless abroad nonetheless. 

We tried a broadwalk that was actually closed. It was terribly dry and there could be no chance of Bluethroat there so resorted to looking at insect life.

Orange Tip

The amount of Mistletoe in deciduous trees was impressive.

We tried some pools around the Russian built Osowiec 2 Fort, finding a few damselflies and some Downy Emerald Dragonflies. We could hear Golden Oriole in the nearby trees and saw a few crossing between clusters of trees.

Osowiec 2 Fort

Downy Emerald

The first true marsh site we tried was a stretch of open area near Mscichy. There was water in the roadside ditch but little across the open area out to the rank vegetation where the Aquatic Warblers might be. We didn't see Bluethroat or Citrine Wagtail. We could catch snatches of Aquatic Warbler song but the birds were very distant and it was impossible to link the song to a distant bird on a stick although we though we had seen at least one poorly.

Singing Aquatic close to the nearest bush on the right was 

difficult to see, even with a 'scope.

Mallard

Looking from the bridge at Dobarz we saw some quite close Common Cranes and a foraging White Stork, Green Sandpiper and a Cuckoo. There had been several Cuckoo at Mscichy on our second and  evening visit and the reedbed breeders were taking quite a hammering from the parasitic birds.

Common Cranes

White Stork

European Cuckoo

We started the next day at Mscichy again, but not singing Aquatic and only a poor view of a silhouetted Bluethroat. We couldn't say whether it was a red or white spotted form from what we could see. Next, a morning walk by the River Bug brought an excellent View of reeling Savi's Warbler.

Savi's Warbler

River Bug

Trees of the Red Bog

Lily of the Valley

Chris had been checking reports on E-Bird and it looked as though our only chance of decent Aquatic views might be from a certain bridge, so we decided to give it a go. On the way we passed a field, clearly wet and a real contrast to what we were usually seeing with 77 Black-tailed Godwit. We found the bridge and noticed 3 figures off in the distance. Clearly from the habitat, looking from the bridge would be fruitless. Rain was approaching so we donned plastic coats, took the 'scope and headed towards them.

Black-tailed Godwits

We made our way, through a very wet field, one of us without wellingtons got wet feet, and stopped a few metres from the rank vegetation that the Aquatics favour. We heard one before long and tracked it down. A Quail was also heard and six Blue-headed Wagtail seen.

We spoke to the three French birders, having got them onto the Aquatic and got info for a Citrine Wagtail and Bluethroats near their hotel. They had tried the well known Aquatic site just the day before and seen nothing.

Aquatic Warbler

After the rain, this Aquatic site seen from the road.

Little Owl

As we drove back to the hotel it was close to 9:00pm and dark. There were several Woodcock coming out onto the road through the forest.

Our last birding day and we started at the river site by the hotel mentioned to us last night.

Finally, Citrine Wagtail, albeit a female. Swiftly followed by a decent Bluethroat view.

Citrine Wagtail

Male of Bluethroat pair

Our last stop was at the Dluga Luka Broadwalk. This is a well known site where Aquatics are usually seen very close up. Sadly, there had been none seen there this year, in fact the French birders had tried two days before and seen none. We still decided to go to see this quite famous site for the iconic birds. It really looked unpromising as we arrived, but we walked up anyway getting close views of Tree Pipit and Whinchat.

Marsh Harrier

Whinchat

Tree Pipit

Then we caught the unmistakeable song of Aquatic Warbler.

                                 

                             

There were two singing males and a female. The three engaged in quite a lot of following one another through the grass and inspecting grass clumps. This was not feeding behaviour but prospecting for suitable nest sites. Ours was the first observation of these birds at this site in 2025.

We let Valdi know as soon as we got back to the car, then began the drive back to Warsaw via a site he had given us for Black Woodpecker.

We managed to locate the nest hole due to a very vocal youngster. We gave it 45 minutes but no adults returned to the well grown chick that seemed to be the last of the young at the nest. It eventually fledged at 13:05pm. 

Black Woodpecker nest hole and chick

This site was fantastic with Wryneck, Golden Oriole, Hoopoe, Buzzard, Great Grey Shrike, Tree Pipit and Thrush Nightingale also present.

Finally on our way, there was one more species seen just before we joined the main road, Northern Wheatear. The trip gave us 148 species over 8 days, only one being a lifer for us both.