Morston - 9th September 2025

 We took our chance to get nets up at the coast. The wind had calmed and any unusual birds that may have been around when flycatchers were popping up along the coast a few days before were long gone. We were surprised to find it rather quiet when we arrived and there were very few captures until around 8'o'clock when we started to see birds feeding along the ditch and in the bramble clumps.

There appeared to have been an influx of Dunnocks and Robins, as there are usually few Dunnocks about and this is the first time we've recorded or even seen Robin there.  Top species was Chiffchaff and a Stonechat and two Reed Buntings were marked for the respective darvic marked projects.

3M Reed Bunting

Thanks to PWL & LC for completing our team of 4.

Total: 38 (2)

Blackcap - 5
Blue Tit - 6
Chiffchaff - 11
Dunnock - 8 (1)
Reed Bunting - 2
Robin - 3
Stonechat - 1
Whitethroat - 1
Wren - 1

Sculthorpe Moor - 8th September 2025

 A quiet morning with only 18 birds processed. Leading species of Blue Tit, quite a late Sedge Warbler, with Cetti's Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat the best of the bunch that were all juveniles.

Cetti's Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

Total: 18

Blackcap - 4
Blue Tit - 6
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 3
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
Wren - 1

Dersingham Bog - 6th September 2025

 A few hours this morning focussing on Stonechats and we managed to catch 10. All were marked with red darvics for the project. A few individuals with interesting plumage.

This adult male shows white across the rump as does the following.

Both birds are in full moult, including primary feathers so not quite as smart as usual.

Total:10

Stonechat - 10

Morston - 5th September 2025

 The wind's from the wrong direction for vagrants but our departing summer migrants are skirting the coast so we gave this lovely site within a stones throw of the beach a go with PWL.

The bulk of the catch were migrants with Whitethroat making up just under a third of the catch including a somewhat tardy adult. Blackcaps outnumbered Chiffchaff just, and 4 new Stonechat have us thinking that these are also possibly birds on passage. Linnets, Dunnocks and Wrens represented the resident birds and a Cetti's Warbler was a real surprise, unlikely to have been bred there or nearby and probably on the move.

Adult Whitethroat

Juvenile Cetti's Warbler

3M Stonechat

3JP Stonechat

The winter bird feed crop is coming along nicely.

Total: 33 (2)

Blackcap - 6
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 4
Dunnock - 3 (1)
Linnet - 3
Stonechat - 4
Whitethroat - 9 (1)
Wren - 3

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe - 2nd September 2025

 An unexpected first for the group, captured in the third panel of the net. Water rail.

Adult Water rail

Only three Reed Warbler today and all the Sedge already on their way. A few Blackcaps (highest fat score 5) and Chiffchaff representing the outgoing summer migrants.

10 species in total.

Chiffchaff

3M Goldcrest

Total: 28 (3)

Blackcap - 9
Blue Tit - 3
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (1)
Chiffchaff - 8
Dunnock - 0 (1)
Goldcrest - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 1
Reed Warbler - 2 (1)
Water Rail - 1
Wren - 3

Morston - 28th August 2025

 Spent the morning in fields by the coastal wall, with LC, trying to catch departing migrants. Chris has thought for a while that birds move to the coast, then make their way east before making the flight to the continent.

It looks as though he's correct as in contrast to the 2, 3, or less Whitethroats we've been getting inland we captured 15 with many more seen in the bramble bushes.

3O Whitethroat, Fat 4, Muscle 2, weight 19.4g

Juvenile Stonechat marked for the Natural England project.

A wind affected catch, but an enjoyable morning.

Total: 27

Blackcap - 2
Blue Tit - 6
Dunnock - 2
Stonechat - 2
Whitethroat - 15

Sculthorpe Moor - 27th August 2025

It wasn't long before the wind got up today, bringing the last of the Wednesday activity days in August to a close. The reedbed was quiet, and only 23 birds were captured. The bonus was our 2nd Willow Warbler of the year, although there were not many children around to see it or the birds that we did catch.

Willow Warbler, aged 3

Total: 22 (1)

Blackcap - 3
Blue Tit - 6
Chiffchaff - 3
Reed Warbler - 3 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Wren - 5

Norfolk Rivers Trust , Ingoldisthorpe Lagoons - 23rd August 2025

 A morning joined by LC to monitor our prime summer site. There were still some summer migrants here, Chiffchaff and Blackcap into double figures and a small numbers of juvenile Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warbler still about. 

One of three Reed Buntings marked with darvic rings.

Totals: 45 (8)

Blackcap - 14
Blue Tit - 5 (1)
Chiffchaff - 12
Dunnock - 1 (2)
Reed Warbler - 2 (3)
Reed Bunting - 3
Robin - 2 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 3
Whitethroat - 2 (1)
Wren - 2

Sculthorpe Moor - 22nd August 2025

 It was too windy for the ringing demo on Wednesday, so  CL and myself went along to complete the usual monitoring today. We only got 33 birds as the summer migrant species all seem to be well on their way to departing for warmer climes, only 3 Chiffs, 2 Blacas and a Reed Warbler captured.

We got another Marsh Tit for the darvic marked sample and the most interesting aspect of the day was a further 4 Kingfisher captures, two new and two re-trapped, one that had been ringed at Pensthorpe on 26th July. All were juveniles. This takes our Kingfisher total to 10 for the year, 8 of them from Sculthorpe.

Juvenile male Kingfisher

Cetti's Warbler 

Bullfinch

Marsh Tit

Totals: 27 (6)

Blackcap - 2
Blue Tit - 6 (2)
Bullfinch - 3
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 3
Kingfisher - 2 (2)
Reed Warbler - 1
Robin - 2 (1)
Marsh Tit - 1 (1)
Wren - 6

Deepdale Farm - 20 August 2025

 Rather blowy and very, very quiet today. Only 10 birds processed.

Total: 9 (1)

Blackcap - 1
Blue Tit - 1
Coal Tit - 2
Dunnock - 1
Great Tit - 0 (1)
Robin - 2
Whitethroat - 2

Ring reading at Snettisham- 18th August 2025

 It wasn't a particularly high tide today, but sufficient to get some of the terns and gulls close enough for colour rings to be read. The Black-tailed Godwits were also on the pits so, although there were plenty that we couldn't get the codes or full combinations for we also recorded quite a few birds from other projects, and also found YN(2144) one of our own Med Gull juveniles from Scolt Head just along the coast.

2144, ringed at Scolt Head 25 June, fledging date 17th July and reported

 from Snettisham 13th and 18th August

3VH1

EE03

3X3J

Left Red Red Right Lime Yellow (H)

Left White over Lime Right White over Orange Flag

    Just a few of the project birds seen, details awaited for most of then

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe Lagoons - 15th August 2025

 A total of 52 birds processed at the lagoons today. Adult migrant species are very thin on the ground now. Only one adult Reed Warbler with any other adults being resident birds.

Some notable singles today, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher and Wood Pigeon in addition to a Robin. Leading species of the day, Blackcap. Team of CL & DKL.

3M Sparrowhawk

3M Kingfisher

Reed Bunting with UW(CL) darvic, no doubt who was to process this bird!

Total: 49 (3)

Blackcap - 13
Blue Tit - 3
Chiffchaff - 8
Dunnock - 5 (1)
Kingfisher - 1
Reed Bunting - 2
Reed Warbler - 7 (2)
Robin - 1
Sedge Warbler - 2
Whitethroat - 5
Wood Pigeon - 1

Dersingham Bog - 14th August 2025

 An evening spent in pursuit of Stonechats. We did quite well, marking 5 with darvics and even captured a juvenile Nightjar.

The first Stonechat was very interesting with dark feathers in the axillary pit. 

   

3M Stonechat

A juvenile female Nightjar rounded the evening off nicely.

Total: 7

Nightjar - 1
Stonechat - 5
Whitethroat - 1

Sculthorpe Moor - 13th August 2025

 Discovery day at Sculthorpe Moor, the second of four being held every Wednesday throughout August.
We were concerned about the heat and began taking nets in very open areas down from 10:30am to avoid birds being in nets for too long as the heat intensity increased.

That didn't stop us catching plenty of birds to show the children, and their fascinated adults. Three Kingfishers on the day was most definitely an unexpected bonus.

Total:51 (5)

Blackcap - 4 (1)
Blue Tit - 3
Chiffchaff - 8 (1)
Great Tit - 4
Kingfisher - 3
Marsh Tit - 1 (1)
Reed Warbler - 19 (2)
Sedge Warbler - 4
Whitethroat - 1
Wren - 4

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe Lagoons - 10th August 2025

 A total of 68 birds today with 15 species on the record sheet. It was unusual to capture a Garden Warbler as we see very few across all the sites that we work. Lesser Whitethroat was another species that don't feature heavily in our catches. Leading species was Reed Warbler, juveniles bar for a single individual. A juvenile Yellowhammer proved breeding to have taken place fairly locally.

Garden Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

Yellowhammer

Total: 64 (4)

Blackbird - 2
Blackcap - 8
Blue Tit - 4
Chiffchaff - 12
Dunnock - 1
Garden Warbler - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Reed Bunting - 2
Reed Warbler - 15 (1)
Robin - 1
Sedge Warbler - 6 (2)
Song Thrush - 1
Whitethroat - 6 (1)
Wren - 3
Yellowhammer - 1

Deepdale Farm - 8th August 2025

 A bit on the windy side and with no takers for the session, we switched to a smaller site that would afford some shelter from the stiff breeze. 

Only 21 birds captured, although a large flock of Long-tailed Tits that completely missed all nets could have swelled the total quite a bit. Whitethroats were particularly interesting as the mainly young birds made up almost half of the catch. Pleased to get a Lesser Whitethroat as this is the site where we are most likely to encounter them.

Lesser Whitethroat juvenile

One of 8 juvenile Whitethroat on the day.

Total: 18 (3)

Blackbird - 1
Blackcap - 1 (2)
Blue Tit - 1
Dunnock - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 9 (1)
Wren - 4
 

Barn Owl boxes - 7th August 2025

 A last visit of the season to two boxes where owlets were too small to ring on the first visit. There were still 3 and 4 in the two boxes. Weights were good and feeding seems to be going well.

Four siblings, youngest to oldest.

Total: 7

Barn Owl pulli 7

This brings our total on this large estate to 25 ringed young from 15 boxes in use. A further 6 young had fledged prior to our visits earlier in July. The owls here seem to be doing okay, unlike so many other areas in the UK.