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

Burnham Deepdale - 11th August 2026

 The site seemed rather quiet as the five nets were set up. Perhaps it was due to the two roosting Barn Owls that we disturbed, or maybe just because the breeding birds had finished. The Chiffchaffs had certainly gone and apart from a handful of adult Tits all the captures were juveniles.

Blackcap

Whitethroat

Coal Tit

3M Green Woodpecker

Total: 48 (3)

Blackbird - 1
Blackcap - 10 (1)
Blue Tit - 2
Coal Tit - 5
Goldcrest - 0 (1)
Great Tit - 1 (1)
Green Woodpecker - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 6
Robin - 2
Song Thrush - 1
Whitethroat - 13
Wren - 5

Ringstead Down - 10th August 2026

 An afternoon walk in between a very nice lunch at the Castle Rising tearooms and not so pleasant shopping at Tesco's in Fakenham. There had been a Queen of Spain Fritillary seen there, but that wasn't the reason for the visit since Chris found and photographed the Queen of Spain at Holkham a few weeks ago and had seen the Ringstead ones previously. We were just looking at butterflies and dragonflies in general and enjoying an unusual area of North Norfolk countryside not usually seen.

Clouded Yellow

Hummingbird Hawkmoth at rest

A real blast from the past - old NWT sign and logo

Red Admiral

Ringstead Down

Chalkhill Blue

Small White

Wall

Migrant Hawker

Many of the wild flowers have gone over now and apart from whites, butterflies are not as plentiful as a few weeks ago. We didn't find the Fritillary but were very pleased with the Chalkhill Blue. Fingers crossed for a second Norfolk colony.

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe - 9th August 2026

 A few hours spent between 18:30 hrs and dusk gave us 55 birds. Having worked the roost a few times now we set just three nets, a single 18m and a double using 12m nets.

As usual we got a few Acrocephalus warblers before the Pied Wagtails began to drop in, and as is usual for them, many plummeted down straight into the reeds. Only a few flew around for a bit before settling down and we got 7 of those.

The Swallows formed up into a flock of 120 or so birds, disappeared off for a short while then began coming in when the light was failing. We ended up with 34, around a third of which were adult.

Total: 53 (2)

Pied Wagtail - 7
Reed Warbler - 6 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 6 (1)
Swallow - 34

Sculthorpe Moor - 9th August 2026

 A session on a day when temperatures were forecast to get quite high in the afternoon. We did the usual 6am start and had all nets in before 11:30am, by which time the temperature was already building and fewer birds being seen and less bird song heard.

We finished on 56 birds of 13 species.

Juvenile Willow Warbler

Juvenile Jay

3F Kingfisher

Total: 52 (4)

Blackcap - 4
Blue Tit - 2
Chiffchaff - 16 (1)
Jay - 3
Kingfisher - 1
Marsh Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit -  3
Reed Warbler - 8 (1)
Robin - 3
Sedge Warbler - 2 (1)
Whitethroat - 4
Willow Warbler - 1
Wren - 4 (1)

Sculthorpe Moor - Evening of 6th, morning of 7th August 2026.

 The evening session was to try and reconnect with Reed Warblers ringed there over the past couple of years but there was only one retrapped. We tried for Swallows, but as usual there was little interest in the tape and the few birds that were attracted soon headed off to where ever the established and preferred local roost site is. We're not sure whether they go to a place on the reserve or not but we do not see evidence of the usual pre roost flight so most probably not.

The next morning we were joined by LC and put up three doubles through an area of reedbed near the wildflower meadow. There were plenty of Chiffchaffs with added Sylvia and Acrocephalus warblers. Of the entire morning catch, there was only one adult summer migrant bird, a Reed Warbler, a good indicator that adults are returning south already.

Juvenile Sedge Warbler 06/08/2026

Juvenile Chiffchaff 07/08/2026

Evening 6th Total: 10 (1)

Reed Warbler - 5 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 5

Morning 7th Total: 55 (2)

Blackcap - 6
Chiffchaff - 30
Reed Warbler - 9
Robin - 2
Sedge Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 3
Wren - 4 

Norfolk Rivers Trust - Ingoldisthorpe 1st August 2026

 

An evening effort for birds coming in to the reeds to roost. There were generally fewer birds around and the Greenfinch approached the trees from a different direction to last time and we didn't get any at all. The Swallows and Pied Wagtails made the effort worthwhile and nine new Sedge Warblers were a bonus. 

Total: 34 (4)

Blackcap - 2
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Pied Wagtail - 7
Reed Warbler - 1 (4)
Sedge Warbler - 9
Swallow - 11
Whitethroat - 2

Stafford Road open space Ruislip Gardens - 31st July 2026

 Not a proper sortie, but after a meal with our son and staying in Reading dropped in hoping for Brown Hairstreak.

Most of the flowers had already gone over and despite very careful hunting only one, with a damaged wing, to Chris' disappoint, could be found.

Brown Hairstreak (photographed from the best side)

Time then to head home navigating numerous hold ups and diversions.

Cumbria - 28th to 31st July 2026

 It's been so awkward finding consistently good conditions to see Scotch Argus and manage it is a day we decided to book a few nights away and take a couple of days over it. 

28th July

We drove up on the 28th, a five hour drive and began with Arnside Knott.

We found a few near the tops, mostly hidden in the grass. This site has ticks and I picked up a great deal, them presumably being attracted to my pale trousers that might be mistaken for a sheep. With trousers tucked into socks, most were on the outside of my clothing. Chris got rather less.

Scotch Argus

Grayling

Painted Lady

Gatekeeper

Common Blue

A lot of difficult views of the Scotch Argus were had

Harebells

29th July

A dull, cool start, most welcome when the forecast was for temperatures of 35 degrees at home. We walked along the Lune where the water has formed interesting formations in the rock. Our primary objective was to find a Dipper, and we finally succeeded.

River Lune

Poetry for the landscape

The juvenile seemed to be waiting for parents to visit for quite a time, then began turning stones and looking for food itself, but was only confident with paddling in the fast flowing water, avoiding anything too deep.

Dipper sighting achieved, next on to Smardale Gill

This was a very easy site as the path is well maintained and takes walkers over the viaduct. Once there was a little sun we got better views.

Scotch Argus

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Green-veined White on Scabious

Scotch Argus

Smardale Gill Viaduct

30th July

As the walk was quite short we went back to Smardale before heading south.

Speckled Wood

Scotch Argus

Scotch Argus

Meadow Brown

Red Admiral