Monday 9th
As the rain was not forecast to arrive until 8 a couple of us hoped to grab an hour or do ringing first.However the nets were down by 7 after one round gave 11 Blackcaps a retrap Chiffchaff and a retrap Long-tailed Tit. The blackcaps suggeted there were some migrants aound and it was good to see most with a healthy fat score.
Sunday 8th
The unsettled weather around us must have stopped night-time migrants moving. Only 13 birds were ringed during an 'off and on' morning before the rain showers joined up.
The new birds were eight Blackcaps, and singles of Wren, Robin, Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff. There was also an unusual species for the heligoland where a Great Spotted Woodpecker was caught.
Saturday 7th
A good calm start was taken advantage of by a small team and 31 birds were ringed. Blackcap set the standard with 16 followed by five Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers, two each of Robin, Whitethroat and chiffchaff plus a Lesser Whitethroat.
Hirundines showed brief interest but quickly moved on.
Friday 6th
Things conspired to prevent any ringing but we can give the details of this colour ringed Herring Gull seen on Restharrow Scrape on September 1st. It was ringed at Pitsea Landfill Essex on March 21st 2015 and has been seen at Sandwich in 2017, 18 and 19.
Wednesday 4th
A lovely calm start ahead of the threatened unsettled weather. One-hundred-and-twenty-four birds were ringed. This time Blackcap was most frequent with 56. Sand Martins came in again and 49 were ringed before a Hobby passed by and the Sand Martins moved on. Warblers included three Reed Warblers, four Chiffchaffs, four Willow Warblers and singles of Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Garden Warbler.
Although there were lots of Robins ticking from bushes and hedges they seem to be setting up their own territories and only two were ringed.
Tuesday 3rd
Early showers went by first thing and although there was a bit more breeze than expected Sand Martins responded again and another 112 were ringed. Maybe after such a poor year they are just late?
All the birds were juveniles as is usually the case. Adults tending to leave earlier and avoid stopping off.
Other birds were very thin on the ground with six Blackcaps, two Whitethroats and singles of Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Great Tit.
Monday 2nd
The morning started overcast and calm but there was no overnight arrival. New warblers were seven Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warblers and a Lesser Whitethroat. Fortunately there were lots of hirundines feeding over the nearby golf course and although the majority appeared to be Swallows we actually caught 49 Sand Martins. A sad reflection on changing times is that this is more Sand Martins than we ringed in the previous two years.
Great Spotted Woodpeckers appear to have had a good breeding season and two more juveniles were ringed.