146 species so far this year

150 species by this time last year

17th

Cloudy, light rain from 8.30-10.45 am, light SW wind. One Grey Heron, three Shelducks and six Teal flew west. Five Little Egrets and a Brent Goose were on the beach. Waders included 40 Ringed Plovers on the beach off the Obs. The highlight of the day was two Ravens that flew east over the football pitch at 7 am and returned west an hour later. The first to be reported here since April. The biggest movement of hirundines so far this autumn with a guesstimate of 500 Swallows and 1,500 House Martins flying west. Also noted were five adult Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach, our first Chaffinch since July and a flock of 25 Linnets over the beach.

16th

Sunny with a moderate NW wind. A change in the wind direction raised hope which were largely unfounded! Two Arctic Skuas and a group of eight Teal flew west. Waders included a single Dunlin amongst Ringed Plovers and a heard-only Whimbrel. Three Lesser Black-backed Gulls included an adult with a begging juvenile in tow. Also noted were 13 Meadow Pipits west, the first movement noted this autumn, and two Rooks.

Butterflies noted were Small White, Common Blue, Clouded Yellow and painted Lady.

15th

The Wryneck was present for its fifth day but was, apparently on seen early morning. A Spotted Flycatcher, along the east bank, was our third of the autumn, there had been three in the spring, but only one for all last year.

14th

Cloudy, warm, light SW wind. There were three Great Crested Grebes offshore, the two Brent Geese were on the beach, a Grey Heron was on the shoreline and three more flew west out at sea, and a flock of 17 Common Scoters flew east. There were 31 Mallard on the Marsh Pool where a Snipe and a Redshank were also present. Other waders included 50 Oystercatchers on the beach and a Bar-tailed Godwit along the shoreline by the skate park. Also noted were the Wryneck for its fourth day, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20 House Martins feeding over the beach and surrounding areas, a steady westerly movement of Swallows, the female Stonechat, a Lesser Whitethroat along the east bank and a Jay along the upper brook.

Butterflies noted were Small White, Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Clouded Yellow.

13th

The Wryneck was present for its third day. A Hobby was also noted.

12th

Sunny, light SW wind. There were 40 Mallard on the Marsh Pool and the two Brent Geese were again on the shoreline. Waders included 82 Oystercatchers, two Bar-tailed Godwits and three Common Sandpipers on the beach whilst four Sanderlings were roosting with 117 Ringed Plovers between the groynes. The Wryneck was present for its second day, one Yellow Wagtail flew west, a Stonechat was in bushes along the coastal path, a Wheatear was on the burnt bund, a Willow Warbler, and a flock of 20 Linnets were in flight over the beach.

11th

A Wryneck in the trees along the middle brook was the seventh record for the site. All have been autumn records, between 27th August and 21st September. As this bird was in exactly the same area as one in 2024 and almost the same date, one day earlier, there was been speculation that it may be the bird. Of course, we will never know for sure. Also seen, were a high count of 45 Mallard on the Marsh Pool, a Yellow Wagtail, a Wheatear and a single Long-tailed Tit.

Also noted were a Brown Argus butterfly and a Willow Emerald Damselfly.

10th

Sunny periods, light SW wind. There was one Great Crested Grebe offshore, a Gannet and eight Common Scoters flew east and three Teal flew west. There were five Grey Herons along the shoreline off the skate park early morning and, later, two Brent Geese were on the shoreline. Waders included 50 Oystercatchers on the beach. There were 31 Mallard on the newly-restored Marsh Pool. Also noted were one Mediterranean Gull west, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, eight Swallows west, our first Meadow Pipit of the autumn, a Willow Warbler, and four Rooks that dropped onto the beach.

Butterflies noted were Small Whites and a single Clouded Yellow.

9th

Sunny, light NW wind. An Arctic Skua was chasing terns offshore. A female Sparrowhawk was on the front lawn of a house in Church Road with prey. Also noted were Great Spotted Woodpecker in flight over the Elm Wood, 15 Swallows west, warblers included a Willow Warbler along the e ast bank and, unusually up to 18 Jackdaws were seen on the beach and flying over the area.

Butterflies noted were Small Copper, Wall, Small White, Speckled Wood and Common Blue. A Willow Emerald Damselfly was in the ElmWood and again a few firebugs were noted.

8th

A Spotted Flycatcher, our second of the autumn, was seen in the Elm Wood.

7th

Sunny, light SW wind. Three Teal flew west over the sewage works and a pair of Shelducks flew west over the sea. Waders included distant flocks of Knot, about 55 in total, and three Whimbrel west and ten Redshanks on the beach. There were 260 Herring Gulls on the beach on the outgoing tide, about 100 were juvenile/immatures. Also noted was a Redstart in the Elm Wood, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

Butterflies noted were Common Blue, Small White and our first Clouded Yellow of the year. The Clouded Yellow was our 24th butterfly species of the year. Only Ringlet (unlikely) and Small Tortoiseshell (increasingly scarce) have been recorded here but not this year.

6th

Two Knot on the beach were the first of the year and a Green Sandpiper, our first of the autumn. Also noted were Teal, Whinchat, Sedge Warbler and Greenfinch.

5th

Sunny, light westerly wind. Waders included a Whimbrel west and four Bar-tailed Godwits, which rested on the beach off the Obs for at least 25 minutes. There were also four adult Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach. Also noted were Great Spotted Woodpecker, a single Swallow west, a Grey Wagtail and, in the much less windy conditions, six species of warbler, including Cetti’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler.

Butterflies noted were Small White, Speckled Wood and Common Blue, Common Darter dragonfly and a couple of firebugs.

After the fire in late July, much of the burnt area is showing signs of regeneration with grass greening the area and also a few clumps of hog’s fennel, the food plant of the rare Fisher’s Estuarine Moth.

4th

A Grey Heron flew over the beach, waders included Dunlin and Curlew and there were pulses of Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins west.

3rd

Mostly cloudy, light SW wind. There was one Great Crested Grebe offshore and a Grey Heron flew west over the Obs. Waders included a Curlew on the beach and 114 Turnstones roosting between the groynes. There were five Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach including four adults. A movement of hirundines included 25 Swallows and 60 House Martins which were the first to move this autumn. Also noted were a Grey Wagtail, a Cetti’s Warbler, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff.

Butterflies noted were Small and Green-veined Whites, Meadow Brown and Common Blue.

2nd

Cloudy, light SW wind. Two Great Crested Grebes offshore. Waders included three Dunlin along the shoreline and a Curlew on the beach. Also noted were a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Whitethroats and a Chiffchaff and three Linnets.

1st

Two Cattle Egrets dropped onto the beach early morning. Waders included three Whimbrels west and two Curlews. Also noted were a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20+ Swallows west, a Grey Wagtail and warblers present were Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.