Monitoring Deepdale Farm today produced 17 birds, included 8 Blackcaps, their first Whitethroat for this year and 3 Chiffchaffs.
@deepdalecamping.co.uk @btobirds.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Monitoring at Morston this am produced only 13 birds, but included 4 Whitethroat and single Blackcap and Sedge Warbler. @norfolknats.bsky.social @morstonpond.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

Monitoring Sculthorpe Moor yesterday produced 18 birds, first Willow Warbler and 5 Sedge Warbler of the year, one previously ringed last year on site as a juvenile. @hawkandowl.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

For breeding Oystercatchers
England ✔️
Scotland ❌
WaderTales blog from 2016 updated using latest results from @bbs-birds.bsky.social.
1995-2024
England +66%
Scotland -41%
Blog: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/o...
#BirdingScotland

Lots of Oystercatchers have arrived in Iceland in the last 24 hours.
It's time to find last year's mate - or a replacement!
Are migrants at a disadvantage?
Will residents nest earlier?
What happens when a migrant pairs up with a resident?
wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/08/07/w...
#ornithology

Monitoring at Deepdale Farm yesterday produced 29 birds, with summer migrants, 6 Blackcap, 12 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. 2 Fieldfare over as a reminder of winter passing into summer. 2 Chiffchaff previously ringed, one ringed 8/25 Billingford @deepdalecamping.co.uk @norfolknats.bsky.social

Chiffchaff

Treecreeper

Monitoring at Ingoldisthorpe today produced 25 birds, summer migrants included Blackcap and 8 Chiffchaff, plus 3 Cetti's Warbler, one having been ringed last autumn. Plenty of raptor activity at one 9 birds up of three species. @norfolknats.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

Monitoring Sculthorpe Moor yesterday resulted in 20 birds, the first Blackcap, plus 5 Chiffchaff, 2 from pervious years, which are more important than new birds, enabling monitoring survival and site faithfulness, and 2 new Cetti's Warblers. @norfolknats.bsky.social @hawkandowl.bsky.social

A Mute Swan-4GEE ringed at Hoveton on 2/2/2023 has wandered 127km to St Neots in Cambs where it was seen on 2/4 and 9/5/2025. They do not wander often too far, but occasionally can make a long trip. Showing the added value that colour ringing brings. @btobirds.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Monitoring at Deepdale Farm today resulted in 17 birds, five Chiffchaffs, one of which was from last year and a Long-tailed Tit from 2022. Re-traps from previous years are always valuable as it helps gain data on site fidelity and life span. @deepdalecamping.co.uk @norfolknats.bsky.social

Bullfinch - male

Chiffchaff - adult

Coal Tit - adult

Sculthorpe Moor yesterday our first field visit of the spring resulted in 20 birds. We were particularly pleased with 8 retraps, 4 being Chiffchaffs back for another summer, which is what it is all really about. 3 ringed in 24 and the other in 25. @hawkandowl.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Late season evening lamping session at Sculthrope Moor meadows yesterday produced a Jack Snipe, first ringed there on 10 December last year, nice that it has over wintered in the area. 3 Woodcock also present. @norfolknats.bsky.social @hawkandowl.bsky.social

Goshawk was apparently the reason for their nervous behaviour. First of the Goshawk barged into the Woodpigeon, dislodging a load of feathers but the bird kept flying, for the Goshawk on a second to catch it and fly off with it. 3/3

While there, we also heard two very close Water Rail, saw a female Marsh Harrier emerge from the reed bed while birds were also seen overhead and saw a Goshawk take a Woodpigeon. There had been a couple of occasions when pigeons were disturbed from the trees and a hunting. 2/3

It's that time of year when the summer migrant arrivals are still a way off, and yet the birds that came to see out the winter have disappeared. We put a couple of nets up for any roosting Reed Bunting that might be around and captured 5 new birds, all hatched last year. 1/3

At one location, three birds ignored the audio-lures, preferring instead to feed around the Galloway cattle as insects were disturbed by the browsing animals. After 5 hours with 2 panel nets up at 6 locations we had only two birds on the record sheet with just one being a project target.

On the 7th we met up with CJH to try for Stonechats for the Natural England project. We had had previous reports of good numbers of birds back on site, but that wasn't the case today as overcast skies and a chilly breeze inhibited movements of Stonechats.

There are now FIFTY blogs about wader/shorebird migration on WaderTales.
Here's an updated summary of what's available:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/10/12/m...
#ornithology

The only comment I will make in the UK county recorders will accept records without photos, as some are impossible to get. Unverified records need to be added to iRecord for the county record to make that assessment

Monitoring at a NW Norfolk farm yesterday resulted in 37 birds, of which 8 Blackbirds, 5 Redwing and 5 Chaffinch. @norfolknats.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

Evening survey of a North Norfolk farm on 12th resulted in 15 Woodcock in stubble, 2 of which were ringed along with 2 Sky Lark
@norfolknats.bsky.social

A flock of Bewick's Swans by Ben Cherry/WWT

📉 Our new paper shows Bewick’s Swan numbers in NW/NE Europe have fallen to ~12,900 birds - a 56.7% decline since 1995, with further losses predicted by 2026 unless survival or breeding success improves. Flyway-wide conservation is urgent. 🦢 Download paper > tidsskrift.dk/Wildfowl/art... #Ornithology

Monitoring the Langham farm again today resulted in Total: 42 birds which included Blackbird - 1, Chiffchaff - 2, Reed Bunting - 8 and Yellowhammer - 4. One Chiffchaff being the Scandinavian abietinus race. @btobirds.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

The only move when the weather changes in Europe as shown two years ago a Fieldfare at Stanhoe in December had only been in Norway a few weeks earlier in December and moved here due to a cold front in Norway. Things are changing for sure.

Then most congregated on the coast as the mast of Hawthorne berries provided ample food on arrival, causing the numbers to appear unusually high, but they were predominantly in one place feasting. Birds are remaining in Europe longer due to the milder climate.

Single Redwing seen, a few Blackbirds and one flock of 70 Fieldfare passing through, possibly new arrivals. Why so few? They simple are not leaving Europe in great numbers. The main arrival of Blackbirds this autumn was the first two weeks of November, which is late.

Monitoring today at the Stanhoe orchard. We didn't expect much and we were was not wrong, just 10 birds, 7 Greenfinch was good, as was the single Fieldfare considering the almost complete lack of Thrushes. @btobirds.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social @wildernorfolk.bsky.social

Langham farm monitoring yesterday, our results were low with 17 birds, only 8 Reed Bunting and no Yellowhammers, all present in higher numbers around the winter bird crop. Another Reed Bunting was previously ringed at Morston. @btobirds.bsky.social @morstonpond.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Our first this winter - only recently turned up in the meadow, which until recent period of frequent rain was too dry - Sculthrope Moor today - using a thermal to locate. @btobirds.bsky.social @hawkandowl.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Monitoring the Langham Farm yesterday - 63 birds, which included 2 Blackbirds, 2 Goldfinch, 17 Reed Buntings & 7 Yellowhammer. One of the Reed Bunting having been ringed nearby at Morston in October. Starting to get an idea of Reed Bunting movements. @btobirds.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social