Author: Linsey Gooding

West End:- 1 Swallow Tail Butterfly, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Teal, 2 Kingfisher, 1 Little Egret, 3 Lapwing, 120 House Martins.
Whillet’s:- 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Whitethroats, 30 Willow Warbler, 20 Chiffchaff, 9 Greenfinch, 3 Reed Buntings, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Hobby, 3 Buzzards, 1 Tawny Owl, 1 Yellow Wagtail over, 1 Mistle Thrush over, Raven heard.

West End:-  91+1 juvenile Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Egret, 9 Grey Heron, 94  Greylag Geese + 1 feral hybrid, 2 Canada Geese, 4 Mandarin, 3 Gadwall, 3 Teal, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Moorhen, 4 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Kingfisher, 3 House Martin.

Whillet’s:- 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroats, 50 Chiffchaffs, 25 Blackcaps, 2 Marsh Tit, 2 Coal Tits, 12 Greenfinch, 20 Bullfinch, 40 Goldfinch, 11 Starlings, 1 Yellow Wagtail flew south, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Song Thrush, 22 Mistle Thrush, 25 Swallows, 30 House Martins, 3 Common Buzzards, 4 Grass Snakes, 1 Common Lizard.

Whillet’s:- A misty morning first thing with warblers moving through, in particular Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Other birds ringed –  Marsh Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock, juvenile Bullfinch, Whitethroats and Sedge Warbler.
Sightings:- 3 Buzzards, Tawny Owl (heard), 3 Mistle Thrush interacting with a Sparrowhawk, Lesser Whitethroat, Yellowhammer and Small Copper Butterfly.

West End:- 2 Little Egrets, Tufted Duck, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, a few House Martins, a couple of Mandarin and juvenile Red Kite over.

Juvenile Red Kite, 3 Common Buzzard, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Gadwall, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Little Grebe, 3 Little Egret, 80 House Martins.

A ringing recovery was received for a juvenile Reed Warbler that was rung in Whillet’s on 28 July and was re-trapped by Rye Bay Ringing Group on 21 August. This is the second juvenile Reed Warbler that has been re-trapped at Icklesham, East Sussex this year and gives an insight into their migration route from Weir Wood.

Dam End (early):- 4 Little Egrets, Tufted Duck, 4 Teal, Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, several House Martins, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, 3 Sedge Warblers, Yellow Wagtail over and male Redstart.

Whillet’s:- 1 Redstart, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Whitethroats, 1 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff.
West End:- 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Teal, 1 Coot, 1 Little Egret, 6 Mandarin, 2 Kingfisher.
Dam End:- 5 House Martin, 5 Whitethroats, 1 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Little Egrets, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1Common Sandpiper.

We were ringing in Whillet’s – a number of passerines were migrating through. 16 Chiffchaff were caught. Their weights ranged from 5.5 g to 8.1g in correlation to their size. Other species included: Blackcap, in various juvenile moults including males with full and partial caps, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat.
Other sightings of note: Reed Bunting, Kingfisher, Winchats and Mistle Thrushes.