Thrush Nightingale retrapped 16 September

A dawn start at the Obs. with the mist shrouding the broadwater and the nets open ....
Thrush Nightingale Retrapped

Redstart. Part of an influx of Redstarts and Pied and Spotted Flycatchers. A Wryneck was in the Dunes, a short Eared Owl flew high over holme Marsh, mobbed by Jackdaws, and a Curlew Sandpiper was on the NWT PoolsA Privet Hawk Moth Caterpilar in the dunes

Pkotos Ray Roche

Recent Pictures

Short-eared Owl hunting the dunes (top) and Spotted Flycatcher having been ringed (below), both recent pictures from the reserve. Photos by Jed Andrews.

Thrush Nightingale 14th September

With plenty Redstarts, as well as Spotted and Pied Flycatchers around the Observatory all day the possibility of something special landing in one of the nets turned out not to be wishful thinking !

Photos Ray Roche

Redstart

This superb Redstart was trapped and ringed on the 14th September 2008, part of a small fall of migrants which included a THRUSH NIGHTINGALE (pics to follow), as well as good numbers of commoner species such as Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts. Other highlights on this productive weekend included 1 Honey Buzzard east on the 13th, with another 2 Honey Buzzards south on the 14th. Photos and text by Connor D. Rand.

Alpine Swift 9th September

This superb ALPINE SWIFT hawked insects over the pines behind the NOA observatory from 3:00pm-7:45pm on 9th September 2008. Top photo © Penny Clarke, bottom photo © Jed Andrews.

6 September.Osprey Thornham Harbour and an awesome days seawatching

Osprey, digiscoped at hopelessly long distance from the other side of Thornham harbour !!!! Saturday's seawatching was rudely interrupted by news of an Osprey fishing over Thornham Harbour. Initially located on the ground it then proceeded to put on a superb flying display over the harbour and marsh. The sea had offerd up an early autumn Red Throated Diver as well as a single Great Skua amongst a respectable tally of Arctic Skuas, Terns and Gannets. On Sunday the floodgates opened....... more Arctic Skuas, and with over 100 Great Skuas moving west. Not for the first time while seawatching from the dunes, these sometimes came directly overhead, drifting high over the dunes and the beach. The Skua prize of the day was a juvenile Long Tailed Skua passing close along the shoreline, making a brief pass at a Tern, before flying underneath a Great Skua. An amazing view, and a nice opportunity to contrast the 2 birds... In spite of the early morning mist and rain Manx Shearwaters were picked up shearing the waves further out, and a lone Black Tern flew west, not easy to pick out against a dull sky and sea. A juvenile Sabines Gull drifted into the mist early on, and news of more loitering offshore at Tichwell meant much scanning of horizons in anticipation, picking up an airborne Red Throted Diver and more Skuas, Terns and Gannets along the way .... an amazing few hours .... there really is no place like Holme to be beside the sea !!!! words and photo Ray Roche