Sunday 25th June 2017

Sanderling in summer plumage on the beach this morning.
A cooler blustery start to the day on Landguard this morning but a few birds were moving through. New birds noted on the reserve this morning were 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Sanderling, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Reed Warbler and offshore moving South were 18 Swift and 6 Sandwich Tern.

This juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker would have only recently fledged, it is in active wing moult with four of the primaries having already been replaced.

11 birds ringed: House Sparrow 2, Linnet 2, Blackbird 1, Chiffchaff 1, Goldfinch 1, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Greenfinch 1, Reed Warbler 1, Wren 1

Saturday 24th June 2017

Breezy. Heading south 90 Swift, single Sand Martin, House Martin, Curlew & Little Tern plus a Gannet north. Apart from this it's baby birds.

10 birds ringed: 6 Linnet, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 Whitethroat, 1 House Sparrow.

Friday 23rd June 2017

Lady's Bedstraw has bloomed over the last few days giving a yellow carpet to Landguard, the herb earned its name bedstraw when it was traditionally used to stuff mattresses, believed that the scent would keep fleas away.
Very little passage noted this morning with 1 Grey Heron going out East and 2 Swift going South. The Juvenile bird population continues to increase with new Dunnock, House Sparrow, Linnet and Whitethroat being seen, plus new dispersing juvenile birds not bred on Landguard with Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Greenfinch and Goldfinch. The Starling Roost had increased to 150 individuals in the Holm Oaks last night.

Doing quite well for editions to the site list this year. Marbled White Spot is a spreading species that has taken its time getting here as it is described as "reasonably widespread and common" in Suffolk!

27 birds ringed: Linnet 11, Goldfinch 4, Greenfinch 3, Great Tit 2, House Sparrow 2, Whitethroat 2, Blue Tit 1, Chiffchaff 1, Dunnock 1

Suffolk Armed Forces Weekend

This weekend a whole range of activities are taking place across Felixstowe including a re-enactment between the Dutch & English at Landguard Fort with cannon, muskets & swords. On the Sunday the car parks around the Fort will be closed. There is no access down View Point Road for a couple of hours around mid-day whilst the "battle" takes place. The gate into the Bird Observatory in the moat will be closed whilst the "battle" takes place. Any Bird Observatory members on site during the "battle" will have to remain on site until the event finishes. It is recommended that members stay away during the "battle" - unless you like to watch people in fancy dress making a lot of noise with gunpowder then please park off site and walk down over the nature reserve. For a full programme & timings of this event please visit www.visitfelixstowe.co.uk  If any of our members wish to be in the Bird Observatory around mid-day on Sunday please drop me an e.mail at landguardbo@yahoo.co.uk for more details.

Thursday 22nd June 2017

Probably the warmest night in many years followed by a hot morning but with the wind swinging south-west some thunder & lightening has just passed over us. Migrant birds consisted off southbound 34 Swift, 2 Curlew & a Sand Martin.

Moth traps currently time consuming having up to 2,000 individuals of up to 120 species a night at the moment. Nephopterix angustella is described as "very local" on Spindle so this one could be an immigrant.

11 birds ringed: 5 Whitethroat, 2 House Sparrow, 2 Linnet, 1 Robin, 1 Greenfinch.

Wednesday 21st June 2017

There were no Spurge Hawk-moths in the traps this morning, but there was still plenty to see, including this fine specimen of a Cypress Carpet, a recent colonist to Britain, mainly along the south coast.
Bird-wise, it appeared very quiet early on, but approaching midday things livened up briefly, as first the Greenish Warbler reappeared behind the kitchen, soon to be followed by a Black Redstart. However, it was very short lived as they both quickly melted away into the greenery, not to be seen again, despite a lot of searching. The Muntjac is still here within the compound.

Ringed 10 birds today:  3 Whitethroat, 2 House Sparrow, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Ringed Plover and 1 Pied Wagtail.

Tuesday 20th June 2017

Muntjac don't turn up here very often and when they do they have been known to have got themselves jammed in the rifle fencing. Tight squeeze but this one just about managed to get through.
New birds seen on the reserve this morning have been juveniles of 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Whitethroat and a slight increase of the Goldfinch flock from 8 to 12. Gathering offshore with the Herring Gulls were 11 Little Tern, 6 Med Gull, 5 Common Tern and 2 Common Gull. Passage noted this morning going South 20 Common Scoter and going North 45 Common Scoter, 5 Sandwich Tern and 2 Gannet. Early evening update: Greenish Warbler seen at 1515hrs.

Another Spurge Hawk-moth this morning - we are starting to get blase about them. Maple moth only occurs a couple of times a season presumably due to its main food plant not being here.

14 birds ringed: Linnet 6, Goldfinch 2, Whitethroat 2, Blackcap 1, Blue Tit 1, Chiffchaff 1, Wren 1