Saturday 24th August 2024

An on and off wet morning, despite predictions for rain all morning. A few migrants were battling the conditions, a reed warbler, garden warbler, chiffchaff and 3 willow warblers were part of a tit flock inside the observatory compound. Out to sea there were a trickle of birds heading south, 4 teal, 1 whimbrel and 2 oystercatchers and a little egret. A turnstone was on the jetty, and a Cetti's warbler was practicing its singing voice on the reserve.

Small Ranunculus is a species that has colonised since the start of the century, though we failed to see any last year.

Friday 23nd August 2024

Gale conditions today, and despite much searching, they didn't bring in any interesting seabirds. A golden plover south was the notable highlight of the morning. A mixed flock of terns was off the point for a while before moving on, 35 sandwich and 21 common, and no rarer species amongst them. 

 

White-line Dart was abundant last century, declining since. This year however the species seems to have fared well. It is now classified as "vulnerable" on the red list. 

Thursday 22nd August 2024

Very strong winds and scattered showers led to a quiet day on the observation front. 12 teal flew south and there was a southerly movement of common terns throughout the morning. 5 sanderling were on the beach and a willow warbler and a whitethroat were in the compound. 

Stauropoctonus bombycivorous in the moth trap this morning is a large ichneumon wasp that parasitises the Lobster Moth, a species we've never seen here. 

Canary-shouldered Thorn was one of a handful of species to find the trap on a windy night.

Birds Ringed: Whitethroat 1, Willow Warbler 1. 

 

Wednesday 21st August 2024

 

The next emergence of Small Heath is now out to play.

Bright n' breezy. Handful of migrants include 4 Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Lesser 'throat & Wheatear. Southbound 5 Swallow, 4 Sand Martin, 2 House Martin & Little Egret. Looking offshore a waste of time. Worth a mention are regular Sparrowhawk sightings suggesting that local pairs have churned several young out this year that are now going walkabout.

Feathered Brindle does not usually appear until September with dark individuals, like this one, making up less than 1% of the population.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Linnet, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Whitethroat.

Tuesday 20th August 2024

A blustery day with wind from the south west. Very quiet on the migration front, with the highlight being a juvenile little ringed plover on the point. A couple of willow warblers were still in the compound with a handful of lesser whitethroats. A pochard flew south, a species that is certainly not a daily observation here. 

Catoptria falsella  is having a very poor year with only a couple noted so far.

Birds Ringed: Dunnock 1, Willow Warbler 2.

Monday 19th August 2024

Yesterday's whinchat was showing briefly south of the observatory mid morning, and a black redstart was around the fort. A great spotted woodpecker was the first we've seen in a while, and a young sparrowhawk made short work of one of our linnets. A blackcap and a sedge warbler were in the compound, along with two willow warblers, the most notable warbler species of the day. More juvenile blackbirds keep turning up, perhaps local birds that have hidden well or some fledglings from Felixstowe. 

 

It must be autumn if Centre-barred Sallow are starting to emerge.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 2, Dunnock 1, Robin 1, Sedge Warbler 1, Willow Warbler 2. 

Sunday 18th August 2024

 

Selection of migrants including 6 Willow Warbler, 5 Lesser 'throat, 5 Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler & Whinchat. Southbound 28 Redshank, 27 Swallow, 5 Shelduck, 2 Common Tern, 2 Little Egret & Whimbrel with northbound 5 Common Scoter plus a Heron heading west.

Rest Harrow is a nationally rare species first noted here in 2009 & in every year from 2018 onwards suggesting that it is living here in low numbers.

Ringing: 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Whinchat.