Ringing Recoveries

Starling ringed LBO 1st October 1994 was found long dead in a man-made structure in Trimley St. Mary 28th October 2024. Not a bird 30 years old but a ring on a skeleton.

Grey Wagtail ringed LBO 11th July 2024 was retrapped 227 km away in Parnassiaweg, Bloemendaal, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands on 21st September 2024. Only the fourth UK ringed Grey Wagtail to be found in The Netherlands, three of which were ringed at LBO.

Grey Wagtail ringed LBO 5th October 2024 had its metal ring read in the field 89 km away at Rainham Marshes, Greater London on 1st November 2024 showing what can be achieved with a decent camera & a bit of patience photographing the ring from different angles.

Blue Tit ringed Trimley 6th September 2024 took six weeks to wander around the dock to find its way here - could have walked round here in that time !

Wednesday 6th November 2024

 

Calm, murky morning. A male Hen Harrier stayed up to late morning occasionally getting grief from the local crows. New in were 46 Redwing, 25 Blackbird, 8 Song Thrush, 5 Chaffinch, 3 Blackcap, 3 Fieldfare, Golden Plover, Lesser Redpoll, Ring Ouzel & Siberian Chiffchaff. 525 Cormorant headed out fishing early morning with offshore observations limited by the poor visibility. 2 Purp & Rock Pipit were on the point.

Chestnut is a species that has almost become rare here in the last ten years having been annual prior to that.

Ringing: 3 Blackbird, 3 Blackcap, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Redwing, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush.
 

Tuesday 5th November 2024

A much quieter day than yesterday, though the diversity was similar. 2 woodcock were observed late morning though neither paid the observatory a visit. A merlin and black redstart were the first of their kind for a week or more, black redstarts in particular have had a poor autumn here. A few thrushes were still around, though not in the numbers they have been, a few redwing were being harassed by a sparrowhawk along with some song thrushes. Goldcrests were still in double figures, though most were birds from previous days. 3 purple sandpiper were on the jetty and a late swallow was perched on the telegraph wires opposite the obs early doors. Meadow pipits were having a last small push with 20 on site throughout the morning. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 2, Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 1, Goldcrest 6, Grey Wagtail 1, House Sparrow 1, Redwing 2, Song Thrush 2, Wren 2. 

 

Monday 4th November 2024

A nice combination of dull skies and gentle easterly winds made for another interesting day. 3 woodcock were the most we've had in a day this autumn, with two paying the bird observatory a closer visit. A willow warbler was unexpected and pale, though it fell well within the bounds for an 'ordinary' one, though is the second latest record we've had after a bird seen on 9-10/11/1992. This was joined by 3 chiffchaffs and a blackcap, starting to get late even for these latter species now. A brambling was feeding in the observatory compound, a great spotted woodpecker took a trip down the peninsula and yet another new Cetti's was ringed. A definite increase in blackbird numbers, with at least 40 on site today, with several arriving off incoming ships, along with a handful of starlings. 2 purple sandpipers were on the jetty along with a single rock pipit.

Out to sea, the most notable movement was from shelduck with 142 moving south throughout the morning, and 9 north, the biggest movement of the species we've had this year. 38 wigeon, 2 teal, 107 Brent geese also moved south along with a single red-breasted merganser and a pintail. 

The second emergence of Treble-bar finishes in mid-September, so are they having a third emergence this year?

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 14, Blackcap 1, Blue Tit 1, Brambling 1, Cetti's Warbler 1,  Chaffinch 5, Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 8, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Robin 9, Song Thrush 3, Starling 2, Willow Warbler 1, Woodcock 2, Wren 6. 

 

Sunday 3rd November 2024

An encouraging light easterly made for an interesting morning. Southbound 611 Brent, 102 Wigeon, 98 Teal, 47 Black-headed Gull, 32 Shelduck, 13 Common Scoter, 12 Common Gull, 10 Skylark, 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Gadwall, 2 Dunlin, Arctic Skua, Greylag Goose, Shoveler & Velvet Scoter with northbound 89 Brent, 2 Red-throated Diver & Gannet plus a Little Gull offshore. On site a small arrival including 40 Blackbird, 13 Goldcrest, 8 Mipit, 7 Song Thrush, 6 Chaffinch, 5 Redwing, 4 Rock Pipit, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Grey Wag, Brambling, Lapwing and an adult male Hawfinch. 3 Purps were on the point & an adult female Peregrine headed out to sea to go hunting. Starlings were starting to arrive in off from the continent with 709 logged by midday.

Ringing: 12 Goldcrest, 10 Blackbird, 5 Robin, 4 Song Thrush, 1 Brambling, 1 Hawfinch, 1 Wren.

Saturday 2nd November 2024

Nice easterlies with some annoying drizzle that lasted longer than it was predicted to made for some interesting observations, as we might expect. A short-eared owl was briefly on the reserve, along with an influx of thrushes, 25 redwing, 25 song thrush and 2 fieldfare in from the sea. An arctic skua went north and 2 pomarine skuas went south, our best skua day of the year, sadly. 1471 Brent geese south was a massive increase on the trickles we have been having, these were accompanied by 110 wigeon, 87 teal, 5 shoveler, a gadwall, 2 red-breasted merganser and 22 shelduck. 2 purple sandpipers were still on the jetty with 3 turnstone and a rock pipit, and a woodcock was in the observatory compound. 

Getting late in the year for Double-striped Pug to still be on the wing. 

 

Friday 1st November 2024

A slightly quieter morning today, with mostly the usual suspects present or moving past. A brambling joined 42 goldfinch, 13 chaffinch and a single greenfinch heading south, a goosander flew up river and a black-throated diver flew east over the observatory out to sea. 5 turnstone on the jetty were joined by 2 purple sandpipers and a rock pipit. A Dartford warbler was out on the reserve along with a black redstart, both species we haven't seen here for some weeks. 

First noted in 2019, Oak Rustic has now colonised the Holm oaks. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 4, Chaffinch 1, Goldcrest 1, House Sparrow 1, Redwing 1.