Friday 23rd October 2026

Today brings the first named storm of the Autumn, Storm Austen, producing strong winds from the SSE, and rain by mid morning. A Greenfinch seen flying in front of the observatory and a Firecrest recaught in a mist net.  

Seawatching: - challenging conditions with mist and rain.  

South: 5 Common Scoter, 4 Brent Goose, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Common Gull, 2 Shelduck, 2 Wigeon, Arctic Skua and a Curlew.

North: 9 Cormorant, 6 Common Scoter, 4 Gannet, 2 Gadwall, 2 Goosander, 1 Great Skua(Bonxie), 1 Little Gull and a Red-throated Diver.

West: 1 Cormorant.

Feeding offshore: 41 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Common Scoter and 2 Mediterranean Gull.

 Moth trapping: 13 Species recorded between our 3 traps this morning. Moth of the morning goes to the Red-headed Chestnut, which is an immigrant from the continent, noted on only a handful of previous occasions.

Red-headed Chestnut (Conistra erythrocephala).

Bird ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Robin, 1 Song Thrush. 

Thursday 22nd October 2026

Jay (Garrulus glandarius). Garrulus is latin for noisy and glandarius refers to acorns, their main diet, with birds caching around 5 thousand acorns per bird - BTO.  

A bright and blustery morning with SW wind. Inside the compound a smaller selection of thrushes early morning, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Greenfinch, 3 Firecrest and 7 Chaffinch inside the compound and out on the reserve. On the beach one Oystercatcher. 

Overhead migration: 80 Skylark, 57 Goldfinch, 30 Chaffinch, 4 Rock Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail and a Woodlark, all south. 

Seawatching: 

South: 40 Cormorant, 22 Brent Goose, 13 Common Gull, 12 Black-headed Gull, 10 Wigeon, 9 Shelduck, 4 Common Scoter, 4 Pintail, 2 Gannet, 2 Kittiwake, 1 Curlew, 1 Goosander and a Mediterranean Gull. 

North: 17 Cormorant, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Gannet and a Red-throated Diver.

West (up river): 4 Cormorant.

East (out to sea): 39 Cormorant.

Feeding offshore: 8 Great Black-backed Gull and a Red-throated Diver. 

Moth trapping: 10 moth species between our 3 traps last night, owing to the strong winds... no moth of the morning as all have featured! 

Bird ringing: 6 Goldcrest, 4 Robin, 3 Blackbird, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Wren, 1 Blackcap, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Jay, 1 Song Thrush.    

Wednesday 21st October 2026

 

More Greater's are now following shipping & resting on the beach at quieter moments.

A Long-eared Owl was out hunting around the Emergency Battery at 0615 hrs. Winds increasing & veering from SE to West with showers evolving into longer periods of rain made birding difficult. Southbound 209 Shelduck, 82 Pintail, 44 Brent, 31 Common Gull, 19 Common Scoter, 14 Wigeon, 3 Dunlin, 3 Shoveler, 2 Greylag, Great Crested Grebe, Little Gull, Red-throated Diver, Sandwich Tern, Teal & Tufted Duck with northbound 7 Common Scoter, Eider & Red-throat. On site a small arrival of Blackies, Songies, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, Crests, Fieldfare & a Woodcock. At least one Black Red still present.

Dark Chestnut is one of those species we get from now onwards for the rest of the winter in variable numbers one year to the next.

Ringing: 5 Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Dunnock, 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Wren.

Tuesday 20th October 2026

White-fronted geese (Anser albifrons). 

Day two of easterly winds. The highlight of this morning has to be the 80 White-fronted Geese heading out of the river then north, with the first group of 28 being directly overhead! Inside the compound more Goldcrest present (30) and also still a good number of Robins on site with around 60... one less, as a Kestrel decided one would make a good snack. 1 Brambling early morning also inside the compound and 7 Fieldfare. 1 Black Redstart seen in the moat in the afternoon. 1 Swallow, 2 Jackdaw and 2 Woodcock in flight around the observatory. Out on the reserve 9 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin and an Oystercatcher all feeding on the beach. 

Overhead migration: 40 Starling, 2 Song Thrush,1 Redpoll, 1 Sparrowhawk, all south. 120 Chaffinch flying inland. 

Seawatching: 

South: 428 Brent Goose, 82 Wigeon, 47 Shelduck, 43 Teal, 40 Black-headed Gull, 33 Cormorant, 15 Lapwing, 8 Common Gull, 7 White-fronted Geese, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 Gannet, 1 Guillemot and a Tufted Duck.  

North: 31 Common Scoter, 6 Little Gull, 2 Barnacle Goose, 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Black-headed Gull, 1 Fulmar, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Razorbill, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Sabine's Gull (08:22), 1 Sooty Shearwater and a Tufted Duck, 

West (up river): 1 Long-tailed Skua and a Sandwich Tern. 

Out of the river and north: 80 White-fronted Geese. 

Feeding offshore: 14 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Black-headed Gull and a Mediterranean Gull.

Moth trapping: 22 Species between our 3 traps this morning. Moth of the morning goes to the Rusty-dot Pearl, which is an immigrant whose numbers often peak at this time of the year. 

Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis).

Bird ringing: 30 Robin, 17 Goldcrest, 11 Blackbird, 10 Chaffinch, 6 Firecrest, 5 Chiffchaff, 4 Song Thrush, 3 Blackcap, 2 Wren, 1 Dunnock, 1 Great Tit, 1 Redwing.  

Total 91

Monday 19th October 2026

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), one on the beach this morning. 

Finally the wind direction we have been waiting for! - a gentle ESE with variable cloud but remaining on the whole overcast for most of the day. Inside the compound: 1 Brambling, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Redpoll, 1 Siskin, 7 Chiffchaff (including 1 Siberian - tristis caught in a mist net), 10 Goldcrest. 40 Blackbird, 50 Song Thrush and 75 Robin across the site. 1 Mistle Thrush in front of the observatory, 3 Rock Pipit near the point and a Lapwing on the beach.   

Overhead migration: 17 Lapwing, 4 Chaffinch, 3 Redwing, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Rock Pipit and a Skylark all south. 1 Skylark north.   

Seawatching: 

South: 1432 Brent Goose, 855 Teal, 583 Wigeon, 17 Shoveler, 12 Cormorant, 11 Black-headed Gull, 11 Shelduck, 6 Red-throated Diver, 5 Common Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern and a Redshank.  

North: 81 Common Scoter, 27 Cormorant, 6 Eider, 5 Gannet, 4 Teal, 2 Brent Goose, 2 Gadwall, 1 Black-headed Gull, 1 Pintail and a Shelduck. 

East: 1 Pink-footed Goose. 

West (off the sea): 41 Starling.

Out and North: 2 Red-throated Diver. 

Feeding offshore: 5 Black-headed Gull, 4 Great Black-backed Gull and a Mediterranean Gull.  

Moth trapping: 20 moth species between our 3 traps this morning. Dotted Chestnut has only turned up on a handful of previous occasions. Appearing here in 2014, with the first record in Suffolk in 2007. 

 

Dotted Chestnut (Conistra rubiginea). 

Bird ringing: 37 Robin, 17 Song Thrush, 7 Blackbird, 6 Chaffinch, 6 Goldcrest, 6 Chiffchaff (1 tristis), 4 Redwing, 4 Wren, 3 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 1 Brambling, 1 Siskin. 

Total 95

Sunday 18th October 2026

 

Northerly breeze with intimidating showers offshore occasionally rolling in. A Twite on the reserve was our first for 12 years. Back in the 1980's this species was regular in autumn but is now disappearing. Eclectic mix of migrants in low numbers with offshore southbound 286 Black-headed Gull, 137 Brent, 72 Wigeon, 19 Common Gull, 9 Shelduck, 9 Teal, 5 Common Scoter, 5 Red-throated Diver, 4 Gannet, Manx Shearwater & Turnstone with northbound 12 Brent, 8 Gannet, 7 Shelduck, 7 Teal, 6 Eider, 4 Common Scoter, 4 Lapwing, 2 Red-breasted Merganser & 2 Red-throats plus an Arctic Skua offshore. Passerines in off the sea were 300 Starling, 14 Chaffinch, 6 Skylark, 3 Fieldfare & a Jackdaw. On site a small handful of new Blackies, Redwing, Songies, plus 4 Lesser Redpoll, 3 Lapwing, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, Brambling & the first Woodcock of the autumn. 2 Black Redstart in the observatory compound, Rock Pipit flew south & another Jay visited.

Ringing: 4 Blackbird, 3 Redpoll, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Robin.

Saturday 17th October 2026

Barn Owl (Tyto alba). An unusual sight to see flying around the nature reserve at Landguard during the morning let alone anytime!

A clear morning with a brisk, cold NNW. Inside the compound: 2 Brambling, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Siskin, 1 Redpoll (+1 seen near the point) and a Yellow-browed Warbler that was mist-netted. A Buzzard was seen circling overhead. Out on the reserve: a Barn Owl gave great views mid morning, flying around the nature reserve, a Black Redstart mobile in the shrubs and 1 Turnstone, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank and a Rock Pipit all near the point seen at various times during the day. 

Overhead migration: 20 Meadow Pipit, 18 Skylark, 4 Rock Pipit, 2 Stock Dove all south. 60 Chaffinch and 33 Starling off the sea and inland. 

Seawatching: 

    South: 118 Black-headed Gull, 103 Brent Goose, 85 Wigeon, 28 Cormorant, 11 Common Gull, 9 Pintail, 7 Teal, 4 Sandwich Tern, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Red-throated Diver and a Ringed Plover. 

North: 19 Cormorant, 9 Brent Goose, 4 Little Gull, 3 Gannet, 2 Barnacle Goose, 2 Sandwich Tern and a Common Scoter.   

Feeding offshore: 4 Great Black-backed Gull and a Mediterranean Gull.

Moth trapping: 12 moth species between our 3 traps this morning. Moth of the morning is the Cypress Carpet, which haunts areas with Monterey and Leyland Cypress, first noted in 2010.

Cypress Carpet (Thera cupressata). 

Bird ringing: 14 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Blackbird, 3 Blackcap, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Jay, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Robin, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler.