Ringing: 6 Linnet, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.
Wednesday 5th August 2026
Tuesday 4th August 2026
Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) are only just starting to loose their summer plumage. Seen here on the beach the past two mornings.
Sunny and humid from the get go, quiet on within the compound again but some excitement out on the reserve with a Budgerigar appearing. Out on the beach a Turnstone, 3 Sanderling and 4 adult Ring Plover with two chicks still!. 1 Yellow Wagtail and a Wheatear in the conservation cordons plus some 20+ Pied Wagtail. A Peregrine was perched on the nearest dock crane.
Seawatching produced; 4 Common Tern and an Oystercatcher all South. 32 Sandwich Tern Feeding just offshore along the beach and along the port side.
Hirundine movement included 15 Swallows and 2 Sand Martin both South, 2 Swift high over early morning.
Moth Trapping: 98 species recorded between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning is the Striped Hawk-moth, shown below. This individual looks that pristine that chances are it is the offspring of the first influx into southern Britain earlier this year. The moth has only been noted here in five previous years.
Striped Hawk-moth (Hyles livornica).
Bird Ringing: 1 Blue Tit.
Monday 3rd August 2026
Sanderling (Calidris alba) out on the beach this morning, there appears to be fishing line around this birds left leg. Judging by the rotation of the leg it's not in the best state to migrate to Mauretania.
Sunny and a building breeze from the NE. Very quiet within the compound, 2 Collared Dove remain the highlight flying past the observatory. Out on the reserve 2 Sanderling, a Turnstone and our Ringed Plover family remain with 2 Chicks all out on the beach. A Wheatear is present in the conservation cordons. 20 Sandwich Tern and a Common Tern feeding offshore.
Moth trapping: 38 Species recorded between our 3 traps last night, certainly numbers we would expect to see in October let alone in the middle of summer, mainly due to this extended drought. Moth of the morning has to be this rather bright looking Ruby Tiger, we get around 6 each year, for what is quite a common garden species.
Bird ringing: 1 Black Redstart, 1 Reed Warbler.
Sunday 2nd August 2026
Southern Hawker.
Migrants include 2 Swallow, Lesser 'throat. Redstart, Whitethroat & Willow Warbler. 2 Skylark south must be dispersing juvs as autumn passage in this species doesn't get going until the end of September. Offshore southbound 9 Teal, Golden Plover & Oyk. At least 29 Sandwich Tern & a Common Tern feeding offshore & in the river. Black Redstart in front of the Fort early morning.
Ringing: 2 Linnet,1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Robin, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.
Saturday 1st August 2026
Clouded Yellow (Luscinia megarhynchos)
Sunny and a gentle breeze. A Skylark - first since spring, Greenfinch, Collared Dove, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker all seen from the observatory viewpoint. A freshly emerged Clouded Yellow Butterfly also made itself at home flying around the open areas on top of the observatory hill. Out on the beach, a Sanderling and 5 Ring Plovers with 2 chicks remaining.
Seawatching produced: 17 Sandwich Tern and 2 Gannet North. South movements: 24 Cormorant, 10 Teal and an Oystercatcher. 2 Little Tern and a Mediterranean gull feeding offshore.
Moth trapping: 79 Species recorded between our 3 traps last night. Moth of the morning is Ethmia quadrillella which is a nationally scarce species living on Comfrey.
Ethmia quadrillella first site record.
Bird ringing: 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Linnet, 1 Goldfinch.
July 2026 Ringing Totals
Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)... one of 4 Juveniles ringed this July here at Landguard.
We close this month on 281 birds ringed, with recent years catching 130 - 200 birds, this month we seem slightly up despite the now severe drought conditions. We have to go back to 2022 to see a higher number of 445 birds ringed - which interestingly was anouther warm summer. Linnet numbers seem on par with 88 being ringed in 2022. The largest contributor to 2022s good July appears to be the 133 Starlings being ringed!
Friday 31st July 2026
Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe).
A bright but quiet morning once again in the compound with Willow Warbler and Reed Warbler song briefly. Out on the reserve we have a Wheatear which does look like a juvenile from the freshness of the wing feathers in the picture above. 2 Lapwing were present early morning near the point. 4 Adult Ring Plover were present with 2 chicks. A Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were both also seen from the compound.
Seawatching produced a handful of movements with 15 Teal, 2 Black-headed Gull, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Grey Heron and an Oystercatcher, all south. Feeding offshore: 14 Sandwich Tern, 5 Mediterranean Gull and a Cormorant.
Moth trapping: 79 Moth species recorded last night between our 3 moth traps. Moth of the morning is the Oak Processionary Moth, first noted on site in 1995 and in six subsequent years. The caterpillars of this moth species cause severe damage to oak trees by stripping leaves and can pose a risk to human and animal health with small irritational hairs they shed. The moth is Native to Europe but not to the UK and although internet sources say the moth was introduced accidentally to the uk in the 2000s and only causing damage to oak tree when in large populations in 2006, our early records are evidence of them naturally crossing into the UK.
Oak Processionary (Thaumetopoea processionea)
Bird ringing: 1 Linnet.
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