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. 

Friday 16th October 2026

Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) seen near the point this morning.

A brief dry spell before rain setting in around quarter to 8 this morning, then clearing noon. WSW swinging to a NNW afternoon. Redwing over the compound early morning and extra Blackbirds. 1 Swallow circling the observatory. Out on the reserve a Turnstone, Rock Pipit and an Oystercatcher near the point. Mid-afternoon 25 Ringed Plover and 23 Sanderling on the beach but flushed.  

Seawatching - poor visibility most of the morning and little movement. 

 

South: 4 Common Gull and 3 Black-headed Gull and a Brent Goose. 

North: 1 Gannet, 1 Shelduck. 

Feeding offshore: 3 Black-headed Gull.

Moth trapping: 23 moth species recorded between our 3 traps this morning - no moth of the day as all the moths caught today have already featured!

Bird ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Wren.

Thursday 15th October 2026

Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). 2 have been seen on site together the past couple days, it is quite possible these are two migrants and not bred locally. 

 A morning of variable cloud cover, with a brisk SW wind. Quiet once again inside the compound with Song Thrushes (12 in total across the whole site), 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and 2 Collared Dove. Out on the reserve, the two Black Redstart were seen perched near the seawatching hide on the tank blocks. 

Overhead migration: 15 Meadow Pipit, 9 Skylark, 2 Swallow and a Grey Wagtail, all south.   

Seawatching: 

South; 24 Cormorant, 16 Black-headed Gull, 8 Common Gull, 7 Wigeon, 3 Dunlin, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Pintail and a Red-throated Diver.  

North; 3 Common Scoter. 

Feeding offshore: 2 Great Black-backed Gull and a Mediterranean Gull.

Moth trapping: 18 species recorded between our 3 traps this morning. Micro moth numbers are rapidly declining as the nights get colder. Eudonia angustea bucks the trend, with a very good late emergence period. 

Eudonia angustea.

Bird ringing: 6 Chaffinch, 4 Song Thrush, 2 Blackbird, 2 Chiffchaff. 

Wednesday 14th October 2026

 

Late autumn Lesser Whitethroat are probably C.c.blythi but it's open to conjecture whether this is the bird first seen ten days ago or a different individual. Glorious sunny day with a modest selection of mid-October fare on today's menu including southbound 44 Mipit, 36 Goldfinch, 36 Skylark, 12 Chaffinch, 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Woodlark, Grey Wag & Reed Bunting. Offshore very slack with southbound 49 Black-headed Gull, 10 Brent, 6 Common Gull & 2 Red-throated Diver. On site 2 Black Red are quite likely autumn migrants as opposed to the loitering breeders plus offspring. Other grounded migrants in very low numbers with the ringing figures given some flavour of those species present plus a single Brambling & another visiting Jay.

Mallow is a late autumn flyer whose numbers here are declining despite it still being a common & widespread species in southern & south-eastern England.

Ringing: 3 Blackcap, 3 Blue Tit, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Blackbird, 2 Great Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Linnet, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Wren.