Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Lyrid meteor shower, first recorded 2,500 years ago, with it being cited in an ancient Chinese text, viewed over Landguard very early this morning! The meteor shower peaks tonight with 10 - 15 meteors an hour and and even possibly up to 100. Somewhat fitting for national Earth day. 

Sunny & windy east-north-easterly gave hope for some offshore action but with only 16 Barwits, 9 Common Gull & 9 Gannet heading northwards in over two hours then hopes were soon dashed. Onshore equally hard work with 7 Wheatear, 3 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Sand Martin, Swallow & Willow Warbler plus a couple each of Lesser' throat & Whitethroat that, maybe, are already holding territory. Black Red still here with a predated Red-leg suggesting that the sites population here might have gone down from 2 to 1 (unless Foxy Loxy found one on the tideline).

Moth numbers dire so here's a freshly emerged Green-veined White on Green Alkanet.

Ringing: 1 Chiffchaff.

 

Tuesday 21st April 2026

Sanderling (Calidris alba), one of a pair seen today on the beach, with this individual just moulting into its summer plumage. Many thanks Bill M for this lovely snap. 

Once again cold northerly wind increasing throughout the morning, slowing down migration, however throwing up the odd interesting thing. With a juvenile male Redstart being ringed, being noteworthy as we don't always get spring migrants. A Turnstone and 2 Sanderling were present on the shore and 8 Wheatear remain present near the tip of the peninsula.  

Sea watching produced a handful of movements with 4 Bar-tailed godwit, 3 Common scoter, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Brent geese, a Kestrel and a Black headed gull, all heading north and no passage south. 

Moth trapping: 3 moths present; Pine beaty, Shuttle-shaped dart and Swallow prominent.         

A freshly emerged Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria), first one for this spring at Landguard.  

Bird ringing: 1 Redstart, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Lesser whitethroat. 

Monday 20th April 2026

A pair of breeding plumage Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus) in some nice golden hour light. 

A cold morning with a reasonably strong N wind. Of note 2 Woodlark flew south calling, small movements of Mediterranean gull north 3 and south 2. A Black redstart and 10 wheatear remain present near the tip of the peninsula, with the morning flock of 10 Shelduck also present. Hirundine migration slowing with only 2 Swallow seen flying south. 4 Mallard were also seen in flight, a somewhat uncommon sight for Landguard.   

Moth trapping: Pebble prominent is the most noteworthy moth, alongside 3 Shuttle-shaped dart and a Swallow prominent.   

A freshly emerged Pebble prominent (Notodonta ziczac)

Bird Ringing: 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Wheatear, 1 Song thrush, 1 Blackcap.  

Sunday 19th April 2026

 

Hard work as the weather pattern has brought cooler north-westerly conditions. 15 Wheatear is a decentish count with other migrants including 9 Swallow, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler & what is presumably yesterdays Black Red.

Small Mottled Willow is a far from annual autumn migrant that we have not noted in the spring before.

Ringing: 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Wheatear, 1 Magpie, 1 Sedge Warbler.

Saturday 18th April 2026

Red kite (Milvus milvus) -  appearing to be in active wing moult, making it a juvenile from last year or a bird not breeding this year. 

A cloudy start to the day with a slight bit of drizzle in the air, produced a small dose of migrants, Including; a Black redstart, a White wagtail, 6 Lesser Whitethroat and the group of Wheatear have increased to 12 individuals. Early morning a pair of Raven where seen flying north over the port and a juvenile Red kite was observed flying south late morning directly over the ringing room. A hedgehog was spotted running under a building while opening nets - but the photo is not worth showing as it was still quite dark.     

 Hirundine migration:  A steady flow of Swallows over the reserve, with 10 south and 4 north (birds that have likely overshot) and our first sighting of House martins this spring, with 2 flying south. A Sand martin was also seen flying South.     

Sea watching produced 21 Black headed gull, 14 Mediterranean gull, 4 Barnacle geese, 2 Jackdaw and a Common gull heading south. An Oystercatcher only observed flying North. 

A freshly dead porpoise washed up on the shore, likely from being struck by a boat, makes a tasty breakfast for the local herring gull.  

Moth trapping:  4 moths present, with a Shuttle Shaped dart again, Angle shades, Swallow prominent and double striped pug. 

Our first Large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) of this spring, seen in our heligoland trap - our first damselfly to be recorded this spring.   

Bird Ringing: 7 Blackcap, 5 Willow warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser whitethroat, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Wheatear, 1 Common whitethroat, 1 Sedge warbler, 1 Robin. 

Friday 17th April 2026

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) nesting near the cottage. 

A cloudy but pleasant morning with hazy sunshine at times and a strengthening SSW wind. A Brambling was seen calling within the compound early morning and departed to the south. A small increase to 8 Wheatear on the peninsula and 13 Swallow were observed passing through. A Reed warbler was also heard near the butts.  

Seawatching produced 31 Black-headed gull, 6 Mediterranean gull, 4 Barnacle Geese and a Whimbrel all south. Seen flying north; 9 Mediterranean gull, 3 Teal, and a Common Scoter       

A Holly blue butterfly was seen flying around the back of the ringing room, high up in the canopy, this being our first for spring. The holly blue is unique among butterflies in the British Isles for having a two-food-larvae-system, with this spring emergence having fed on Holly, while the summer emergence feed on Ivy flower buds.   

Our first Holly blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolus) of spring 2026.

Moth trapping: Angle shades, Common plume and Silver Y present only. Surprisingly low biodiversity considering a slightly warmer overcast night. 

 Bird Ringing: 5 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Linnet, 1 Long-tailed tit, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Woodpigeon.  

Ringing Recoveries

Blackcap ringed Iken, Suffolk 21st September 2024 retrapped 30 km away at LBO 4th April 2026 on spring passage.

Blackcap ringed Levington, Suffolk 20th August 2025 retrapped 9 km away at LBO 9th April 2026 could well be a bird bred on the Felixstowe peninsula coming back this spring.

Chiffchaff ringed Hilbre Island, Wirral, Merseyside 28th April 2025 retrapped 346 km away at LBO 13th April 2026 looks like it may well be a bird whose natal area is in Northern Britain that migrated up the west coast last spring & up the east coast this spring. It is our first Chiffchaff to or from Merseyside (or Cheshire if one uses proper county boundaries).