Tuesday 6th October 2026

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis). 

Overcast with no wind. Mix of warblers inside the compound with a small number Chiffchaff and a Blackcap, one Jay also on site. One continental Blackbird caught in the nets and a Yellow-browed Warbler remaining fairly reliability behind the kitchen. Out on the reserve 2 Shore Lark seen till mid day.  

Flying over the observatory: 8 Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark and 4 Grey Wagtail all south. 4 Greenfinch north.  

Seawatching

South: 15 Wigeon, 10 Brent Goose, 10 Cormorant, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Knot, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kittiwake. 

North: 4 Cormorant, 1 Long-tailed Skua. 

Feeding offshore: 7 Great Black-backed Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Scoter, 1 Mediterranean Gull.  

Moth trapping: 42 moth species present between the 3 moth traps. Moth of the morning is the Beautiful Marbled, a migrant that failed to appear last year. 

Beautiful Marbled (Eublemma purpurina). 

Bird ringing: 3 Blue Tit, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Dunnock, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Robin.   

Ringing Recoveries

Meadow Pipit ringed Rosedale East Low Barings, North Yorkshire 14th September 2026 trapped 309 km away at LBO on 5th October 2026 on it's way south for the winter. The North Yorks national park may well be it's natal area.

Blackcap ringed LBO 9th October 2023 trapped 55 km away at Livermere, Suffolk on 22nd September 2026 on autumn migration at both sites.

Amongst half a dozen LBO ringed birds that have been trapped at Trimley Marshes this year was one of note -

Long-tailed Tit ringed LBO 17th November 2019 trapped at Trimley Marshes 1st September 2026 which is a good age for this species that is not known for their longevity. Milder winter conditions is probably improving survival rates. 

Monday 5th October 2026

Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) seen this afternoon inside the compound behind the kitchen. 

Starting clear but then swamped by a bank of fog until lifting and burning off late morning, a slight W wind. 22 Redwing and 4 Siskin seen flying over the compound, out on the reserve 2 Shore Lark remain. A Black Redstart was observed down viewpoint road mid morning. 3 Buzzards seen soaring high by 11am. Mid-day a Yellow-browed Warbler was heard and later seen in the compound behind the kitchen (16:30). 

22 Meadow Pipit, 10 Swallow and 7 Rook also South over the top of the observatory. 

Seawatching 

South: 95 Wigeon, 11 Teal, 7 Common Gull, 6 Pintail, 5 Brent Goose, 2 Cormorant, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Red-throated Diver, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Little Egret and a Knot.

North: 4 Common Scoter, 3 Brent Goose, 2 Heron and a Cormorant.

West: 3 Egyptian Geese.  

Feeding offshore: 8 Black-headed Gull and 6 Great Black-backed Gull.

Moth trapping: 29 moth species between our 3 traps this morning. Moth of the morning, very deservingly so, is the Merveille du Jour, which makes an appearance october most years

Merveille du Jour (Griposia aprilina).

Bird ringing: 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 2 Robin, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Sparrowhawk.  

Sunday 4th October 2026

 

Glorious sunny, calm autumnal day. A Barn Owl was quartering the Butts pre-dawn & not long after daylight 14 Little Egret went north. Also on the move southbound 16 Mipit, 8 Siskin, 6 Crows, 5 Spoonbill, Grey Wag, Jackdaw, Rock Pipit, Rook & Woodlark. Offshore movements negligible. On site at least 20 Mipit, 14 Chiffchaff, 8 Blackcap plus a Lesser 'throat showing characteristics of C.c.blythi. A Purp was on the point & the 2 Shorelark are still with us.

Cypress Pug inhabits various ornamental Cypress trees. Failed to get one last year, although it has been almost of annual occurrence in the past 20 years since it arrived in Suffolk in the early part of this century.

Ringing: 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Great Tit, 2 Blackcap, 2 Robin, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock.

Saturday 3rd October 2026

A sunny morning with a W wind. A nice mix of birds inside the compound with Blackcap, Chiffchaff, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Reed Bunting, another Brambling ringed. South overhead; 146 Swallow, 60 Meadow Pipit, 2 Redpoll, 1 Skylark, 1 Woodlark. A Blackbird was observed flying in off the sea then heading out again. 5 Jay and a Merlin also observed on site. Out on the reserve 1 Wheatear and 2 Shore Lark. A Turnstone and a Rock Pipit on the beach.   

Seawatching:

South: 238 Wigeon, 133 Teal, 53 Brent Goose, 24 Black-headed Gull, 23 Cormorant, 14 Pintail, 7 Lapwing, 3 Dunlin, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Sandwich Tern, 1 Little Egret, 1 Turnstone.

  Feeding offshore: 2 Mediterranean Gull.  

Moth trapping: 29 moth species between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning goes to the Red-green Carpet of the autumn plumb on cue (right on time). 

Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata). 

Bird ringing: 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Blackcap, 3 Robin, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Brambling, 1 Chaffinch, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Jay.  

Friday 2nd October 2026

Shorelark (Eremophila alpestris). 

A sunny morning, starting with a WSW turning into SSW by late morning. Quiet within the compound with around 10 Chiffchaff and 6 Blackcap, overhead; 94 Meadow Pipit and 25 Skylark south and a Redpoll. 1 Shorelark remains on the nature reserve. 2 Sanderling and a Rock Pipit on the beach. 

Seawatching:

South: 8 Common Gull, 8 Red-breasted Merganser, 7 Cormorant, 6 Black-headed Gull, 4 Wigeon, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Teal, 2 Oystercatcher, a Gannet and a Hobby. 

North: a Cormorant. 

Feeding offshore: 2 Mediterranean Gull. 

   

Moth trapping: Moth of the morning falls to the Box-tree moth, a moth that only first turned up here 8 years ago, became abundant but is having a poor year this year.  

Box-tree (Cydalima perspectalis).

Bird ringing: 7 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 4 Meadow Pipit, 2 Robin, 1 Great Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Blue Tit.  

Thursday 1st October 2026

Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla).

A sunny and bright morning with a W wind. A mix of birds within the compound with a Ring Ouzel heard early morning and our first Goldcrest of the Autumn ringed. 58 Meadow Pipit south with 15 on. 17 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin south. A Siskin also south. 3 Wheatear on the reserve. A Short Eared Owl in and off the sea. 2 Rock Pipit south and one on the reserve. Just the single Shorelark today. 

Seawatching:  

South: 47 Wigeon, 7 Cormorant, 5 Teal, 4 Common Scoter, 2 Brent Goose, 2 Curlew, 2 Common Gull and a Mediterranean Gull 

South West: 2 Shelduck, 

Moth trapping: moth of the morning goes to the Thicket Knot-horn has become rarer here in recent years. This one is a late emerging individual. 

Thicket Knot-horn (Acrobasis suavella).

Bird ringing: 6 Robin, 5 Meadow Pipit, 4 Song Thrush, 1 Brambling, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Woodpigeon.