Friday 4th September 2026

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

Windy from the get-go with rain forecast late morning producing a quick downpour after 8am. Quiet within the compound with a Garden Warbler mist netted. Hirundine migration slowing with 182 Swallows and 4 House Martin, viewed flying south. Out on the reserve 3 Wheatear. A Peregrine flying along the shore line and a Kestrel.

Seawatching produced: South: 6 Teal, 3 Oystercatcher, an Arctic Skua, a Cormorant, a Common Scoter, a Curlew, a Sandwich Tern, a Whimbrel and a Wigeon. North: 4 Common Scoter. Feeding offshore: 6 Black-headed Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull. 

Moth trapping: 38 moth species recorded between our 3 traps. Straw Underwing is appearing in double figures most mornings recently. 

Straw Underwing (Thalpophila matura).

Bird ringing: 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Blackcap.   

Thursday 3rd September 2026

One of our juvenile Carrion Crows (Corvus corone) reared on site developing well.

A cloudy morning with wind building over the duration of the morning. Migration slow, with around 115 Swallow passing through south. A small mix of warblers within the compound represented by the ringing totals. 5 Wheatear out on the reserve and some 16 Pied Wagtail.  

Seawatching produced: South: 3 Oystercatcher. North: 8 Sandwich Tern, a Common Scoter. Feeding offshore: 15 Black-headed Gull, 8 Great Black-backed Gull, 4 Sandwich Tern, 2 Juvenile Common Tern and a Common Gull

Moth trapping: 41 Species between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning is our second Passenger this Autumn, it is an immigrant species that looks set to colonise over time - with one of the caterpillar food plants being bramble - it will certainly do well at Landguard!. 

Passenger (Dysgonia algira).

Bird ringing: 4 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Robin, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler. 

Wednesday 2nd September 2026

 

Southbound 382 Swallow, 41 House Martin, 2 Swift, Little Egret, Sand Martin & Whimbrel. Migrants on site include 6 Wheatear, 6 Willow Warbler, 5 Whitethroat, 4 Lesser 'throat, 2 Reed Warbler, Mipit, Pied Fly & Whinchat. Regular trickle of new Robins in recent days as youngsters get kicked out by their parents to find their own way in the world. Yet another Great Spot visited & a Black Red was noted.

With only a couple of records in the past 12 years good to get a Tawny Speckled Pug although prior to that it turned up a bit more often. It is on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened. Yet another declining species !

Ringing: 4 Robin, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Reed Warbler.

Tuesday 1st September 2026

Linnets (Linaria cannabina) warming up on the fort roof early morning.

A sunny bright morning with wind dropping late morning. Inside the compound a good mix of migrants with a Garden Warbler, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail and a Tree Pipit over early morning. On the reserve: Pied Flycatcher, 23 Pied Wagtail, 6 Wheatear and a Redstart near the Butts. Lesser Emperor dragonfly seen near the mine station compound. 

Seawatching: South: 11 Golden Plover, 3 Teal, 1 Whimbrel and a Little Egret. Towards the port: A Mediterranean Gull. Feeding offshore: 5 Black-headed Gull 3 Sandwich Tern.

Hirundine migration: 636 Swallow, 10 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin.  

Moth trapping: 59 moth species recorded between our 3 traps this morning. Todays pick of the bunch is Agriphila latistria. Every year at this time, a handful of Agriphila latistria turn up in our traps.  

Agriphila latistria. 
 

Bird ringing: 6 Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 3 Robin, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Swallow, 1 Whitethroat.   

August 2026 Ringing Total

Female Juvenile Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus).

175 bird ringed of 30 Species in August is our worst ringing total for August on record since 1983, with 2024 being closest with 194 birds ringed. The numbers of each species are surprisingly similar with 2024 matching 67 Willow Warblers ringed and slightly more Robins (19 in 2024), but fewer Blackbirds than 2024 with just 2 compared to 14... likely linked to the Usutu virus and extreme drought. Interesting from a weather sense as 2024 was not particularly an extreme year for drought with no amber or red warnings issued. 

On the positive side after tallying our Great Spotted Woodpeckers, the number of Juveniles dispersing is the highest on record for our yearly ringed total. 

Willow Warbler	67
Robin	21
Linnet	14
Reed Warbler	10
Lesser Whitethroat	7
Whitethroat	6
Pied Flycatcher	5
Redstart	4
Great Spotted Woodpecker	4
Blackcap	3
Blue Tit	3
Grey Wagtail	3
House Sparrow	3
Woodpigeon	3
Black Redstart	2
Blackbird	2
Dunnock	2
Garden Warbler	2
Sedge Warbler	2
Sparrowhawk	2
Chiffchaff	1
Great Tit	1
Green Woodpecker	1
Goldfinch	1
Meadow Pipit	1
Nightingale	1
Song Thrush	1
Starling	1
Wren	1
Wheatear	1
Total	175

 

Monday 31st August 2026

Wet overnight but bright and breezy all morning dodging all showers. Inside the compound 2 Grey Wagtail. Out on the reserve: 9 Wheatear, a male Redstart and a Tree Pipit. 2 Turnstone out on the beach. Raptors: 1 male Kestrel, 1 Peregrine and 1 Sparrowhawk.

Seawatching produced: South: 25 Redshank, 4 Teal, 4 Turnstone, 3 Black-headed Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Shelduck, 2 Mallard, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Marsh Harrier. Feeding offshore: 8 Black-headed Gull and 4 Great Black-backed Gull.      

Hirundine migration included some 542 Swallows, 39 House Martin, 1 Swift all south.     

Moth trapping: 31 moth species recorded between our 3 moth traps this morning. Moth of the morning is Eucosma tripoliana, it is a variable species living on Salt-Marsh, the moth wanders down here late August and September.  

(Eucosma tripoliana) 

Bird ringing: 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Robin, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.  

Sunday 30th August 2026

Southbound 62 Swallow, 11 Turnstone, 9 Teal, 3 Oyk, 2 Sand Martin, Gannet & Great Crested Grebe. Grounded migrants include 15 Wheatear, 15 Willow Warbler, 7 Whitethroat, 6 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Redstart, Whinchat & the first Spotted Fly of the autumn. Another Great Spotted Woodpecker visited.

Hedge Rustic rarely visits. It's now on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable.

Ringing: 7 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear.