Tuesday 22nd September 2026

Sanderling (Calidris alba). 

An overcast morning with little wind, clearing by late morning. Our first Song Thrush of the autumn ringed and an influx of on site Blue Tits. In the moat of the fort, 3 Black Redstarts. 16 Pied Wagtail on the grass in front of the observatory. 2 Sanderling along the beach and an Oystercatcher. Hirundine movement dropping to just 6 Swallow south. Meadow Pipit visible migration dropping to just 5 South and 6 feeding on site. 

Seawatching: South: 116 Teal, 15 Cormorant, 14 Black-headed Gull, 11 Sandwich Tern, 11 Wigeon, 8 Shelduck and a Red-throated Diver.  

 South West: 8 Grey Heron. 

West: 1 Gadwall. 

Feeding offshore: 10 Great Black-backed Gull, 9 Common Tern, 7 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Sandwich Tern, 1 Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. 

Moth trapping: 45 moth species between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning is the Brick, it lives here in low numbers on the poplars. 

Brick (Sunira circellaris). 

Bird ringing: 9 Blue Tit, 6 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Great Tit, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Woodpigeon. 
 

Monday 21st September 2026

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

A sunny morning with wind dropping significantly to a light NW. A Chaffinch, Reed Bunting and Great Spotted Woodpecker within the compound and a Skylark overhead. Out on the reserve 2 Wheatear and 2 Whimbrel. 2 Mute Swan at the entrance to the port. Hirundine movement: 250 Swallow, 116 House Martin and 17 Sand Martin all south. 

Seawatching: South: a Cormorant and an Oystercatcher.

North: 4 Gannet, 4 Cormorant and a Common Scoter. 

East: a Cormorant.

Feeding offshore: 5 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Tern.

Moth trapping: 52 species between our 3 traps recorded this morning. Moth of the morning falls to the Beaded Chestnut is a declining autumnal species now on the IUCN Red list as Near Threatened.  

Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis). 

Bird ringing: 9 Meadow Pipit, 4 Blue Tit, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Great Tit, 2 Robin, 1 Goldfinch.      

Sunday 20th September 2026

 

Ivy Bee arrived in the UK in 2001 & has spread north fairly quickly.

Despite the wind a few bits n' bobs of note including a Merlin hunting a passerine offshore, 2 Cattle Egret south & our first Chaffinch since mid-June. The supporting cast included southbound 263 Swallow, 190 Mipit, 9 House Martin, 2 Grey Wag & Sand Martin with offshore southbound 14 Med Gull, 10 Shelduck, 7 Black-headed Gull, 3 Greylag Goose, 3 Teal, 2 Red-throated Diver & Oyk with northbound 4 Common Scoter, 2 Oyk & Red-throat plus a Marsh Harrier in off. On site 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, 2 Lesser 'throat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler & Whitethroat. 2 Black Red were around Darrell's Battery. A Wall Brown butterfly was again by the Butts pond & at least 10 Clouded Yellow were noted.

Black Rustic is an autumnal species was first noted in 1993 & has since colonised.

Ringing: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Robin.

Saturday 19th September 2026

A cloudy and breezy morning with only a small amount of visible migration including 32 Swallow and 3 Meadow Pipit south. Quiet within the compound with mainly Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Out on the reserve a single Wheatear. 

Seawatching: 

South: 8 Sandwich Tern, 7 Great Black-backed Gull, a Brent Goose, a Marsh Harrier, a Shelduck and a Whimbrel. 

North: 1 Great Black-backed Gull

Feeding offshore: 11 Sandwich Tern and a Common Tern. 

Moth trapping: 18 moth species between our 3 moth traps. Lunar underwing has started coming out in recent days. 

Lunar Underwing (Anchoscelis lunosa). 

Bird ringing: 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 1 Robin.  

Friday 18th September 2026

 Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra), seen near the cottage. 

A sunny but blustery morning with wind from the west. A Redstart was seen on the roof of the fort as well as 2 Black Redstarts in the moat late afternoon. A Whinchat near the cottage mid morning. Hirundine movement: 109 Swallow and 6 Sand Martin.

Seawatching produced: South: 5 Cormorant and 4 Teal. North: 1 Red-throated Diver and a Gannet. Feeding offshore: 35 Sandwich Tern and 2 Common Tern. 

Moth trapping: 23 Species recorded between our 3 traps - low species count due to the high winds overnight.   

However another Wall Brown was spotted today, potentially two...  the Wall is a declining species in Suffolk that has been noted here for the past five autumns in low numbers.

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), sighted today near the pond near the butts and on wednesday in the moat of the fort. 

Bird ringing: 11 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 2 Blue Tit. 

  

Thursday 17th September 2026

An overcast morning with rain starting mid morning. Inside the compound a small mix of warblers including Lesser Whitethroat. Out on the reserve 2 Jackdaw, a Kestrel and a Snipe that was flushed. 13 Meadow Pipit south over the reserve. Hirundine movement: 34 Swallow, 6 House Martin and a Sand Martin south. 2 Knot out on the beach.   

Seawatching produced: South: 94 Wigeon, 42 Teal, 9 Pintail, 5 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 4 Scoter, 3 Grey Plover, 3 Sanderling, 2 Snipe, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Hobby and 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Shoveler, 

West: a Merlin. 

North: Arctic Skua and a Gannet. 

Moth Trapping: 27 moth species between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning is the Dusky Lemon Sallow, an IUCN Red List species, classified as Near Threatened. It turns up most years wandering from areas with Wych elms. 

Dusky Lemon Sallow (Cirrhia gilvago).

Bird ringing: 8 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Robin, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Meadow Pipit. 

Wednesday 16th September 2026

 

First site record of Queen of Spain Fritillary which is a rare immigrant to our shores.

Quieter morning with southbound 170 Swallow, 72 Mipit, Grey Wag & Sand Martin. Offshore southbound first 8 Brent of the autumn, 7 Wigeon, 6 Teal, Marsh Harrier (+ another one in off) & the first Red-throated Diver of the autumn with northbound an Arctic Skua. On site 8 Chiffchaff, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Spot Fly, Lesser 'throat & Reed Warbler. Also a Wall Brown in the moat (13:00). 

The Delicate is a fairly regular immigrant species that maybe established at times in recent years.

Ringing: 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Reed Warbler.