Ringing: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Wheatear.
Wednesday 29th April 2026
Tuesday 28th April 2026
3 Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) dropped in briefly near the tip of the peninsula, then flew S.
A strong NE wind, with a spell of drizzle around 7am. Not many species calling first light and few new passerines. 5 Wheatear present on the peninsula and a Black redstart that looks to be the bird ringed last week, briefly joined by 3 Whimbrel, shown in the picture above.
The strong winds reduced sea-watching to just 5 Cormorant and a Shelduck North.
Moth trapping: White colon moth and Coronet are the pick of the bunch for today, of the total 25 individual moths, on the most part Shuttle-shaped dart (19). The White colon is our first for spring and is slightly earlier than expected. This moth is classed as nationally scarce and the larvae have likely fed on Common restharrow at this site.
White colon (Sideridis turbida), first of the year.
Bird ringing: 3 Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff.
Monday 27th April 2026
White wagtail (Motacilla alba)
A mostly sunny morning with a slight N wind, feeling more like summer by late morning in sheltered areas. A few Chiffchaff singing and a Blackcap early morning in the compound and a Red admiral butterfly was seen flying around late morning. A Whinchat, a Black redstart and 8 Wheatear present on the peninsula, with a White wagtail present with the resident Pied wagtail. A Sanderling was also seen on the tide line early morning.
Sea watching produced; 6 Oystercatcher, 2 Mediterranean gull, 2 Sandwich tern, 1 Common tern, 1 Little Egret, 1 Fulmar and 1 Whimbrel, all flying north. Flying south; 5 Canada, 2 Greylag and 2 Shelduck.
21 Swallows where seen flying South and just 1 North low over the reserve.
Moth trapping: Finally larger numbers! 20 Shuttle-shaped dart, Pebble Prominent, a Tawny shears, and some micros!; Rugged Bryony Beauty (Phtheochroa rugosana) and a Musotima nitidalis (sometimes known as Golden brown fern moth).
Tawny shears (Hadena perplexa) - a pale morph that are regularly seen along SE coast, with inland examples reaching a dark brown and everything in-between, this is referred to in the scientific name with the complexity.
Bird ringing: 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Robin, 1 Blackcap, 1 Linnet, 1 Reed warbler, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear.
Sunday 26th April 2026
Ringing: 5 Chiffchaff, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Wheatear, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Woodpigeon.
Saturday 25th April 2026
Male Ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
Another foggy morning, with a slight N wind, fog slowly lifting to cloud and then clearing by late morning. Two Ring ouzel present on the peninsular a White wagtail, 12 Wheatear and the Serin also present, with the Serin last being seen around 8:30am. A Brambling was briefly present behind the obs kitchen and 4 Reed warblers where caught today, with two being recent retraps. New Songies are continental raced birds on their way back to Northern Europe.
Sea watching produced a Whimbrel and a Oystercatcher heading out the the docks and north, another Whimbrel, 15 Med gull and a Grey plover south and 2 Med Gull north. 31 Swallow, over the course of the morning where observed flying south over the reserve and a House martin.
Moth trapping: Finally getting more promising numbers! ... 7 Shuttle-shaped dart, Muslin, Angle shades & Northern drab.
Bird Ringing: 6 Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 3 Song thrush, 3 Willow warbler, 2 Reed warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Linnet, 1 Robin.
Friday 24th April 2026
A female Serin (Serinus serinus), unfortunately looking away from the camera.
A foggy 5am start to the day was a clear sign that wind had dropped, allowing southly migrants, of the scarcer kind, to fly north after multiple days of strong northerly wind. We finally got a Ring ouzel, a Serin mobile around the reserve and the observatory compound, as well as a Whinchat, Redstart, 2 Black redstart, a Brambling, a Siskin and a Lapwing. 12 Wheatear present near the tip of the peninsula.
Sea watching producing; 2 Brent and a Heron south. Just a Whimbrel out and north. Overland; 9 Swallow north and 2 South, 2 Sand martin north and 2 south and 5 Mediterranean gull south.
Moth trapping: 2 moths present... very quiet with it being a particularly cold night, a Shuttle-shaped dart and a Swallow prominent.
Small white (Pieris rapae) on Birds foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
Bird ringing: 5 Whitethroat, 4 Willow warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Lesser whitethroat, 2 Wheatear, 1 Black redstart, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Song thrush, 1 Reed warbler, 1 Goldfinch.
First-year plumaged Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
Thursday 23rd April 2026
A flock of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) near the cottage.
A strong NE wind, but clear morning once again produced little movement of birds. With Chiffchaff being retrapped and only 2 new individuals arriving late morning. A pair of Greenfinch passed through, with the female having a brood patch, so likely nesting locally. 9 Wheatear and a Black redstart are present near the tip of the peninsula and a Turnstone along the shore. 2 Lesser whitethroat heard calling, scattered around the reserve.
A few sea movements with; 14 Gannet, 10 Greylag geese, 6 Common gull, 4 Black headed gull, 4 Med gull, a Cormorant and a Shelduck going north. 3 Cormorant only going South.
Moth trapping: Our first Muslin moth of spring, a Swallow prominent, a Shuttle-shaped dart and a Common quaker.
A male Muslin moth (Diaphora mendica), with females being white with a similar black spot pattern on the wing. A look into the scientific name; diaphora refers to the extreme sexual dimorphism and medica is the Latin word for beggar, referring to the dull appearance of males!
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