Friday 9th October 2026

Spot the Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus).

A threat of showers all morning but not realised with strong winds from the WSW. A juvenile male Barn Owl was caught in the Heligoland trap just at the start of twilight, having been seen out on the reserve last night. A Ring Ouzel was later discovered behind the kitchen (however remaining very skulky). 1 Swallow seen flying south. Out on the reserve 6 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin on the beach.   

Seawatching:   

South: 238 Brent Goose, 223 Wigeon, 31 Teal, 27 Common Scoter, 20 Dunlin, 20 Pintail, 9 Knot, 6 Shelduck, 6 Turnstone, 5 Cormorant, 5 Grey Plover, 4 Common Gull, 3 Gannet, 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 Common Tern, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Sanderling and a Snipe. 

North: 5 Arctic Skua, 4 Red-throated Diver, 3 Common Scoter and a Cormorant north.  

Feeding offshore: 11 Greater Black-backed Gull and a Mediterranean Gull.  

Moth trapping: 17 months between our 3 traps last night. Brindled Green pays a visit roughly two years out of three. 

Brindled Green (Dryobotodes eremita). 

Bird ringing: 11 Blackcap, 6 Song Thrush, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Chaffinch.    

Thursday 8th October 2026

Black Stork (Ciconia nigra).

A bright but windy morning. 1 Reed Warbler seen within the compound. Our first Redwing of the autumn ringed. Early morning a Merlin was being chased by a Peregrine Falcon. Late morning a Black Stork (our second-ever recor) circled over the observatory flying from the north and eventually heading south. 2 Stonechats and a Common Snipe out on the reserve. A Rock Pipit feeding on the beach. 1 Buzzard overhead. 

Overhead migration included 24 Swallow, 23 Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark, 5 Stock Dove, 2 Goldfinch and 1 Woodlark all south. 2 Skylark west. 

Seawatching: 

North: 3 Gannet and 1 Cormorant.

South: 12 Black-headed Gull, 7 Cormorant, 4 Common Gull, 3 Gannet, 2 Brent Goose, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Rock Pipit. 

West: 4 Cormorant. 

Feeding offshore: 3 Great Black-backed Gull and 2 Mediterranean Gull. 

Moth trapping: 13 Species between our 3 traps, owing to the cold and wet night. Moth of the morning falls to the Large Wainscot, which is a reedbed species that visits in the autumn. 

  

Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa). 

Bird ringing: 2 Song Thrush, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Great Tit, 1 Redwing. 

 

Wednesday 7th October 2026

Forecast rain held off for the morning. First Stonechat of the autumn with other migrants in very low numbers including 10 Chiffchaff, 6 Mipit, 4 Song Thrush, 3 Chaffinch, Blackcap, Brambling, Grey Wag, Lesser 'throat & Yellow-browed Warbler. Local visitations from 2 Jay & a Great Spotted Woodpecker had probably not come from far afield. A Sandwich Tern is getting close to the last of the year.

From midday onwards birds started to arrive in off the sea prior to the rain arriving (+ after it started) with at least 678 Chaffinch, 118 Redwing, 94 Song Thrush & a Jack Snipe in off. If one considers that they will be arriving on a broad front the numbers coming in along the coast will be far in excess of this point count.

We have been getting several moths out later in the year than expected. Synaphe punctalis today was last noted this year on 18th August with our latest ever ones previously in early September.

Ringing:  3 Song Thrush, 2 Great Tit, 1 Blue  Tit, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff.

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.