Ringing: 5 Chiffchaff, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Wheatear, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Woodpigeon.
Sunday 26th April 2026
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!
Wednesday 22nd April 2026
Lyrid meteor shower, first recorded 2,500 years ago, with it being cited in an ancient Chinese text, viewed over Landguard very early this morning! The meteor shower peaks tonight with 10 - 15 meteors an hour and and even possibly up to 100. Somewhat fitting for national Earth day.
Sunny & windy east-north-easterly gave hope for some offshore action but with only 16 Barwits, 9 Common Gull & 9 Gannet heading northwards in over two hours then hopes were soon dashed. Onshore equally hard work with 7 Wheatear, 3 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Sand Martin, Swallow & Willow Warbler plus a couple each of Lesser' throat & Whitethroat that, maybe, are already holding territory. Black Red still here with a predated Red-leg suggesting that the sites population here might have gone down from 2 to 1 (unless Foxy Loxy found one on the tideline).
Ringing: 1 Chiffchaff.
Tuesday 21st April 2026
Sanderling (Calidris alba), one of a pair seen today on the beach, with this individual just moulting into its summer plumage. Many thanks Bill M for this lovely snap.
Once again cold northerly wind increasing throughout the morning, slowing down migration, however throwing up the odd interesting thing. With a juvenile male Redstart being ringed, being noteworthy as we don't always get spring migrants. A Turnstone and 2 Sanderling were present on the shore and 8 Wheatear remain present near the tip of the peninsula.
Sea watching produced a handful of movements with 4 Bar-tailed godwit, 3 Common scoter, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Brent geese, a Kestrel and a Black headed gull, all heading north and no passage south.
Moth trapping: 3 moths present; Pine beaty, Shuttle-shaped dart and Swallow prominent.
A freshly emerged Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria), first one for this spring at Landguard.
Bird ringing: 1 Redstart, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Lesser whitethroat.
Monday 20th April 2026
A pair of breeding plumage Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus) in some nice golden hour light.
A cold morning with a reasonably strong N wind. Of note 2 Woodlark flew south calling, small movements of Mediterranean gull north 3 and south 2. A Black redstart and 10 wheatear remain present near the tip of the peninsula, with the morning flock of 10 Shelduck also present. Hirundine migration slowing with only 2 Swallow seen flying south. 4 Mallard were also seen in flight, a somewhat uncommon sight for Landguard.
Moth trapping: Pebble prominent is the most noteworthy moth, alongside 3 Shuttle-shaped dart and a Swallow prominent.
A freshly emerged Pebble prominent (Notodonta ziczac)
Bird Ringing: 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Wheatear, 1 Song thrush, 1 Blackcap.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)