Saturday 18th July 2026

Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) on Teasel.

A cloudy morning. Quiet within the compound once again with the beginning of the migrants moving south with an adult and juvenile Reed Warbler mist netted, this being quite early suggests a good year possibly for Reed Warblers. 8 Redshank south are our first group to go south this year as we approach autumn. 

Seawatching produced north movements: 8 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Sandwich Tern, 4 Common Tern and a Whimbrel. South movements: 8 Redshank, 2 Black-headed Gull, a Mediterranean Gull and a Sandwich Tern. 

Moth trapping: 97 Species recorded between our 3 traps last night. Pick of the bunch is the two Eastern Bordered Straw moths, which are migrants from Southern Europe. Only recorded in Suffolk for the first time this year.

Eastern Bordered Straw (Heliothis nubigera).

Bird ringing: 2 Great Tit, 2 Reed Warbler.

Friday 17th July 2026

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) adults are now in primary moult. 

Sunny and and slightly less beezy morning. A Black Redstart was calling briefly from the fort early morning. Quiet within the compound with mainly juvenile birds including Cetti's Warbler, Goldfinch, Linnet, Great Tit, Lesser Whitethroat and 2 well developed Reed Warblers. Ring Plovers wandering around the reserve with chicks. Our first Green Woodpecker of the autumn late evening. 

Seawatching today was slow despite the reduced wind: South; 17 Sand Martin, 2 Curlew, a Black-headed Gull and a Shelduck. 2 Cormorant towards the port. 4 Sandwich Tern and 2 Black-headed Gull remaining feeding offshore.  

Moth trapping: 65 moth species recorded last night with it warm and breezy. Moth of the day is the Bedstraw Hawk-moth, with rarely more than 10 annual sightings in Suffolk, this immigrant species from Scandinavia, the Baltic states, and occasionally other parts of northern and central Europe, is mainly found by the coast in the Uk. They may breed in a number of places this year if a significant influx occurs. 

Bedstraw Hawk-moth (Hyles gallii)

Bird ringing: 3 House Sparrow, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Linnet, 1 Reed Warbler. 

Thursday 16th July 2026

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) family with chicks between 2 and 3 days old. 

Bright and sunny from the get go with a relatively strong breeze from the NE. 

Seawatching produced 2 Cormorants towards the river and 4 Sandwich Tern feeding offshore. 

Moth trapping: 66 species species identified between our 3 traps last night. Todays moth of the day is the Twin-Spotted Wainscot, this moth is another reedbeds specialist species that disperses down here occasionally. The moth has fewer than 100 annual records each year in Suffolk, potentially due to the lack of people moth trapping in its primary habitat. 

 

Twin-spotted Wainscot (Lenisa geminipuncta)

Bird ringing: 3 Linnet, 1 Blackbird, 1 Goldfinch, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Starling. 

Wednesday 15th July 2026

 

Stinking Goosefoot Chenopodium vulvaria is up, despite the drought conditions.

Hot & breezy with very few migrants. 12 Black-heads went south with northbound single Curlew & Sandwich Tern. Two pairs of Ringos are in the process of hatching with a couple of day old chicks running around.

First site record of Aspilapteryx tringipennella which lives on Ribwort Plantain so no reason why one hasn't turned up before.

Ringing: 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Linnet.

Tuesday 14th July 2026

Starting cloudy but then clearing late morning. Another brief visit from a Greater Spotted Woodpecker mid morning within the compound. Stinking Goosefoot is now out on the reserve. 

Seawatching produced 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Black-headed Gull and a Whimbrel south. Northbound: 3 Sandwich Tern only. Hirundine movement consisted of 9 Swift north only. 

Moth trapping: 89 moth species identified in our 3 traps last night - a slight increase from the previous night with it being warmer and less windy around the traps. Pick of the bunch will be the second site record of Monochroa lucidella, with the previous one 23 years ago. This moth is a specialist of wetlands and coastal habitat and has fewer than 100 records annually in Suffolk - Suffolk Moths. 

Monochroa lucidella.

Bird ringing: 3 Whitethroat, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Linnet, 1 Blackbird, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Robin.   

Our first dispersing juvenile Reed Warbler of the year today, with its post Juvenile moult coming through. 

Monday 13th July 2026

An overcast and windy morning. A Peregrin over the reserve mid morning and also 3 Greenfinch within the compound. A dull Back Redstart continues to call from the fort. 

Seawatching produced 18 Common Scoter, 10 Gannet, 8 Sandwich Tern, 2 Mediterranean Gull, a Common Gull, a Curlew, a Little Tern and an Oystercatcher North. South: 10 Teal. 7 Common Scoter on the sea and 6 Black-headed Gull West. 

Moth trapping: 43 Species between our 3 traps last night - quiet due to the wind and cooler night. Moth of the morning is the Oak Eggar with its impressive size and colour. The moth earns its oak title from the shape of its cocoon, mimicking an acorn despite nor the caterpillar or adult feeding on oak trees. The larvae feed on shrubs including heather. 

Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa quercusare) impressive beasts.

Bird ringing: 4 House Sparrow, 2 Herring Gull, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Dunnock, 1 Linnet.  

Sunday 12th July 2026

Bright n' breezy. With the wind coming off the North Sea it should be chilly but the sea temperatures are several degrees higher than they should be for the time of the year so it feels more like a sirocco wind. Of note 4 Black-tailed Godwit flying north which is a species we failed to record in 2025 despite them being one of the commoner waders on the estuaries behind us. Also worth a mention southbound 20 Teal & northbound 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Scoter & 2 Gannet. Yet another Great Spotted Woodpecker visited suggesting that they have had a decent breeding season locally. Black Red singing on the Fort early morning with it, or another one, on the reserve later.

Athrips mouffatella has only been recorded here on a handful of previous occasions but, living on Honeysuckle, it has no reason to come here.

Ringing: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Whitethroat.