Thursday 23 July 2026

Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) most likely feeding on Whitebait.

An overcast morning with a gentle breeze produced a nice group of 4 Sanderling on the beach as well as an increase up to 14 Ringed Plover, possibly 2 juveniles dispersing, with 4 of our tiny chicks still surviving. A new Great Spotted Woodpecker also ventured down to the point and on the way back visited one of our nets. 3 Common Gull is also worth highlighting from the seawatching.  

Seawatching produced South movements: 2 Oystercatcher, a Common Scoter and a Curlew. North movements: 3 Cormorant, 2 Gannet and a Common Tern. 5 Sandwich Tern and 3 Common Gull feeding offshore. Hirundines observations: 3 Swallow feeding on site with 1 North, a Sandmartin North and 8 Swift South. 

Moth trapping: 66 moth species recorded last night, a slight increase from recent days owing to a less windier night. Moth of the day is the Plain Pug, a moth recorded singularly each year with last year the moth being absent, this is mainly due to the moth having to travel a fair distance from its preferred saltmarsh habitat (small area at Trimley nature reserve) to be caught in our traps.

Plain Pug (Eupithecia simpliciata).

Bird ringing: 6 Linnet, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Reed Warbler. 

Wednesday 22nd July 2026

 

Sizeable flock of gulls feeding just offshore & on the reserve included at least 15 Med Gull & the first Common Gull's for a while. Also offshore several Sandwich Tern going back & forth plus 2 Porpoise. New migrants limited to 4 Swallow & a Sedge Warbler plus a visit from yet another Great Spotted Woodpecker. At least one Black Red still about.

Rest Harrow is on the IUCN Red List as "near threatened". It has been annual here over the last nine years in small numbers & is probably living here on, as it says on the tin, Common Restharrow.

Ringing: 2 Goldfinch, 2 Linnet, 1 Sedge Warbler.

Tuesday 21st July 2026

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) with its now one-week-old chick, having unfortunately lost the other.

An overcast morning with a gentle breeze. Although seemingly quiet within the compound plenty of dispersing migrants found their way into nets as well as a good dose of young Linnets. Out on the reserve 3 Lapwing were on the beach early morning and a Black Redstart calling from the Fort again. 3 young Kestrels again near the point, let's hope that ring plover keeps hiding well!.   

Seawatching produced South: 28 Sandwich Tern, 19 Black-headed Gull, 13 Cormorant, 5 Curlew

North:18 Sandwich Tern, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Gannet.     

Moth trapping: 30 Moth species last night - very quiet for this time of year potentially due to the drought conditions. Moth of the morning is the Marbled Clover, a nationally scarce species, far from annual here, that is having a good year with 10 of these recorded at this location this month. This moth can be seen during the daytime feeding on Viper's-bugloss, common across the reserve. 

Marbled Clover (Heliothis viriplaca).

Bird ringing: 11 Linnet, 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Nightingale, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Great Tit, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Wren, 1 Whitethroat. 

Monday 20th July 2026

Male Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) joins a Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) this morning out on the reserve, the Woodpigeon looks a little shocked.

A bright morning. Once again quiet within the compound with juvenile birds and the odd migrant starting to filter through with juvenile Reed and Sedge Warblers. A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker also briefly visited the compound again. A family group of Kestrels were out on the reserve with between 2 and 3 young that have moved down from Felixstowe factory units. One juvenile Ringed Plover still surviving.      

Seawatching produced; north: 4 Common Scoter, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern. South: 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Sandwich Tern. 3 Sandwich Tern remaining feeding offshore. 

Moth trapping: Only 33 moth species last night. Pima boisduvaliella is moth of the day, a nationally scarce species living along the coast on flowering coastal plants such as Bird's-foot Trefoil.   

Pima boisduvaliella.

Bird ringing: 1 Reed warbler and 1 Sedge Warbler. 

Sunday 19th July 2026

 

Ruddy Darter.

Some movement with southbound 20 Sandwich Tern, 9 Oyks, 2 Curlew & Sand Martin with northbound 5 Little Egret, 5 Sandwich Tern, 2 Med Gull & Gannet. Only obvious migrant on site a Reed Warbler. Several young Kestrel have appeared.

Oncocera semirubella is a nationally scarce species on Bird's Foot Trefoil & Clovers that we do quite well for.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Great Tit, 1 Linnet.

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.