Monday 17th August 2026

 

Hard work, again. Migrants consisted of southbound 8 Oyk, 5 Swallow, 4 Ringo, Barnacle Goose, Marsh Harrier & Yellow Wag with northbound 13 Barnacle & an Oyk. On site 5 Whitethroat, 4 Lesser 'throat, 3 Willow Warbler & Wheatear + 2 loitering Black Reds.

New to Suffolk five years ago Blastobasis vittata has found its way down here this year. It's an adventive species originating in Madeira.

Ringing: 1 Linnet, 1 Robin.

Sunday 16th August 2026

 

Warehouse in Harwich going up in flames this morning.

Small handful of migrants included 8 Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser 'throat, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Swallow & Wheatear. 2 Black Reds are currently wandering around the site & a Great Spot visited. Offshore movements very basic with a Fulmar flying over the docks then north worth a mention as they have been scarce all summer.

Pyrausta purpuralis has become more infrequent down here over the years. It lives on Self-heal which does better in neglected urban gardens than with us.

Ringing: 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackbird, 1 Reed Warbler.
 

Saturday 15th August 2026

 

The odd Common Tern is feeding offshore & along the riverbank with the Sandwich Terns.

Considering the easterly influence to the weather plus overcast conditions its poor with grounded migrants limited to 5 Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler & Wheatear plus a Snipe coming in off the sea  pitching onto the reserve. Southbound single Heron, Marsh Harrier, Swallow, Teal & Yellow Wag plus a Swift north.

Orange Swift are now appearing as the autumn advances.

Ringing: 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.

Friday 14th August 2026

Adult Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) just starting to moult seen flying along the river near the port.  

A clear and sunny morning with heat building by mid morning. 5 Willow Warbler and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker inside the compound. At least 2 Black Redstart in the compound/out on the reserve with a juvenile ringed a few days ago recaught this morning and an individual in the mine station compound not ringed. A Red Kite flew over the port heading west shortly followed by two Peregrines. 30 Pied Wagtail, 2 Ringed Plover and a Wheatear out on the reserve.

Seawatching produced: 4 Oystercatcher and a Cormorant South. 5 Cormorant North. Feeding offshore: 5 Sandwich Tern, 3 Common Tern. 

Hirundine movement included 129 Swallow and 9 Sand Martin both South. 

Moth trapping: 87 moth species recorded this morning between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning goes to Pale Maple Stilt, first noted in Suffolk six years ago. We noted one in 2024, it may colonise our Sycamores. 

Pale Maple Stilt (Caloptilia honoratella)

Bird ringing: 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Dunnock, 1 Robin, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Starling.  

Thursday 13th August 2026

 

19:17 yesterday afternoon, 5 minutes after passing 90.2%, with one of the few boats to go past over the duration on the eclipse. 

Sunny with a gentle breeze coming from the east produced a quiet morning inside the observatory compound with only a Reed Warbler ringed and1 Pied Flycatcher arriving mid day, migrant wise. A Black Redstart was on the Fort early morning. Quiet too out on the reserve with the highlight being 28 Pied Wagtail. 

Seawatching produced: South movements: 25 Common Scoter, 25 Teal. 1 Oystercatcher North. 10 Sandwich Tern feeding offshore.   

Moth trapping: 79 moth species recorded last night between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning goes to the Beech moth, an infrequent visitor from Beech woods. 

The Beech moth (Cydia fagiglandana).

 

Bird ringing: 1 House Sparrow, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Robin, 1 Woodpigeon. 

Wednesday 12th August 2026

 

Juv Robin is "helping" to go through the top moth trap most mornings.

Considering the wind direction it's a tad disappointing although the first Whinchat of the autumn is plum on cue. Few other migrants although 10 Whitethroat & 5 Lesser Whitethroat are worth a mention. Offshore southbound 17 Redshank, 6 Oyk, 4 Teal, 2 Common Gull with northbound 6 Gannet.

White-line Dart used to be one of the commonest macro moths in our traps. It is now on the IUCN Red list as "vulnerable". It seems to be presently having a better season although only 10 - 20 % of the former numbers last century.

Ringing: 1 Black Redstart. 

Tuesday 11th August 2026

Peregrine (Falco peregrinus)

Sunny and a stronger Easterly breeze. The most entertainment for this morning came from a juvenile Peregrine learning how to use its claws on tufts of grass, then being mobbed by our resident female from the nearby port, with the male watching from afar. 2 Wheatear near the point and a Greenfinch again on the grass area in front of the observatory. 

Seawatching produced: 12 Oystercatcher and 5 Cormorant south. 1 Common Tern West towards the port. 1 Gannet North. Feeding offshore: 8 Sandwich Tern, 3 Great Black-backed Gull and a Mediterranean Gull.   

Moth trapping: 65 Species of moths identified this morning between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning goes to the somewhat uncommon Celypha rosaceana, distributed South of England and Wales, putting in an appearance most years in August here at Landguard. 

Roseate Marble (Celypha rosaceana). 

Bird ringing: 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Linnet, 1 Willow Warbler.