Tuesday 5th May 2026

 

Spot the Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima), very well camouflaged. 

A sunny morning with slight wind from the NE, produced a relatively quiet morning. Highlights included a Purple sandpiper hanging around the Jetty and unusual birds for the site: Jay and Mute swan. 

Just 3 Wheatear present near the tip of the peninsula, alongside a Yellow wagtail.     

Very little visible migration with just Swallows; 1 north, 31 south and a House martin also south.                                                         

Moth trapping: A little bit quieter than the previous night, owing to a clear night, with just 14 species recorded.  Phtheochroa rugosana is todays focus, this micro can be common here and the larvae feed on White bryony.

Phtheochroa rugosana

Bird ringing: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Robin, 1 Spotted flycatcher, 1 Whitethroat. 

Monday 4th May 2026

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)

A damp foggy morning following overnight rain. A slight breeze from the N turning more NE late morning. 2 Crossbill were seen calling close to the observatory late morning. A female Firecrest was extracted from a net, this individual had a nice pollen horn showing it had wintered in Southern Europe, formed of pollen from Eucalyptus and citrus plants. Outside of the compound a Reed warbler was calling on "Icky ridge" near the the car park. 5 Wheatear and a Yellow wagtail present around the tip of the peninsula and 7 Sanderling on the shoreline.    

Sea watching produced: 4 Greylag geese and an Oystercatcher north, 3 Barnacle geese and one Fulmar south. 

Overland: 21 Swallow and a Hobby north. A Yellowhammer and 62 Swallow south.

Moth trapping: 40 Species present this morning, with today's focus being the Waved umber moth, which has been annual for the past 10 years, with records infrequent prior. The larvae feed on privet and lilac so it will do well here.   

Waved  Umber (Menophra abruptaria) 

Bird ringing: 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap 2 Lesser whitethroat, 2 Willow warbler, 1 Firecrest. 

 Pollen horn on a female Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus) 

Sunday 3rd May 2026

 

Handful of expected migrants plus a "brucie bonus" in the form of this 10th site record of Melodious Warbler with a supporting cast of a female Pied Fly & a Cuckoo plus a small handful of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser 'throat, Whitethroat & Willow Warbler. On the reserve 5 Wheatear & Yellow Wag. At least 36 Swallow & 4 Sand Martin flew south with offshore movements limited to a couple of Barwits & Whimbrel. 12 Sanderling were on the beach & a Black Red was singing on the Fort.

This Matthew's Wainscot is early on parade. Most authorities now consider this is just the saltmarsh form of Common Wainscot.

Ringing: 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Melodious Warbler, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.

Saturday 2nd May 2026

 

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Hearing a Wood warbler singing around 6am whilst making a brew, was a nice morning treat. Efforts to find the Tawny pipit where in vain, following the drop in winds over night and a spell of rain, this spell of rain is likely the reason the first spring Wood warbler for six years dropped in.

6 Yellow wagtail near the tip of the peninsula, 4 Wheatear and a White wagtail. A Woodlark appeared late morning & a Spotted Flycatcher mid-day.

Seawatching produced 8 Dunlin and 5 Sandwich tern flying north and 2 Sandwich tern and 2 Cormorant flying south. 2 Whimbrel flying west over the port. A House martin and 27 Swallow south overland. 

Moth trapping: Milder night resulted in 31 species including the 2nd site record of Pammene gigantena, a nationally scarce species that feeds on oak- apple galls.                                                          

 

 Pammene gigantena

Bird ringing: 6 Lesser whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Linnet, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Willow warbler, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Robin, 1 Spotted Flycatcher.

Friday 1st May 2026

Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

A sunny and slightly less breezy morning, with wind coming from the E. Tawny pipit still present and currently showing in the conservation area behind the sea watching hide (13:00). A Common sandpiper was seen on the jetty and hanging around for much of the morning, 6 Wheatear were present near the tip on the peninsula. 

Sea movements north included; 7 Arctic tern, 4 Whimbrel and a Gannet. South flying; 5 Bar-tailed godwit and an Oystercatcher.  Overland 33 swallow have been seen moving south by 13:00.  

A Brown argus butterfly was seen flying around the compound and a dead Slow worm that had been severed in half, possibly by a Blackbird.   

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) having a stroll along the beach this morning, possibly in search of food for its cubs, could potentially be a male but hard to say. 

Moth trapping: Pale prominent is today's pick of the 61 moths caught today. Once again the bulk (46) being Shuttle shaped darts. The pale prominent has labial palps and tufts on the tail segment, creating an elongated appearance, making the moth very cryptic. 

Pale prominent (Pterostoma palpina)

Bird ringing: 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Reed warbler, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Robin.   

April ringing totals 2026

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), ringed on the 21st April as a 1st year Male, with black patches on the throat and breast.     

This month concludes with 401 birds of 30 species. We have had a good spring with a good mix of spring migrants, some such as the Reed warbler arriving earliest on record. You would have to go back to 2015 to get a higher total of 413 birds. In comparison to 2015 we had an increase from 71 to 144 Chiffchaff, and a slight decrease of Linnet from 49 (2015) to 17 this April, with other species remaining fairly constant.   

Chiffchaff	144
Blackcap	88
Willow warbler	35
Wheatear	24
Whitethroat	18
Linnet	17
Lesser whitethroat	11
Song thrush	11
Goldfinch	7
Robin	7
Sedge warbler	4
Long-tailed tit	4
Reed warbler	4
Blackbird	3
Great tit	3
Wren	3
Goldcrest	2
Redwing	2
Woodpigeon	2
Pied wagtail	2
Black redstart	1
Chaffinch	1
Redstart	1
Firecrest	1
Garden warbler	1
Greenfinch	1
House sparrow	1
Magpie	1
Sparrowhawk	1
Yellowhammer	1

Thursday 30th April 2026

Tawny pipit present (Anthus campestris), continuing to show quite well, with the bird being less mobile in the fenced off conservation area opposite observatory. 

A windy morning once again, today from the E. However sunny and bright. The Tawny pipit was soon rediscovered in the morning, seen from the obs, with a Yellow wagtail and 9 Wheatear also around the tip of the peninsula. A siskin was also heard briefly within the compound.  

Small movements over sea; with a Kittiwake, 2 Common gull and 2 Black-headed gull north. 4 Whimbrel south and overland; 22 Swallow and 2 Swift south (our first record of swift this spring).  

We had our first emergence of Green hairstreak butterfly within the observatory compound. Many Small copper present alongside Speckled wood, Red admiral, Peacock and Small and Green-veined whites.   

Green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

Moth trapping: A Chocolate-tip and a Poplar hawk take the limelight today, the Chocolate-tip is resident in small numbers, with larvae feeding on Poplar trees alongside the poplar hawk moth larvae. 17 Shuttle-shaped dart, 2 Common swift and a V-pug. 

   

Chocolate-tip (Clostera curtula) on the edge of the moth trap. 

Bird ringing: 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser whitethroat.