Saturday 1st November 2014

Another warm day with a slight breeze. Viz mig this morning included 259 Goldfinch, 62 Chaffinch, 45 Skylark, 30 Linnet, 3 Swallow, 1 Brambling and 1 Reed Bunting. Offshore southerly passage included 156 Brent, 112 Wigeon, 42 Common Gull, 24 Shelduck, 7 Teal, 2 Gannet, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and single Great Crested Grebe and Great Northern Diver. Other birds of note were a Wheatear still on the reserve and the male Stonechat was still at the north end.

Insects of note were single late Common Blue, Clouded Yellow and Common Darter.

18 Birds ringed; 7 Blackbird, 5 Robin, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Song Thrush, 1, Goldfinch, 1 Starling.

October Ringing Totals

A poor month with only 601 of 30 species being ringed, this is the second worst October for the site. However we did manage to catch another 18 Grey Wagtail which brings our year total to up to a record 105.

Sparrowhawk	5	Ring Ouzel	3
Woodpigeon	7	Blackbird	66
Collared Dove	2	Song Thrush	70
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1	Redwing	5
Jay	4	Robin	109
Goldcrest	39	Pied Flycatcher	1
Firecrest	2	Black Redstart	1
Blue Tit	11	Dunnock	18
Great Tit	24	House Sparrow	7
Long-tailed Tit	37	Grey Wagtail	18
Chiffchaff	37	Chaffinch	28
Willow Warbler	1	Brambling	1
Blackcap	43	Greenfinch	8
Wren	23	Goldfinch	22
Starling	7	Bullfinch	1

Friday 31st October 2014

Good numbers of migrants continued to head south overhead today including 438 Woodpigeon, 226 Goldfinch, 85 Linnet, 50 Meadow Pipit, 41 Chaffinch, 35 Skylark, 30 Greenfinch, 4 Stock Dove, 3 Reed Bunting and a Rock Pipit. Offshore was quieter than yesterday however there was still a nice selection heading south including 215 Black-headed Gulls, 152 Brents, 30 Common Gull, 23 Common Scoter, 20 Wigeon, 16 Lapwing, 10 Shelduck, 4 Teal, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and a Great Crested Grebe. Other birds of note about today were a Wheatear on the reserve, a male Stonechat at the north end and around the observatory were single Fieldfare, Ring Ouzel, Chiffchaff and the female Bullfinch.

The warm conditions resulted in a few butterflies being seen on site including a late Common Blue and 4 Clouded Yellows. The moth traps however were quiet with the highlight being a Palpita vitrealis, this migrant has had a good year with several being noted this autumn.

15 Birds ringed; 10 Blackbird, 3 Song Thrush, 1 Redwing, 1 Chaffinch.

Thursday 30th October 2014

A half decent arrival of migrants plus plenty of ducky goosey things on the move today. It's going to be a long list so heading south offshore & overhead, bearing in mind we couldn't see out as far as Rough's Tower in the murk, were 12,378 Brents, 1,147 Wigeon, 232 Dunlin, 220 Black-headed Gull, 170 Shelduck, 145 Common Gull, 126 Starling, 120 Pintail, 111 Teal, 98 Skylark, 72 Knot, 72 Mipits, 70 Mergansers, 60 Goldfinch, 46 Lapwing, 36 Curlew, 17 Goldeneye (plus 3 sitting offshore), 16 Golden Plover, 10 Gadwal, 10 Shoveler, 9 Cormorant, 8 Stock Dove, 8 Siskin, 7 Mallard,  5 Chaffinch, 4 Oyks, 3 Snipe, 2 Rock Pipit, Red-throated Diver, Common Scoter, Grey Plover, Purp Sand, Turnstone, Common Tern & Reed Bunt plus a Great-crest sat on the sea. On site, mostly early morning with the bulk off the thrush's departing inland during the first couple of hours, migrants included 200 Song Thrush, 50 Redwing, 40 Blackies, 30 Robin, 5 Blackcap, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Black Reds, 2 Goldcrest, Woodcock, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Garden Warbler & Bullfinch.

We are still noting the odd Clouded Yellows & in the moth traps a Figure of Eight was the first Landguard record.

62 birds ringed: 24 Song Thrush, 15 Robin, 13 Blackbird, 3 Blackcap, 2 Redwing, 1 Wood Pigeon, 1 Wren, 1 Great Tit, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Bullfinch.

Wednesday 29th October 2014

With some rain showers overnight and heavy cloud cover accompanied by north-easterly winds we were hopeful of a large fall of birds. But we had to settle for a small fall instead. Still, 3 Ring Ouzel, 4 Black Redstart, a few Blackbird, Song Thrush and Redwing plus 1 Mistle Thrush and 2 Woodcock brings us hope that there is still time for something good in the next few days.

Ringing total of 16 birds, these included 2 Goldcrest, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Blackbird,and singles of Ring Ouzel, Song Thrush, Redwing, Robin, Dunnock,Greenfinch, Sparrowhawk, Grey Wagtail, Great Tit and Black Redstart.

Tuesday 28th October 2014

A few new thrushes in this morning along with a couple of Black Redstarts and a couple of Blackcaps. Viz mig was also more productive and included 106 Woodpigeon, 72 Goldfinch, 22 Chaffinch, 18 Linnet, 17 Skylark, 7 Siskin, 7 Swallow, 3 House Martin and a Brambling. Offshore was very quiet however with the only 30 Brent heading south.

11 Birds ringed; 4 Robin, 2 Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Chaffinch.

Monday 27th October 2014

A very quiet day. Offshore a few birds were trickling through with 9 Brent, 2 Shelduck, 9 Dunlin, 2 Gadwall and a Great Crested Grebe south, whilst 2 Gannet and single Guillemot, Common Scoter and Red-throated Diver went north.

4 Birds ringed; 2 Song Thrush, 1 Blackbird, 1 Goldcrest.

Sunday 26th October 2014

A grey overcast day with a brisk south-westerly wind proved reasonable for visible migration but little of interest dropped in. Small numbers of finches went south along with 5 Swallow, 2 House Martin and 16 Skylark, whilst offshore 82 Brent Goose, 8 Shelduck, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Goldeneye and small numbers of waders that included 10 Knot and 23 Dunlin all going south. Starlings are beginning to arrive from the continent with around 400 seen coming in off and a small number of Gannets are still being seen offshore.

A ringing total of 10 birds today that included 3 Song Thrush and 1 each of Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Chaffinch and Wood Pigeon.