Saturday 6th December 2014

Cooler start with a bit of frost with the sun out for the first time in days. A Mistle Thrush came in from the north before departing westwards, a Skylark flew south & a Rock Pipit was on the groynes in front of the Butts. Offshore movements almost non-existent. Photo of the same Shaggy Scalycap pictured on this blog on 15th November showing how different fungi can look over time. That's your lot !

Ringing Recoveries

Chiffchaff ringed here 19th March 2014 retrapped 77km away at Burgh Marshes, Norfolk on both 27th April & 26th July 2014. Chiffchaff ringed here 12th April 2014 retrapped  204km away at Kilnsea, Yorkshire 10 days later. Lesser Whitethroat ringed here 27th April 2014 retrapped next day at Levington. Reed Warbler ringed at Hollesley 1st September 2013 retrapped here 30th May 2014. Willow Warbler ringed 20th July 2014 313km away at Runcorn, Merseyside retrapped here 31st August 2014 & finally a Med Gull ringed here 15th January 2013 to Lowestoft 68km away 11th November 2014. Good that all these birds are still alive when reported.

Friday 5th November 2014

A Little Egret went south offshore but almost nothing else. On the reserve single Fieldfare & Snow Bunting. Of note were some new House Sparrows on the feeders in the Helgoland trap.

Ringing: 5 House Sparrow

December Litter Pick

Litter Pick this Saturday 6th December 2014 start at 0930hrs prompt. Further details on the events page of www.lbo.org.uk

Thursday 4th December 2014

Yet another dull, overcast damp drizzly morning with the added attraction of being a bit chillier in the ENE breeze. 3 Redwing & a couple of new Blackies were apparent on site with a single Snow Bunting out on the reserve. Otherwise it feels like the bleak mid-winter although 31 Ringed Plovers were able to roost on the beach at high tide as less dog walkers were out & about in the inclement conditions. Offshore next to nothing going past with a mere 15 Brent, 4 Common Scoter & 2 Red-throated Diver heading south plus 5 Brent north.

Wednesday 3rd December 2014

Another damp drizzly morning with visibility offshore distinctly better than recently revealing next to nothing going past with the highlights being 5 Eider, Mute Swan & Bonxie heading north. No indication of any migrants in the bushes with a single Stock Dove on site the only sighting of note. The moth traps are still running but with the prevailing wind flow now from the north they have produced nothing the last two mornings so if the temperatures don't pick up soon they will be packed in for the winter.

Ringing: 1 House Sparrow.

Tuesday 2nd December 2014

Damp & drizzly all day long. A small arrival of "turdus" types apparent with 5 Redwing on site dragging a couple of Blackies off with them when they departed inland. A Woodcock also noted on site with a Golden Plover heard calling in the murk & 4 Lapwing heading inland also indicating that some migration is still going on. Offshore poor visibility prevented any meaningful observations with a Pom Skua having a go at a Herring Gull and a Guillemot of the point the only sightings of note.

Ringing: 1 Song Thrush.

Monday 1st December 2014

Mist nets taken down & packed away for the winter this morning. A limited amount of time staring out to sea produced south bound 18 Brent, 3 Gadwal, Great-crested Grebe, Shelduck & Golden Plover plus north bound 18 Teal, 17 Greylags, 6 Brent, 2 Gannet, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Kitts & Red-throated Diver. A Snow Bunting was whizzing around calling up and down the beach presumably looking for friends & a couple of Meds were scavenging off the fishermen. The mild conditions have meant that several plants are still in flower with Narrow-leaved Ragwort Senecio inaequidens dominating the splash of colour. This perennial invasive plant, a native of South Africa, was first reported in Suffolk in 2002 and at Landguard in 2004 is now the commonest "ragwort type" species on the reserve.

November Ringing Totals

Another poor monthly total with just 261 birds ringed of 20 species:

Sparrowhawk 1 Song Thrush 12
Woodpigeon 2 Redwing 3
Stock Dove 1 Robin 56
Magpie 1 Dunnock 2
Goldcrest 30 Grey Wagtail 1
Blue Tit 2 Chaffinch 16
Chiffchaff 6 Lesser Redpoll 4
Blackcap 3 Greenfinch 1
Wren 24 Goldfinch 19
Starling 3
Blackbird 74

Sunday 30th November 2014

A very foggy start to today meant that little was seen or heard for the most part, the few exceptions were a flock of 30 Golden Plover south in the mist and a couple of Blackcap that turned up. Very little else to report apart from the 3 Goldcrests that are still lurking in the Holm Oaks.

Insect wise, and another 2 Pearly Underwing turned up in the moth traps this morning along with a Crocidosema plebejana, a scarce coastal species of micro moth, that occasionally also turns up as a rare migrant.

Only 3 birds ringed , 2 Blackcap and 1 Greenfinch.