Saturday 6th May 2017

This strong northerly airflow is not doing us or migrant birds any favours at all but is not preventing the odd migrant battling on regardless. Offshore a lot of hours put in to produce northbound 73 Common Tern, 7 Barwit, 7 Common Gull, 5 Black Tern, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Arctic Tern, Shelduck & Marsh Harrier (that gave up going north and headed inland), southbound 7 Turnstone, 5 Gannet, 2 Sanderling & Whimbrel. A bit of vis mig in the shape of northbound 5 Swallow, southbound 1 Swift & 1 Sand Martin plus a House Martin heading inland. Birding on the reserve and in the bushes difficult in these conditions with 6 Wheatear, Skylark, Whinchat & Garden Warbler the highlights.

The first Figure of 80 of the year in the moth traps out of a total of just 16 moths of three species noted which is hardly surprising in these winds.

4 birds ringed: Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Willow Warbler & Linnet.

Friday 5th May 2017

A Turtle Dove on the reserve was the first of this year at Landguard this morning. After showing well at about 7am it flew to the ground and was not relocated after that. Other migrants noted on the reserve this morning 7 Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroat. Over the sea passage North 35 Common Tern.

3 birds ringed: 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat

Thursday 4th May 2017

This Turnstone was roosting on the sea defences at the point during high tide this morning, although not a UK breeding species Turnstone can be seen throughout the year. Migrants seen on the reserve this morning, 7 Wheatear, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler and 1 male Redstart. Over the sea was busy with feeding Gulls during early morning, seen on passage going North 31 Common Tern, 3 Fulmar, 2 Med Gull, 2 Avocet, 2 Swallow and going South 3 Whimbrel.

4 birds ringed: 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Redstart

Wednesday 3rd May 2017

This splendid specimen is called the Spectacle, undoubtedly the highlight of the day, when seen head on the name becomes very apt.

The appalling weather for early May continues to hold up migration, so very little was noted apart from a northerly movement of 34 Common Terns offshore, along with 8 Whimbrel, 5 Common Scoter and a Fulmar which couldn't decide where to go. Other than that just 5 Wheatear on site + 10 Chiffchaff and 6 Whitethroats, most of which are probably hanging about until the weather improves.

Ringed 5 Chiffchaff.

Tuesday 2nd May 2017

Blackbird are struggling to find enough food for their young due to the drought conditions.
Migrants noted on the reserve 6 Wheatear, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 White Wagtail
Passage this morning going North 2 Whimbrel, 1 little tern north, 1 sand martin. Going South 9 Swallow plus 6 North, 1 Fulmar.

The first Silver Y of the year showed up this morning.

5 birds ringed: 1 Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Linnet, 1 Robin

Monday 1st May 2017

With a brisk breeze coming from the South East it was all about passage over the sea with 5 Arctic Skua going North being the first spring record for 4 years.The passage of Terns had also picked up, recorded going North this morning, 16 Arctic Tern, 11 Common Tern and 5 going South, 5 Sandwich Tern, 1 Little Tern. Also going North 10 Brent Geese, 6 Shelduck, 2 Tufted Duck, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit plus 2 going South, 1 Whimbrel.
Going South, 6 Swallow, 5 Knot, 5 Grey Plover, 4 Oystercatcher and 1 on the reserve, 2 Cormorant and 1 coming in West off the sea, 2 Common Scoter, 1 Eider.
Migrants noted on the reserve this morning 6 Whitethroat, 5 Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and a continental Song Thrush.

7 birds ringed: 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush

April 2017 ringing totals

272 of 30 species ringed in April 2017 which is slightly lower than last year. In the last ten years, for number of birds ringed, 2013 was the highest with 548 birds ringed and 2009 the lowest with 226 birds ringed.

Chiffchaff	76
Blackcap	50
Willow Warbler	47
Wheatear	23
Robin	13
Linnet	9
Blue Tit	5
Collared Dove	5
Redwing	5
Lesser Whitethroat	4
Wood Pigeon	4
Wren	4
Blackbird	3
Dunnock	2
Firecrest	2
Garden Warbler	2
Goldcrest	2
Goldfinch	2
House Sparrow	2
Whitethroat	2
Black Redstart	1
Cetti's Warbler	1
Chaffinch	1
Fieldfare	1
Green Finch	1
Kestrel	1
Redstart	1
Song Thrush	1
Sparrowhawk	1
Starling	1

Sunday 30th April 2017

The strong south-easterly wind felt like it could have been full of promise, but did not prove to be so. This Yellow Wagtail being the best bird on show. Also 5 Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaff and 6 Whitethroat being the only other birds of note on site, although 2 Sanderling briefly on the beach and a passage offshore of  22 Arctic Terns north was quite noteworthy.

3 birds ringed: 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Robin