Saturday 3rd June 2017

Always good to have a few Terns loitering on site on the turning tide apart from which today's highlight is 1 Kittiwake. The heavy rain last night, although welcoming for the vegetation, has appeared to have dropped in no migrants.

Ethmia terminella is a rare species that first colonised the site in 2004 and feeds on Viper's Bugloss.

4 birds ringed: 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Linnet, 1 Blackbird.

Friday 2nd June 2017

25 Barnacle Geese, pictured above, were going North at 7:20am and then 25 were seen going South at 11:30am, also noted going South during the morning, 5 Swallow, 3 Oystercatcher and 2 Little Tern. 2 Chiffchaff were the migrant birds stopping off at Landguard today, 5 Sanderling also came in from the South and stayed Briefly on the beach.

Mullein moth larvae devouring Great Mullion as they are inclined to do.

8 birds ringed: 3 Linnet, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Woodpigeon.

Thursday 1st June 2017

The first site record of Iberian Chiffchaff was singing from the Holm Oaks 0700 to 0830hrs having been trapped at 0430hrs first thing. Unfortunately in hand identification of this species is not conclusive and one has to rely on the song in order to get a definite identification. The only other migrant on site was a Chiffchaff although a Greenfinch is worth a mention considering how scarce they have become this year. 6 Greylags flew south and half a dozen Common Tern were offshore as the tide turned.

The best showing of Poppies along View Point Road in living memory is a result of a service duct being buried alongside the road during the winter which has disturbed the ground which this species likes. Also worth a mention this morning is a Clouded Yellow butterfly.

6 birds ringed: 2 Linnet, 1 Iberian Chiffchaff, 1 Robin, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Chiffchaff.

May 2017 ringing totals

171 birds of 29 species ringed during May this year:

Chiffchaff	27
Whitethroat	18
Willow Warbler	18
Linnet	15
Blackbird	10
Blackcap	10
Great Tit	9
Lesser Whitethroat	8
Spotted Flycatcher	8
Robin	7
Woodpigeon	5
Garden Warbler	4
Magpie	4
Chaffinch	3
Dunnock	3
Goldfinch	3
Reed Warbler	2
Ringed Plover	2
Sedge Warbler	2
Song Thrush	2
Starling	2
Wren	2
Collared Dove	1
Greenfinch	1
Grey Wagtail	1
House Sparrow	1
Redstart	1
Swallow	1
Wheatear	1

Reviewing the previous 10 years this year makes it into the second lowest placing for May, the lowest was 2013 which followed a top ranking April that year.

Wednesday 31st May 2017

Still a little migration in progress with a late Blackcap and Chiffchaff this morning, 2 Little Tern and 1 Common Tern were seen feeding offshore and 1 Sanderling (pictured) on the beach. An increase in newly fledged juvenile birds with 4 Carrion Crow on the reserve and a brood of Dunnock have also appeared. There was no offshore passage noted today.

Small Clouded Brindle is another one of those species that is described as "local" in Suffolk but does not occur at Landguard very frequently.

9 birds ringed: 4 Linnet, 2 Dunnock, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Robin

Tuesday 30th May 2017

New birds seen this morning on the reserve were 1 Chiffchaff and 2 Sanderling which had stopped off on the beach, passage over the reserve going South were 5 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 2 Swift and 1 Med Gull. Also going South offshore, 2 Sandwich Tern.

Moth traps are getting busier, Shoulder Striped Wainscot is a common moth nationally but only shows in the traps occasionally here.

4 birds ringed: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Linnet, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Robin.

Monday 29th May 2017

A new Lesser Whitethroat appears to be today's new migrant as it slowly becoming baby bird time of the year as late spring migrants are definitely hard to come by at the moment. Why some Lesser Black-backed Gulls decide to nest on containers just over the dock fence is a strange decision as they are liable to be moved and consequently fail.

7 birds ringed: single Blackbird, Linnet, Lesser Whitethroat, Robin, Starling, Dunnock, Wood Pigeon.

Sunday 28th May 2017

Additions to the Landguard moth list are hard to come by so it was good to get Beautiful Hook Tip today.
A gentle breeze from the Southwest and clear sky during the morning today. New birds on the reserve are 1 Blackcap heard singing from the Ickie ridge and 1 Reed Warbler found by the aggregate yard feeding and singing along the hedge towards the fort. Passage noted going South with 6 House Martin and 5 Swallow over the reserve, offshore also going South 1 Common Tern,

1 bird ringed: 1 Blackbird