Saturday 17th June 2017

The first 2 juvenile Lesser Whitethroats for Landguard this year were seen this today and a few more juvenile Blue and Great Tit also dispersed through during the morning. A female Blackcap present this morning was also a new bird on the reserve. Offshore 7 common Tern gathered at the point and 2 Little Tern went South. Also offshore were 2 Med Gulls amongst the Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls that were feeding there.

Third Spurge Hawk-moth to turn up this year, remarkable!

18 birds ringed: 5 Linnet, 3 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Dunnock, 1 Blackcap

Friday 16th June 2017

A few Skippers starting to appear on the Butts in recent days. Essex Skipper is the common one here with the others more difficult to encounter. Passage birds of note on the reserve today, a dispersing juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker and yesterdays Treecreeper was present again. Offshore going South 2 Sandwich Tern and 1 Curlew.

Digger Wasps somehow manage to construct a home in the most compact ground, including Cerceris rybyensis

6 birds ringed:Goldfinch 3, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Linnet 1, Woodpigeon 1

Thursday 15th June 2017

Azure Damselflies in tandem at Butts pond, doing what comes naturally.
Quiet offshore this morning but moving through South was 1 Curlew, 1 Med Gull and 1 Siskin. Swift were present during the morning with 4 feeding low over the reserve. Dispersing juvenile Chiffchaff, Greenfinch and Treecreeper have also made their way down to the Observatory.

Peppered moth matching a background with its camouflage, or at least trying to.

17 birds ringed: Linnet 5, Blue Tit 3, Greenfinch 2 and then singles of Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Treecreeper and Whitethroat.

17th June 2017 litter pick

Spring Litter Pick this Saturday 17th June 0930hrs start. Usual arrangements on the events page of www.lbo.org.uk

Wednesday 14th June 2017

Following recent rain, botanically the site is looking good with Opium Poppies hanging on to their petals despite the strong winds last week.
A warm morning with clear skies to start today, there was an adult Med gull loitering off the point, 6 Sandwich Tern came out of the estuary, 5 Teal came in off the sea into the estuary. The numbers of fledglings on the reserve continue to increase with Carrion Crow, Magpie, Dunnock, Linnet and Song Thrush seen over recent days.

Moth traps reasonably busy as the wind has abated, Celypha lacunana is a frequent visitor over a long flight period from May until the autumn.

11 birds ringed: Linnet 7, Blue Tit 2, Dunnock 1, House Sparrow 1

Tuesday 13th June 2017

The second half of June is the best time to see dispersing juvenile British bred Coal Tit at Landguard, although they are not noted every year. Passage birds seen this morning, a Brent Goose was on the sea, offshore going South 4 Med Gull and going North 1 Grey Heron.

Water Ermine is a nationally scarce species, resident in wet areas of the Suffolk coast, it has only been recorded here on a handful of previous occasions

27 birds ringed: Linnet 6, Dunnock 5, Blue Tit 3, House Sparrow 3, Song Thrush 3, Coal Tit 2, Goldfinch 2, Woodpigeon 2, Magpie 1.

Monday 12th June 2017

Another day - another gale - but it has been a breezy month so far. On the move 202 Swifts in/south plus offshore southbound single Curlew & Oyk. A Grey Wagtail going south may well be a dispersing juvenile as this species does start nesting fairly early in the year.

Our only "Schedule 8" plant, Stinking Goosefoot has started to appear a fortnight ago and is now getting to a size where it is more than a pin prick. Usual site within the roped off area at the south end of the Butts for all you plant twitchers out there. No rush as it is often visible up to early October and is not in flower yet.

Sunday 11th June 2017

At the end of January/early February this year four of the Holm Oaks were "copparded" to aid their longevity and to prevent then from splitting at the bottom. Although this looks a bit of a "pigs ear" in the short term they are now showing some fresh growth. This procedure will have done them the world of good and they should regrow a better shape now they are bursting back into life.

A singing Willow Warbler is today's migrant and is the first of it's kind since May 18th. Autumn wader passage started this morning with the first 2 Curlew heading south. Finally a Crow went south a long way offshore which is bizarre for this time of the year.

A bit like busses - another Spurge Hawk-moth turned up in the moth traps. This one is obviously different from yesterday's as it does not have any "nicks" in its wings that the previous one had. When one considers that there are only roughly 100 records of this species in the UK since the dawn of time then one can appreciate that this is an exceptional event.

9 birds ringed: 4 Linnet, 1 Dunnock, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Blue Tit.