Saturday 5th August 2017

Brief showers to start a much calmer day at Landguard, noted on the reserve during the morning 12 Willow Warbler, 2 Wheatear, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Sedge Warbler & 1 Sparrowhawk, passage going South offshore, 37 Sand Martin, 20 Swallow plus 20 West, 20 Oystercatcher, 8 Curlew, 5 Common Tern plus 3 Feeding on the point, 1 Common Gull, 1 Grey Heron, 1 House Martin & 1 Whimbrel.

Two-spotted Wainscot is a reed bed species that only visits us occasionally.

14 birds ringed: Willow Warbler 7, Goldfinch 3, Blackbird 2, House Sparrow 1, Whitethroat 1

Friday 4th August 2017

Noted on the reserve this morning, the first Wheatear of the autumn, which became illusive as footfall increased on the reserve, other grounded migrants were 1 Skylark and 6 Willow Warbler. A single Hobby and Sparrowhawk also put in a brief appearance over the reserve.
Offshore during high tide 20 Common Tern were feeding off the point, passage going South 8 Sand Martin, 6 Swift, 4 Oystercatcher, 4 Redshank, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Curlew, 2 Sanderling, 1 Great Crested Grebe & 1 House Martin.

Sandhill Rustic is a nationally scarce species that gave us a lot of grief in the earlier days of moth trapping as the literature to enable correct identification was inadequate to say the least.

13 birds ringed: 4 House Sparrow, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Linnet, 1 Blackbird, 1 Dunnock, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whitethroat

Thursday 3rd August 2017

Although some successfully hibernate in the South of the UK the Humming-bird Hawk-moth is a migrant from Southern Europe and Africa. It is a day flying moth and can be seen feeding on tubular flowers like Vipers-bugloss and has occurred in reasonable numbers at Landguard this year. The wind is in full force from the West today and continues to negatively affect the numbers of moths being recorded in the traps.
Migrant birds noted this morning 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Arctic Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern. Passage going South offshore 63 Swift, 53 Common Term plus 15 at the point, 16 Dunlin, 7 Turnstone, 6 Whimbrel, 5 Oystercatcher, 4 Greenshank, 2 Curlew, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Sand Martin & 1 Swallow. Going North 3 Gannet.

4 birds ringed: House Sparrow 4

Wednesday 2nd August 2017

Lots of birds about, both on land and passing offshore, with at least 12 Willow Warblers on site as they slowly make their way back to Africa for the winter, along with small numbers of Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins. Another Hobby was seen chasing the Finches across the reserve, whilst offshore lots of waders are on the move with 27 Oyster Catcher, 10 Turnstone, with another one lingering around the jetty(above), 9 Dunlin, 5 Redshank, 5 Curlew, 4 Whimbrel, 4 Sanderling, 3 Golden Plover, 3 Knot and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit all going south + 3 Arctic Terns also south. Also amongst the feeding Gulls and Terns around the harbour were 24 Common and 4 Sandwich Terns + a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

A new species of moth for the site was recorded in the traps, this Citron Plume(Hellinsia carphodactyla), a very scarce, yellow tinged species that feeds on Ploughman's Spikenard, a plant that occurs on site in small numbers.

18 birds ringed: 8 Willow Warbler, 2 each of Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet and Blue Tit and 1 each of Greenfinch, Dunnock, Robin and Ringed Plover.

Tuesday 1st August 2017

The wind speed had greatly reduced overnight leading into a calmer and warmer morning. Noted on the reserve were 12 Willow Warbler & 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker. A brood of Lesser Whitethroat have fledged, they are a second clutch for the pair at the observatory. Moving South along the beach, 123 Swallow, 34 Sand Martin, 6 Oystercatcher & 4 Common Tern plus 15 seen feeding at the point, going North was 1 Little Egret.

Cream-bordered Green Pea is a nationally scarce species although the odd ones we get may, or may not, be immigrants rather than it being an on site resident.

33 birds ringed: Linnet 10, Willow Warbler 9, House Sparrow 4, Goldfinch 3, Lesser Whitethroat 3, Whitethroat 3, Wren 1

July 2017 ringing totals

237 birds of 26 species ringed during July, this is a good average over the last 10 years for July.

House Sparrow 59
Starling 56
Linnet 25
Goldfinch 9
Greenfinch 9
Willow Warbler 9
Wren 9
Great Tit 8
Robin 8
Dunnock 6
Lesser Whitethroat 6
Whitethroat 6
Blackbird 4
Chiffchaff 4
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3
Reed Warbler 3
Black Redstart 2
Blackcap 2
Woodpigeon 2
Blue tit 1
Coal Tit 1
Cuckoo 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Song Thrush 1
Swallow 1

Monday 31st July 2017

The Clouded Yellow butterfly has only been recorded on one previous occasion so far this year, it is an immigrant originating from Southern Europe and North Africa so numbers occurring do fluctuate greatly, during a good year they can produce up to three broods.
A strong Westerly wind and cooler temperature overnight continues to influence low return on the moth traps.
Noted moving South over the reserve this morning, 9 Swallow, 8 Sand Martin, 7 Swift, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Hobby, 1 Sparrowhawk & 1 Yellow Wagtail. Accumulating on the point coming into the high tide, 24 Common Tern plus 2 North and 4 South, 1 Sandwich Tern plus 2 North & 1 Turnstone.
Passage offshore going South, 18 Oystercatcher, 7 Redshank, 5 Dunlin, 3 Teal, 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Green Sandpiper & 1 Turnstone.

5 birds ringed: Willow Warbler 3, Blackbird 1, Dunnock 1

Sunday 30th July 2017

Autumn migration has stalled due to the overnight rain, but the odd grounded migrant has appeared, like this juvenile Yellow Wagtail. Otherwise very quiet with the bulk of records today being 76 Sand Martin, 27 Swallow, 14 Common Tern, 5 Sandwich Tern, 10 Oyster Catcher, 1 each of Golden Plover and Turnstone all heading south, + a Hobby which appeared to be heading that way and a Kestrel that was definitely going that way as it was over the sea.

The moth traps are less busy of late due to the cooler, more unsettled weather, but there were still a few surprises like this Scarce Bordered Straw, a scarce immigrant to us, but a widespread pest species globally.

18 birds ringed: 17 Starling, 1 Goldfinch.