Ringing total for June 2018

Tree Pipit ringed in the early part of June.

173 birds of 25 species ringed during June, this is in the lower range of the average for the previous ten years.

Linnet	38
House Sparrow	34
Great Tit	16
Dunnock	12
Wren	9
Whitethroat	8
Chiffchaff	7
Woodpigeon	6
Blackbird	5
Lesser Whitethroat	5
Blackcap	4
Coal Tit	4
Goldfinch	4
Pied Wagtail	3
Robin	3
Spotted Flycatcher	3
Blue Tit	2
Magpie	2
Reed Warbler	2
Black Redstart	1
Chaffinch	1
Green Woodpecker	1
Greenfinch	1
Song Thrush	1
Tree Pipit	1

Saturday 30th June 2018

 Teneral Ruddy Darter at the Butts pond.

A strong Northeasterly breeze this morning, an overcast start clearing by late morning. Offshore passage was quiet this morning but a Teal going South was the first of the autumn seen going South from Landguard. A Whimbrel circled high over the reserve and then continued South and a male Black Redstart was singing periodically on the fort roof.  The first Gatekeeper of the year at Landguard was seen at the Observatory.

Noted on the reserve, 450 Starling, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Common Tern, 1 Lesser Whitethroat & 1 Med Gull. Going North, 4 Cormorant & 2 Swift. Going South, 1 Teal & 1 Whimbrel.

The first U.K. record of Clancy's Rustic was in 2002 and at Landguard was first noted in 2006 then several dates from 2010 to 2013 and again in 2017. Looks like it is trying to colonise.

2 birds ringed: House Sparrow 1, Linnet 1.

Friday 29th June 2018

 A singing male Linnet.

A clear and warm start to the day with a strong Northerly breeze becoming more Easterly through the morning. Very little passage offshore, Black-headed Gull and Lapwing were autumn migrants coming in off the sea. The next emergence of Comma butterflies has started, five fresh individuals have been seen around the Observatory compound in the sheltered glades. An Emperor Dragonfly was in front of the Observatory briefly mid-morning.

Noted on the reserve, 600 Starling, 65 Linnet, 12 Whitethroat, 9 Ringed Plover, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Common Tern, 1 Med Gull & 1 Swallow. Going North, 4 Sandwich Tern & 2 Cormorant. Coming in off the sea going West, 4 Black-headed Gull & 3 Lapwing. Going South, 1 Cormorant.

First Swallow-tailed Moth of the season.

8 birds ringed: House Sparrow 2, Whitethroat 2, Blackbird 1, Magpie 1, Woodpigeon 1, Wren 1.

Thursday 28th June 2018

Migrants, wot migrants - yep its that time of the year when its down to baby birds. Hard work birding & looking at insects in this stiff north-easterly breeze. Worth a mention are 800+ starlings coming out of roost in the Holm Oaks at 0440 hrs. A handful of Black-headed Gulls were coming and going, although its difficult to work out whether these are just feeding movements or migratory movements at this time of the year.

Shore Wainscot was recorded a couple of times in the 1990's then appeared in reasonable numbers last year. Its larval food plant is Marram which has spread in some profusion in the last couple of years following wind blown sand inundation.

Ringing: 1 Chaffinch, 1 Linnet, 1 Pied Wagtail

Wednesday 27th June 2018

Pyramidal Orchid on the Butts.

Migration non-existent this morning with the highlight being a Mallard heading south on a breezy morning ! On the plus side baby Chaffinch's are out and about with mum & dad which is pleasing as their first attempt failed following on from nil young reared last year. Several pairs of Whitethroat & Lesser Whitethroat have fledged with the parents now getting down to second attempts. One, of the three, pairs of Great Tits are starting to feed a second brood with plenty of time for the other two pairs to get down to a second attempt if they choose to do so. Our only pair of Blue Tit have fledged one young with the adults now starting to moult a new set of feathers. Song Thrush have failed to rear any young so far and the only young Blackbird, that we know that was reared on site, made a meal for the Kestrel family (a couple of dispersing juvenile Blackbirds from off site have turned up down here but literally only a couple). One, of the two, pairs of Robin reared two young on their first attempt and are now hopefully having another go with the other pair up on the Butts being extremely furtive in their behaviour so not sure at the minute exactly what's happening with them. The local Carrion Crows failed with four pairs of Magpies rearing just 4 or 5 young (one pair with 2 or 3, two pairs rearing one young each and one pair with nothing so far). House Sparrows are doing okay, Dunnocks & Wrens "so so", Goldfinch have had one brood and the jury is still out on the Linnet situation. Pied Wagtail does not nest on site but plenty of young have come onto the reserve from the adjoining docks.

Archers Dart is a coastal species that does very well at Landguard.

Ringing: 1 Whitethroat

Tuesday 26th June 2018

 Small Skipper is a recent colonist having arrived in 2013.

A bank of fog rolled in off the sea just after dawn, pushed along by a Easterly breeze it soon moved inland for a brighter morning. The Blackcap seen today was the first dispersing juvenile Blackcap at Landguard for this year and at the point Gulls and Terns were gathering on the falling tide from noon.

Noted on the reserve, 200 Starling, 9 Little Tern, 8 Whitethroat, 7 Pied Wagtail, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Med Gull, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Blackcap, 1 Common Tern, 1 Shelduck & 1 Swift. Going North, 7 Little Tern, 7 Sandwich Tern, 4 Swift & 1 Oystercatcher. Going South, 20 Common Scoter, 6 Barnacle Goose & 6 Curlew.

First site record of Anania verbascalis, a national scarce species that is present as near to us as the Suffolk Sanderlings. With a corner missing out of one wing it obviously had a rough time getting here.

7 birds ringed: House Sparrow 2, Blackcap 1, Dunnock 1, Goldfinch 1, Great Tit 1, Robin 1.

Monday 25th June 2018

 Black Redstart singing on the fort roof.

A clear and bright calm morning. During the spring passage this year very few Grey Wagtail were recorded moving through Landguard, it is the right time of year for the two going South over the Observatory this morning to have been dispersing juveniles and hopefully not adults that have had an unsuccessful breeding year. An adult male Black Redstart was around the fort singing periodically and a Southern Hawker at the Observatory was the first recorded at Landguard for this year.

Noted on the reserve, 250 Starling, 70 Linnet, 20 Swift, 15 Whitethroat, 8 Pied Wagtail, 6 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Tern, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Shelduck, 1 Black Redstart & 1 Chiffchaff. Going North, 18 Swift & 3 Oystercatcher. Going out to sea East, 3 Sandwich Tern & 1 Cormorant. Going South, 32 Curlew, 6 Black-headed Gull & 2 Grey Wagtail. Coming in off the sea going West, 21 Swift.

Anerastia lotella is one of the local specialists.

10 birds ringed: Whitethroat 3, Blackbird 2, Great Tit 2, Chiffchaff 1, Linnet 1, Wren 1.

Sunday 24th June 2018

Large Skipper became extinct here in 1995 but reappeared in 2012 (one record) and again this year. This aberrant individual was the third Large Skipper noted so far this year and it is hoped that the species will recolonise. 

Migrant birds were represented by a Lapwing. Of note were more baby Lesser Whitethroats coming out to play plus a juvenile Black Redstart that has presumably been reared in the adjoining docks.

In the moth department a Bordered Gothic put in an appearance with our only previous records in 2000 & 2011. It has been in serious decline across England and is now a proposed Red Data Book species.

Lilac Beauty is not rare but has only been noted here in seven previous years.

10 birds ringed: 6 Great Tit, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Linnet.