Saturday 13th October 2018

Med Gull on the shingle by the View Point car park, a little too distant to read the inscription on the ring.

Starting overcast becoming brighter through the morning and a Southerly wind. The tenth site record this morning for Great White Egret, a single bird flew over the reserve going out to sea East. A Yellow-browed Warbler was seen behind the kitchen, frequently calling and feeding on insects in the Sycamore and a Stonechat was on the Butts.

Noted on the reserve, 1,100 Starling, 20 Goldfinch, 4 Chaffinch, 4 Med Gull, 3 Blackcap, 3 Wheatear, 2 Brambling, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Redwing, 1 Stonechat & 1 Yellow-browed Warbler. Going South, 47 Goldfinch, 42 Siskin, 17 Chaffinch, 14 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 7 Wigeon, 6 Skylark, 4 Brent Goose, 4 Cormorant, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, 3 Teal, 1 Grey Wagtail & 1 Meadow Pipit. Going out to sea East, 5 Cormorant & 1 Great White Egret.

7 birds ringed: Chaffinch 3, Blackbird 1, Blue Tit 1, Robin 1.

Friday 12th October 2018

An overcast start to the day after overnight rain with wind from the Southwest. Two Yellow-browed Warbler were seen at Landguard during the morning, one was in the trees behind the kitchen and the other was on the Ickie Ridge. Noted on the reserve, 35 Linnet, 30 Goldfinch, 8 Pied Wagtail, 6 Meadow Pipit, 5 Song Thrush, 4 Med Gull, 2 Common Gull, 2 Skylark, 2 Wheatear, 2 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Dunlin & 1 Sanderling. Going South, 108 Brent Goose, 16 Wigeon, 7 Cormorant, 6 Black-headed Gull, 2 Meadow Pipit, 1 Knot, 1 Merlin & 1 Teal.

Western Conifer Seed Bug in the moth trap today. 

The first Scarce Bordered Straw of the autumn, it is a pest species on a variety of agricultural crops.

10 birds ringed: Song Thrush 5, Blackbird 3, Chiffchaff 1, Great Tit 1.

October litter pick

Litter Pick this Saturday 13th October 0930 hrs start. Further details on the Events page of www.lbo.org.uk

Thursday 11th October 2018

 Yellow-browed Warbler at Landguard, seen frequently in the trees behind the kitchen throughout the day.

Light showers and overcast to start the day, becoming brighter during the morning, a strong Southerly wind continued throughout the day. Thrushes were coming in off the sea overnight, in the pre-dawn half light contact calls could be heard as birds passed overhead, the first Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn went South past Landguard during the morning and a Stonechat was near the Butts pond.

Noted on the reserve, 1,150 Starling, 40 Song Thrush, 30 Blackbird, 30 Redwing, 20 Goldfinch, 20 Robin, 15 Meadow Pipit, 8 Pied Wagtail, 5 Med Gull, 4 Wheatear, 2 Brambling, 1 Blackcap, 1 Redstart, 1 Snipe, 1 Stonechat & 1 Yellow-browed Warbler. Going South, 237 Brent Goose, 76 Wigeon, 44 Black-headed Gull, 25 Meadow Pipit, 11 Pintail, 9 Skylark, 9 Teal, 8 Chaffinch, 5 Cormorant, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Curlew & 1 Shelduck.

Cypress Carpet was first noted here in 2010 and is slowly becoming more regular in its wanderings from ornamental Cypress trees.

60 birds ringed: Song Thrush 18, Blackbird 16, Robin 15, Redwing 5, Brambling 2, Blackcap 1, Dunnock 1, House Sparrow 1, Yellow-browed Warbler 1.

Wednesday 10th October 2018

Still small groups of Linnets feeding on site.

Balmy overnight temperatures and far to warm for the time of the year has done the bird migration no favours. Amongst a paltry selection of migrants were 20 Mipit, 6 Chaffinch, 4 Greenfinch, 4 Redwing, 4 Song Thrush, 2 Blackcap, 2 Snipe, 2 Wheatear, Chiffchaff, Skylark, Stonechat & Rock Pipit. Vis mig equally poor with southbound 14 Mipit, 7 Skylark & 2 Grey Wag. Murky offshore but a flock of 7 Pintail, 7 Wigeon & 3 Teal went south just off the beach. Late news: Yellow-browed Warbler in Elders by Darrell's Battery just before 5pm.

The moth traps brought us a "Brucie Bonus" in the form of the first site record of Acleris literana which is common in Oak woods but never been recorded here before.

14 birds ringed: 5 Meadow Pipit, 3 Song Thrush, 1 Blackbird, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 Redwing, 1 Robin, 1 Wood Pigeon.

Tuesday 9th October 2018

Wheatear on the reserve this morning.

Clear sky overnight, warm and a Southwesterly breeze. A Tree Pipit flew into the Holm Oaks at the South end of the Observatory mid morning, it was heard calling in the Holm Oaks but not seen again, two Woodlark went over the reserve going South and there were three Wheatear towards the point near the seawatch hide. Also noted on the reserve, 1,300 Starling, 20 Meadow Pipit, 9 Pied Wagtail, 8 Greenfinch, 4 Blackcap, 3 Wheatear, 2 Redwing, 1 Brambling, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Tree Pipit & 1 Willow Warbler, offshore with the Herring Gull were 4 Med Gull.

Going North, 2 Sandwich Tern. Coming in off the sea going West, 3 Cormorant & 1 Snipe. Going South, 18 Black-headed Gull, 40 Goldfinch, 37 Meadow Pipit, 11 Siskin, 9 Linnet, 6 Skylark, 4 Swallow, 2 Cormorant, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Woodlark, 1 House Martin & 1 Reed Bunting.

15 birds ringed: Meadow Pipit 5, Chaffinch 2, Chiffchaff 2, Robin 2, Blackbird 1, Blue Tit 1, Grey Wagtail 1, Wren 1.

Monday 8th October 2018

Green-brindled Crescent, its food plants are Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Dog Rose, it is resident here in low population density.

Clear sky overnight becoming overcast through the morning and a strong Westerly breeze. Noted on the reserve, 1,300 Starling, 45 Linnet, 40 Goldfinch, 20 Meadow Pipit, 10 Blackcap, 10 Robin, 8 Pied Wagtail, 8 Song Thrush, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Brambling, 3 Med Gull, 3 Redwing, 2 Wheatear, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Snipe & 1 White Wagtail.

Going North, 8 Shelduck, 3 Cormorant, 2 Red-throated Diver & 1 Common Tern. Going South, 232 Goldfinch, 111 Dunlin, 92 Black-headed Gull, 54 Meadow Pipit, 40 Wigeon, 38 Linnet, 38 Teal, 30 Skylark, 29 Siskin, 28 Swallow, 20 Chaffinch, 18 Brent Goose, 18 House Martin, 9 Shelduck, 6 Ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatcher, 3 Pied Wagtail, 2 Common Tern, 2 Curlew, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Brambling, 1 Common Gull, 1 Merlin & 1 Reed Bunting. Coming in off the sea going West, 1 Lapwing & 1 Merlin.

40 birds ringed: Blackcap 7, Song Thrush 6, Blackbird 5, Chaffinch 5, Chiffchaff 5, House Sparrow 3, Redwing 3, Brambling 2, Great Tit 2, Meadow Pipit 1, Robin 1.

Sunday 7th October 2018

First Osprey we have seen this year.

Other highlights of a variety of migrants on site in small numbers were 10 Chiffchaff, 10 Robin, 10 Song Thrush, 6 Blackcap, 6 Chaffinch, 5 Redwing, 4 Greenfinch, 2 Ring Ouzel, 2 Snipe, 2 Wheatear, Brambling, Redstart, Rock Pipit, Siskin, Skylark, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Whitethroat & Yellow-browed Warbler. Southbound offshore & vis mig combined were 84 Black-headed Gull, 37 Brent, 35 Common Gull, 14 Wigeon, 10 Shelduck, 5 Chaffinch, 5 Mipit, 3 Grey Wag, 3 Swallow, 2 Greenfinch, Arctic Tern, Red-throated Diver & Skylark with northbound 7 Brent, 3 Gannet, 3 Sandwich Tern, Teal & Skylark. A Painted Lady butterfly was the first one noted for over a fortnight in what has been a poor year for this species.

22 birds ringed: 6 Song Thrush, 3 Chaffinch, 3 Robin, 2 Blackbird, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Redwing, 1 Blackcap, 1 Redstart.