Saturday 6th April 2019

Miserable cool drizzly morning enlivened by at least 2 Ring Ouzel. Also on site 6 Song Thrush, 3 Wheatear, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Mipit,  Blackcap & Firecrest. Offshore northbound 21 Cormorant, 18 Gannet, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Common Scoter & Canada Goose. Afternoon update - Woodlark plus Chiffchaff showing good characteristics of the race P.c.tristis

Ringing: 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Robin.

Friday 5th April 2019

Hard work. On site 3 Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Golden Plover & Redwing. A Kestrel paid a brief visit which is only the second one noted so far this year since the resident male succumbed last autumn. 18 Goldfinch flew south. Offshore southbound 5 Brent & Gannet with northbound 3 Teal, 2 Common Gull, Common Scoter & Fulmar hardly justifies the effort put in.

Ringing: 1 Firecrest.

Recent Ringing Recoveries

Blue Tit ringed Landguard 7th October 2018 retrapped 34 km away at Earl Stonham 17th February 2019. Great Tit ringed Landguard 16th October 2018 and retrapped here on several dates to 12th November was retrapped 77 km away at Burgh Castle, Norfolk on 27th March 2019. Great-spotted Woodpecker ringed Landguard 14th November 2018 was found dead in Felixstowe on 9th March 2019. Chiffchaff ringed Newbourne Springs 8th September 2018 was retrapped 12 km away at Landguard 27th March 2019.

Thursday 4th April 2019

Yesterday evenings Stone Curlew.

Fair SSE wind with a few April showers. Migrants included 2 Firecrest, 2 Wheatear, Redwing & Chiffchaff. Offshore a few Cormorant with southbound 3 Brent & Great-crested Grebe and northbound a Gannet which is a poor return considering the wind.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Firecrest, 1 Wren

Wednesday 3rd April 2019

Cold April showers sort of morning. A handful of migrants included 3 Redwing, 3 Wheatear, Brambling & Chiffchaff. Late afternoon update - Stone Curlew on the beach at teatime.

Ringing: 1 Brambling.

Tuesday 2nd April 2019

A selection of the expected early April migrants in small numbers included 5 Robin, 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, 2 Black Redstart & couple of new Wrens. Overhead southbound 17 Goldfinch & Redpoll. A Merlin was reported flying north along the beach.

Mullein moth is only very rarely recorded despite the larvae being common in some years. They obviously have more sense than to fly towards moth traps.

Ringing: 3 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Robin, 2 Wren, 1 Blackcap, 1 Dunnock.

Monday 1st April 2019

A Common Tern heading north beats our earliest ever by four days. Not a lot else moving but included northbound 18 Black-headed Gull, 2 Eider & Red-throated Diver with southbound 2 Snipe & Kittiwake. On site 4 Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Long-tailed Tit, Firecrest plus 2 Purps on the point.

Red Chestnut has been noted here in only six previous years so if only four moths in three traps may as well get one that is nice for us.

Ringing: 2 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff.

March Ringing Totals

152 birds of 21 species including only our third ever Carrion Crow and Red-flanked Bluetail ringed. Although one might think the bluetail is a girl but it is actually a first year male which was a learning curve for us. Ageing is by the presence of some old greater coverts plus tail feathers more pointed than any of the reference photos found. Its a male due to the brightness of blue on the tail plus the blue extending well up onto the upper tail coverts to the lower back. Wing length is one millimetre greater than the largest female which also helps (although the sample sizes found were not large).

Chiffchaff	37
Goldcrest	23
Redwing	20
Blackbird	12
Firecrest	11
Robin	11
Chaffinch	6
Dunnock	4
Song Thrush	4
Wren	4
Blackcap	3
Great Tit	3
Wood Pigeon	3
Linnet	2
Long-tailed Tit	2
Sparrowhawk	2
Blue Tit	1
Carrion Crow	1
Goldfinch	1
House Sparrow	1
Red-flanked Bluetail	1

Sunday 31st March 2019

Cold north-easterly wind far from ideal but a few interesting sightings this morning. We only have ten previous spring records of Jack Snipe so always good to get another drop in. Offshore, only sporadic observations, produced northbound 71 Gannet, 60 Brent, 16 Common Scoter, 5 Red-throated Diver, 4 Dunlin & 2 Kitts with southbound 4 Sanderling, 3 Fulmar, 2 Turnstone & Red-throated Diver. This is a classic time for Gannets to be tracking north to breeding colonies in Northern Norway with the actual number passing this morning quite probably double this figure. Also on site Blackcap, Brambling (above - just in case the poor photo perplexes anyone) & Woodcock plus a couple of new Robins and Wrens although in these conditions anything may be lurking.

Ringing: 2 Wren, 1 Robin.