Saturday 22nd June 2019

Hornet Moth is a nationally scarce species that lives on Poplars that is an expert at mimicry.

Cuckoo still with us but apart from a single Curlew south, 2 Sandwich Tern out then north & a couple of Common & Little Terns offshore no other migrants noted.

Rest Harrow is a Red Data Book species that is only known from two colonies in Kent but as its food-plant is Restharrow it may well now have colonised despite only being recorded previously in 2009 plus an influx in 2018.

Ringing: 4 Goldfinch, 1 Blue Tit, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Robin, 1 Wood Pigeon.

Friday 21st June 2019

Cuckoo & Hobby again this morning plus a couple of dispersing juvenile Blackcap which are to well developed to have resulted from the birds that we hope are breeding here. 10 Swift south the only other thing worth a mention.

Unbelievable but the third addition to the moth list in four days. Teleiodes lucella frequents Hawthorn and is apparently a common & widespread species in England.

Ringing: 3 House Sparrow, 2 Blackcap, 2 Dunnock, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit.

Thursday 20th June 2019

Great to have another Cuckoo on site all morning with a supporting cast of a fly through Hobby and a first-summer plumage Black Redstart on the jetty. A new female Blackcap will be another failed breeder wandering plus another juvenile Coal Tit paid a visit.

This looks suspiciously like Brachmia inornatella which is a nationally scarce species only known from areas of Common Reed in East Anglia and is the second addition to the site list in a matter of days.

Ringing: 7 House Sparrow, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Linnet, 1 Whitethroat.

Wednesday 19th June 2019

New male Blackcap is probably a failed breeder from somewhere. New Reed Warbler is probably a late spring migrant. 1 Curlew went south & 2 Barnacle went south then up river & a Sandwich Tern went out & north. 2 Greenfinch are worth a mention.

Several species coming out for the first time this year including this Poplar Grey.

Ringing: 3 Linnet, 1 Blackcap, 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Robin & 1 Whitethroat.

Ringing Recovery

Chiffchaff ringed at Blavand, Ribe, Denmark on 6th April 2019 retrapped 600 km away at Landguard on 28th May 2019. Very few Danish ringed Chiffchaff have been caught in the UK and it is difficult to explain what this one was up to. It had a "pollen ball" of sap on its forehead indicating that it had been in the Mediterranean region fairly recently. Had it gone from Denmark to the Mediterranean then up to Landguard ?

Tuesday 18th June 2019

Please keep your eyes open for colour ringed gulls around Felixstowe which are rather partial to fish & chips discarded by the public.

Southbound 29 Black-headed Gull, 10 Curlew, 5 Sandwich Tern, 2 Barnacle Geese, Common Tern & Swallow with northbound 9 Little Tern & 3 Oyk. No grounded migrants but plenty of baby birds.

First noted in the UK in 1984 and here in 2010 Cypress Carpet has become regular in the last three years despite its food-plant being only as close as the Custom's House.

Ringing: 12 Linnet, 3 Dunnock, 3 House Sparrow, 2 Starling, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Wood Pigeon, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Wren.

Monday 17th June 2019

Southbound 23 Curlew, 3 Sandwich Tern, 3 Shelduck, 2 Swallow & Med Gull. On site 1 Lapwing will be a failed breeder coming back into the UK for the winter. Good numbers of baby birds on site especially Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet & Whitethroat.

Broken-barred Carpet is the first site record. It is apparently a common and widespread species but it has never paid us a visit before.

Ringing: 1 Dunnock, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Linnet, 1 Robin.

Sunday 16th June 2019

Migrants typically hard to find at this time of the year with southbound 14 Swift, 4 Curlew, 2 Barnacle Geese & 2 Swallow. Dispersing juveniles visiting include Chaffinch & Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Peppered Moth making an appearance.

Ringing: 4 Linnet, 2 Blue Tit, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldfinch, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Wren.