Saturday 14th September 2019

Just part of the daily murmuration of Starling on the reserve. Numbers vary day to day but today we had around 300 logged. Mostly they are feeding on flying insects and blackberries at the moment.

Numbers of migrants were a bit depressed today as most of our spotters were litter picking across the reserve late morning, though it seemed quiet from very early on. Of note was a flock of around 40 Canada Goose from the north then in upriver, possibly returning from their Scottish moulting grounds. Southbound there were 8 Meadow Pipit and 2 Yellow Wagtail, whereas northbound were 5 Shelduck.  On the reserve there were also 15 Meadow Pipit, 8 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 3 Redstart, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Tree Sparrow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Coal Tit and 1 Wheatear.

Feathered Ranunculus is a coastal species that is a tad late on parade this autumn, as we have normally noted it by now.

Ringing: 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Great Tit, 3 Dunnock, 3 Robin, 2 Blackcap, 2 Redstart, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Blue Tit.

Friday 13th September 2019

 

One Sanderling was down on the point this morning.

Friday the 13th is unlucky for some but not for our spotters who turned up the goods today with a high-flying juvenile Red-footed Falcon at 10:30am. The falcon was seen hawking for dragonflies before being lost in the glare of the sun, but not before being photographed. 

Juvenile Red-footed Falcon - the dark trailing edge to the wings and the bright pale vent are the key identification features.

Also remarkable was the relative dearth of Swallows (or any migrants at all) compared to yesterday's totals, with only 45 heading south and 4 heading north. Other southbound migrants were 12 Meadow Pipit,  5 Grey Wagtail, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Redshank and 1 Sparrowhawk. Around the reserve there were 12 Blackcap, 12 Meadow Pipit, 5 Wheatear, 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Common Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Redstart, 1 Whinchat, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Willow Warbler and 1 Sanderling.

Feathered Gothic has only been noted here on 6 previous occasions.

Ringing: 7 Blackcap, 4 Meadow Pipit, 4 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Dunnock, 1 Robin, 1 Sparrowhawk.

SEPTEMBER LITTER PICK

Litter Pick this Saturday 14th September start 0930 hrs prompt. Further details on the events page of www.lbo.org.uk

Thursday 12th September 2019

Down to just the one Redstart this morning.

There was barely time to swallow a cup of tea this morning as we had a near constant stream of Swallow passing through on their way south, with a count of 3827 by 12:45pm. This makes today our highest Swallow count since 21st September 2013 when 4576 were logged. As well as the southbound Swallows, there were also 384 House Martin, 190 Meadow Pipit, 63 Sand Martin, 33 Black-headed Gull, 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 Swift and 1 Cormorant. Northbound there were 3 Sandwich Tern, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Grey Heron. Despite the good visible passage of hirundines and pipits, migrants on the ground were still a little thin. Logged today were 15 Meadow Pipit, 4 Wheatear, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Chaffinch and 1 Redstart. Higher than normal counts of Blue and Great Tit, at 17 and 10 respectively, suggests there has been a movement in from gardens north in Felixstowe. It won't be long until Long-tailed Tits start to appear with them in roving tit parties.

The first Pearly Underwing of the autumn is late on parade this year.

Ringing: 6 Blackcap, 4 Meadow Pipit, 4 Dunnock, 3 Blue Tit, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Great Tit, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Robin, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 House Sparrow and 1 Whitethroat.

Wednesday 11th September 2019

Increasing wind plus occasional annoying bits of drizzle during the morning. On site migrants included 10 Blackcap,  5 Willow Warbler, 3 Redstart, 3 Wheatear, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser 'throat, Goldcrest, Whinchat & Whitethroat. Southbound 278 Swallow, 116 Sand Martin, 2 Curlew, 2 Knot, Grey Heron, Grey Plover & Oyk.

Centre-barred Sallow is an autumnal species that lives on Ash so only occasionally visits us.

Ringing: 5 Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Redstart.

Tuesday 10th September 2019

A Purple Sandpiper was down at the jetty on the point, and almost looks purple if you squint.

A cool, calm morning, starting off bright then clouding over, before clearing again and getting positively summery. Not as many birds on the move as yesterday with 36 Teal, 14 Swallow, 11 Wigeon, 9 Meadow Pipit, 6 Sandwich Tern, 3 Cormorant, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Common Tern and 1 Gannet all southbound, and 5 Sandwich Tern, 3 Common Scoter and 2 Oystercatcher heading north. Around the reserve there were 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Common Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Redstart, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Turnstone, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Tree Sparrow and 1 juvenile Moorhen. Late news from yesterday evening was a count of 4 Redstart feeding together. 

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet is a common species infrequently noted here, and when they do turn up they are often worn and past their usual flight season.

Ringing: 2 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Linnet, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Dunnock, 1 Redstart, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Goldfinch.

Monday 9th September 2019

A lovely day for ducks! Though not because it was raining, but because there were 252 Teal, 60 Wigeon, 5 Common Scoter, 5 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler and 1 Tufted Duck all logged on their way south before 12pm. Other migrants southbound were 73 Dunlin, 39 Cormorant, 21 Black-headed Gull, 20 Knot, 16 Swallow, 10 Oystercatcher, 7 Meadow Pipit, 4 Common Tern, 4 Ringed Plover, 4 Sanderling, 4 Turnstone, 1 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Med Gull, 1 House Martin, 1 Hobby and 1 juvenile Peregrine. On site there were 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Wheatear, 2 Redstart, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Tree Sparrow, 1 Whinchat and 1 Snipe. 

Autumnal moths are in somewhat short supply. The second emergence of L-album Wainscot has been out for the last week.

Ringing: 1 Wren, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Redstart, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Tree Sparrow, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Robin.

Sunday 8th September 2019

At least 7 Tree Sparrows today consuming elderberries. Migrants include 14 Mipit, 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Lesser 'throat, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chaffinch, Golden Plover, Pied Fly & Sparrowhawk. Offshore barely worth a mention although 10 Cormorant coming in off high may well be coming in from the winter from the continent.

Running out of moths to feature this year as the season progresses with many of the expected mid-September culprits have failed to appear so far. Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing is fairly frequent in the traps at this time of the year.

Ringing: 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 2 Tree Sparrow, 1 Dunnock.