Recent Ringing Recoveries

Blackcap ringed Landguard 15th September 2019 found dead 1,597 Km away at El Altozano, Sierra De Andujar, Jaen, Spain on 11th October 2019. Blue Tit ringed Harleston, Norfolk 19th July 2019 retrapped at Landguard 54 Km away 21st September 2019. Blue Tit ringed Bawdsey 21st September 2019 retrapped at Landguard 8 Km away 15th October 2019. Blue Tit ringed Minsmere 26th September 2019 retrapped 41 Km away at Landguard 10th October 2019.

Saturday 26th October 2019

Windy but mild morning with rain in the pm. Conditions not ideal for searching for migrants but included 6 Goldcrest, Blackcap, Black Red, Chiffchaff, Firecrest & Sparrowhawk plus a couple of new Blackies & Songies. 2 Bullfinch are loitering on site since Wednesday. 3 Swallow went south over the observatory but no other vis mig. 426 Cormorant went out to sea fishing early on but offshore movements very poor but included southbound 2 Grey Plover with northbound 10 Gannet (plus 4 following a ship in).

Moths almost non-existent following overnight gale despite mild conditions.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Wood Pigeon.

Friday 25th October 2019

An Owl seen briefly in flight 0610 hrs is presumably the Barn Owl that appeared mid-day. Classic late October morning with more birds having departed than arrived although several crests from recent days are loitering. On site 25 Blackbird, 18 Long-tailed Tit, 12 Goldcrest, 5 Song Thrush, 4 Black Reds, 4 Firecrest, 3 Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Fieldfare, Redwing, Rock Pipit, Stonechat & Wheatear. Southbound 430 Goldfinch, 117 Cormorant, 43 Starling, 33 Black-headed Gull, 20 Brent, 16 Shelduck, 10 Skylark, 7 Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Swallow, 4 Lesser Redpoll, 4 Teal, 3 Jackdaw, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Dunlin, Curlew, Gannet, Grey Plover, Oyk & Reed Bunting with northbound 6 Gannet & 2 Brent.

Yellow-line Quaker is a late autumn flyer that turns up occasionally that should be seen more often here as one of its food-plants is Poplars.

Ringing: 17 Long-tailed Tit, 10 Blackbird, 5 Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Robin, 1 Great Tit, 1 Redwing, 1 Wren.

Thursday 24th October 2019

Flat calm start with weather deteriorating as the day went on. Another reasonable arrival of new birds. Migrants present included 45 Robin, 35 Blackbird, 20 Chaffinch, 20 Goldcrest, 18 Mipit, 8 Firecrest, 4 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Sanderling, Black Red, Rock Pipit, Siskin, Stonechat, Swallow & Wheatear. Southbound 110 Dunlin, 103 Brent, 97 Wigeon, 65 Common Gull, 61 Black-headed Gull, 46 Shelduck, 9 Pintail, 9 Teal, 8 Red-breasted Merganser, 7 Chaffinch, 4 Tufted Duck, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Lapwing, Gannet, Knot, Oyk, Red-throated Diver, Rock Pipit & Shag with northbound 1 Grey Plover plus 328 Starling in off the sea.

The Gem is a half decent migrant that normally reaches us late in the season at this time of the year.

Ringing: 15 Blackbird, 12 Goldcrest, 9 Robin, 4 Song Thrush, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Firecrest, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Blackcap, 1 Great Tit, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Redwing, 1 Wren.

Wednesday 23rd October 2019

No wind makes for an enjoyable morning with the highlight being the first decent arrival of Firecrest of the autumn with at least 8 on site with a cast of backing migrants and dispersing juveniles including 35 Robin, 20 Mipit, 16 Long-tailed Tit, 10 Song Thrush, 8 Chaffinch, 8 Goldcrest, 3 Blackcap, 3 Rock Pipit, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Jay, Black Red, Brambling, Fieldfare, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Purple Sand, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Stonechat & Wheatear plus yet more Blue Tits passing through. Blue Tits are having there best autumn since 1983 and the way they are going they may even beat this record year. Southbound 228 Woodies, 40 Starling, 14 Linnet, 12 Goldfinch, 5 Swallow, 4 Brent, 4 Skylark, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Shelduck, Great-crested Grebe & Siskin with northbound 16 Common Scoter, 5 Shelduck, 4 Brent, Gannet & Guillemot.

Ringing: 16 Long-tailed Tit, 11 Goldfinch, 11 Robin, 7 Blue Tit, 7 Firecrest, 6 Goldcrest, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Dunnock, 2 Great Tit, 2 Wren, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chaffinch, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Song Thrush.

Tuesday 22nd October 2019

Grey Wagtails are still trickling through, with one more caught and ringed today.

A thoroughly pleasant day compared to yesterday, and quite a few birds apparently stuck around to feed up. Every bush seemed to have a Robin defending it today, but the highlights were a Great Grey Shrike seen at the southern end of the reserve, and a Corn Bunting feeding out in the aggregate yard. A Kingfisher flashed over the ridge this morning and there were at least 4 Black Redstart on site, including 3 stunning males. A very late Whitethroat was caught and ringed and yesterday's Reed Warbler was still present. Other birds around the reserve were 20 Goldcrest, 8 Chiffchaff, 5 Redwing, 4 Blackcap, 3 Rock Pipit, 2 Redpoll, 2 Jay, 1 Turnstone, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Wheatear and a female Stonechat. Southbound there were 313 Woodpigeon, 72 Goldfinch, 38 Black-headed Gull, 9 Skylark, 7 Linnet, 2 Brent Goose, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Oystercatcher.

Ringing: 28 Robin, 15 Long-tailed Tit, 15 Goldcrest, 9 Blackbird, 7 Blue Tit, 7 Chiffchaff, 6 Chaffinch, 6 Great Tit, 4 Wren, 3 Blackcap, 2 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Kestrel.

Monday 21st October 2019

This morning we had a very interesting result from our Motus receiver, which picked up the signal of a German ringed Robin in the vicinity of the observatory. This Robin was ringed in September on Heligoland, then subsequently moved through the Low Countries and was recorded south of Amsterdam yesterday. We await further details of what time each of the signals on either side of the North Sea were received, but it presumably flew over in the night before the filthy weather set it.  

Map showing the rough flightline of the Robin ringed and tagged 25th September 2019 on Heligoland, Germany.

Speaking of filthy weather there were a good number of thrushes and robins around grounded by the rain, but the conditions were less than ideal for recording, and no nets were open for ringing in the deluge. We had a full set of winter thrushes with 26 Fieldfare, 20 Blackbird, 15 Song Thrush, 6 Redwing, 1 Mistle Thrush and 1 Ring Ouzel. Other highlights were 37 Skylark, 2 Brambling, 1 Hawfinch, 1 Redstart and the first Black Redstart of the season. The afternoon proved slightly more clement with a Short-eared Owl seen on the point and a Woodcock flushed within the Obs compound, with more Goldcrest and Chiffchaff apparent as well. A late Reed Warbler and Redstart were a nice surprise while ringing before sunset.

The Mallow is a late autumn flyer on calmer nights.

Ringing: 14 Robin, 7 Goldcrest, 3 Dunnock, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackbird, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Woodpigeon, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Redstart, 1 Blackcap, 1 Song Thrush.

Sunday 20th October 2019

Last night the Obs played host to the visiting Suffolk and Essex Bat Groups, who set up 8 harp traps with acoustic lures in an attempt to catch the migratory Nathusius' Pipistrelle. Three of these bats were caught from about an hour after sunset, suggesting that they had arrived in from the Continent. Like the birds that we catch here the bats were ringed, though not on the leg but on the arm, with a special ring that doesn't close completely so the wing membrane isn't damaged. Along with the pipistrelles two Natterer's Bat were also caught.

Back to birds this morning and we were had our first 4-figure count of Cormorant heading out to sea with 1,134 seen. There were good numbers of pigeons moving south today as well, with 3,821 Woodpigeon and 1,100 Stock Dove. Also southbound were 248 Starling, 40 Meadow Pipit, 39 Black-headed Gull, 37 Greenfinch, 33 Chaffinch, 3 Grey Wagtail, 3 Woodlark, 2 Jackdaw, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Siskin, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Pied Wagtail and 1 Rook. There were 3 Brent Goose and 1 Little Egret northbound. The first Fieldfare of the season was seen coming in off the sea. Around the reserve there were 4 Goldcrest, 3 Jay, 1 Redwing, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Wheatear and 1 Stonechat. There were two family parties of Long-tailed Tits totalling 25 birds, with other tits joining them including a Coal Tit.

The Satellite is a winter flyer that we get in small numbers, mostly in the autumn.

Ringing: 22 Long-tailed Tit, 8 Great Tit, 4 Blue Tit, 3 Blackcap, 3 Goldfinch, 2 Wren, 2 Blackbird, 2 Robin, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Linnet, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Dunnock.
Recoveries: 1 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit.