Saturday 25th July 2020

Wind picking up as the morning went on plus odd bits of drizzle. Southbound 39 Oyk, 24 Dunlin, 18 Swift, 8 Curlew, 5 Swallow, 4 Gannet, 4 Sandwich Tern, 4 Turnstone, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, Barwit, Golden Plover & Greenshank with northbound 7 Gannet. On site Great-spotted Woodpecker paid a visit & a Turnstone was on the shore.

The Delicate is a half decent migrant for this time of the year with most of them appearing later in the autumn.

Ringing: 1 Wren

Friday 24th July 2020

A drizzly start to the day but it was soon brightened up by a Wood Warbler, which found its way into one of the nets. Hopefully its not the only one we'll see this autumn as they always add a ray of sunshine to the day.

Another Green Woodpecker also found its way into the nets and the Black Redstart was moving around the nature reserve. Fifteen Swifts preceded the rainstorm this morning, and 10 Swallows and 15 Sand Martins passed through as well.

On the sea a few waders were on the move with 9 Oystercatcher, 8 Knot, 3 Dunlin, a Sanderling and a Redshank all heading south and a few Common and Sandwich Terns were offshore.

With the moth traps busy at this time of year, it is easy to forget that the easiest way to record the Nationally Scarce Phyllocnistis xenia is to look for the mines on the Poplars.

Ringing: 4 House Sparrow, 1 Dunnock, 1 Great Tit, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Wood Warbler.

Thursday 23rd July 2020

A warm breezy morning with a small movement of waders. 

The Black Headed Gulls continue to head south with 88 logged this morning. There was a nice mixture of waders, with 20 Oystercatcher, 9 Curlew, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Dunlin, an Avocet and a Redshank heading south and a Turnstone was on the Jetty. Also out at sea were 2 Gannets heading north and 6 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Fulmar heading south.

A juvenile Skylark was in the fenced off area and a Black Redstart was feeding around the Museum, although the bushes around the Observatory were rather quiet.

The Small Ranunculus is a Red Data Book species that lives here on Prickly Lettuce. It became extinct in the UK in the early part of the last century and then recolonised from 1997 on wards.

Ringing: 2 Linnet, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Wren 

Wednesday 22nd July 2020

Emperor.

Southbound 22 Cormorant, 20 Curlew, 12 Black-headed Gull, 12 Oyk, 10 Common Tern, 6 Teal, 5 Gannet, 4 Whimbrel, Fulmar & Sandwich Tern with northbound 5 Common Scoter, 5 Cormorant, 3 Sandwich Tern, Arctic Skua & Swift. On site a single Reed Warbler plus dispersing locally bred youngsters including another Green Woodpecker.

Always good to get a pristine Oak Eggar which is a bit more impressive than some of the micros we show you.

Ringing: 3 House Sparrow, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Linnet, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Reed Warbler. 

Tuesday 21st July 2020

A photo taken from the Stenna Hollandica heading out to Holland.

A quiet day on the whole. The numbers of Black-headed Gulls heading south was much lower with only 52 logged. A couple Sandwich Terns and Common Terns were also feeding offshore.

Apart from a juvenile Green Woodpecker, which was busy anting on the Reserve, and then visited the Obs to gain a ring, there was nothing new in the bushes except for the local baby birds.

In the moth trap this morning was a nice example of a Tawny Wave, a Red Data Book species that lives mainly in the Brecks and on the Suffolk Sandlings and only ordains us with a visit occasionally.  

Ringing: 2 Linnet, 1 Blackbird, 1 Dunnock, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Wren.

Monday 20th July 2020

The first emergence of Common Blue was very poor this year, so lets hope the second emergence is better.

Another day with a good passage of Black-headed Gulls with 492 heading south this morning, there were only a few other birds moving on the sea including 11 Common Gulls, 3 Little Egrets and a Redshank.

On the land a Cuckoo dropped into the southern end of the Reserve and the forth Great Spotted Woodpecker of the month to be ringed was caught at the Observatory. Overhead there was a smattering of Swallows, with 18 heading south, half of which seemed to be juveniles. A Siskin, 3 Yellow Wagtails and 5 Sand Martins also headed south.

In the moth trap this morning was a species new to the site, Tuta absoluta, the Tomato Leafmine, a pest of Tomatoes growing in southern Europe, and it seems the wardens vegetable patch!

Ringing: 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

Sunday 19th July 2020

Greenies are turning up more frequently in recent days.

On the move southbound 172 Black-headed Gull, 7 Gannet, 5 Swift, 3 Common Tern, 3 Med Gull, Common Scoter, Redshank & Sand Martin. Otherwise a bit difficult to find much to eulogise about on a dull old morning with occasional fine drizzle to cheer us up.

Pebble Hook-tip has only visited us in five previous years which is not unsurprising as its a lover of Birch.

Ringing: 3 Dunnock, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Wren.