Saturday 8th August 2020

Migrants include 2 Nightingale, 2 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Wheatear, Willow Warbler plus a dispersing Green Woodpecker. Southbound movers were 35 Teal, 17 Black-headed Gull, 10 Oyk, 6 Sandwich Tern & 2 Common Gull with northbound 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Sand Martin & 2 Swallow. A Redshank siting on the jetty for a while will be having a breather migrating through.

Scythris limbella is a first site record with the only previous Suffolk one we know off being at Barham way back in 1834.

Moth traps were busy with a healthy selection of migrants including Gypsy Moth.

Ringing: 4 Linnet, 3 Goldfinch, 2 Greenfinch, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Nightingale, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler.

Friday 7th August 2020

 Flat calm sunny start evolving into a hot day. Consequently few migrants but included Nightingale, Wheatear & the first Redstart of the autumn. Southbound 18 Black-headed Gull, 16 Swallow, & 4 Common Scoter. The usual Black Red is still with us.

Rosy Footman has only been noted here in four previous years so always good to get one.

Ringing: 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 Nightingale, 1 Redstart, 1 Wren.

Recent Ringing Recoveries

Starling ringed Landguard 09/08/2019 retrapped 19 km away at Melton 04/05/2020.

Lesser Whitethroat ringed Dunes du Fort Vert, Marck, Pas-de-Calais, France 22/09/2019 retrapped 116 km away at Landguard on 15/05/2020.

Blackbird ringed Landguard 14th October 2019 found dead about a week old 519 km away at Tara Hill, Gorey, Wexford, Ireland on 19th April 2020. Presumably this bird originates in Eastern Europe, wintered in Ireland and was on its return back east when predated and found dead.

Thursday 6th August 2020

Pied Wags have churned out a dose of young in the adjoining dock this year with 20 to 25 regularly feeding on the reserve.

A pair of Song Thrush have brought out two late young this morning which is the first breeding success for absolutely donkey's years. Migrants again hard to come by but included southbound 10 Dunlin, 8 Black-headed Gull, 4 Grey Plover, 2 House Martin, Redshank, Swallow & Whimbrel. Grounded migrants are 2 Willow Warbler & a Wheatear. The usual Black Red is still present.

Poplar Kitten exists here at a very low population density.

Ringing: 2 Song Thrush, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Greenfinch, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Robin, 1 Willow Warbler.

Wednesday 5th August 2020

The patch of Sea Holly at the northern end of the reserve is about half the size this year as last.

Female Goldeneye south was our first ever for the month of August. Another good Landguard bird that we don't get annually was a Little Stint heading south. Also southbound 15 Swift, 6 Common Scoter, 4 Teal, 3 Golden Plover, 2 House Martin, 2 Turnstone, 2 Swallow, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper & Dunlin with northbound 4 Common Tern, 3 Med Gull & Gannet. Migrants on site consisted of one of yesterdays Willow Warblers but nowt else.

Tree-lichen Beauty was first noted here in 2003 and is now resident here in reasonable numbers.

Ringing: 2 Goldfinch, 2 House Sparrow, 1 Dunnock.

Tuesday 4th August 2020

A glorious flat calm start to the morning with an increasing southerly breeze as the it progressed brought very few new migrants including 2 Willow Warbler & Wheatear. Southbound 12 Oyk, 6 Black-headed Gull, 3 Sand Martin, 2 Curlew, 2 Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Golden Plover & Swallow with northbound 3 Sandwich Tern. A Sparrowhawk is the first dispersing juvenile of the autumn on a fairly typical date. Finally the usual Black Red is present & accounted for.

Moth traps much quieter. Elachista biatomella from yesterday is a nationally scarce species only noted infrequently in Suffolk from here & Minsmere. One can appreciate just how small it is by the magnification of the faded blue egg carton it is on.

Ringing: 2 Goldfinch, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Robin.

Monday 3rd August 2020

A few spots of rain for the first couple of hours dropped 3 Willow Warbler in but almost nothing else. Southbound 89 Black-headed Gull, 5 Oyk, 2 Common Gull, 2 Swallow, Curlew & Redshank with northbound 3 Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter & Swift. The usual Black Red is still with us.

The Coronet is an extremely variable species that puts in random appearances here.

Ringing: 3 House Sparrow, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Linnet.

Sunday 2nd August 2020

Southbound 146 Black-headed Gull, 30 Swallow, 14 Sand Martin & 4 Wood Pigeon (unseasonal for Woodies to be moving) with northbound 3 Barnacle Geese. On site migrants included 3 Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler & Wheatear. Last century Wood Warblers at the end of July and in the first half of August was the norm but not no more so to have ringed three so far this autumn is a hint of a return to the "good old days". In the butterfly department a Clouded Yellow is the first of the year.

Cochylis molliculana only appeared in Suffolk ten years ago and was first noted here in 2013 and in every year since in low numbers suggesting that it has colonised the Bristly Oxtongue on site.

Ringing: 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Linnet, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Wood Warbler.