Saturday 18th September 2021

Grey Wagtail

 Morning cloud gradually dissipated on the light SSE breeze creating another warm, sunny day; most of the interest was offshore where a push of southbound wildfowl included 321 Brent Geese, 207 Teal, 71 Wigeon and 10 Pintail along with a Heron, 2 Dunlin, 6 Oystercatchers, 33 Sandwich Terns, 22 Gannets, 23 Common Terns and 2 Arctic Skuas.

Elsewhere it was still quiet with 42 Meadow Pipits, 40 Swallows and 7 Grey Wagtails south with 10 Wheatears, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat on the land.

Ringing: Whitethroat 1, Grey Wagtail 5, Chiffchaff 2, Dunnock 1, Robin 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1

Phtheochroa rugosana is out mid-April to mid-July so today's one is well out of kilter

Friday 17th September 2021

Always good to get a fresh Convolvulous Hawkmoth as this immigrant species are often a bit worn and tatty by the time they get here

 Largely sunny and bright with light SW winds (apart from a weird spell for an hour in the morning when thick fog appeared from nowhere!); there was a trickle of birds overhead but nothing really compared to yesterday which included a Chaffinch, a Sparrowhawk, 50 Meadow Pipits, 73 Swallows, a Sand Martin, 58 House Martins and 4 Yellow Wagtails.

Offshore 34 Teal and 18 Wigeon went south while on the land 3 Chiffchaffs, 7 Wheatears and a Black Redstart was about it.

Ringing: Dunnock 2, Great Tit 1, Robin 1, Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 2, Willow Warbler 1, Meadow Pipit 2

Thursday 16th September 2021

Coal Tit

 Warm and humid with a light westerly breeze; there was a bit more life out there than the last couple of days especially overhead as birds heading south included 12 Grey Wagtails, a Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Pipit, 96 Meadow Pipits and 55 Swallows.   Grounded migrants added 5 Chiffchaffs, 11 Wheatears, 3 Black Redstarts, single Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat, a Coal Tit and a White Wagtail to the day list.

A few bits at sea comprised 2 Grey Plovers, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Red-throated Diver.

Ringing: Grey Wagtail 9, Robin 3, Song Thrush 1, Chiffchaff 3, Blue Tit 1

Star-wort is far from annual with this one flying late in the season for this species

Wednesday 15th September 2021

Southbound 283 Teal, 66 Wigeon (first pulse of the autumn), 20 Common Scoter, 10 Cormorant, 9 Ringed Plover, 4 Swallow, 3 Turnstone, 2 Mipit, 2 Shelduck, Grey Wag, Little Egret & Oyk with northbound 4 Common Scoter & 3 Gannet. As far as grounded migrants are concerned then its not getting any better with todays meagre offerings 5 Wheatear, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat & Willow Warbler. Offshore a couple of lingering Little Tern are with the feeding flock of Sandwich & Common Tern.

2 Delicate are the first of the autumn proper of this renowned immigrant that can arrive anytime June onwards with the bulk from mid-September to early November.

Ringing: 1 Chiffchaff.

Tuesday 14th September 2021

Lunar Yellow Underwing is a nationally scarce species that either wanders down here from up the coast or may live here at a low population density

 Mid-September, nice ESE breeze coming in right from the continent, a bit of drizzle just before dawn and spells of light rain through the morning - just what you want for a nice selection of migrants at a prominent east coast migration site....well, no actually, the nets were literally empty of any birds and the bushes were basically devoid of any new birds.

All the interest was offshore where, despite the poor visibility birds comprised a Sooty Shearwater north at 09:45, a Little Tern feeding with 62+ Sandwich Terns, 65 Teal south, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Gannets, 2 Common Scoters, a Razorbill north (always scarce here), 2 Guillemots, a Great-crested Grebe and an Arctic Skua.

Ringing: Grey Wagtail 1

Monday 13th September 2021

Its the time of the year when the odd Bulrush Wainscot puts in an appearance wandering from local reedbeds

 Partly cloudy with light ENE winds produced few grounded migrants but those unearthed did include 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Wheatears, 3 Grey Wagtails, 3 Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat.

Ringing: Robin 2, Chiffchaff 3, Grey Wagtail 3, Willow Warbler 1, Dunnock 2, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Blackcap 1

Sunday 12th September 2021

A family party of 7 Egyptian Geese out then north is our largest ever group of this very scarce visitor to Landguard. Late morning at least 18 Buzzard soaring drifting high south is notable. A handful of grounded migrants included 6 Whitethroat, 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Wheatear, 3 Blackcap, 3 Mipit, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser 'throat, 2 Spot Fly, Chaffinch plus a wandering Great Spotted Woodpecker. Also southbound 10 Sandwich Tern, 7 Grey Wag, 6 Swallow, 5 Mipit, 3 Common Tern, Common Gull, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier & Yellow Wag. A Black Red could be a locally bred bird  or not as they have been a tad elusive recently.

201 Setaceous Hebrew Character in the traps this morning is very high numbers here.

Ringing: 5 Grey Wag, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Mipit, 1 Wren.