Saturday 16th April 2022

Migrants poorly represented today consisting of 3 Wheatear, 2 Swallow, Chiffchaff & Fieldfare plus 2 Rooks heading south. Singing Black Red still advertising his presence on the Fort & the Purp remains on the point.

Moth numbers and variety remain low. Early Thorn has two emergences with the summer one more represented than this early one.

Ringing: 2 Linnet, 1 Chiffchaff.

Friday 15th April 2022

It was a sunny and calm day today, and as such, migrants were thin on the ground. A scattering of warblers, a brambling and a few passing seabirds were the only signs of movement. Ringing was pretty quiet, with a few linnets and a chaffinch adding to the warblers ringed.

Greylag geese have been hanging around for a while, looking for places to nest. Sadly the nature reserve is not suitable for them, until they learn to nest in rabbit holes like shelduck! The local birds are really starting to progress with breeding activities, with blackbirds carrying food, woodpigeons building half hearted nests and a black redstart still singing lustily around the fort/compound area.

The moth traps produced a few surprises, the highlight being this Eudonia Angustea. A fairly common pyralid but one that s rarely noted this early in the season.

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 2, Chaffinch 1, Chiffchaff 1, Linnet 3, Willow Warbler 3

Thursday 14th April 2022

With clearer skies today, it was a quieter day for migrants than yesterday. Swallows are slowly increasing in number as are blackcaps. A lot of regular species recorded, in much the same numbers as in previous days (or in the case of sanderling and shelduck, weeks!) but two singing whitethroats were an increase on yesterdays 1st for the year. Wheatear numbers were much reduced, probably because of the clearer weather, but similar numbers were ringed to yesterday, despite there being a quarter of the numbers present.

Moths have started to get into the double figures at last, with some interesting species today, including this Waved Umber. This is a common species in Suffolk, but as with a lot of species, lepidoptera or avian, only a scarce visitor to Landguard that has become annual in the last few years.

Ringed birds: Blackbird 1, Blackcap 8, Blue Tit 1, Chiffchaff 3, Linnet 1, Wheatear 3, Willow Warbler 2.

Wednesday 13th April 2022

 

Nice arrival of mid-April migrants with at least 21 Wheatear with most, if not all, Greenland bound. Incoming British breeders include 12 Blackcap, 12 Chiffchaff, 10 Willow Warbler, Redstart & our first Whitethroat of the year. On the move southbound 14 Black-headed Gull, 6 Swallow, 4 Dunlin, 3 Barnacle Geese, 2 Rook, 2 Whimbrel, Buzzard, Goldfinch, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Diver & Skylark with northbound 3 Med Gull, 2 Brent & Sandwich Tern. Just 14 Sanderling on the beach early morning plus a single Dunlin on the point as well as 2 Turnstone and the regular Purp.

Ringing: 10 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Linnet, 4 Wheatear.

Tuesday 12th April 2022

Migrants are still trickling through, with several chiffchaffs and a blackcap ringed. Out to sea there was movement as well, with another common tern and sandwich tern, plus 2 gadwall and a whimbrel as firsts for the year. A white wagtail was present as was a black redstart around the cottage.

Shelduck numbers are slowly increasing, with 16 today, and woodpigeon nests are slowly appearing in the observatory compound. As the sun warmed the ground, quite a few insects were on the wing, including the first red admiral of the spring, several species of mining bees, and micromoths.

Moth traps produced more common Quakers, but numbers and diversity should improve with warming weather.

Birds ringed: Blackcap 1, Chiffchaffs 4, Song Thrush 1

Monday 11th April 2022

Migration was still slow today, though with some notable 'firsts' for the year, namely swallow and common tern. Another sandwich tern made its way north. A brambling was briefly present and a black redstart was singing from the fort. 

The early morning sanderling flock that departs with the arrival of the first dog walker of the day has been a regular sight recently, not something that has been this regular in previous years. Numbers have so far peaked at 44 birds, and its possibly only due to get lower as birds leave north OR get higher as migrants join the flock. We wait with bated breath for the number change . .

Moth numbers were slightly up, with 3 common Quaker and a Hebrew Character.

Ringed birds: Chiffchaff 2 

Sunday 10th April 2022

 

Crystal clear frosty start didn't deter a small arrival of 10 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 3 Redwing, Fieldfare & a new Song Thrush so, basically, a mixture of summer visitors trying to arrive & winter visitors trying to leave. A Sanderling was out on the lawn with the Ringed Plovers with a Purp & Turnstone on the point. 2 Black Redstart at least with a fine male singing his little heart out up on the lighting towers by the car park. 3 Avocet flying north is worth a mention amongst a paltry selection of offshore action.

A number of Gracillaria syringella were flying around in the afternoon sunshine but they are not the easiest tiny tots to get a decent shot of.

Ringing: 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Song Thrush.