Saturday 9th July 2022

Another warm and quiet July day today. All the regular locals were present and accounted for.

A day to maintain the net lanes and paths, though it was too warm to do that for long.

The Herald is a moth that can be found hibernating in the observatory buildings during the winter but it rarely turns up in the traps in summer.

Birds Ringed: Goldfinch 1, House Sparrow 5, Linnet 1, Starling 3

Friday 8th July 2022

A hot and sunny day today, good for insects, but not too bad for birds either surprisingly, with the second great spotted woodpecker juvenile ringed in the last two weeks, some new blackcaps, a juvenile chiffchaff and some fresh young great tits. 

Butterflies are enjoying the sunshine, as were 2 emperor dragonflies, a southern hawker and a Norfolk (green-eyed) hawker in and around the compound.

We had the second site record of Eucosma metzneriana, a species that is attempting to colonise the country and has been gived a proposed RDB (Red Data Book) rating.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 1, Goldfinch 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Great Tit 2, Linnet 8, Starling 1, Whitethroat 1.

Thursday 7th July 2022

A dull and slightly windy morning increased to strong southern winds and clear skies by the afternoon. The dull conditions led to a better day for birds ringed, with 2 of the 21 birds ringed being adult, the rest a variety of juveniles. 

The bird of note for the day however, was an adult cuckoo seen out on the nature reserve late morning, presumably heading back to Africa after a (hopefully) successful breeding season.

Also on the wing this afternoon were some large dragonflies, with 1/2 Emperor dragonflies and a Southern Hawker in the observatory grounds. 

 Another nationally scarce species of moth we get here is Lamoria zelleri.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Dunnock 1, Goldfinch 3, Great Tit 1, Greenfinch 1, Herring Gull 2, House Sparrow 1, Linnet 9, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Whitethroat 1.

Wednesday 6th July 2022

Southbound 20 Black-headed Gull, 9 Oyk, 4 Cormorant, 3 Med Gull & 2 Curlew with northbound 2 Common Tern & 2 Sandwich Tern. On site classic bit of juvenile dispersal with Blackcap, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Kestrel in addition to those that breed here. One of the local Peregrine was carrying a large item of prey early morning & at least 1 Nightingale is still here.

Doing well for additions to the site list this year with Acrobasis marmorea new to LBO.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Great Tit, 2 Wren, 1 Blackcap, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whitethroat.

 

Tuesday 5th July 2022

 

Ringlet starting to look worn already.

Southbound 15 Black-headed Gull, 3 Little Egret, 2 Swallow & Oyk with northbound 5 Common Scoter plus 2 Little Tern offshore. Another dispersing Great Spotted Woodpecker suggests that they have had a decent breeding season not to far away.

Homoeosoma nebulella was first noted here in 2015 but had a dreadful year last year with only a singleton noted following the long hot drought of 2020. Hopefully a few more will be seen this year.

Ringing: nil.

Monday 4th July 2022

 

Six-belted Clearwings - 35 of these day flying moths were counted this morning suggesting that the actual number present may be 10X this figure.

In the bird department southbound 28 Black-headed Gull, 3 Curlew, 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Swallow & Oyk. On site a Great-spotted Woodpecker visited, 3 Little Tern were off the beach and it was odd to hear a Blackcap in sub song out the back. 2 Kestrel, including a juvenile, suggests successful breeding somewhere nearby. The Crows at the north end have finally brought three young onto the reserve whereas the other two pairs with two young each have been out for weeks.

It was thought that we had a new species for the site until we realised that this is a colour form of the Sycamore not familiar to us.

Ringing: nil.

Sunday 3rd July 2022

 

Scarce Emerald at the Butts Pond.

Southbound 36 Black-headed Gull, 5 Med Gull, 5 Sand Martin, 3 Gadwal & 2 Swift with northbound 4 Swift & Oyk. Fair number of baby birds on site plus a juvenile dispersing Chiffchaff that may have come from no further away than Langer Park. A dozen Red-legged Partridge chicks following an adult were the first seen for several years so we will see how many survive.

Cream-bordered Green Pea is only occasional here as it lives on Sallows & Willows, which we don't have, so those that turn up here here will be wanderers or immigrants.

Ringing: 13 Linnet, 5 Starling, 3 Goldfinch, 3 Wren, 2 Blackbird, 2 Dunnock, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Pied Wagtail.

Saturday 2nd July 2022

Bright n' breezy. Southbound 5 Curlew, 3 Swift & 2 Med Gull with northbound 2 Common Tern. Despite the wind a fair selection of butterflies including a late(ish) Green Hairstreak. Haven't mentioned them for a while but still Scarce Emerald damselflies on the Butts pond with double figure counts some days.

Agapeta zoegana is one of the better looking micros that is appearing in the traps more frequently this year whereas in the past we have failed to note it in some years.

Ringing: nil.