Saturday 27th August 2022

A small scattering of migrants today, with the highlights being a pied flycatcher, a whinchat and 7 wheatears. Starling numbers have built up again, to at least 500 once more, which the sparrowhawks passing through enjoy, as several plucking posts have been found and the starling flocks are often seen evading aerial predators. 

 Tawny Wave is a nationally scarce species largely confined to the Brecks and along the Suffolk Coast.

Birds Ringed: Goldfinch 1, Pied Flycatcher 1, Robin 1, Willow Warbler 2

Friday 26th August 2022

Small Copper butterflies are undergoing an emergence currently

Quite a few commoner migrants around today, for a short while at least, plenty of willow warblers and a couple of blackcaps in the compound, quite an increase in robins and a not-quite-so-local young blackbird. Much less activity on the sea today, though similar amounts of common and sandwich terns as in last few days. 

Dusky Thorn only turned up at Landguard for the first time in 2020.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Blackcap 2, Robin 2, Willow Warbler 2

 

Thursday 25th August 2022

Despite the advertised 'heavy rain' we had only a morning of unsettled skies and a brief steady shower. Plenty of birds were on the move, but some were also still hanging around, a pied flycatcher up at the 'Icky' ridge and one of two reed warblers were considered to be birds from previous days. Another reed warbler was seen to be ringed, but not by the Observatory here. 

An avocet flew south after the rain ceased, 3 yellow wagtails and 1/2 grey wagtails passed over the Obs and a juvenile peregrine was seen well out to sea moving south.

The Delicate is an immigrant whose numbers vary greatly from one year to the next.

Birds Ringed: 0

Wednesday 24th August 2022

Very warm start to the morning. Heading south 50 Swallow, 35 Teal, 24 Sand Martin, 11 Redshank, 9 Cormorant, 7 Dunlin, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Golden Plover, 3 House Martin, 3 Oyk, Gannet, Grey Plover, Heron & Whimbrel. Early on 200 Common Tern, 50 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Tern & several hundred gulls were feeding before slowly dispersing. On site migrants included 10 Willow Warbler, 5 Lesser ' throat, 5 Wheatear & 2 Whitethroat.

One of the tiny tots turning up in the moth traps at the moment is Aproaerema anthyllidella that has recently been given the English vernacular name Vetch Sober which is much easier to spell. It will be living on the Restharrow here. Learning a set of additional "common" terms is a nightmare for those of us brought up on scientific ones as it doubles the number of names one needs to learn & try to remember.

Ringing: 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat.

Tuesday 23rd August 2022

A rainy start brought some birds in today. A few passerine migrants around the reserve, 3 whinchat, 2 pied flycatcher and a scattering of the commoner warblers. The passage at sea was more impressive with the 5 commonest species of tern present, with 3 black tern being the highlight, an arctic skua heading south, and decent numbers of waders and teal passing through as well. 25 ringed plovers at the point were a reminder that the breeding season for the species is all but over, with our pairs failing to even hatch any chicks this year. These were joined by dunlin, sanderling, whimbrel, oystercatcher, grey and golden plover. 

Another male sparrowhawk was ringed, along with another pied flycatcher. 

 Mouse Moth used to be common but is now listed as 'vulnerable' on the red list of threatened species.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Lesser Whitethroat 3, Pied Flycatcher 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Willow Warbler 3

Monday 22nd August 2022

A quieter day after the weekend, with 4 wheatears really being the highlight. Another fledgling woodpigeon was ringed, and it won't be the last with the species starting to hit its breeding stride. A new juvenile great tit was a little more unusual, but is surely just a late dispersing bird from further north. 

Eucosma tripoliana is a saltmarsh species that wanders down here at this time of year.

Birds Ringed: Great Tit 1, Woodpigeon 1, Wren 1

Sunday 21st August 2022

Very pleasant quiet morning with the adjoining Port of Felixstowe workers on strike reminding one of the peaceful ambience of a Christmas Day. Unfortunately the birds didn't respond to the uncharacteristic peace and quiet with less migrants present than yesterday including 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Wheatear & Whitethroat. Flying south 12 Swallow, 8 Oyk, 6 Common Tern, 5 Whimbrel, 4 Shelduck, 3 Golden Plover, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, Meadow Pipit & Teal.

Small Mottled Willow is one of those migrant species that occurs sporadically roughly one year in three - is this one going to be a harbinger of a good autumn for their kind ?

Ringing: 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Linnet.