Saturday 22nd July 2023

 

Linnet seems to have had a half decent breeding season so far.

Southbound 22 Swift, 21 Whimbrel, 12 Curlew, 11 Black-headed Gull, 5 Gadwal, 5 Teal, 3 Barwit, 3 Gannet, 2 Sand Martin, 2 Sandwich Tern & 1 Knot with northbound 20 Common Scoter. Juvenile Black Redstart in the moat.

Knot Grass is just about annually recorded with us.

Ringing: 2 Linnet, 2 Wren, 1 Robin.

Friday 21st July 2023

 

Not often a Redshank lands on site.

Some southbound movement included 148 Black-headed Gull, 25 Swallow, 5 Pied Wag, 4 Sand Martin, 4 Swift, 2 Little Egret, 2 Sandwich Tern, Common Gull, Curlew, Oyk & Sanderling with northbound Gannet & Little Egret. Grounded migrants non-existent.

Humming-bird Hawk-moth on the Buddleia - although not been seeing in any numbers so far this year.

Ringing: 1 Whitethroat.

Thursday 20th July 2023

A quieter day than yesterday, with less avian movment. 3 porpoises were entertainment for the observers however. Dunnock fledglings abounded today, about time too, most species have been late this year but dunnocks more so. More notable after their scarcity this year was a young robin, freshly moulted into its adult plumage. A few waders and gulls passing south and the usual assortment of insect species were on the wing.

Euzophera pinguis lives on ash trees, so only occasionally pays a visit here.

Birds Ringed: Blackcap 1, Dunnock 5, Great Tit 1, Linnet 3, Robin 1.  

Wednesday 19th July 2023

 

One of three young Herring Gulls on the museum roof.

Southbound 406 Black-headed Gull, 16 Gadwal, 11 Med Gull, 9 Common Gull, 9 Curlew, 9 Sand Martin, 8 Golden Plover, 8 Swallow, 7 Oyk, 4 Gannet, 2 Sandwich Tern, Grey Heron, Little Egret & Whimbrel with northbound 17 Swift & 12 Common Scoter. On site a Reed Warbler will be the start of autumn passage for that species. 2 juvenile Black Redstart were again on the Fort roof early morning.

One of two Round-winged Muslin which are the first for six years of this very infrequent visitor on a busy morning in the moth traps.

Ringing: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Dunnock, 1 Linnet, 1 Reed Warbler.

Tuesday 18th July 2023

Finally a calm day saw a host of young birds in the observatory compound, with a large mixed flock of linnet, goldfinch and greenfinch atracting the attention of a large female sparrowhawk, the first we've seen here in weeks. A wandering green woodpecker also paid us a brief visit, and a fledgling black redstart was ringed, confirming at least one successful breeding attempt nearby. 

Southern migrant hawkers have started to appear, with yesterdays male being replaced by one, if not two, females out on the nature reserve. 

Pine Hawkmoth visits us only occassionally, so this fresh individual was a pleasant surprise this morning.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Blackcap 1, Black Redstart 1, Blue Tit 2, Dunnock 1, Goldfinch 5, Greenfinch 2, House Sparrow 1, Linnet 16, Whitethroat 1, Wren 1.

 

Monday 17th July 2023

Its the time of year that young gulls are now on the wing, and we saw several brownish youngsters off the point today, surely to be followed by more as the season continues. More baby birds were present in the compound, with yet more freshly fledged linnets and a few more whitethroats finding their way down here from their nests further up the reserve. 

A porpoise midmorning was not the first we've seen this month, with an adult and calf seen last week. Dragonflies were much in abundance despite the strong wind, and amongst the migrant and southern hawkers there was a male southern hawker showing beautifully on the Icky Ridge.

Only the fifth site record of the natinally scarce Crescent Striped Moth. This one of the form abjecta is different from the morphs we've recorded previously.

Birds Ringed: Herring Gull 3, Linnet 5, Whitethroat 2.

Sunday 16th July 2023

 Still windy. Southbound 51 Swift, 33 Great Black-backed Gull, 22 Black-headed Gull, 16 Whimbrel, 13 Curlew, 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Oyk, Barwit, Common Tern, Great Crested Grebe, Kittiwake, Redshank, Sand Martin & Swallow with northbound 4 Gannet & 2 Common Tern. Several juvenile Med Gulls now turning up are worth a mention.

Platytes alpinella is a nationally scarce species that we do quite well for.

Ringing: 1 Dunnock, 1 Linnet, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Wood Pigeon.