Friday 28th June 2024

 

The puddle at the entrance to the old aggregate yard, that has been present all year, is drying up fast.

Southbound 27 Swift, 17 Curlew, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Black-headed Gull, 2 Sand Martin & Grey Plover. First juvenile Black-headed Gull of the year was following its parent so had obviously been bred not to far away. Black-tailed Godwits are common on the river systems behind us but are very infrequent at Landguard with a bias to mid-summer records which are, presumably, failed breeders returning south from Iceland.

Maple Prominent only rarely adorns us with its presence and is not noted every year.

Thursday 27th June 2024

 

Four Starling boxes were fitted to the new cottage extension. Two are occupied by Starling with a pair of House Sparrow using another. Starlings synchronize the emergence of their young, which happened in the last week of May. The pairs at the cottage were late on parade probably due to the fact that the boxes were "brand new" plus the builders were still on site but the young are now going to come out imminently.

On the move southbound 33 Black-headed Gull, 18 Swift, 7 Curlew, 2 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, Common Gull & a Shelduck.

The "ermines" are hard to confidently identify although Bird-cherry Ermine is one of the easier ones.

Ringing: 1 Goldfinch, 1 House Sparrow.
   

Wednesday 26th June 2024

 

Teneral Ruddy Darter at Butts pond.

Migrants - Wot migrants ? Todays offerings, on a hot late June day,  were those that live here plus another dispersing Coal Tit. Early morning Stock Doves have become a regular feature who depart inland once their crops are full. They did attempt to nest in the Mine Station last century so here's hoping they might find it to their liking again.

Etainia decentella is a tiny tot that lives on Sycamore was noted here for the first time last year and obviously finds are few Sycamore's to its liking.

Ringing: 3 Great Tit, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Wren. 

Tuesday 25th June 2024

More young birds today, including the ones we've been expecting since last autumn, the first two Cetti's warbler fledglings ever recorded at Landguard, also the only Cetti's warblers of any kind recorded in June. After last autumns influx of 13, and at least 3 singing males and 2 females present this year, it was more a case of  'when will we see?' than a 'will we see?' a breeding attempt. More young dunnocks are cropping up every morning it seems along with a few advanced whitethroat juveniles, presumably the ones observed at the Butt's pond a few weeks ago. 2 sand martin south were also notable and the starling flock is on again building up with 120 on the reserve this morning.

First noted here in 2004 and annual since 2017, Langmaid's Yellow Underwing has colonised. 

Birds Ringed: Cetti's Warbler 2, Chiffchaff 2, Dunnock 2, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Whitethroat 1. 

Monday 24th June 2024

Very warm today, with only a light breeze from the south tickling the trees. 16 more curlews flew south, yet another grey wagtail went over the obs, and a few swifts were feeding over the reserve in the early hours. Aside from this it was a typical summer day, a few baby birds and some regular species starting to sing again after churning out their first brood of youngsters, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat and house sparrow most obviously. 3 coal tits were present in the growing tit flock, visitors from town most likely. 

Failed to get a Lime Hawk-moth last year, but with its food plant not present here, its only the odd wanderers that find us.

Birds Ringed: Coal tit 2, Dunnock 1, Great Tit 1, House Sparrow 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Whitethroat 1.  

 

Sunday 23rd June2024

 

First genuinely warm sunny day of the year. Wouldn't mind betting that these 3 Turnstone are not going to bother migrating to the far north this year. Apart from 2 Swallow heading south it's basically a mixture of locally bred birds plus juvenile dispersal from nearby including Blackcap, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Grey Wagtail.

First Mottled Beauty for six years, after being annual for several years prior to that.

Ringing: 2 Dunnock, 1 Blackcap, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Linnet, 1 Whitethroat.