AUGUST RINGING TOTALS

194 birds of 26 species is the observatories lowest ever August ringing total. Linnet numbers were pathetic for the second month running. On the plus side 14 new Blackbird in August is very good, especially when one considers how few youngsters were reared this year on site in previous months. Yet another good return for Grey Wagtail plus the first Greenfinch ringed this year is worth highlighting.

Saturday 31st August 2024

 Strengthening ENE brought few rewards. Offshore southbound 47 Teal, 26 Cormorant, 5 Sandwich Tern, 2 Gannet, 2 Swallow, Common Gull, Heron, Oyk & Sooty Shearwater with northbound 16 Common Scoter, 8 Sandwich Tern, 5 Little Tern, 4 Gannet, 2 Common Tern & Bar-wit were scant rewards considering the number of observers. On land a single Redstart but very little else showed in the wind.

Agriphila latistria characteristically appears at this time of the year.

Ringing: 1 Redstart.

Friday 30th August 2024

Despite slightly promising weather conditions, it was another quiet morning. 7 little terns off shore and a common sandpiper were classic autumnal records, as was a great spotted woodpecker that briefly visited the Obs. The young female sparrowhawk that has been terrorising the starlings recently turned its attention to the local blackbirds today, and managed to scare up two more juvenile blackbirds we hadn't recorded before. It's been an unusual breeding season for blackbirds here this year. 

First noted here 4 years ago Hoary Footman is now annual. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 2, Robin 1, Whitethroat 1. 

 

Thursday 29th August 2024

A few leftovers from the brief easterly interlude yesterday were a fresh pied flycatcher and new whinchat out on the reserve. 4 grey wagtails visited the observatory and robin numbers are noticeably higher than they have been, with a lot of now red breasted 1st years having been kicked out of their parents territories over the last few weeks. A buzzard was the first we've seen in some time, never a regular species here. 

Brown Argus and small copper butterflies are in abundance currently, having both had a fresh emergence, swarms of small butterflies showing that some insects at least have had a decent year.

The second site record of Pale Eggar which is a much declined species in Suffolk, now on the red list as "vulnerable". 

Birds Ringed: Grey Wagtail 3, House Sparrow 1, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Robin 3, Willow Warbler 2.
 

Wednesday 28th August 2024

 

Sticky hot morning pleasingly produced a few movers & shakers with southbound 123 Swallow, 76 Teal, 46 Cormorant, 13 Oyk, 10 Sand Martin, 6 Curlew, 6 Shoveler, 6 Swift, 2 House Martin, Barwit & Kittiwake. A few new arrivals on site included several dispersing juv Robin, 5 Lesser 'throat, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, Pied Fly & the first Spot Fly of the autumn. A Great Spot paid a visit & a Sanderling was on the beach.

First Blood-vein noted this year with the flight period coming to an end is just another example of a species putting on a poor showing this year.

Ringing: 3 Robin, 1 Great Tit, 1 Pied Flycatcher.

Tuesday 27th August 2024

A few more migrants around this morning, including another whinchat on the Icky Ridge. Several blackcap and willow warbler were around the Obs, whilst the whitethroats and lesser whitethroats were mostly out on the reserve. The rarest bird of the day, bizarrely and a sad sign of the times, was a juvenile female greenfinch. The first we've ringed this year, though they've been present in low double figures up until a few days ago. 

Only a few Citron Plume have been noted so far this year. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Blackcap 3, Great Tit 1, Greenfinch 1, Robin 1, Willow Warbler 8. 

 

Monday 26th August 2024

Gatekeeper, much the worse for wear

A quiet morning but with a sprinkling of new birds. A couple of willow warblers were new in, as was a control reed warbler, though this bird was British ringed and possibly from not too far away. Out to sea 2 golden and a grey plover flew south, along with 7 shelduck. A redshank flew out of the river and a fulmar was the first we've seen in weeks. A handful of hirundines went south, 8 sand martin and 7 swallows. 

Straw Underwing have been few and far between in the traps this autumn.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Grey Wagtail 1, Willow Warbler 2. 

 

Sunday 25th August 2024

 After a couple of days of gales followed by a deluge yesterday several migrants realised it's time to get going with todays haul including minimum counts of 20 Willow Warbler, 15 Lesser 'throat, 8 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, Hobby & Yellow Wag. Offshore still poor with 10 Oyk south the highlight. If any of you are wondering what's happened to the Wheatears this autumn then so are we. Although declining bird populations are the norm since the mid-1990's onwards lets hope that some of the northern populations of Wheatears have not fared as poorly as their southern cousins and numbers pick up over the next few weeks.

Eucosma tripoliana is a saltmarsh species that occasionally wanders down here to give us a visit at this time of the year - which is just as well as this morning's haul of moths was poor.

Ringing: 9 Willow Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 1 Blackbird, 1 Grey Wagtail.