Saturday 19th October 2024

A wet morning, with a reasonable southerly wind meant movement was in trickles rather than waves, though the latter is rare these days anyway. 3 siskin flew west, 3 skylark flew south with 2 snipe, 14 dunlin and 17 meadow pipit. Out to sea it was mostly a duck movement, with 33 wigeon, 28 teal, a shelduck, a goldeneye and 7 common scoter all flying south. Still one firecrest present behind the kitchen and a few thrushes still on site, including 2 redwing. The only warblers recorded today were the ones who broadcast their presence, 3 Cetti's warblers.

Aganopteryx arenella can appear at any time as it hibernates in the buildings. 

Birds Ringed: Great Tit 1. 
 

Friday 18th October 2024

Clear skies overnight led to a quieter morning for birds. A lot of the thrushes had moved through, though there were still a few song thrush and blackbird about the observatory compound and a handful of redwing. A couple of firecrests were behind the kitchen, though like a few of the song thrushes, they were holdovers from the last few days. A female blackcap was a bit of a surprise, as they really seem to have petered out this autumn. She was very fat, so quite possibly not staying long. 

A jay did a circuit of the point and a pair of great spotted woodpeckers flew down and then back to felixstowe as is often their wont. An Egyptian goose was a little more unusual, heading south out at sea.  A few more butterflies were on the wing as the sun warmed the reserve up nicely after a chilly few days, with red admiral, large white, peacock, common blue, small copper and small white all popping up seemingly out of nowhere as they do. 

The first Large Wainscot of the autumn finally appeared this morning.

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 3, Grey Wagtail 1, Song Thrush 3, Wren 4. 

Thursday 17th October 2024

Much calmer weather today saw a lot more movement, and the return of some species we haven't seen for a while. 3 black redstarts were the first of these, flying together past the observatory. It's been a poor year for this species here in general, and autumn in particular, so it's nice to see them. 2 merlin were a notable highlight of the day, with one sitting on the beach eating an unforunate passerine, possibly a skylark. 7 Cetti's warblers were noted around the reserve, which is a significant leap from the 2-3 usually recorded, though hardly any wind and reasonable conditions make it a little easier for recording. 774 goldfinch flew south, our best number of the autumn so far, along with 40 skylark, 2 woodlark, 16 chaffinch and 39 meadow pipits.

Out to sea 97 brent geese flew south along with  a single goldeneye, 2 red-breasted mergansers, 105 wigeon, 94 cormorant and a great crested grebe. 

Thrushes were still some of the most active of migrants, with 24 redwing, 18 song thrush and 20 blackbird present just around the observatory. 

First Dark Chestnut of the autumn which is a species that flies all winter. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 5, Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 2, Firecrest 1, Great Tit 1, Robin 5, Song Thrush 4, Woodpigeon 1, Wren 2. 

 

Wednesday 16th October 2024

South-easterlies delivered a few migrants including 23 Song Thrush, 10 Redwing, 8 Chaffinch, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Firecrest, the first Black Redstart & Woodcock of the autumn plus a handful of new Blackies & Robins. Southbound 67 Goldfinch, 47 Mipit, 21 Chaffinch, 8 Swallow, 4 Skylark, 2 Rook & Woodlark. Offshore southbound 434 Brent, 54 Black-headed Gull, 13 Shelduck, 13 Wigeon, 10 Teal & 2 Greylags.

The Gem is a classic autumnal migrant in small numbers with five this morning probably a day record catch.

Ringing: 8 Robin, 4 Redwing, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrush, 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Wren.

Tuesday 15th October 2024

With a strong south easerly and cloudy, though dry conditions, we finally had a typical October morning here. 108 redwing, 25 song thrush and 15 blackbird swirled above the obs and the peninsula, along with a scattering of chaffinch, 2 brambling and 45 goldfinch. Some of the thrushes moved off through the morning, though many stayed throughout the day, feeding in the observatory compound. The bramblings and chaffinches also seemed to be exhausted and fed behind the observatory kitchen most of the day. A new firecrest and a couple of goldcrest were new in, as were two chiffchaffs. A yellow-browed warbler called briefly mid morning, for one observer, but despite much searching it wasn't relocated. 

Out to sea a sooty shearwater and an arctic skua headed north, whilst a pink-footed goose flying south with a brent goose flock was an unusual sight here. 4 goosander flew over the observatory upriver, and 36 wigeon and 14 teal joined 318 Brent geese heading south. 

Birds Ringed: Chiffchaff 1, Dunnock 1, Firecrest 1, Goldcrest 2, Goldfinch 1,  Robin 5, Song Thrush 3.

Monday 14th October 2024

A wet and blustery morning was predictably quiet for migrants, both insect and bird. A few duck flew south, 21 teal and 2 wigeon, along with 18 Brent geese, with 8 common scoter heading north. On the reserve a turnstone was still on the jetty, 2 Cetti's warblers were still singing around the observatory and singles of firecrest and goldcrest were in the compound also. 2 red-throated divers headed south, with another 2 sitting on the sea, and singles of gannet went both north and south. 

Rusty-dot Pearl is a migrant whose numbers vary hugely year to year. 

Birds Ringed: Nil. 

Sunday 13th October 2024

Hard work with disapointingly few migrants for mid-October. On site migrants included 2 Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting & Rock Pipit plus a visit from a Jay. Southbound 30 Goldfinch, 18 Mipit, 12 Skylark, 9 Chaffinch, 7 Swallow, 3 Grey Wag & a House Martin. Offshore southbound 4 Common Scoter, 3 Wigeon, 2 Red-throated Diver, 2 Shelduck, Brent & Curlew with northbound 3 Gannet. 2 Purps on the point early morning moved off north, presumably, to groynes along the Felixstowe seafront. 

Moth numbers & variety have plummeted in recent nights.

Ringing: 1 Wren.