Sunday 12th July 2026

Bright n' breezy. With the wind coming off the North Sea it should be chilly but the sea temperatures are several degrees higher than they should be for the time of the year so it feels more like a sirocco wind. Of note 4 Black-tailed Godwit flying north which is a species we failed to record in 2025 despite them being one of the commoner waders on the estuaries behind us. Also worth a mention southbound 20 Teal & northbound 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Scoter & 2 Gannet. Yet another Great Spotted Woodpecker visited suggesting that they have had a decent breeding season locally. Black Red singing on the Fort early morning with it, or another one, on the reserve later.

Athrips mouffatella has only been recorded here on a handful of previous occasions but, living on Honeysuckle, it has no reason to come here.

Ringing: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Whitethroat.

Saturday 11 July 2026

Starting clear but then turning overcast, giving a nice break from the unrelenting heat for the first day of the countys hose pipe ban. A Juvenile Sedge Warbler ringed 6 days ago here was recaught here today, showing this individual using the site to fatten up. A Greenfinch was seen in the compound and 2 Lesser Whitethroats were heard across the the reserve. 

Seawatching produced 25 Common Scoter, 11 Sandwich Tern, 4 Little Tern, 1 Gannet, 1 Kittiwake and 1 Curlew north. 10 Black-headed Gull and 3 Common Scoter south. 7 Sandwich Tern, 4 Little Tern and a Common Tern feeding on the shorelines. 9 Cormorant flying towards the port and then turned around and heading back out to sea. 

Moth trapping: A quiet morning owing to the strong wind last night. 88 moth species recorded by our 3 moth traps. Pick of the bunch today is the Lamoria zelleri (Sandhill Double-spot), a nationally scarce species on coastal mosses that we have an established population of. 

Lamoria zelleri (Sandhill Double-spot)

Bird ringing: 4 Linnet, 2 Great Tit, 2 House Sparrow, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Starling.  

Friday 10th July

Common Blue (Mythimna straminea).

Warm with a slight SSE breeze. A Black Redstart calling from the fort and an early morning visit from a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. A Lapwing also flew over the reserve first thing. 

Seawatching produced a handful of movements: including 22 Common Scoter, 5 Black-headed Gull, and 2 Sandwich Tern north. South: 4 Oystercatcher and 3 Sandwich Tern. 

Hirundine movement was small with 4 Swift North and 3 South, 2 Swallow North. 

 A mix of insects in flight with Emperor, Southern Hawker and Migrant Hawker dragonflies and butterflies including Brown Argus, Common Blue (pictured above), small white, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Large and Small White, Small Copper and Holly Blue. 

Moth Trapping: 97 species last night caught in our 3 moth traps. Pick of the day is the Southern Wainscot, another species wandering in the heat, from its usual reed bed home. 

Southern Wainscot (Mythimna straminea).

Bird Ringing: 4 House Sparrow, 3 Linnet, 2 Dunnock, 1 Blackbird, 1 Starling. 

Thursday 9th July 2026

 

Jersey Tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria).

Once again warm and sunny with little breeze to start off with. A Peregrine Falcon was calling from near the port and then circled over the observatory. 7 Ringed Plover out on the reserve with our most recently fledged chicks having not been seen for multiple days so likely predated. A Black Redstart appeared in the observatory feeding on spiders, prompting me to keep a few nets open, sure enough it did indeed make a second visit to the ringing room however this time getting a ring!.11 Sandwich Tern were seen feeding near to the beach.     

Seawatching produced 26 Black-headed Gull, 6 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Sand Martin, 3 Curlew and an Oystercatcher, all south. No movement north. 

Moth trapping: 90 species present across our 3 traps last night. Todays pick of the bunch is the Jersey Tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria) - pictured at the top of the page. The moth was first recorded here seven years ago, the moth is now ubiquitous in the Felixstowe area.  

Bird ringing: 3 Linnet,1 Black Redstart, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Woodpigeon. 

Juvenile Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros).

Wednesday 8th July 2026

 Another hot one. Basically baby birds & dispersing juveniles including 3 Song Thrush & Great Spotted Woodpecker. 3 Swallow flew south & the regular Black Red singing on the Fort.

Lots of species wandering in the heat including the nationally scarce Reed Dagger, a species we have less than ten previous records off.

Ringing: 3 Linnet, 3 Song Thrush, 2 House Sparrow, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blue Tit, 1 great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Robin, 1 Wren.

Tuesday 7th July 2026

Warm and sunny, with a W wind. Loads of dragonflies on the wing and some birds!. A Black Redstart calling again from the fort and a Coal Tit again drifting down from Felixstowe as well as a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies and Emperor Dragonfly all on the wing as well as the second wave of Brown Argus butterflies. 

Seawatching produced 10 Black-headed Gull, 6 Mediterranean Gull and a Curlew south. 4 Sandwich Tern and an Oystercatcher North. 2 Common Tern and 2 Shelduck south and towards the port.   

Hirundine movement included 41 Sand Martin and 11 Swallow, all south. 

Moth trapping: 124 species caught last night in our 3 traps. Todays pick of the bunch is this unassuming moth, the Fen Wainscot, noteworthy due to it being a Reedbeds specialist that occasionally blunders down here.  

Fen Wainscot (Arenostola phragmitidis).

Bird ringing: 4 Great Tit, 3 Linnet, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Lesser Whitethroat. 

Monday 6th July 2026

 

Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) seen first thing today around 4am, an irregular visitor to the site with the area being so dry. 

A small amount of cloud first thing, with it then clearing and wind slowly picking up from the NW. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker seen flying around the compound as well as anouther Coal Tit. Black Redstart calling from the fort once again with anouther individual seen out on the reserve. 

Seawatching produced 5 Black-headed Gull, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Curlew and 2 Oystercatcher South. 2 Oystercatcher North only. 

Hirundine movement included 17 Sand Martin, 13 Swallow and 4 Swift south. 

Moth trapping: 107 Species of moth caught in our 3 traps last night. Most of note out of the selection was this Sallow moth, mainly as the moth is recorded as emerging at the end of August, making this one 6 weeks early!. 

Sallow moth (Cirrhia icteritia)

Bird ringing: 4 Linnet, 2 Robin, 1 Blackcap, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Dunnock, 1 Great Tit, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Wren.   

Sunday 5th July 2026

 

Gatekeeper's are now out.

On the move 4 Shelduck flying directly out early doors are probably heading for Waddenzee to moult. Southbound 5 Sand Martin, 3 Swallow, Curlew & Oyk. A juvenile Little Egret came straight in off & inland. Juvenile Sedge Warbler was the first of the autumn, a tad earlier than expected but with the climate changing birds habits are changing. A couple of juvenile Song Thrush in recent days will have been reared fairly locally. Black Red still singing. 4 young Ringo's chicks on the beach that were a week old now look like its down to one. The big chick has not been seen since Thursday at 36 days old so will have fledged to pastures new.

Second site record of  Dark Umber with the first only two years ago. It is a species known to wander in warm conditions.

Ringing: 6 Linnet, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Song Thrush.

Saturday 4th July 2026

Whitethroat (Curruca communis). 

A Sunny morning with winds increasing from the west. Quite within the compound. Starlings are starting to build up in numbers with around 250 seen out on the nature reserve and our Ringed Plover chicks are still running around the beach area. The Black Redstart remains calling from the fort. 

Seawatching produced: 5 Black-headed Gull, 3 Dunlin, 3 Mediterranean Gull and a Curlew southbound. A Sandwich Tern north. 

Hirundine movement included 25 Sand Martian, 12 Swift and a Swallow all south. 

Moth trapping: 86 Moth species recorded between our 3 traps this morning. Todays pick of the bunch is the Digitivalva pulicariae (pictured below), this moth is a rare species in Suffolk with two previous records here. The larva mine into common fleaban and form inflated brown/whitish blotches - UK Moths.     

Digitivalva pulicariae.

Bird ringing: 3 Linnet, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Whitethroat.  

Friday 3rd July 2026

With the majority of birds ringed today being Linnets (Linaria cannabina) here's a potentially proud father. 

A bright sunny morning, once again quite within the compound with a Chiffchaff singing and the Black Redstart on the fort. A Grey Wagtail briefly flew over and turned around and headed back to Felixstowe. A Reed Warbler was calling from behind the 'Aggregate Yard' near our river entrance onto the site. All 4 of most recently fledged Ringed Plover survive. Dragonflies on the wing include Emperor, Southern Migrant Hawker and Norfolk Hawker. 

Moth Trapping: 88 moth species between our 3 traps last night. Moth of the day is the Dewick's Plusia, this moth is an immigrant that is attempting to colonise Suffolk, with the moths first county record coming from Landguard in 1997. In 2018 there was an explosion of records in Suffolk and then in 2021 confirmed breeding by a Larve case found in Ipswich. The larvae feed on common nettle and yarrow as well as other herbaceous plants including lavender in Suffolk. - Suffolk moths. 

Dewick's Plusia (Macdunnoughia confusa)

Bird Ringing: 3 Linnet, 2 House Sparrow, 1 Blue Tit, 2 Dunnock, 1 Great Tit.     

Thursday 2nd July 2026

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) seen out on the reserve. 

An overcast morning with the wind picking up and cloud clearing by noon. Quite early in the morning within the compound, but a few young birds emerging with our first juvenile Song Thrush being caught in the Heligoland trap and ringed. Out on the reserserve all 4 of our recently fledge chicks survive. Black Restart calling from the fort late morning.   

Seawatching produced south movements: 30 Bar-tailed Godwit, 23 Swift, 14 Black-headed Gull, 10 Sand Martin, 7 Curlew, 6 Common Scoter, 4 Sandwich Tern. 2 Mediterranean Gull and an Oystercatcher north. 

A mix of insects around with our first Migrant Hawker seen at the front of the observatory, notably early in the summer. Common Blue, Small Copper, Comma, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Small White and Painted Lady all out on the wing.    

First Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) of this spring. 

Moth Trapping: 75 moth species across our 3 traps last night. The Gold Triangle is a species that lives on dry vegetable matter, the moth is not annual, appearing roughly two out of every three years at Landguard. 

Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis).

Bird Ringing: 3 Blackcap, 2 Linnet, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Dunnock, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Lesser whitethroat, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Woodpigeon.    

Wednesday 1st July 2026

 

This Ringed Plover youngster is now 5 weeks old, flying, but still being watched over by its parents. Another pair have 4 tiny chicks that were starting to hatch on Saturday so are still very vulnerable.

Migrants include southbound 9 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Swallow, 3 Curlew, 2 Swift & Sand Martin. Mistle Thrush is still here otherwise it's baby bird time with several dispersing juveniles heading off on their own.

First noted in 2004 & annual in small numbers over the last ten years the Coronet has, apparently, shifted its foodplant from Ash to Privet.

Ringing: 2 Blackcap, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Dunnock, 1 Linnet, 1 Pied Wagtail.

June 2026 Ringing Totals

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Blue Tit come out on top this month, with Chiffchaff being knocked down to 5th place - they've held strong from March!. We have to go back to June 2019 with 364 birds to beat this months total of 260 birds ringed, a comparison with these totals and 2023 with 258 birds, reveals a drop in the Linnet abundance with 156 in 2019 and 108 in 2023 respectively. Both years (2019 and 2023) 16 Blue tits were ringed, this year appears to have been good for their young output and therefore contributing to this years increase in birds ringed. It's been a good month ringing here, with interesting highlights including Marsh Tit and Mistle Thrush (shown above) a moulting female, both species infrequently occurring at Landguard. 

We also ringed our first Ringed Plover chick after a spell of no success in the past few years as well as a juvenile Black Redstart - a nice treat showing they have indeed bred locally and maybe our bird singing on the Fort was not in vain!.

Bird Species	Count
Blue Tit	42
Linnet	30
Dunnock	22
Great Tit	22
Chiffchaff	20
Blackcap	17
Goldfinch	12
Whitethroat	12
Coal Tit	11
Cetti's Warbler	10
House sparrow	10
Wren	8
Robin	7
Greater Spotted Woodpecker	5
Reed warbler	5
Woodpigeon	5
Grey Wagtail	4
Black Redstart	3
Blackbird	3
Lesser Whitethroat	3
Sedge Warbler	3
Garden Warbler	1
Marsh Tit	1
Mapie	1
Mistle Thrush	1
Redstart	1
Ringed Plover	1
TOTAL	260

Tuesday 30th June 2026

                                                                     

Blackbird (Turdus merula).

An overcast morning, providing a break from the recent heat. Mostly baby birds within the compound with these accounting for the most part of the ringing totals. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker heard distantly and a Black Redstart calling on the Fort. Our three youngest Ringed Plover chicks survived their first full day out on the reserve, fingers crossed for the coming weeks.  

Seawatching included most passage south with; 107 Black-headed Gull with 1 Juvenile mixed in .... at least one pair has been successful!, 54 Curlew, 19 Oystercatcher, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Cormorant, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Common Tern and a Teal. 1 Sandwich Tern north.    

Moth Trapping: Agate Knot-horn (Nyctegretis lineana) is a red data book species that we have noted on only a handful of previous occasions. The caterpillar larvae feed on Common Restharrow, pupating in a silken tube beneath the host plant. The species is restricted to the east coast of England. - Suffolk Moths. 

Agate Knot-horn (Nyctegretis lineana).

Bird Ringing: 7 Linnet, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Robin, 2 Goldfinch, 2 House Sparrow, 1 Blackcap, 1 Dunnock, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Wren, 1 Whitethroat.  

Monday 29th June 2026

 

Juvenile Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), note the lack of any head markings with black and red seen on adults.  

A sunny morning with a moderate NW wind. We had another 3 Ringed Plover chicks hatch over the weekend. 2 Reed Warblers calling from around the compound. A Black Redstart remains calling from the fort. Essex Skipper present near the car park end of the reserve at Manor Road. A Mistle Thrush was seen down on the reserve and then ringed later on in the morning. 

Seawatching produced 3 Black-headed Gull and a Whimbrel south only. 

Moth Trapping: 77 moth species caught in our 3 traps. Today's moth of the day is the Light Crimson, with the second site record of this underwing today, following on from one in 2025. One of the moth's strongholds is in the New Forest, the caterpillar feeds on Oak and the species is considered as Near Threatened on the IUCN red list. 

Light Crimson underwing (Catocala promissa).

Bird Ringing: 5 Dunnock, 2 Blackcap, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Wren.   

Mistle thrushes have been elusive at Landguard and on the most part are recorded as wandering Juveniles, so today's bird, a moulting adult female was quite a surprise when ringed.  

Sunday 28th June 2026

 

Another tropical night followed by an increasingly windy morning. Southbound 45 Swift, 11 Sand Martin, 10 Curlew, 5 Oyk & Sandwich Tern with northbound 4 Sandwich & a Common Tern. Yet more juvenile Chiffchaff turning up suggesting that productivity at sites nearby has been good this year. 2 Black Redstart were on the Fort & 2 Sanderling on the beach. An adult Cuckoo at the top of the observatory will be departing to Africa.

July Highflyer is infrequent here turning up roughly one year in three from its woodland home.

Ringing: 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 House Sparrow

Saturday 27th June 2026

 

The hot conditions continue. Migrants include Chiffchaff, Reed & Sedge Warbler. Tad early for autumn Sedge Warbler passage to start but with the disrupted weather anything can happen. Offshore southbound 9 Curlew & 2 Sandwich Tern with northbound 8 Little Tern. Black Red singing on the Fort most of the morning.

First site record of Pale Shoulder which is a rare immigrant to our shores.

Very busy moth night in the hot humid conditions. Third site record of Scarce Black Arches which is an immigrant species was the pick of the bunch.

Ringing: 2 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 Linnet, 1 Sedge Warbler.

Friday 26th June 2026

Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Humid from the outset with only a slight breeze and a slight haze to make it slightly colder. However an interesting morning of observations with a Spoonbill flying north over the observatory and a pair Little Tern flying along the river towards the port. 1 Lapwing was present on the reserve.

Seawatching produced 4 Black-headed Gull and 1 Curlew south. 2 Sandwich Tern and a Mediterranean Gull north. 1 Oystercatcher south and then towards the port. 

Moth trapping: 126 Species of moths caught in our 3 traps last night, once again a warm night, less wind. Today's moth of the day is the Poplar Lutestring despite all the poplar trees here, the moth has only occurred on a handful of occasions, as the name suggests the caterpillar feeds on poplar. There are three races of this moth in the UK. 

 

Poplar Lutestring (Tethea or)

Bird Ringing: 3 Blue Tit, 2 Linnet, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Redstart. 

First summer male caught today in our mist nets, this individual had commenced its post breeding moult, which is unexpected at this location, suggesting could have bred/attempted to breed in the local area and the bird might possibly hang around the area with a reduced flight capability for the duration or part of its moult. Our first autumn record is the 3rd July onwards. Very few pairs nest in Suffolk with the closest confirmed breeding areas being in the heathland around Woodbridge ministry of defence. 

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Thursday 25th June 2026

Linnet (Linaria cannabina) a male individual we have ringed. We are one of only 2 sites in the UK to have an active RAS (retrapping adults survival i.e. monitoring adult survival) in the UK due to our good population size.

A sunny but windy morning, with very few passage birds within the compound or out to sea, with 5 Swift overhead early morning and a group of young Chiffchaff that could have moved down into the area from towards Felixstowe town. 

Seawatching: 3 Black-headed gulls were seen flying north and an Oystercatcher south then towards the port. 

Moth trapping: 126 species recorded last night between the three traps, despite strong winds in the morning. Pick of the bunch is a small micro, but our first site record, the Thistle Straw (Aethes cnicana). This moth's caterpillar feeds on, as the name suggests, Thistle or plume thistles (Cirsium) to be precise. There are a few of these plants at this location so good chance it might be staying. 

First site record of the Thistle Straw (Aethes cnicana).

Bird ringing: 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 Whitethroat.  

Ringing Recoveries

Blue Tit ringed Trimley Marshes 11th October 2025 obviously bred somewhere near LBO as it turned up here as a family party with its partner & offspring on 19th June 2026.

Chiffchaff ringed Viewswood, East Sussex on 8th April 2023 was recaught 135 km away at LBO on 22nd June 2026. This would have been on spring passage in Sussex three years ago, but difficult to know why it was here at this time of the year unless it has attempted breeding somewhere in this part of the country.

Wednesday 24th June 2026

 

Seem to be getting a turnover of individual Sanderling at the moment as autumn passage is underway. Otherwise visiting juveniles dispersing in search of pastures new included 2 Coal Tit, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker & Grey Wagtail. Black Red was singing by the museum & the first Sand Martin of the autumn went south.

Second site record of Goat Moth following on from the first one last year.

Ringing: 2 Blue Tit. 2 Coal Tit, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Linnet, 1 Wren.

Tuesday 23rd June 2026

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), 8 Adults present on the site today and this one chick (shown above) that is now certainly looking adult like, really promising to see this individual get to this stage. 

Starting the day with sporadic showers, then clearing to give a bright sunny morning. 3 Sandwich Tern over east and a Sanderling out on the beach on the reserve. 2 Mediterranean gulls flying around the river mouth. 4 Sanderling on the beach in the evening. 

Seawatching produced 8 Teals south. 3 Common Scoter north. An Oystercatcher south and then flying up the river. 

Moth trapping: 126 species across our 3 traps, a slight increase of recent daily counts, owing to a cloudy night keeping temperatures high.

 Today's moth of the day is the Varied Coronet, a fairly recently colonizing species, since the 1940s, it is classified in the recent Atlas of macro moths in Britain as common, however we haven't seen it in 10 years!, they occur in calcareous grassland and gardens and feed on Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) and Bladder Campion. We are likely seeing dispersal of these more unusual species due to the current good weather for moths on the wing looking for new habitats. 

Varied Coronet  (Hadena compta) - Our first one in 10 years

Bird Ringing: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 House Sparrow. 

Monday 22nd June 2026

 

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

A bright and breezy morning with a small number of passage birds within the compound including 2 new Chiffchaff and a Blackcap. Out on the reserve we have our 4 pairs of Ringed Plover with a chick now almost adult sized.

Moth trapping: 92 Species across our 3 Traps. Moth of the day is the Scarce Silver-lines, a first for Landugard, an immaculate looking moth that flies from June to August. Caterpillars feed on Oak and Silver birch - species not present in large numbers at Landguard!. 

Scarce Silver-lines (Bena bicolorana)

 

Bird Ringing: 2 Blue Tit, 2 Dunnock, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Linnet, 1 Robin. 

Sunday 21st June 2026

 

Summer solstice at 0924 hrs this morning after which its all downhill - it's being so cheerful that keeps us going. Maybe we need to tap into the Opium Poppies on the reserve !

Very few sightings of Black Redstart recently so 2 together this morning was a bit unexpected as they were both first-summer plumaged males that were having an altercation & are breeding in the adjoining dock area. One a fairly standard "paradoxus" morph with the other a "carii" morph that looked "female-ish" but was a far bigger bird than the other one, with no signs of a brood patch, so must be a male. Males take no part in incubation in this species. Otherwise it's dispersing baby birds including single Great Spotted Woodpecker & Grey Wag.

Moth traps hectic. Celypha rosaceana is today's chosen one as it likes it here down here by the seaside.

Ringing: 2 Black Redstart, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Tit, 1 Robin, 1 Wood Pigeon, 1 Wren.

Ringing Recoveries

Chiffchaff ringed LBO 2nd April 2026 retraped Deer Park Croft, nr. Avoch, Highland, Scotland 719 km away on 17th April 2026 will be on spring passage at LBO & possibly on the Black Isle also or near its potential nesting area ?

Blackbird ringed LBO 4th November 2017 with the ring only found with a metal detector 42 km away 11th September 2025 at Heveningham, Suffolk so circumstances of its demise unknown.

Saturday 20th June 2026

 

Baby bird time of the year with dispersing youngsters visiting on their juvenile wanderings. Chiffchaff have never bred here but do so as close as Langer Park. Other youngsters visiting included 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker & a Grey Wag. Going past southbound 4 Curlew & an Oyk in limited observation time. 3 Sanderling were on the beach at high tide pm.

First site record of Portland Ribbon Wave. which is a species first noted in Suffolk only a couple of years ago & may well be contemplating colonisation.

Busy moth traps with several species originating in coniferous woodland turning up that we don't get down here very often including the first Rhyacionia buoliana for nine years & only the third this century.

Ringing: 3 Blue Tit, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Great Tit, 2 Wren, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Dunnock.

Friday 19th June 2026

Carrion Crow with chick, right, (Corvus corone) almost as big as the adult. 

A clear day, with little wind, a mix of species present with a Greater Spotted Woodpecker once again visiting.. and fully exploring the reserve right to point on the sea brake!. 1 Reed Warbler also out on the reserve. Essex Skipper have now been seen yesterday afternoon and this morning near the manor road car park. 

Seawatching produced 2 Curlew south, 1 Cormorant west. 

Moth trapping: 104 Species across our 3 traps. Pick of the moths is the Lilac Beauty, formerly an infrequent visitor, it has now more recently become annual, occurring in small numbers. The adult folds its upper wing tips in an interesting way to mimic a leaf (shown in the picture - not seen in many moth species. The caterpillar feeds on honeysuckle (Lonicera) and privet (Ligustrum).  

Lilac Beauty (Apeira syringaria)

Bird Ringing: 7 Blue Tit, 2 House Sparrow, 1 Linnet, 1 Whitethroat.   

Thursday 18th June 2026

Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), all juveniles, with one of individuals we ringed in the cottage box, seen in the middle of the group, coping well with independent living. 

Starting clear but then clouding over and then breaking late morning again, quite humid and not too much wind. 66 Swift south over the reserve early in the morning with a Swallow and House Martin also heading south. Inside the compound a Greater Spotted Woodpecker was seen and heard flying around as well as two Coal Tit. A male Black redstart was once again calling from the fort.

Seawatching produced: 22 Black- headed gull and 11 Curlew, 4 Sandwich Tern, 2 Common Tern, all south.  

Moth trapping: 107 Species across our moth traps, owing to the calm and warm night. Today's moth of the day is the Pine Hawk-moth - an occasional visitor to our site considering it lives less than 1km away as the crow flies at the Customs House on pine trees, adults feed on Honeysuckle.      

Pine Hawk moth (Sphinx pinastri)

Bird ringing: 4 Blue Tit, 2 Blackcap, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Linnet, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Robin.