Tuesday 8th September 2026

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) chasing each other in the late evening sunshine.   

A wet morning, continuing to late evening before clearing up. The rain set in from around 5am with sightings from the observatory peaking on an Arctic Skua chasing Sandwich Terns offshore and 2 Grey-headed Yellow Wagtails feeding on the nature reserve, 1 Wheatear also observed within the conservation cordons. Hirundine migration hit hard with only 5 Swallow South. 

Seawatching produced: South: 28 Teal, 14 Greater Black-backed Gulls, 9 Common Tern, 7 Sandwich Tern, 3 Cormorant, 3 Shelduck, 3 Shoveler, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and a Grey Plover. Feeding offshore: 7 Sandwich Tern and an Arctic Skua. 

Moth trapping: 37 species between our 3 traps last night. Moth of the morning, the Scarce Bordered Straw is an immigrant species that turns up in variable numbers one year to the next.

 Scarce Bordered Straw (Helicoverpa armigera).

Bird ringing: na 

Monday 7th September 2026

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) seen on the left, Dunlin (Calidris alpina) on the right. 

A warm and bright morning with most notable migration coming in the form of Hirundines: some 821 Swallows, 22 House Martin and 6 Sand Martin. Over the compound 6 Grey Wagtail and a Chiffchaff singing in front of the observatory. 2 Wheatear out on the nature reserve, a Tree Sparrow out on the Butts and along the beach early morning: a Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover and 2 Sanderling.  

Seawatching produced: South: 53 Cormorant, 6 Teal, 3 Oystercatcher, 3 Wigeon, 2 Shelduck.  North: 14 Sandwich Tern. Towards the port: an Oystercatcher. Feeding offshore: 3 Sandwich Tern, a Common Tern, a Great Black-backed Gull.

Moth trapping: 57 moth species between our 3 traps. Moth of the morning, Small Brindled Tortrix is a nationally scarce species on poplars still appearing this late in its flight period.  

Small Brindled Tortrix (Gypsonoma minutana) 

Bird ringing: 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Robin, 1 Whitethroat.

Sunday 6th September 2026

 

Hard work. Southbound 28 Swallow, 7 Shelduck, 7 Wigeon, 5 Oyk & Teal plus a Gannet north. On site more birds appeared to have left us than arrived with meagre offerings including 5 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser 'throat & 2 Wheatear. Good to see a couple of juvenile Common Tern with adults off the point. Yet another Great Spot turned up - they must have had a bumper breeding season judging by the newbies turning up.

Good to get a Clifden Nonpareil which have been turning up in recent years. The one's here are possibly primary immigrants as opposed to the recent colonists.

Ringing: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Willow Warbler.