Wednesday 16th April 2014

Visible migration was the order of the day today as very little was noted on site except for 3 Wheatear. 4 Swallow and a Skylark flew south, whilst offshore 33 Curlew went north along with a group of 4 Commic Terns, whilst south there was 5 Gannets, 2 Mediterranean Gulls both adults,2 Brent Geese and a movement of Gulls that included 78 Black-Headed and 5 Common Gulls.

The highlight on the insect front was a splendid male Orange-Tip, a Butterfly that is sadly rarely seen these days at Landguard.

Only 3 birds were ringed today, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Linnet.

Tuesday 15th April 2014

Another clear night with light westerlies. Spring seems to have stopped here with the only migrants being 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Wheatear and 3 Swallow that headed south. Offshore the only movement involved 40 Common Scoter heading south.

Ringing; 2 Chiffchaff & a Linnet.

Monday 14th April 2014

A stiff westerly wind today. After the clear night most migrants had departed with the only ones still present being single Lesser Whitethroat & Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and 7 Wheatear. Other birds noted today were a Snipe near the Butts and 8 Swallow and a Yellow Wagtail heading south. Offshore southerly movement included 190 Black-headed Gulls and 27 Barnacle Geese, whilst 47 Common Scoter & 60 Brent Geese passed north.

Sunday 13th April 2014

Despite the overnight cloud cover there was not a great deal around on site except a few Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and the odd Willow Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat. Whilst overhead a Marsh Harrier drifted south along with Siskin, Rook and Yellow Wagtail, and a White Wagtail went north.
Offshore was a bit more interesting with the star bird being a Great White Egret that flew south high over the Harbour mouth into Essex. Also nearly 300 Black-Headed Gulls south along with a smaller number of Common Gulls, plus 2 Whimbrel also south and 4 Curlew north.
The first Grass Snake of the year emerged from the vegetation by the top pond.

Birds ringed today was a mere 10,half of which were Blackcaps along with 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler a Blackbird and a Linnet.

Saturday 12th April 2014

Migrants continue to trickle through the site the highlights being 5 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff, 10 Swallow (9 south, 1 north), 4 Wheatear and single Marsh Harrier (north), Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Black Redstart, Sand Martin (south) & Tree Pipit (south). Offshore a Common Tern headed south before turning up river and a Whimbrel headed south were new for the year, other birds of note were 2 Shoveler & 7 Curlew south and 8 Curlew and a Pintail north.

14 Birds ringed; 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and single Dunnock, Linnet, Woodpigeon, Robin, Willow Warbler & Black Redstart.

Friday 11th April 2014

A warm but overcast morning with a north-west breeze. A nice selection of migrants today with 5 Willow Warbler, 6 Blackcap, 20 Chiffchaff, 6 Swallow (3 north, 3 south), 7 Wheatear, and single Common Redpoll, Brambling, Lesser Whitethroat (our earliest by 2 days) & Yellow Wagtail (south) seen. The second Nut-tree Tussock was the highlight of the moths in the traps this morning.

21 Birds Ringed; 11 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Robin, 2 Blackcap, and single Common Redpoll, Lesser Whitethroat & Wheatear. A control Chiffchaff was also caught.

Thursday 10th April 2014

A pleasant selection of early April migrants this morning including 15 Willows, 15 Chiffs, 10 Blackcap, 3 Wheatear, 2 Swallow, White Wag, Skylark, continental Songie & Redwing. Offshore 130 Black-heads & a Med went south but next to nothing else out to sea apart from a couple of Porpoise off the point. A Speckled Wood was the first of the spring amongst an expected selection of butterflies. In the moth traps a Shoulder Stripe is good for us.

27 birds ringed: 11 chiffchaff, 6 blackcap, 5 willow warbler, 2 great tit, 1 song thrush, 1 wren, 1 linnet.