LANDGUARD - 15th November

 A promising looking morning, heavily overcast with a feather-light NE breeze but despite a handful of Thrushes at dawn and a new Black Redstart in the nets there was little fresh in to get excited about; on the land birds comprised a Blackcap, the aforementioned Black Redstart, 9 Snow Buntings still, 40+ Blackbirds, a Brambling, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Turnstone on the jetty, 2 Redpolls, 3 Rock Pipits and 2 Woodcock.   

A few bits offshore included a Goosander south, a Great-northern Diver on the sea, 91 Brent Geese, 21 Common Scoter, 6 Dunlin, 8 Eider, 10 Gannets, a Guillemot, 11 Lapwings, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 9 Red-throated Divers, 50 Shelduck south, 6 Teal and 44 Wigeon.

Black Redstart

Woodcock

LANDGUARD - 12th November

 A stiff SW breeze gave a very different feel to the day than of late with most of the interest coming from the little selection of birds offshore which comprised 4 Brent Geese, 29 Common Scoter, 9 Gannets, a Golden Plover, 7 Guillemots, 2 Razorbills, a Kittiwake, 9 Knot, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Red-throated Divers, 3 Turnstone, 4 Wigeon and 790 Starlings in off.   

On the land birds of note included 9 Snow Buntings still, 2 Bramblings, 12 Goldfinches, 20+ Redwing, a Rock Pipit and a Woodcock.

All the colours of a Woodpigeon

LANDGUARD - 9th November

 Calm again first thing but a bit mizzly, it soon brightened up though to produce another pleasant day; birds on the land comprised a few Thrushes first thing, a Blackcap (a smart Danish control, ringed two weeks earlier), 5 Brambling, 7 Chaffinches, 39 Goldfinches, 19 Linnets, 14 Meadow Pipits, 2 Redpolls, 3 Rock Pipits, 54 Siskins, 6 Skylark, 6 Snow Buntings, another late Swallow south and a Short-eared Owl which came in off the sea mid-morning.   

The sea produced a Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Brent Geese, 97 Common Scoter, 4 Gannets, a Great-crested Grebe, a Red-breasted Merganser, 13 Red-throated Divers, a Razorbill and 21 Shelduck.

The Danish ringed Blackcap

LANDGUARD - 5th November

 Despite constant Redwing calls before first light, there were far fewer grounded birds than yesterday due to the clear skies and light winds; totals on / over the land included 71 Woodpigeons, a Stock Dove, 20 Redwings, 50 Blackbirds, 18 Bramblings, 3 Fieldfares, 250 Starlings, 3+ Woodcock, 13 Skylarks, 7 Chaffinches, 8 Lapwing, 5 Song Thrush, 48 Siskins and the 4 Snow Buntings.   

Over the sea birds of note comprised 39 Brent Geese, 5 Greylag Geese, 5 Eiders, 4 Red-throated Divers, 4 Shelduck, a Heron, 35 Common Scoter, 6 Gannets, 17 Teal and a Wigeon.

OGC's

LANDGUARD - 4th November

 Despite the brisk, cold NW wind and largely clear conditions there was a lot more life through the morning than of late with a variety of Thrushes whizzing round at first light; totals comprised 110+ Blackbirds, 40 Redwings, 7 Song Thrushes, a Mistle Thrush, 78 Fieldfare, 360 Starlings in, 7 Bramblings, 6 Chaffinches, a Siskin, 11 Skylarks, a Snipe, 4 Snow Buntings (a Landguard tick!) and 2 Woodcock.   

It was quiet offshore with 23 Brent Geese, 4 Common Scoter, 5 Dunlin, 9 Gannets, a Guillemot, a Red-throated Diver, a Shelduck, a Teal and 10 Wigeon.

Brambling

Blackbird

LANDGUARD - 2nd November

 Beautifully calm and lovely and sunny; a little selection of birds passed overhead through the morning including a Brambling, 57 Chaffinches, 82 Goldfinches, 7 Greenfinches, 16 Linnets, 7 Meadow Pipits, 3 Redpoll, a Rock Pipit, 49 Siskin, a Swallow, 10 Skylark, 6 Stock Doves, 702 Woodpigeons, a Woodlark and 2 Yellowhammers.   

On the land the few birds comprised 2 Chiffchaffs, a Jay and the Ring Ouzel still.   

Totals at Melton (low tide) in the afternoon included 120 Wigeon, 135 Teal, 5 Avocets, 6 Grey Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Greenshank but the highlight were 2 Ravens which flew high downstream at 14:10 – my first in Suffolk!

Jay

Starling

Curlew

LANDGUARD - 26th October

 After a little unexpected band of drizzle at first light, it was another fine, calm, largely bright morning and another very autumn day; birds of note comprised 2 Brambling, 24 Chaffinches, 130 Goldfinches, the Cetti’s Warbler from three days ago re-trapped, a Grey Wagtail, a Guillemot, 30 Linnets, 14 Meadow Pipits, 9 Redpoll, the male Ring Ouzel still, a Rock Pipit, 49 Siskin and 11 Skylark.   

A look at Loompit on the incoming tide in the afternoon produced counts of 71 Shoveler, 47 Gadwall, 29 Teal, 52 Tufted Duck and 26 Little Grebes along with a Marsh Harrier heading high south (had the look of a migrant rather than a local bird) and a late House Martin.

Lesser Redpoll

LANDGUARD - 23rd October

 Lovely and calm conditions, completely clouding over by mid-morning led to a varied day birdwise, but with nothing really appearing in great numbers; visible migration was much reduced from yesterday but did include 7 Bramblings, 45 Chaffinches, 151 Goldfinches, 8 Greenfinches, 30 Linnets, 43 Meadow Pipits, 15 Redpolls, a Rock Pipit, 23 Siskins, 21 Skylarks, 1,142 Starlings (coming in off the sea on a line with them making landfall in Essex), 376 Woodpigeons and a flock of 5 Woodlarks.   

Over the sea birds comprised 156 Black-headed Gulls, 240 Brent Geese, 61 Common Scoter, a Curlew, 27 Dunlin, 13 Gannets, 3 Knot, 5 Mallards, a Red-breasted Merganser, 10 Red-throated Divers, 24 Shelduck and 13 Wigeon.   

Also of note was a Ring Ouzel floating around, single Chiffchaff and Blackcap, a Fieldfare (my overdue first of the autumn) and a Cetti’s Warbler found in a mist-net first thing – the third of the year.

Cetti's Warbler

LANDGUARD - 7th October

 Finally, finally, finally!   Lovely calm conditions produced the first decent passage morning of the autumn with a fine selection of birds moving south including some typical autumnal species that have usually made an appearance before now.   Totals included 44 Swallows, 23 Bramblings (first of the autumn), 44 Chaffinches, 41 Siskins, 315 Linnets, 935 Goldfinches, 18 alba Wagtails, 5 Grey Wagtails, 3 Rock Pipits, 496 Meadow Pipits, 6 Greenfinches, 13 Skylarks, a Woodlark (a Landguard tick, after missing a few over the last couple of days), 2 Jays, a Merlin which came in off the sea carrying prey and a Peregrine which went south out at sea.   

Offshore, a few birds also went south including 178 Black-headed Gulls, 48 Common Gulls, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 7 Gannets, 80 Brent Geese, 15 Dunlin, 9 Teal, 5 Shelduck, a Curlew, 6 Wigeon, 5 Sandwich Terns, a Knot, 6 Red-throated Divers, a Razorbill (north) and 16 Common Scoter.   

Meanwhile on the deck, migrants comprised 15 Chiffchaffs, 12 Blackcaps, a Redwing (the first of the autumn), 6 Song Thrushes, 2 Wheatears and a Lapwing.   

A walk out around the fields and river along Kingsfleet in the afternoon produced a nice mix of species including a Merlin, a Green Sandpiper, 55 Teal, 10 Golden Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 36 Skylarks, 6 Swallows, a good 65+ House Martins over the woods (a large count for so late in the year), a Grey Wagtail and 2 Rock Pipits.

Brambling

Beautiful, black-billed continental first-winter male Blackbird

Mass emergence of Angle Shades

Black Redstart

Kestrel

LANDGUARD - 4th October

 A pleasant start, bright with a moderate SW breeze which slowly increased through the morning; a small selection of birds went south including 23 Swallows, 48 Meadow Pipits, 2 Grey Wagtails, a Jackdaw and 3 Rooks whilst in the bushes 4 Chiffchaffs and 4 Blackcaps were about it but a Jay did bundle into a net.   

Totals at Melton in the afternoon consisted of an increased 166 Wigeon and 94 Teal, 4 Avocets (my first here), 2 Grey Plovers, 28 Ringed Plovers, 30+ Curlew, 440 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Turnstone, just a single Greenshank and 150+ Redshank.

Fischer's Estuarine Moth - Super-rare in British terms, known only from two sites one of which is just across the water in Essex (the other is in north Kent); they are very sedentary so out-of-range wanderers such as this one is even rarer!

Jay

Black-tailed Godwits

Wigeon

Redshank

Curlew

LANDGUARD - 23rd September

 Bright and sunny but with a brisk and increasing westerly breeze; the small selection of migrants comprised a Cetti’s Warbler caught and ringed (always scarce here despite being common in the surrounding area), a Yellow Wagtail, 72 Swallows and 46 Meadow Pipits south, 9 Chiffchaffs, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, 6 Grey Wagtails, 6 Blackcaps and 2 Wheatears.

Cetti's Warbler

LANDGUARD - 21st September

 Nice and bright, warm and sunny with a light WNW breeze; a few migrants in the area included 174 Swallows south, 4 Chaffinches, 6 Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, 3 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 80 Meadow Pipits, a Wheatear, 6 Grey Wagtails, a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Song Thrushes (the first two, greyish, continental type birds of the autumn).

Sparrowhawk

Garden Warbler

LANDGUARD - 7th September

 Very calm with warm, bright sunshine throughout becoming virtually hot by late morning; it remained very hazy though bordering on misty first thing, meaning there was no chance of any meaningful seawatching and all the interest had to be gleaned from the land.   There was a nice selection of migrants which included a good total of 14 Grey Wagtails (seven of which were lured into the Heligoland trap), 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Whitethroats, a Tree Pipit, a Reed Warbler, 2 Blackcaps, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Willow Warblers and 2 Redstarts.   

Also of note were 32 House Martins and 4 Swallows south and a little but notable influx of presumably local 13+ Robins.

Grey Wagtail

Sycamore caterpillar

LANDGUARD - 4th September

 Largely overcast through the morning with a stiff NE wind becoming bright and sunny by the afternoon; the now daily scattering of migrants was highlighted by a superb Wryneck which I found in a mist-net mid-morning.   Also present were 3 Lesser Whitethroats, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Willow Warblers, a Whitethroat and 2 Blackcaps.   

Elsewhere, a Black Tern was offshore with 94+ Sandwich Terns first thing, 30 Teal went south, 2 Knot flew north and 11 Swallows couldn’t make up their mind which way to go.   

Also of honourable mention was an Osprey scoped up the river hovering over the water opposite Trimley Marshes first thing – rubbish views and a long way outside the Obs recording area but still nice though!

Wryneck

LANDGUARD - 31st August

 A touch of drizzle at dawn, albeit far less than yesterday produced another little selection of grounded migrants across the area which today comprised a Snipe (a Landguard tick for me!), 2 Yellow Wagtails, 8 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, a Redstart, 2 Whitethroats, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Willow Warblers and 3 Pied Flycatchers.   

There was a bit more offshore than of late as well including 108 Teal and 11 Wigeon south, 67 Cormorants straight in off and up the river, 2 Arctic Skuas on the sea before heading north, 15 Dunlin and 35 Gannets.

Redstart

LANDGUARD - 30th August

 Low cloud and bits of drizzle in the morning with a light northerly breeze produced at least a bit of expectation that there would be some grounded migrants through the day and this did indeed prove to be the case as the light smattering of birds seen included 4 Wheatears, 3 Tree Pipits, a Whinchat, 3 Pied Flycatchers, a Redstart, a Yellow Wagtail, a Willow Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, a Whitethroat and a Meadow Pipit – amazingly the first one in the Obs area since late April!

Tree Pipit

Sparrowhawk

Juvenile Sanderling from Walberswick yesterday