Jack Snipe fitted with a Motus tag in Sweden 5th November travelled through Sweden, Denmark, Germany & The Netherlands has pinged the LBO tower. Its last detection in Holland was at WUR Brouwersdam Sluice 2023 hrs 8th November moving the 173 km to LBO at 38.1 km/hr flying over at 0025 hrs on 9th November with the detection lasting over 5 minutes. More information about Motus is on www.motus.org

Blackcap ringed Slapton, Devon 1st October 2025 was retrapped 392 km away at LBO 13th October 2025 is a classic example of late autumn wanderings in random directions that this species is prone to in recent times. Lesser Redpoll ringed Thorpe Marsh, South Yorkshire 27th September 2025 was retrapped 244 km away at LBO 18th October 2025 on it's autumn migration. Also a couple of Blue & Great Tit ringed at Trimley Marshes  this autumn have hedge hoped around the dock to visit us on their autumnal wanderings.

  The 4th Jack Snipe ringed at LBO since 1983. Well September was a tough act to follow but we've had a good stab at it and hopefully generated a few recoveries! Last time we hit over 1000 birds in October was in 2020. Of all 29 species ringed this month numbers seem to be up across the board in comparison to the last three years. Good movement of Redpoll yielded a Brussels ringed control. 24 Firecrest ringed appears to be a monthly record with the last highest count being 18 in October 2004. Chiffchaff numbers have been exceptional! This month also saw Landguard's 47th Yellow-browed Warbler ringed.    Oct-25 Species No. Ringed Goldcrest 153 Redpoll 119 Chiffchaff 110 Blackbird 109 Blackcap 93 Long-tailed Tit 73 Blue Tit 64 Song Thrush 62 Robin 57 Great Tit 42 Meadow Pipit 41 Firecrest 24 Redwing 21 Chaffinch 21 Wren 16 Grey Wagtail 6 Dunnock 6 Cetti's Warbler 6 Linnet 4 Goldfinch 4 Woodpigeon 3 Sparrowhawk 2 House Sparrow 2 Whitethroat 1 Magpie 1 Jack Snipe 1 Greenfinch 1 Yellow-browed Warbler 1 Pied Wagtail 1 Total 1044

  Pallas's Warbler For a second day running it's been raining thrushes nicely accompanied by a couple star birds. Yellow-browed Warbler back behind the kitchen although a different bird to the last one - funny how they like that spot. The show was however stolen by a Pallas's Leaf  Warbler which surfaced, as they often do, a bit later in the day. In fact it's our earliest autumn record by one day. Today's selection of Autumn Migrants include 75 Blackbird, 8 Brambling, 62 Chaffinch, 4 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Jack Snipe, 10 Meadow Pipit, 20 Redwing, 18 Skylark, 50 Song Thrush and 1 Woodlark. For the first time this year our ringing total exceeded 100 birds.   Offshore 20 Brent Goose, 1 Common Gull, 9 Common Scoter, 3 Little Gull, 2 Red-throated Diver, 3 Snipe, 8 Shelduck and 2 Turnstone.  Mallow is a regular October species in small numbers. Ringing: 38 Blackbird, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Brambling, 2 Chaffinch, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Great Tit, 1 Greenfinch, 23 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Lesser Redpoll, 8 Redwing, 6 Robin, 9 Song Thrush, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Wren.

  It has been the busiest September we've had for quite some time. Just over double the birds last year; 721 over 36 species has kept us far too busy to complain about the lack of recent scarcities. In terms of species it has been a very typical Autumn selection for Landguard but it is hopeful to see many iconic species in reasonably healthier numbers. Species No. Ringed Blackcap 139 Chiffchaff 135 Meadow Pipit 100 Willow Warbler 59 Robin 56 Blue Tit 42 Goldcrest 38 Great Tit 16 Long-tailed Tit 15 Grey Wagtail 15 Reed Warbler 14 Song Thrush 13 Lesser Whitethroat 9 Whitethroat 8 Pied Flycatcher 7 Cetti's Warbler 6 Blackbird 6 Woodpigeon  5 Sedge Warbler 5 Dunnock 5 Redpoll 4 House Sparrow 4 Spotted Flycatcher 3 Wren 2 Sparrowhawk 2 Linnet 2 Goldfinch 2 Wood Warbler 1 Starling 1 Redstart 1 Greenfinch 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Magpie 1 Garden Warbler 1 Coal Tit 1 Brambling 1 Total 721

 322 birds of 29 species is over 50% up on last August's paltry total although roughly in par with several previous recent years. Willow's have had a better autumn than in many recent year's presumably aided by a better breeding season & several mornings with light north-westerlies drifting them our way. Willow Warbler 120 Reed Warbler 29 Whitethroat 20 Lesser Whitethroat 14 Linnet 14 Pied Flycatcher 13 Blue Tit 12 Robin 11 Dunnock 10 Goldfinch 10 Sedge Warbler 10 Grey Wagtail 8 Blackcap 7 Cetti's Warbler 5 Wood Pigeon 5 Garden Warbler 4 Great Tit 4 Blackbird 3 Chiffchaff 3 Green Woodpecker 3 Sparrowhawk 3 Wren 3 Black Redstart 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Greenfinch 2 Song Thrush 2 House Sparrow 1 Starling 1 Whinchat 1

  Three Wheatear still present. Brilliant selection of Autumn migrants however most species arriving in small numbers. The party was at the mining station near the cottage this morning where one could find 2 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Redstart and 1 Whinchat. Tree Sparrow arrived fashionably late. Up in the compound a Spotted Flycatcher briefly seen - few and far sightings of those this year. Passage of Swallow continues with a further 61 birds South. Other VIB guests include 2 Black Redstart, 4 Grey Wagtail, 4 Reed Warbler, 4 Sand Martin, 2 Sedge Warbler, 3 Sparrowhawk, 6 Whitethroat, 10 Willow Warbler and 2 Yellow Wags. Awesome Mothstrocity in the trap today, Convolvulus Hawkmoth is a migrant from North Africa. Ringing: 2 Blue Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Great Tit, 4 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Robin, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler.

Chiffchaff ringed Kenneth Bank, Glencaple, Dumfries & Galloway on 15th September 2024 was retrapped 468km away at LBO 9th April 2025 would have been on migration when passing through both localities. Blackcap ringed Drove Orchard, Norfolk on 10th July 2023 was retrapped 124km away at LBO 13th April 2025 on spring passage with the Norfolk locality probably near where it was born. Wren ringed LBO 11th July 2025 was found dead below a window 4km away in Harwich seven days later. Never before have we had a Wren recovery over the estuary in Essex with this species reluctant to fly over water. Why this brave youngster decided to do so at a young age is unknown (unless it got on the foot ferry!). Starling ringed LBO 7th August 2022 was retrapped 19km away at Melton 17th June 2025 having been retrapped at this location in the past so presumably is now living in the Woodbridge area. Reed Bunting ringed LBO 15th September 2024 was retrapped 4km away at Trimley Marshes 6th April 2025 is worth a mention as we very rarely ring any Reed Bunting here. Finally Blackbird colour ringed as a youngster LBO 13th August 2024 has been seen several times this year at Walton-on-the-Naze having emigrated & breeding at this locale.

 196 birds of 26 species won't be breaking any Landguard records but we have had some interesting highlights this July.  Willow Warblers have stolen the show. Reflecting on the last 10 years our highest July count for 'Willies' ringed was 10 in 2023 whilst in 2022 and 2018 we failed to get one at all. This month we managed 36 so have they decided to take a different route or are they beginning to leave earlier? 3 Green Woodpecker seems to be a reflection of a reasonably good breeding year and 3 Black Redstart is good with at least 2 local broods having success. Cetti's have enjoyed another successful year of colonising and where are these Sedge Warblers appearing from? Juvenile Siskin also another species we don't usually get. Ringing total suggests Linnet has struggled again and whilst better than last years 6 birds ringed we would ideally hope to see 50+ ringed. House Sparrow is another local species of concern and has been low for the last couple years. Previous July's before 2023 we would ring between 20 - 60 no problem. No visit from the Starlings yet this year another factor in keeping the overall total down.  

The daily bird tally seemed a little lacking today primarily due to the three moth traps filled to the brim, stealing the spotlight. However a new Juvenile Song Thrush and Blackbird present this morning and 27 Black-headed and 6 Med Gull observed moving South. New Cetti's still being ringed. It took 6 hours to sort through today's moth mania ultimately identifying 166 different species. The soaring temperatures of yesterday coupled with high humidity saw many species erupt in numbers for example Chrysoteuchia culmella of which only 8 were trapped yesterday now totaled 678. But here are a few stars of the show: First site record of Light Crimson Underwing. A rare moth in the UK but known to breed in New Forest National Park. Another first for Landguard Epiblema turbidawa and second Suffolk record. Very striking green eye! Perhaps the wildest yet - Israeli Tiger Moth. This is the second UK record with the first being trapped here 6 years ago. Given this species is extremely rare in its native range it really is a wonder how it ended up here at LBO. Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Song Thrush.    

  155 birds of 20 species is in many respects a similar year to 2024 albeit 11 birds less. Cetti's Warbler have bred again for a second year running and have seen success on at least 2 broods so far. The Tits both Blue and Great have managed to carry the ringing total this month as we ringed less than half our usual Linnets. Not so many young House Sparrows around either which was expected with less adults being observed. Blackbird is another species which seems to have had an abysmal breeding year but there is still time.  Species No. Ringed Blackbird 4 Blackcap 4 Blue Tit 22 Cetti's Warbler 5 Chiffchaff 9 Coal Tit 2 Dunnock 14 Goldfinch 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Great Tit 33 Grey Wagtail 2 House Sparrow 3 Lesser Whitethroat 6 Linnet 15 Reed Warbler 6 Robin 6 Starling 2 Whitethroat 5 Woodpigeon 2 Wren 12 Total 155

  161 birds of 23 species is an increase on last year mainly helped by the number of Chiffchaff who are having a good year and our breeding Long-tailed Tits. No Redstart ringed and 2 less Spotted Flycatcher with very few sightings of both species doesn't bode well.

 Some of us had given up hope for our breeding Long-tailed Tits but as if from nowhere we ringed 9 juveniles today. The first successful breeders for us here at LBO. Over night rain also blessed us with a few migrants (we will take what we can get right now). These include 1 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Reed Warbler, a smattering of Swifts and Swallows and a House Martin South. Observed offshore were 2 Avocet, 6 Barnacle Geese and 10 Med Gull. A final Starling count reached 230 feeding out on the reserve and back up to 9 Shelduck. Still waiting for that end of May extra special bird though... The adult was much easier to photograph than the youngsters. Lunar Yellow Underwing is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan species due to its scarcity but Suffolk is a stronghold for the species. It occurs here in low numbers. Ringing: 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Dunnock, 9 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Reed Warbler, 1 Robin.   

284 birds of 25 species is 20 % up on last year partly helped by 3 times as many Chiffchaff. Another 5 Cetti's are worth highlighting as they have only colonised Landguard very recently.

 Blackbird ringed LBO 22nd November 2023 found freshly dead 89 km away at West Thurrock, Essex 12th March 2025. Presumably a migrant at both locations. Lesser Redpoll ringed LBO 6th November 2023 was retrapped 11 km away at Newbourne 16th March 2025. Chiffchaff ringed Charlston, Sussex 12th September 2024 retrapped 151 km away at LBO 20th March 2025. Presumably a migrant at both locations. Blackbird ringed LBO 13th August 2024 & retrapped here a week later was photographed 8 km away at Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex on 20th March 2025. This is quite possibly a dispersing juvenile when at LBO that has emigrated to Essex.

An over night frost turned in to good sunny weather. Despite not many migrants I was greeted on my first day as seasonal warden by a young grey wagtail in the heligoland trap. A first for me so good to start my stay on a high! If you see me about my name…

An over night frost turned in to good sunny weather. Despite not many migrants I was greeted on my first day as seasonal warden by a young grey wagtail in the heligoland trap. A first for me so good to start my stay on a high! If you see me about my name…

Finally got the Red-breasted Flycatcher details through which was ringed on the easternmost part of Denmark at Blavand Fugelstation, Ribe on 5th September 2024 & retrapped 599 km away at LBO on 16th September 2024. Photos of this bird in Denmark are on -…

 2024 annual reports for Birds, Butterflies, Dragonflies, Mammals, Moths & Miscellaneous records, several updated Species Lists, Ringing totals & updated Ringing Recoveries report are now available on https://www.lbo.org.uk/ or via the LBO Home Page at…