Ringing: April
Wednesday 1st A calm start with just a bit of cloud meant good conditions for ringing. We found a mixture of newly arrived and departing birds. A new Redwing will have to do a bit of feeding before it can head north. This contrasts with the first new Blackcaps to arrive. Both the male and the female had a high…
Moths: April
Wednesday 1st Overnight conditions were the best they had been for some time as the wind kept very low and cloud remained all night, keeping the temperatures at a reasonable 5.8°C. An LED and Actinic in the Elms caught 40 moths of six species with Herald and V-Pug of note. Around the Obs, the Car Park and Ringing Room MVs…
Butterflies: April
Birds: April
Thursday 2nd A cold wind through the area today. Venturing out on New Downs produced a pair of Egyptian Geese with three goslings. There are still only a few confirmed breeding records in our neck of the woods. A Green Sandpiper and two Bearded Tits were also present. Wednesday 1st Our first Sedge Warbler was singing away on RSPB Worth…
Ringing: March
Sunday 29th A clear night ensured migrants are keeping going and not stopping here. The four new birds were all passing through- singles of Siskin, Redwing, Chiffchaff and Chaffinch. Saturday 28th Some interesting bits from Thursday. First was the finding of a Robin’s nest, with four eggs, along Sandown Road. The other bits involve information on colour ring sightings. The…
Butterflies: March
Sunday 23rd An early Speckled Wood was in the Dragonfly Pond fields. Thursday 19th Two Brimstones and two Commas were on the Estate. Wednesday 18th A Brimstone and a Small Tortoiseshell were on the Estate and there was another scattering of Peacocks. Sunday 15th Whilst Peacocks continue to be seen most days our first Small Tortoiseshell was on RSPB Worth…
Moths: March
Sunday 29th It was a clear and very cold night but three traps were set – The car park MV, an actinic in Middle Field and a DIY UVLED not far from the actinic for trials. Interestingly the UVLED performed best, attracting four Hebrew Characters, two Clouded Drabs and a Common Quaker. The car park and actinic had six of…
Birds: March
Tuesday 31st Just over 50 Meadow Pipits headed north and two Greylag Geese came in off the sea. Six Swallows and two House Martins were on RSPB Worth Marshes whilst there were still a few Redwings and Fieldfares knocking around the Estate. Nine Avocets and two Sandwich Terns were the best in Pegwell Bay. Monday 30th A Tree Sparrow in…
Butterflies: February
Wednesday 25th It is not often we get a three species day in February but there was Red Admiral and Peacock around the Observatory and a male Brimstone in the Whitehouse paddock. Tuesday 24th Our second Red Admiral of the year was seen by the Observatory. Thursday 12th Hurrah! Our first butterfly of the year. A Red Admiral was seen…
Birds: February
Saturday 28th RSPB Worth Marshes held 28 Pintail, a Great White Egret, and 130 White-fronted Geese. It was rather quiet on the Estate but small flocks of moving Redwings became apparent after nightfall. Friday 27th Four Woodcocks and two Firecrests were seen on a drizzly wander around the Estate and our first Sand Martin of the year was on RSPB…