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Friday 10th February 2017

Before work and today.

In order to benefit the Holm Oaks & prolong their life the tree surgeons have been at work copparding four of the Holm Oaks along the front of the observatory compound. This work should hopefully have done them the world of good but it just looks a bit bare at the moment. There are a total of 10 Holm Oaks on site with the most northerly one copparded in January 2009 which was a huge benefit to the tree if one looks how healthy it is now. The Holm Oaks were presumably planted by the military as camouflage to the site sometime in the 1890's onward and were last coppiced in the time of army occupation sometime prior to 1958.

Of note today were 2 Egyptian Geese sat on the seaward bank of the aggregate yard which flew up river when disturbed - this is only the eight site record of this species. Offshore today southbound 12 Red-throated Diver, 4 Brent, 2 Great-crested Grebe & Shelduck with northbound 34 Red-throats, 17 Barnacle Geese, 4 Brent, 2 Gannet, 2 Eider, Great-crested Grebe, Guillemot & Razorbill. The Purple Sand & Rock Pipit were along the riverbank and a solitary Meadow Pipit flew north.