Saturday 16th December 2023

 

 

A Buzzard perched on a telegraph post (does anyone under 50 know what a telegraph is?) in the half light moved off inland over the docks. Up to 1,500 seagulls offshore & in the estuary suggests Sprats are appearing. A first-winter Glaucous Gull came in with the melee following a container ship before siting around a while before going back out to sea. Southbound 27 Common Scoter, 12 Wigeon, 10 Brent, 10 Red-throated Diver plus 130 Common Scoter offshore. 

Friday 15th December 2023

 

160 Common Scoter offshore out from the Butts (with 400 to 450 off Felixstowe Pier in the afternoon flying off south past Landguard presumably including these seen in the morning). Having a flock of Scoter offshore loafing & feeding in recent weeks is not very Landguard but suggests a new food source has developed with the shifting sands of time. Nothing much else to report - 3 Kitts following shiping, 2 Cetti's on the Butts, Chaffinch in the compound, Song Thrush singing, Turnstone on the point.

Thursday 14th December 2023

 

A few late autumn migrants this morning were single Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Redwing plus a Heron in off the sea. Offshore 71 Common Scoter south, 9 north plus a distant flock of 120 sat on the sea. Also noted a handful of Red-throated Diver, Brent & 3 Mallard south over the obs and up river.

Wednesday 13th December 2023

 

More rain early morning & in the afternoon is getting tedious and delaying some of the on site management tasks from getting done. Offshore southbound 13 Red-throated Diver, 10 Common Scoter, 3 Brent, Great Northern Diver & Marsh Harrier with northbound 65 Red-throats & 11 Common Scoter plus a flock of 72 Common Scoter sat on the sea a fair way out. 6 Kitts were following shipping with the big gulls.

Tuesday 12th December 2023

 

Wintering Black-headed Gull disappeared from the Manor Terrace car park at the same time that car park charges were introduced as consumption of fast food by humans at this site largely stopped. Numbers in the View Point car park have rapidly declined in recent years for reasons not understood although this individual has been with us for at least 11 winters.

Heavy rain to mid-morning & another belt of rain mid-day is getting tedious. 2 Snipe were flushed from the reserve first thing indicating some migration is still going on. 4 Mipit on the reserve + a Rock Pipit on the riverbank may be contemplating attempting to overwinter here.

Monday 11th December 2023

 

Southbound 32 Common Scoter, 18 Common Gull, 15 Red-throated Diver, Brent & Kitt with northbound 3 Common Scoter & Red-throat in c.90 minutes sea watch. Passerines southbound were single Mipit & Skylark. On site still 7 Mipit hanging on (in recent winters they have usually gone by now), 3 Songies (2 singing pre-dawn), 3 Cetti's, 3 Greenfinch & a Rock Pipit on the riverbank amongst the expected regulars.

Sunday 10th December 2023

Overnight gale with gusts to Force 9. Once upon a time we thought gusting Force 8 was exceptional but over the last couple of years winds gusting Force 9 are becoming much more frequent in occurrence. Rain held off to mid-day. Southbound 26 Red-throated Diver, 7 Common Gull, 2 Med Gull, Brent, Heron, & Velvet Scoter with northbound 17 Common Scoter & 5 Red-throats plus 9 Common Scoter & 3 Kitts offshore.  A Redpoll was flying around in the half light first thing with other passerines still on the move southbound being 4 Mipit, Chaffinch & Yellowhammer.