522 Cormorant went out fishing early on a clear frosty morning. The only migrant was an obese adult female Blackbird in the afternoon which suggests she hasn't come far to feed on apples in the Helgoland.
Ringing: 1 Blackbird.
Windy with a maximum gust of 46.26 knots at 0720 hrs which is a wee tad short of Storm Force 10. Southbound 10 Brent & northbound 5 Common Scoter plus 19 more sat offshore on a choppy sea. What are presumably yesterdays 2 Stock Dove put in another appearance but, bird wise, we are now in the winter doldrums.
1,042 Cormorant went out fishing, 40 Common Scoter were offshore, at least 1,600 Starlings & 120+ House Sparrow were roosting in brambles at the north end. Interestingly the roost is drifting slightly south presumably as the bushes are getting a bit 'white n' wiffy'.
11 Long-tailed Tits ringed LBO 10th November 2023 were retrapped at Trimly Marshes two days later.
Lesser Redpoll ringed LBO 26th October 2022 was retrapped 217 km away at Hut Wood, Hampshire on 6th January 2024. This is only our second Redpoll we have had recaught in Hampshire.
Black-headed Gull ringed LBO 15th January 2010 and seen either in the View Point car park or Felixstowe Pier every winter since then & last logged at the Pier on 25th February 2023 was retrapped 1,181 km away on 15th January 2024 at Gdynia Marina, Pomorskia, Poland. Having successfully wintered in the Felixstowe area for at least the past 13 years it is a surprise that this bird is wintering in Poland this year. Normally once a pattern of behaviour is set in stone that's what it does so why change ?
682 Cormorant headed out early. Southbound 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Wigeon & Great-crested Grebe. 40 Common Scoter offshore to the north of us. Cettis on Icky ridge will be different from the one yesterday at the north end so looks like at least two have survived the recent cold conditions. Rain from mid-morning & battoning down the hatches for the next named storm later on. Starting to get fed up clearing up trees and branches that the ongoing gales have brought down this winter.
Wild night with the strongest gust just a wee tad short of storm Force 10. 1,113 Cormorant headed out fishing this morning. Cetti's at the north end is the first one heard post the recent cold snap so at least one has survived.
Southbound 25 Common Gull, 2 Common Scoter, Curlew, Red-throated Diver, Shelduck & Wigeon with northbound 1 Red-throat. A visit to the Starling roost saw roughly 4,000 come in with a lot of murmurations going on due to dog disturbance. Nowt else to report.