Friday 17th January 2025

 

One of those morning's whereby if we hadn't turned up it wouldn't have made much difference to the cause. 296 Cormorant went out fishing, with the rest very much 'same old same old' - and not a lot of that presently ! Increase to 4 adult Meds from the usual 3, although that doesn't necessarily mean there's not more around it's just that 3 pulling behind Stenna going out is all that we can manage at a time in recent days.

Thursday 16th January 2025

 

Only the 12th LBO record of Coot on the river behind Darrell's Battery & the first here since 2011. Nine of the eleven previous records were from 1980 - 1994 so not an easy species to catch up with here. Far to much excitement for a January morning so it's back to the usual's. 381 Cormorant went fishing, 16 Common Scoter sat offshore, southbound 4 Brent, 2 Teal & Shelduck, Fieldfare on site plus the first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year.

Wednesday 15th January 2025

Chiffchaff was a bit unexpected - we only have three previous January records all of which loitered for several days so it may get seen again. Milder conditions enticed a Cetti's into a couple of bursts of song just to let us know it's still here. 19 Linnet & 9 Goldfinch visited which suggests that they are wintering close nearby & popped down to check everything's ok.

Tuesday 14th January 2025

432 Cormorant went out fishing. Nowt on the move. 16 Common Scoter sat on the sea. The highlight of a walk around the reserve was 2 Goldfinch so all deadly quiet presently.

Monday 13th January 2025

 

Plenty of spare juvenile delinquents ready to move in if any of the resident adult crows pop their clogs.

415 Cormorant went out fishing. Southbound 18 Black-headed Gull, 12 Shelduck & a Tufted Duck. Increase in gulls with 146 Common Gull the best count for a while plus 25 Kitts following a boat coming in. A Fieldfare dropped in late morning & the Rock Pipit reappeared on the point. A singing Linnet exemplifies an increase in temperature although no others were seen so seems a pointless exercise this early in the year.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird

Sunday 12th January 2025

 

Blood red moon low in the sky over Trinity terminal pre dawn.

132 Cormorant went out fishing early. A Little Egret flying south only sighting worth a mention on a glorious sunny day with the sharp frost & rock hard ground not going all day in the shady areas.

Saturday 11th January 2025

 

Ice spike in the Heligoland pond that hasn't defrosted in the shade for days.

Glorious sunny frosty morning until cold fog arrived from inland late morning. Single Fieldfare & Woodcock on site plus 2 Jackdaw came in from the north then departed inland over the docks. 3 Greenfinch were notable as winter records have been very few & far between in recent years.