Tuesday 15th to Monday 21st February 2011

More Barnacles on the move this week with 40 south 18th, 10 out then north 19th & 38 south 21st - we would love to work out what they are doing. The male Pheasant has been around all week as have up to 30 Ringos, 5 Sanderling & 2 Purps. Plenty of gulls still following ships including at least 9 Meds. A Snow Bunting on 17th and 21st is presumably the same bird. On the 18th 3 Curlew and a Red-breasted Merganser went south with a Fieldfare on the reserve plus a Woodcock in the observatory compound. The 19th brought a single Brambling which is very unusual for this time of the year. On the 20th 2 new Blackies were trapped, one thin & one fat so i can only presume the thin one had been trying to migrate and the other one has fattened up to do so. Also on the 20th single Skylark and Fieldfare. The 21st saw 7 Skylarks on the reserve which constitutes a "fall" and the best count of grounded skylarks for some time. Also today a new Robin - very few new Robins have been caught here in February. In conclusion it would appear that with some new migrants about some birds think spring is on the way.