Tuesday 8th March 2011

Glorious sunny and flat calm with a sharp frost to start the day and a SW breeze picking up from mid-morning. Pheasant calling again at dawn just to let us know he's still here. A Yellowhammer flew south calling in the half light. It is presumed that the occasional Yellowhammer we note at this time of the year are part of the small numbers of the migratory continental population returning back abroad - but we have no evidence to prove this. New in the bushes were half a dozen Great Tits plus singles of Blue Tit, Dunnock, Chaffinch & Blacky. The elusive Firecrest is still here as is a Skylark on the reserve. On the move a Grey Wag came in from the north east and left inland over the docks (this species is only noted occasionally in spring here) and a Common Buzzard went south 1130hrs. We only have 20 previous records of Common Buzzard at Landguard with the reason for it being so scarce here being a bit of a mystery. Finally its nice to see the pair of Little Owls sitting side by side on the same perch in the sun allopreening.