Monday November 14th 2011

Weather consisted of a south south-easterly wind, there was complete cloud cover, it was murky. Migrants observed passing through were 2 Mute Swan, 33 Pink-footed Geese, 253 Brent Geese, 111 Shelduck, 3 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 5 Mallard, 1 Common Scoter, 6 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Cormorant, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Pomarine Skua and 7 Redpoll. The highlight of the day and one of the highlights of the year was a 1st-winter Red-flanked Bluetail trapped and ringed within the Bird Observatory compound! This is the 2nd record for Landguard. Red-flanked Bluetail is a species that has become in recent years much more common in Britain, although it is still a very rare bird; this was a very unexpected surprise and this particular bird could possibly be the latest ever British record! Also present today was the ringed female Firecrest, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Fieldfare, 4 Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, 2 Pied Wagtail, 6 Meadow Pipit, 2 Brambling and 9 Snow Bunting. 26 birds ringed today, 1 1st-winter Red-flanked Bluetail, 1 female Brambling, 3 Song Thrush, 14 Blackbird, 1 Robin, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch, 2 Chiffchaff and 1 Wren. A Grey Seal was seen offshore.