Saturday 11th February 2012

12 Mipits, 5 Lapwing, 4 GP's, 4 Snow Bunts on the reserve with 2 Sanderling & a Grey Plover along the riverbank. A Great-crested Grebe went north with another on the river by the View Point car park. During this cold spell there has been a complete lack of new birds attracted to the food in the helli so it was good to catch a new British race Song Thrush - plenty of birds are coming to the food put out for them, it's just they all live here.

Friday 10th February 2012

The cold snap continues. 6 Lapwing, 3 GP's & 16 Mipits on the reserve. 10 Turnstone, 2 Sanderling & a Grey Plover along the river bank with the Rock Pipit still on the point. Woodcock in the observatory compound. The only things noted on the move were 40 Brents out then north plus a Great-crested Grebe south.

Thursday 9th February 2012

On the reserve 18 Mipits, 8 Lapwing, 7 GP's & a Woodcock with a Purp & 2 Rock Pipits on the point. A Mistle Thrush was new in & has presumably moved to the coast from inland to escape the frozen conditions.

Wednesday 8th February 2012

Biting ENE wind. More of the same with 25 Mipits, 11 Lapwing & 3 GP's on the reserve, 2 Rockits & a Purp on the point, 10 Turnstones & a Sanderling on the riverbank with a Great-crested Grebe on the river new in.

Tuesday 7th February 2012

Slight thaw with 32 Mipits, 8 Lapwing, 3 Golden Plover, 2 Knot & 2 Dunlin feeding on the open grassy bits of the reserve. Along the shore were 3 Sanderling, another Dunlin, at least 8 Snow Bunts plus 2 Rock Pipits arguing over the best feeding on the jetty. Very little on the move offshore with another 7 Golden Plover & 4 Lapwing south the highlights. Rather bizarrely a Sanderling came onto the top of the observatory compound to feed amongst the bread put out for the gulls & was duly trapped & ringed. We did catch 3 Sanderling on the beach donkeys years ago - so this is only the 4th ringed here. Perseverance finally paid off with a new Med Gull ringed late pm plus a Common Gull & an old retrap Black-head as by catch. Whilst leaving the site at dusk a total of 3 Woodcock were seen coming out of their day time hidyholes.

Monday 6th February 2012

A few bits of the reserve have a bit of green amongst the snow and are being exploited by 5 Lapwing, 18 Mipits & a Reed Bunting. On the beaches 5 Sanderling, Grey Plover & 10 Snow Bunts with the Rock Pipit still around the point. 2 Fieldfares flew in land with a solitary Skylark going south. Mrs Peregrine was on the top of the nearest tall dock cranes until they decided to start using it and she had to move. One of the Little Owls was on it's favourite perch and looked quite evocative surrounded by the snow. On the down side we have one less Woodcock on the planet, but one fatter feral cat as the footprints in the snow around the kill giving it's murderer away.

Sunday 5th February 2012

Good dose of snow plus some drifting overnight. Refugees making their way southwards include 32 Skylarks, 16 Mipits, 9 Reed Bunts, single Dunlin & Grey Plover. An additional 5 Mipits on the reserve plus at least 2 Woodcock. Rock Pipit on the point, 2 Sanderling along the riverbank & 4 Meds in the View Point car park. Fortunately only minor damage to the heligoland trap caused by the snow (unlike the last 2 winters when we had major snow damage - this is a different type of snow).