Saturday 3rd November 2012

Decidedly quiet today but we managed a few new birds to show our visitors from SOG. A few Stock Dove passed through with 150 Wood Pigs. 25 Siskin were in with 200 or so Goldies and 40 Chaffinch. Only one of a dozen Redpolls found a net along with the odd new Blackbird and Robin. Heading South were Turnstone, Gannet, 7 Common Scoter, 4 Reed Bunts, 17 Cormorant a Little Egret, a Mistle Thrush, Grey Plover and 7 Great-crested Grebes.

Friday 2nd November 2012

38 birds were ringed this morning including a new Firecrest, a couple of Golcrest, possibly the last Grey Wagtail of the Autumn and another dose of Lesser Redpolls. Pretty quiet out and about with 4 more Jays passing through, a couple of Southbound Crossbills and 100 Stock Doves being the highlights. 550 Goldies also headed South along with a few Chaffs, a dozen Swallows and 4 Rock Pipits. The minute snail pictured on October the 19th's blog has since been identified as Merdigera obscura, an uncommon species in Suffolk.

Ringing: Lesser Redpoll 16, Chaffinch 5, Blackbird 3, Song Thrush 3, Robin 3, Goldcrest 2, Goldfinch 2, Greenfinch, Firecrest, Wood Pigeon and Grey Wagtail = 38

Thursday 1st November 2012

A relatively quiet morning with the odd raptor being the highlight. A female Merlin and a Sparrowhawk passed through worrying the local finches, whilst the Peregrine dive bombed to pigeons above. The Little Owl was on his regular perch with no obvious sign of the alien one ringed yesterday. On site still 2 Firecrests, a Brambling, 4 Goldcrest and a couple of Redwing and Fieldfare.

Ringing: Blackbird 10, Goldcrest 3, Song Thrush 3, Robin 2, Lesser Redpoll 2, Greenfinch 1 and a Wood Pig. = 22

October 2012 Ringing Totals

A total of 1721 birds were ringed this month, almost a thousand more than this month last year. The last week contributed the bulk of the birds with 2 days of almost 300 ringed. This represents the 7th largest October total ever at the observatory. Notable for the site are the half dozen Jays (4 being the most ringed in a year previously) and the Waxwing, which was only the 2nd to be ringed here.

Blackbird	498		Jay	6
Robin	228		Wood Pigeon	4
Lesser Redpoll	211		Brambling	3
Song Thrush	115		Ring Ouzel	3
Greenfinch	105		Great-spotted Woodpecker	3
Chaffinch	103		Wheatear	2
Goldcrest	79		Woodcock	2
Goldfinch	70		House Sparrow	2
Blackcap	61		Reed Warbler	2
Chiffchaff	48		Waxwing	1
Meadow Pipit	45		Willow Warbler	1
Redwing	23		Stonechat	1
Long-tailed Tit	20		Sparrowhawk	1
Great Tit	19		Coal Tit	1
Blue Tit	19		Mistle Thrush	1
Wren	15		Little owl	1
Dunnock	12		Fieldfare	1
Firecrest	8		Pied Wagtail	1
Grey Wagtail	7		Total	1721

Wednesday 31st October 2012

On the move 358 Goldies, 79 Woodies, 24 Siskin, 18 Swallows, 13 Lesser Redpoll, 8 Stockies, 5 Chaffs, 5 Linnets, 2 Reed Bunts & 2 Pied Wags going south. A handful of new birds of typical late October fare on site today in very low numbers. A new Little Owl was trapped with the two regular adults still present on their favoured perches. Offshore movements pathetic although 3 Gadwal were sat on the sea for a while. At least 2 Firecrests are still with us as is yesterdays Jay. 21 new birds ringed so far.

Tuesday 30th October 2012

Another big push of Woodpigeons today with 7200 heading south during the morning, some turning back briefly when harassed by the local Peregrine. Also on the move were 28 Siskin, 40 Chaffinch and Starling,  14 Swallow, 16 Mipits, 5 Jackdaw, a couple of Eider, 3 Gannet, A red-throated Diver and a lonely Waxwing. A very pleasant morning ringing with a small team saw a good bunch of Lesser Redpolls and Blackbirds ringed with British and Dutch controls of each respectively. 3 Firecrest remained on site but 2 Woodcock were the surprise catch of the day.

Woodcock

Ringing: Lesser Redpoll 31, Blackbird 26, Goldfinch 9, Greenfinch 6, Robin 4, Chaffinch 4 ,Blackcap 3, Goldcrest 2, Woodcock 2, Song Thrush 2, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Wren, and Jay = 93

Further entertainment was provided by an unfortunate error on the nearside of the docks as a container took and unscheduled dip.....

Monday 29th October 2012

With the vast majority of yesterdays Blackbirds seeming to have evacuated the site overnight todays ringing was a little more relaxed. 41 birds were ringed with 24 Blackbirds, 6 Lesser Redpoll, 4 Greenfinch, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Wren, 1, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Robin, and Chaffinch.

Moving through were 50 Brents, a couple of Dunlin, 3 Great-crested Grebe, 96 Goldfinch, 28 Stock Dove, 25 Common Scoter, 14 Skylark and a dozen Siskin

Sunday 28th October 2012

Cold, breezy, barely above freezing, belts of drizzle in the afternoon & loads of birds ! 7,000 Woodies south along with 129 Goldies, 99 Chaffs, 53 Greenies, 36 Siskin, 20 Stockies (at least), 16 Linnets, 10 Mipits, 10 Redpolls, 8 Skylarks, 5 Lapwing, 3 Pied Wags, Reed Bunting & Rook. Blackies continued to arrive all day with at least 400 passing through the site along with a handful of Fieldfares. Yesterdays Waxwing still with us plus another 17 coming in off the sea and heading straight inland over the docks. 10 Long-tailed Tits, 7 Jays & a Short-eared Owl also briefly paid us a visit. Also on site Bullfinch, Woodcock, Brambling plus a handful of new Goldcrests & a Firecrest (+2 others left over from recent days). Not many offshore movements noted but 2 Goldeneye are worth a mention. A Peregrine harassed several of the pigeon flocks passing through with a Little Owl possibly an alien as it was not on one of the usual perches. Quality autumn birding.

Ringing : 240 Blackies, 9 Chaffs, 8 Lesser Redpolls, 6 Lottis, 5 Goldcrests, 4 Robins, 3 Goldies, 3 Greenies, 2 Wren, Brambling, Firecrest, Blue Tit, Woodie  = 284 new birds.