Tuesday 12th March 2013

Still a biting NE wind with a fresh dusting of overnight snow. Tons more sand blown up onto the reserve. Movements were a single mixed flock of 19 Barnacles, 1 Canada & 1 Brent north plus 36 Cormorants, 3 Gannets & a Common Scoter north & 5 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers, 1 Shelduck south. A handful of new Blackies were ringed. At this time of the year they should be spring migrants, but in these weather conditions they may well be cold weather refugees. Whatever they were their weights were more in tune with autumn arrival weights rather than being fat little porkers ready to depart across the North Sea. The back beach held 7 Turnstones, single Sanderling & Ringed Plover. Turnstone numbers have been pathetic all winter with this count the highest for some time.