Saturday 23rd February 2013

Dead Bonxie found on the litter pick freshly washed up on the tide line is an unusual mid-winter record for here. At least 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (ad + 2nd winter) this morning with the light ideal for differentiating the various races of both Herring & Lesser Black-backs. Interestingly in the Lesser department intermedius are outnumbering graellsi at the moment. 2 Sanderling are on the back beach & both Peregrines are still on the out of wind side of the old dock crane.

Friday 22nd February 2013

Biting ENE breeze with the odd flurry of snow falling. 51 Cormorants & 4 Common Scoter went north with singles of Red-throated Diver & Shelduck south. It's not as bad as it sounds as a couple of thousand gulls are offshore to go through although most are far to far out for identification purposes. A second-winter Yellow-legged Gull was in the near part of the dock loafing amongst just a handful of gulls & the regular pair of Peregrines were on the out of the wind side of the old dock crane.

February Litter Pick

Litter Pick this Saturday 23rd 0930hrs start. Further details on the events page of www.lbo.org.uk If coming please wrap up warm as the onshore wind is bitter on the beach.

Thursday 21st February 2013

Biting easterly wind with the odd snow flake keeping the punters off the nature reserve despite it being half term week. Three flocks of Barnacle Geese, calling evocatively as they went south overhead & just offshore, totalled 373 birds which i suspect this is a record count for here. The only other goose mixed in with them was a single Canada. Also on the move 90 Cormorants, 2 Red-throated Divers & a Ringed Plover north plus 2 Shelduck south. The only other record of note was a Rock Pipit along the river bank. As none have wintered here i suspect this is a spring migrant making it's way back to Scandinavia for the breeding season. Difficult to think of spring in these cold conditions but a lot of migration is triggered by day length, not just temperature.

Wednesday 20th February 2013

Excellent prolonged views of a Pom Skua this morning that even sat on the beach at one point. The gull numbers loafing on the near part of the docks is picking up recently allowing 5 Yellow-legged Gulls to be picked out (3 adults, 1 second-winter, 1 first-winter). Great visibility looking out to sea in cold grey conditions produced just 2 Red-throated Divers S + 1 N, 2 Shelduck N, 1 Gannet N plus assorted seagulls although the Kittiwake numbers are rapidly declining as is their want at this time of the year.

Wren Recovery

On 11th October last autumn a Wren was caught bearing a ring that was not one of ours. The details have just come through informing us that it had been ringed 98km away at Eccles, Norfolk as a juvenile on 15th July 2012 which just goes to show how far some juveniles will disperse in the autumn from their natal area.

Tuesday 19th February 2013

Early blog today due to other commitments. An influx of Lesser Black-backed Gulls is clearly evidenced by 47 loafing in the near part of the dock whereas numbers have been in the low single figures up to today. Sanderling on the beach is only other record of note. Afternoon update - worth mentioning that both yesterday & today that once the sun has gone over the roof & onto the helli area a new Blacky & Songy have been caught & ringed which is about right the right time of the year for the first representatives of these species to be making their way back to the continent. Also this afternoon the 1st sign of Great Tit passage with a new one ringed - again this is plum on for the start of Great Tit passage. Unlike the previous two species mentioned Great Tits just seem to go walkabout around East Anglia each spring & we live in hope that one day one will decide to cross the water & get re trapped abroad.

Monday 18th February 2013

Spent the morning repairing holes in the helli. Fingers now numb with the cold. A Redpoll flying around was the only bird of note.

Sunday 17th February 2013

64 Barnacles south are presumably part of the ever increasing flock wintering further up the Suffolk coast making their way back to the low countries. 5 Curlew came out of the estuary then north at a ridiculous height calling evocatively as they head to pastures new. Finally the only other thing worth a mention is a Water Rail in the bramble bushes on the sunny side of the far end of the "icky ridge". Thick fog rolled in off the sea half hour ago so what was a glorious morning is now a waste of time.