Saturday 25th January 2014

5 Long-tailed Ducks south (2 + 1 + 2) is a bit odd for mid-January but they hopefully know what they are doing. Also going south 75 Dunlin, 45 Knot, 30 Red-throated Diver, 30 Barwit, 20 Kitts, 9 Wigeon, 9 Grey Plover, 5 Teal, 3 Great-crested Grebe, 3 Brent, 3 Mallard, 2 Gadwal, 2 Guillemot, Ringed Plover, Sanderling & Mipit plus going north 6 Red-throats, 2 Fulmar, Great-crest & Guillemot. Finally the Snow Bunts are still out there & a Golden Plover was on the reserve first thing.

Friday 24th January 2014

Sunny, frosty, flat calm start with 239 Cormorants heading out & a gang of 70 feeding off the estuary mouth - as opposed to off the distant sandbar. Minimal time spent starring out into the bright sunshine so the only movements logged were a pair of Shoveler in off plus heading south 9 Red-throated Diver and 2 Great-crested Grebe. Also feeding offshore 10 Red-throats & 3 Guillemot. The 9 Snow Bunts are still with us but after that it's the usual birds in the usual places.

January Litter Pick

Litter Pick this Saturday 25th January 2014 0930hrs start. Usual arrangements on the events page of www.lbo.org.uk

Thursday 23rd January 2014

First time in a few days with time (& kind weather) to get the enthusiasm to wander down the point to check on the Snow Bunts and 9 birds were by the board-walk - we had 9 on the 11th so looks like the regular 7 have a couple of interlopers with them occasionally. Mrs Peregrine clobbered a pigeon this morning and was struggling to carry it over into the dock with Mr Peregrine keeping a close eye on proceedings. 394 Cormorants flew out to feed this morning but little else moving. Heading south 26 Teal, 23 Common Scoter, 22 Red-throated Diver, 9 Pintail, 2 Greylag, 2 Brent & Guillemot plus going north 14 Red-throats, Shelduck & Curlew. 2 Guillemot & Great-crested Grebe were also offshore. Kitt numbers very much thinned out with the winds easing but still plenty of gulls in the harbour to look through.

Wednesday 22nd January 2014

14 Little Gulls south (1st winter on it's own then groups of 5 & 8 adults) just off the beach line - but with the poor visibility and rain this morning if they had been any further out we may not have known they were out there at all. Also heading south 44 Kitts, 2 Red-throated Diver, 2 Wigeon, Knot, Curlew & Guillemot plus going north 11 Brent. 198 Cormorants went out to feed plus 62 south regardless of the grotty conditions. A couple of new Blackies ringed is indicative of movements but why is more difficult to ascertain (colder on the continent ?). Late news - total of 24 Little Gulls noted by mid-pm.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird.

Tuesday 21st January 2014

Thick fog clearing over the reserve & offshore from 11am but still thick fog inland. The whirring of Mute Swan wings were heard going over the obs but not seen. When the fog cleared various groups of ducks were sitting on the sea that had presumably become disorientated in the murky conditions including 9 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 3 Mallard, 3 Tufted & Shoveler. It just goes to show what's moving around overnight. Golden Plover also heard calling as the murk lifted that had probably got flushed off the reserve. Only land bird noted was a single Fieldfare. Worth a mention is the fact that some newts have returned to the obs pond already which is indicative of the mild conditions (despite it being sub-zero this morning).

Monday 20th January 2014

120 Cormorants flew out this morning then it was noticed a short time afterwards that c.450 Cormorants were sitting on a sand bar well offshore. 15 White-fronted Geese flew north overhead at 0840hrs with any records of this species good for us - particularly in a mild winter when not many are around the county. Very little on the move this morning offshore but going south 3 Brent & 2 Shelduck plus heading north 25 Brent, 6 Red-throated Diver, 3 Eider & Curlew. 7 Snow Bunting still with us despite a Sparrowhawk going down the beach line showing an interest in them. Finally will mention that 3 Songies are singing their little heads off which suggests that we will hopefully get three pairs again this year (& when you think it wasn't that many years ago we were down to nil pairs when the population crashed).

Ringing: 1 Kestrel

Sunday 19th January 2014

Slavonian Grebe sat on the sea just offshore then flying south is only the fifth site record but as the fourth site record was only nine days ago, and this is a major Landguard rarity, it begs the question as to whether it is the same bird loitering around the area. 345 Cormorants flew out to sea to feed this morning. Going south 47 Red-throated Diver, 45 Brent, 22 Teal, 20 Shelduck, 7 Common Scoter, 4 Guillemot, 2 Oyk, Great-crested Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser & Dunlin plus going north 232 Red-throated Diver. Basically one can conclude that there are plenty of little fishes offshore at the moment to support a substantial number of Cormorants & Red-throats with the odd auk & grebe thrown in for good measure. 7 Snow Bunting are still with us, 12 Mipits are knocking about, the first Sanderling of the year put in an appearance & the local Collared Doves are getting frisky with one pair quite possibly doing the business already.