Saturday 8th March 2014

Early March doldrums just waiting for spring to get going. Very few migrants noted although the 5 Snow Bunting are still with us. A freshly dead Great Pipefish was picked up on the tideline.

Ringing: 2 blackbird

Friday 7th March 2014

Male Merlin came through & clobbered a passerine (Robin ?) on the reserve with a female Merlin carrying prey in off the sea onto the reserve later in the morning. Quiet in the bushes although 2 Redwing & Firecrest present. A Skylark went south, Rock Pipit flew over the obs & 5 Snow Bunting are still on the beach. Heading south offshore 18 Brent, 5 Red-throated Diver, 5 Oyks, 3 Shelduck, 3 Common Scoter, 2 Shoveler, 2 Pintail, Gannet, Wigeon, Goldeneye & Barwit plus going north 63 Brent & 12 Red-throats.

Ringing: 1 robin.

Thursday 6th March 2014

Handful of migrants on site today including Firecrest & 2 Redwing. On the move heading south 4 Wood Pigeon, 2 Jackdaw & Carrion Crow with the highlight from a paltry selection of offshore movements being 6 Common Scoter. An immature male Peregrine put in a brief appearance in addition to the resident pair & a pair of Mallard were on the puddle in the entrance to the old aggregate yard (she is presumably the same female that has bred here for the last few years). In the moth traps Agonopterix curvipuntosa which is a site speciality that occurs here in small numbers and a species only rarely noted elsewhere in the UK.

5 birds ringed : 2 Redwing, 1 Robin, 1 Great Tit, 1 Song Thrush.

Wednesday 5th March 2014

3 Pink-feet out & north over the obs is always a good Landguard site record. Also on the move heading south 47 Wood Pigeon, 19 Barnacle Geese, & Oyk plus going north 28 Brent. Couple of new Blackies, Chaffinch, Great Tit & Firecrest new in today with a Redwing on site departing to the north. 5 Snow Bunting still here today on the back beach. 100+ Frogs in the Butts pond croaking away is good to see & hear. Finally the first moths of the year noted this morning - single Hebrew Character & The Chestnut.

5 birds ringed: 2 Blackbird, 2 Great Tit, 1 Chaffinch.

Tuesday 4th March 2014

Feels like spring but we must remember it's still early days in that department. Grey Wag went south & a couple of Curlew out of the estuary then north. Offshore deadly quiet but with the bright sunshine not a lot of effort put into starring out. The bushes also very quiet in the migrant department. At least 4 Snow Bunting on the beach plus a Skylark on the reserve. For those of you who enjoy watching Peregrines having sex then the sunny weather has certainly got them at it in the adjoining dock. A Small Tortoiseshell out and about is our first butterfly of the year.

Ringing: 1 blue tit, 1 song thrush.

Monday 3rd March 2014

Firecrest is a good early(ish) spring migrant. Also on site 3 Redwing & a couple of new Blackies. Heading southward 5 Mipits, 2 Grey Wag & Marsh Harrier also giving the feel of things getting going for the spring. Offshore heading south 6 Red-throated Diver, 4 Shelduck, 4 Wigeon, 2 Tufteds, Gadwal & Oyk plus north bound 4 Brent, 3 Oyk, 2 Red-throats with a Fulmar going south then back north again. Male Peregrine singing this morning (if you can call it singing !) and 5 Snow Buntings still present despite the prediction almost two weeks ago that they were not going to be here much longer - but then again what do we know !

Ringing: 5 birds - 2 blackbird, 1 firecrest, 1 dunnock, 1 greenfinch.

Sunday 2nd March 2014

Bright n' breezy. Heading south 7 Knot, 4 Red-throated Diver, 2 Gadwal & Shelduck plus heading north 79 Red-throats, 5 Gannet, 2 Brent, Red-breasted Merganser, Dunlin & Guillemot. Back up to 5 Snow Bunting this morning & the pair of Long-tailed Tits are still with us (looks like they have moved in - one of them is a bird we originally ringed here last November that has obviously wintered somewhere nearby).