Saturday 15th March 2014

Bit of action offshore including south bound 95 Red-throated Diver, 32 Black-headed Gull, 21 Knot, 6 Curlew, 5 Shelduck, 5 Dunlin, 4 Brent, 4 Common Scoter, 2 Barnacle Geese, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Velvet Scoter, Fulmar, Eider & Med Gull plus north bound 63 Red-throated Diver, 49 Common Scoter, 41 Brent, 3 Pintail, 2 Gannet, 2 Oyk, 1 Great-crested Grebe & Curlew. 2 Crossbill went north & 2 Mipits south. 8 Redwing plus single Chiffchaff & Siskin were on site with a Red-legged Partridge noted first thing. One lucky observer saw a Wheatear which somehow eluded the rest of us.

Ringing: 1 Chaffinch.

Friday 14th March 2014

Thick damp fog so far today - bit of a waste of time really. Heard calling lost in space were Golden Plover, Redshank, Siskin & Redpoll. A Chiffchaff was on the icky ridge & one of yesterdays Goldcrest was still with us. 3 Red-legged Partridge were on the beach.

Ringing: 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock.

Thursday 13th March 2014

2 Red-legged Partridge are the first since the last remaining one, of a once thriving population, that was last noted on 3rd April last year. A Corn Bunting headed south, then into Essex - we failed to record one last year. The first Goldcrests of the year hear today along with a couple of Chiffchaffs. Heading south overhead 24 Wood Pigeon & a Mipit, north bound Golden Plover & Stockie plus coming in off a very misty sea single Grey Heron & Snipe.

5 birds ringed: 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Blackbird.

Wednesday 12th March 2014.

Another quiet day with little to report. 2 snow buntings  another new chiffchaff 1 lesser redpoll over and the pair of peregrines on or around the nest tray. Little else of note on the bird front but a common seal offshore 3 small tortoiseshells in the compound and smooth newts are starting to appear in bigger numbers in the moat. On the ringing front just 4 birds were ringed today  2 blackbirds 1chiffchaff and 1 robin.

Furniture Request

We require a settee & comfy chair. If you have these items that comply with current H&S regulations and have the relevant stickers please can you e.mail landguardbo@yahoo.co.uk If you can deliver it that would be wonderful.

Tuesday 11th March 2014

Heading south 10 Red-throated Diver, 6 Gannet, 2 Brent, 2 Teal, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, Shelduck & Pochard (notable here) plus north bound 22 Red-throats, 13 Gannet, 8 Common Gull, 2 Pintail, Greylag, Common Scoter & Oyk with 3 Gannets pulling in behind the Stenna Britannica as it went out. Hard work around the bushes in the strong north-easterly wind with the ringing far more productive than expected considering very few nets could be opened in the prevailing conditions. Worth a mention on site are Fieldfare, Chiffchaff & 2 Long-tailed tits with the other pair of Long-tailed Tits that were here regularly until a few days ago having seemingly moved on. Just the 2 Snow Bunting again this morning.

8 birds ringed: 2 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 Blackbird.

Monday 10th March 2014

Chiffchaff started singing 1045ish so it must mean it's spring ! A handful of other grounded migrants (as exampled by the ringing list below) including a large adult male Chaffinch who's natal area is clearly far from here. At least 409 Wood Pigeon went south who were no doubt clearly pleased that the Peregrines were more interested in sex than making a meal out of one of them. Also heading south 15 Mipit, 6 Crows, 3 Jackdaw, 2 Grey Wags, Stock Dove, Skylark & Pied Wag. A couple of Redwing were on site & 2 different Fieldfare passed high overhead in land during the morning. 2 Snow Bunting were by the point & the first Peacock butterfly of the year was noted.

7 birds ringed: 2 blackbird, 2 chaffinch, 1 dunnock, 1 blue tit, 1 great tit.

Sunday 9th March 2014

A Grey Partridge was seen to fly over the observatory & out to the beach could not be relocated but may still be out there hiding away - we had one last year which was the first site record since the early 1980's. Migrants this morning include 16 Wood Pigeon & 2 Siskin south plus Little Egret north. Offshore not worth mentioning. 100+ frogs still in the Butts pond doing what frogs do is worth a look as you wander past that way.

3 birds ringed: 1 Wren, 1 Blackbird, 1 Collared Dove (pullus).