Saturday 3rd January 2015

Rain & almost no wind. 1 Fieldfare only bird of note. Abandon ship (or more precisely go home to do paperwork).

Friday 2nd January 2015

Mild winter weather makes things a tad tedious & doesn't tend to produce much in the way of migrants. 4 Fieldfare here briefly are today's migrants plus a Carrion Crow coming in off. Is this crow a migrant or one that just had a jolly out to sea and was just seen coming back in ? Starring out to sea very poor - once you have seen the 172 Cormorants heading out plus them changing position on a regular basis in the distance offshore then it's down to a grand total of a mere 6 Brents south & a Great-crested Grebe north in a couple of hours observation which is a very poor return indeed for the effort put in. Very few seagulls & Kitts about at the moment with divers and auks non-existent at present. Only 1 Collared Dove about behaving as if it's mate is nesting so just got to get the enthusiasm to locate it.

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Thursday 1st January 2015

Woodcock disturbed in the half light could have well been the bird taken by Mrs Peregrine & consumed on the beach very early on. Offshore heading south 40 Knot, 27 Wigeon, 15 Kitts, 5 Common Scoter, 2 Gannet, 2 Shelduck, Shoveler & Teal plus north bound 2 Gannet, Oyk & Kitt. A walk round the reserve produced a Snow Bunting near the point and a freshly dead Greylag Goose on the tide line but next to nothing else.

December Ringing Totals

22 birds of 7 species:
8 blackbird, 6 house sparrow, 2 wood pigeon, 2 song thrush, 2 chaffinch, 1 sparrowhawk, 1 greenfinch.

Wednesday 31st December 2014

Another glorious frosty morning. 45 Wigeon went out of the river then north & not to long after this presumably the same 45 Wigeon returned from whence they came. Red-necked Grebe went north and appeared to pitch in could well be the same individual seen only a few days ago. Apart from these sightings the only thing of remote interest is a Stock Dove that could also be the same individual noted on odd occasions over the last few weeks. The Collared Doves are getting fruity & look like they are contemplating nesting - bit nippy for that sort of behaviour but that hasn't prevented us finding their young here in January in the past.

Tuesday 30th December 2014

Sharp frost on a glorious sunny winters morning. 2 Grey Geese flew south early on but the rear end views precluded a positive identification. Apart from that it's just the usual birds in the usual places around the site. A new British race Songie is probably a refugee that has moved down to the coast from the colder conditons inland.

Ringing: 1 Song Thrush

Monday 29th December 2014

2 adult Bewick's Swans flew over calling evocatively as they headed north over the beach line then up over the town. Apart from that 10 Fieldfare are this mornings highlight, but they soon all headed inland. Offshore characteristically hard going with 3 Common Scoter south & north bound 2 Brent, Eider & Oyk.

Sunday 28th December 2014

Offshore heading south 11 Red-throated Diver, 11 Wigeon, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Kittiwake plus northwards 45 Wigeon, 11 Eider, 5 Teal, 4 Brent & 2 Pintail. Eider have been thin on the ground this autumn so these north bound birds are presumably heading from the low countries up to the north Norfolk coast which is a phenomenon we often note here at the end of October & November. A Stock Dove on site departed  northwards over the docks but little else noted apart from the regulars.