Saturday 24th January 2015

After "Spot the Firecrest" photo a couple of days ago today's quiz is "Count the Legs". Presumably this is the predatory Haplophilus subterraneus unless someone tells me different. 2 Firecrest still with us this morning but the only other record of note is a male Reed Bunting flying south over the Butts.

Friday 23rd January 2015

255 Cormorants flew out to sea this morning (counts have been lower recently), 2 Great-crested Grebe went south & 3 Brent north. 2 Skylarks over the reserve departed south and a Firecrest was seen on the "icky" ridge late morning. Regular visitors to the site have commented on the sand inundation over recent years following the "sea defence" works up the town. Apart from having tons of wind blown sand choking the beach what is also apparent is the spread of Marram grass. Formerly present in just one clump on the boundary of the two halves of the reserve Marram grass has spread in this area to double it's former extent and has moved southwards in little clumps along along almost the whole length of the beach. What was formerly a globally important shingle beach is changing to a sandy covered area with Marram which is getting big in places with more sand building up around it. Late news concerns a Goosander flying south in the afternoon.

Ringing: 1 greenfinch

January Litter Pick

Litter pick this Saturday 24th 0930hrs start. Further info on the events page of www.lbo.org.uk

Thursday 22nd January 2015

Spot the Firecrest. Surprisingly there were actually two Firecrests associating together on the Icky ridge mid-morning that then drifted south in to the observatory compound. We did see a Firecrest back on the 14th by the Butts pond but it is basically a bit odd why they are turning up at this time of the year as this species is not known for mid-winter movements. Neither bird is ringed so they are not birds from last autumn that have been skulking on site unseen. Bizarre ! Also of note were 3 Fieldfare, 5 Mipits & a Lapwing on the reserve with 5 Turnstones & 3 Snow Bunting on the beach. Starring offshore still a waste of time with just 10 Wigeon, 3 Brent & 2 Shelduck heading south.

Wednesday 21st January 2015

Cold & drizzly. c.1000 gulls to plough through following ships but nowt odd. The cold spell is not cold enough to bring any offshore movements with this morning just 5 Wigeon & 3 Shelduck south plus 4 Brent north which to be honest is a pathetic return. A Mistle Thrush put in a brief appearance and at least one Snow Bunting was heard over on the beach but in these conditions no one went looking for it (or them). Things can only get better.

Tuesday 20th January 2015

Glorious sunny morning meant all the usual suspects were out sunning themselves although the highlight of a walk around the reserve was the highest count of Meadow Pipit of the year but don't get overexcited as it was just 2 !

Ringing: 1 chaffinch

Monday 19th January 2015

It was sad to see a JCB clearing the scrub inside the dock fence half way down View Point Road this morning. Many of you will know it as the site where Britain's ninth ever Spanish Sparrow went to roost each evening. More importantly the 120 or so House Sparrows that have been roosting here will have to go to bed somewhere else tonight. Over the years the Port of Felixstowe have been clearing up what they consider to be "waste" ground across the entire dock and it has been a surprise that this area hasn't been cleared earlier. On the plus side at least it has been done in mid-winter and not when all the Linnets, and other species that have been utilising this quiet area, are nesting. Not a lot else to report this morning with single Stock Dove & Fieldfare on site plus a Greylag Goose flying inland.

2014 Annual Reports & Updates

2014 annual reports for birds, butterflies, dragonflies, mammals, miscellaneous are in the archive, 2014 ringing totals and updated data lists plus updated systematic lists of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, moths, rare birds & escapes are now available on www.lbo.org.uk for those with difficulty in getting to sleep.

Sunday 18th January 2015

Dull & not very warm but at least there's no wind. You can tell when next to no birds to write about when one resorts to waffling about the weather. A reasonably close Bonxie drifted north but other movements were limited to southbound 5 Shelduck, plus northbound 4 Red-throated Diver & a Brent. Good to see both Little Owls canoodling up close together on one of there regular perches. They have gone a bit quiet this year after all the vocal interactions that were going on so presumably the interloper here in December has been evicted.