January Ringing Total

For the sake of completeness the following were ringed having been caught in the Helgoland trap this month : 4 greenfinch, 2 goldfinch, 2 wood pigeon, 1 chaffinch.

Saturday 31st January 2015

3 Snow Bunting still on beach. Next to nothing going past despite cold and flurries of snow. As an indication of how little has been on the move offshore comparing a quick tally of this January with last January's figures then  in 2014 Red-throated Diver 899N 534S (2015 31N 3S) 2014 Shelduck 7N 342S (2015 9N 53S) 2014 Wigeon 14N 342S (2015 50N 82S) 2014 Teal 5N 210S (2015 0N 5S), 2014 Great-crested Grebe 4N 22S (2015 1N 5S) 2014 Guillimot 31N 91S (2015 Nil seen). Other waterfowl numbers have also been pathetic this January compared with last. Although we all say that "there's not as many birds around as when I was a lad" and we do enjoy a good moan and whinge - let's face facts in that there are less birds around and starring offshore has been particularly tedious. Plenty of Cormorants going offshore to feed but other pelagic fish eaters are just not present this winter.

Ringing: 1 wood pigeon

Friday 30th January 2015

A dose of snow yesterday early evening had largely melted away by dawn. 2 Great-crested Grebe went south plus 29 Brent & a Common Scoter north. At least 5 Med Gulls knocking around this morning and 3 Snow Bunting are still on the beach.

Thursday 29th January 2015

Sunny, frost, breezy with a notable wind chill. c.1,500 gulls following ships to plough through but very little going past offshore with the highlight being 1 Gannet !

Wednesday 28th January 2015

Heading south 196 Golden Plover, 34 Brent & Gannet plus heading north 4 Shelduck, Red-throated Diver & Gannet. A Bonxie mover leisurely south earlyish with presumably the same individual loitering offshore just prior to writing this blog. No-one has had the enthusiasm to walk around the reserve in the wind and rain so far.

Tuesday 27th January 2015

Southbound 6 Wigeon, 2 Shelduck, Brent & Oyk plus northbound 42 Brent. A Lapwing was on the reserve briefly early on. 3 Snow Bunts again on the beach & the 2 Firecrests on the "icky" ridge.

Monday 26th January 2015

The 2 Firecrest were in the Holm Oaks on the seaward side of the bird observatory compound late morning plus the 3 Snow Bunting back on the beach having gone missing for a few days.

Sunday 25th January 2015

Heading south single Great-crested Grebe & Curlew plus north bound 4 Shelduck & 3 Brent. Apart from that it's the usual birds in the usual places as the weather is not conducive to bringing much change at the moment. Whilst trying to read seagull rings in the car parks it is notable that Pied Wagtails dive in for a few crumbs as well - it's only in recent years that Pied Wags have been noted regularly at Landguard in the winter months which is quite possibly linked to milder winter weather plus good juvenile productivity in the breeding season. Another possible reason is the fact that since one of our members retired they are not getting fed as frequently in the vicinity of Shed 70 in the docks as they were in the past !

Ringing: 1 greenfinch, 1 goldfinch.