Friday 6th February 2015

13 Barnacle Geese north over the obs are the first of the "spring" although in this biting north-easterly wind it's difficult to conceive this as spring. 3 fine drake Eider went north just off the beach with other sightings limited to south bound 25 Red-throated Diver plus north bound 13 Brent, 2 Red-throated Diver & Common Scoter. Started getting the years moth list under way by looking at the leaf mines on the Holm Oaks with Ectodemia heringella, Phyllonorycter messaniella & Stigmella suberivora noted so far. E.heringella was only first noted in England in 2002 but now some of the Holm Oaks are covered in them.

Thursday 5th February 2015

Concerned looking Turnstone as Mrs Peregrine took one of it's compatriots for breakfast. We wish she wouldn't pick on our Turnstone as they are only here in record low numbers this winter. Plenty of street wise Feral Pigeons in the docks to knock off, but no, she and her hubby prefer easier victims like waders on the exposed beach. Apart from this brief entertainment (if you can call it that) still "same old, same old" with today's highlight being a single Fieldfare roosting on site.

Wednesday 4th February 2015

Single Fieldfare on site & 33 Brents out then north are the only records of note although it's worth noting that both Song Thrush and Great Tit were singing well in the sunshine despite the frosty conditions. Been rooting round the site looking at fungi again with a fair group of Oyster Mushroom on one of the Poplar trees. This is an edible species, that is even grown commercially for the table, although it is an extremely variable species that can be confused (although when it comes to fungi identification being novices in this department we are easily confused).

Tuesday 3rd February 2015

Predictably deadly quiet with the mornings highlight being the first double figure count of Linnet for the year. Movements were 39 Brents heading out then north, northbound 2 Shelduck, 1 Oyk plus southbound 2 Shelduck & Red-throated Diver. As the birding isn't exactly rivetting plenty of time is being spent trying to read gull rings in the car park which is proving frustrating with partly read Lithuanian, German & British rings on Black-headed Gulls but whenever one chucks some bread out it doesn't take long for a mellee of hungry gulls, corvids & black labradors to hoover up the scraps let alone members of the public driving their cars in and parking in the most inconvenient positions - whatever next, people parking in car parks - how inconsiderate !

Monday 2nd February 2015

Redpoll is today's migrant having dropped in briefly it moved off south. 496 Cormorants counted going out to sea to go fishing this morning proves there is fish out there even if other fish eating birds are as scarce as hen's teeth !

Sunday 1st February 2015

Weather grim, cold, wet & windy. On the move south bound 22 Red-throated Diver (highest count of the year), 8 Wigeon, 7 Shelduck & a Knot plus north bound 18 Brent. Nothing else to report.