Ringing Recovery

Landguard Bird Observatory has an ongoing long term study of local gull populations. This mostly involves ringing youngsters. On the 21st July last year a considerable amount of time was spent extracting an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull from netting protecting solar panels on a local factory roof. It gave me a severe pecking & I still have the scars to prove it ! This bird would have been dead in the baking sun if we hadn't been on hand to rescue it. It is pleasing to report that it was no worse the wear for it's ordeal as the bird was seen sunning itself at Anza, Morrocco 2556km away on 9th & 13th January 2015 being identified by it's colour ring DSD.D Hopefully it will be back in Felixstowe this summer.

Saturday 14th February 2015

Today's migrant is a Skylark on the reserve where some of the local Ringed Plovers have started returning to check on their territories. 72 Brent went out then north with a single Shelduck coming in off are the only other records of note.

Friday 13th February

Most observers were off site this morning doing a Low Water Count on the nearby estuaries. Stock Dove is the only sighting of note today and that is probably the same one that's been around for weeks. Nowt else to report.

Thursday 12th February 2015

Nowt to report as spent the morning on Helgoland trap repairs. These Wood Pigeons were canoodling on the fort roof and got down to some serious courtship but the intimate photos are far to graphic to publish before the 9pm watershed.

Wednesday 11th February 2015

Another 98 Brent out then north - are these birds migrating or just changing estuaries in the morning, me thinks the later as they ain't heading straight out. A Skylark heading north over the docks is definitely on the move but the first Rock Pipit of the year on the jetty could either be a wandering winterer or a spring migrant as this species usually gets on the move back to Scandinavia in the last few days of February as time and day length creeps on. A pair of Mallard turned up this morning which is presumably the female that has nested here the last few years with her new man in tow.

Tuesday 10th February 2015

12 Magpies in a "parliament" early on socialising together discussing who's going to nest where no doubt (they have been repairing nests in recent weeks). Single Fieldfare present first thing as is often the norm recently. 9 Canada Geese went north are the first of the year with, more expected, 22 Brent out then north. Non-avian wise the first newt of the year put in an appearance.

Ringing: 1 greenfinch.

Monday 9th February 2015

2 Fieldfare came out of roost in the tamarisk and what is presumably the same Stock Dove that we have been seeing lately was again on site. 36 Brent went out then north as did a single Curlew but as Curlew start arriving back on their breeding grounds in the third week of February then this could be (say it quietly !) the start of spring passage. As what few birds of note we do have on site won't sit long enough to photo here's a pic of the wonderfully named Cramp Balls or King Alfreds' Cakes Daldinia concentrica - not a rare fungi but as the fungi site list is in it's infancy any thing is of interest.

Sunday 8th February 2015

The only migrant on the pad for this morning is a Carrion Crow south offshore. For those of you who like your Peregrines they appear to be about the site & active most mornings with one of them just taking a Starling for supper from a flock of 60 attempting to come into roost on the nearest old crane just prior to written this piece.

Saturday 7th February 2015

Apologies for late blog but your blogger was attending the AGM of the Bird Observatories Council (link on lbo home page) at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory this weekend. Records from landguard were 66 Brents went out then north with single Red-throated Diver north offshore plus southbound 2 Shelduck & Red-throated Diver. A single Fieldfare was once again present on site.