Saturday 10th December 2016

A mild dull misty morning degenerating in a miserable drizzly afternoon. 5 Fieldfare on site early on departed inland with 2 Redwing also on site. Furtive Bullfinch still with us. Through the murk 22 Wigeon & a Teal flew south just offshore. Turnstone just about photographable in the gloom.

Friday 9th December 2016

A couple of migrants on site this morning in the shape of single Fieldfare, Redwing & Bullfinch with regulars to the site knowing how infrequently Bullfinch gets a mention. Back in the early 1980's Bullfinch bred here at a time when the number of bushes and the height of the trees was a fraction of what we have nowadays and the docks & Felixstowe were a lot smaller.

Ringing: 1 Redwing

Thursday 8th December 2016

Reading this blog for all you punters out there at this time of the year is almost as tedious as me writing it. Whilst looking at seagulls behind ships 3 Red-throated Diver & an Oystercatcher flew north with a walk around the site just revealing the common "garden" birds that will try and overwinter here.

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Rock Pipit & Purple Sandpiper still along the concrete riverbank but you have been given photo's of them in recent days so here's a Herring Gull to warm the cockles of your heart ! Basic coverage this morning so that's it.

Tuesday 6th December 2016

Starlings used to be common in "the good old days" but nowadays one struggles to see more than the odd one on site at this time of the year despite natural food not being hard to come by (leatherjacket in this case ?). Misty start this morning with a Golden Plover on site early on shifted off by the first dog walkers. Apart from that the highlights off a walk around the site were 2 Mipit & a Rock Pipit. On foggy mornings the Cormorants get up later with a mere 165 counted going out fishing this morning as the bulk of them are going out to sea on a different trajectory recently heading for feeding grounds slightly north-east of us. It's got that "early December doldrums" feel about the place at the moment but not long until the winter solstice and the day-lengths increase.

Monday 5th December 2016

Purp on the point (it was apparently along the riverbank yesterday as well) could well be one attempting to winter in the area. Bit of vis mig this morning in the shape of 2 Siskin & a Mipit heading south. Odd late Mipits on the move throughout December is not unusual but Siskin has had such a poor autumn it was almost a surprise to note them.

Sunday 4th December 2016

Mist nets taken down & packed away for the winter this morning so observations largely limited to a Meadow Pipit & a Fieldfare noted whilst undertaking this task. Glorious sunny morning so staring out to sea into the sun not wise so just 2 Gannet north and a dose of Cormorants on the observations pad. That's your lot !

Ringing: 1 Goldfinch