Saturday 24th December

Just 2,300 Cormorant counted going out this morning. Also noted southbound 9 Kitts, 7 Golden Plover, 8 Red-throated Diver, 5 Brent, 3 Common Scoter, Great-crested Grebe, Shelduck & Wigeon with northbound 14 Red-throats. At least 15 Kitts & 3 Meds following shipping.

Friday 23rd December 2016

2,347 Cormorants heading out to go fishing early morning is the first time a count over 2,000 has been achieved - surely this is all of them and there can't be any more ? With 2,300 in one extended mass flock it is an impressive sight. Common Gull got into three figures for the first time this winter with 102 counted and at least 26 Kittiwake also logged. Apart from the above southbound went 13 Red-throated Diver, 11 Brent Geese & a Great-crested Grebe with northbound 28 Red-throats & 3 Common Scoter.

Thursday 21st December 2016

A few late autumn passerines on the move with 4 Meadow Pipit & a Skylark heading south. A Snow Bunting flew around over the site for about 20 minutes was not seen to pitch in. Finally a new Great Tit trapped is quite exceptional for this time of the year as autumn migration finishes at the end of October/early November time in this species with new ones turning up in the winter at Landguard almost unknown.

Ringing: 1 Great Tit.

Wednesday 21st December 2016

A different Glaucous Gull put in an appearance, this time a second-winter bird. Also this morning southbound 8 Brent, 6 Red-throated Diver, Great-crested Grebe, Wigeon & Velvet Scoter plus northbound 8 Red-throated Diver, 2 Brent, 2 Oyk & Commom Scoter with at least 8 Kittiwakes following shipping. This Kitt count is higher than the total number noted in the all of December so far which is appalling bad !

Tuesday 20th December 2016

Distinctly better today with the weather changing and visibility improving. Southbound 55 Red-throated Diver, 54 Brent, 13 Common Scoter, 3 Shelduck, 2 Great-crested Grebe, 2 Teal, 2 Eider, 2 Oyks, 2 Common Gull, White-fronted Goose, Bean Goose & Bar-tailed Godwit plus northbound 15 Red-throats 11 Common Scoter, 6 Brent & Gannet. Why are we mentioning Common Gull ? Well, basically, the numbers are dire - we should be having counts in the hundreds or even thousands at this time of the year. Finally the Rock Pipit is still with us.

Monday 19th December 2016

Cormorants have been avoiding us lately so 1720 going out en masse is always going to be impressive. Brief sea watching in the flat calm conditions produced a handful of Brents, Red-throated Divers & a couple of Mallard. Purple Sand & Rock Pipit are still along the riverbank plus the Bullfinch is still with us.

Sunday 18th December 2016

Misty cool morning but at least the worst of the fog has gone but as long as we have high pressure and almost no breeze then the spectre of it returning will still haunt us. 2 Fieldfare on site were new in but not really sure what a Yellowhammer heading south into the murk over the river then back north a few minutes later mid-morning is up to. Just goes to prove that migration is always going on, it's just at a lower level at some times of the years than other. Rock Pipit is still with us on the riverbank (with late news for yesterday being it present in the fog along with a Purp & Turnstone in the afternoon).

Not been a good fungi autumn although Fender Fungus Melanotus horizontalis is still with us on some of the remaining ropes that are quickly rotting away.