Saturday 2nd December 2017

An Egyptian Goose heading south just off the beach is only the eighth site record. On the move southbound 25 Common Scoter, 11 Shelduck, 10 Red-throated Diver, 4 Brent & Shag with northbound 29 Teal, 23 Common Scoter, 13 Brent & 3 Red-throats. The Iceland Gull behaved itself loitering all morning, Purp Sand was on the point, Rock Pipit on the riverbank & Bonxie offshore. A Snipe was flushed off the beach and a couple of Blackies are still moving through.

Ringing: 5 Blackbird.

Friday 1st December 2017

After failing to get recorded yesterday the Iceland Gull patrolled up and down the beach on a cold showery morning. A small arrival of new Blackies with about 25 on site plus coming in off the sea 107 Starling & a Chaffinch. Offshore more entertaining with southbound 47 Wigeon, 35 Teal, 28 Black-headed Gull, 22 Brent, 12 Common Gull, 11 Red-throated Diver, 2 Shag, 2 Common Scoter, Shelduck & Pintail with northbound 79 Teal, 28 Red-throated Diver, 23 Wigeon, 21 Eider, 9 Black-headed Gull, 7 Brent, 7 Gadwal, 3 Little Auk, 2 Kittiwake, Pochard, Goldeneye, Common Scoter, Redshank, Guillemot plus a Bonxie offshore amongst a plethora of seagulls. The Purple Sand was again on the point.

Ringing: 8 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch.

December Litter Pick

Litter Pick this Saturday 2nd December at 0930hrs start. Further details on the events page of www.lbo.org.uk

November Ringing Totals

491 birds of 27 species ringed is above average for this century and almost double the November totals achieved in the last four years helped by a return to form for Blackies this autumn. The two Barred Warblers were exceptional for this late in the season.

Blackbird	299		Dunnock	2
Redwing	45		Brambling	2
Robin	21		Barred Warbler	2
Chaffinch	20		Greenfinch	2
Song Thrush	19		Grey Wagtail	2
Lesser Redpoll	17		Linnet	2
Meadow Pipit	9		Blackcap	1
Goldcrest	8		House Sparrow	1
Goldfinch	8		Common Redpoll	1
Starling	7		Pied Wagtail	1
Wood Pigeon	6		Purple Sandpiper	1
Wren	5		Reed Bunting	1
Fieldfare	4		Sparrowhawk	1
Chiffchaff	4

Recent Ringing Recoveries

Blackbird ringed Haland, Tysvaer, Rogaland, Norway on 13th August 2017 retrapped 861km away at  Landguard 28th October 2017 with the Norwegian site presumably being near to its natal site. Robin ringed Hollesley 7th September 2017 retrapped 16km away at Landguard 22nd September 2017. Sparrowhawk ringed Landguard 19th November 2016 retrapped 8km awat at Walton-on-the-Naze 27th October 2017.

Thursday 30th November 2017

Mist nets packed in and the moth traps put away for the winter as a biting north-westerly wind deterred anyone from walking around the nature reserve. On the move southbound 24 Black-headed Gull, 10 Red-throated Diver, 8 Common Gull, 5 Shelduck, 4 Brents, 2 Teal & Dunlin with northbound 11 Brent, 9 Common Scoter, 4 Red-throated Diver, 2 Eider, 2 Turnstone & Shelduck. 2 Great-crested Grebe were on the sea offshore plus a stack of seagulls behind shipping. 19 Starling, 15 Lapwing & a couple of Blackies came in off the sea having battled across the North Sea into a head wind to get here as we move from late autumn migration to cold weather movements.

No birds ringed.

Wednesday 29th November 2017

The second record of Puffin in a month is only the 12th site record - this one went past not to far out and pitched in so it makes one believe it is the same one as seen nine days ago. A Common Buzzard going south is also a notable species here despite being resident just over the far side of the docks. Some migration apparent this morning in the shape of a small handful of Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackies, a Mistle Thrush plus a Lesser Redpoll. 1576 Cormorants went out fishing early on. Apart from the Puffin offshore movements were southbound 10 Common Scoter, 46 Brent, 9 Shelduck, 8 Red-throated Diver, 2 Teal, 2 Goldeneye & Gadwall with northbound 11 Red-throats, 4 Wigeon,3 Common Scoter, 2 Bonxie & 2 Brents. Late news - The Iceland Gull turned up along the beach in the afternoon. Also 2 Bonxies offshore that may, or may not, have been the birds seen heading north in the morning.

Ringing: 6 Blackbird, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Chaffinch.

Tuesday 28th November 2017

When the highlight of the morning is the fact that the Red-legged Partridge population has risen from 2 to 3 then you know its not exactly riveting. All the mist nets were opened and no new birds ringed suggests that autumn passage is done 'n dusted. What movement there were consisted of southbound 7 Goldfinch, 2 Brent & an Oyk with northbound a Red-throated Diver. A Bonxie continues to loiter offshore and the Iceland Gull showed up late morning.

Is this Satellite the last moth of the season as the forecast is set to get a lot colder over the next few days.

No birds ringed.

Monday 27th November 2017

1,118 Cormorants went out this morning. Offshore movements poor with southbound 4 Common Gull, 3 Gadwal, 2 Dunlin, Shag, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Oyk, Knot, Sanderling, Curlew, Kittiwake plus a Red-breasted Merganser that was going south that pitched in just off the beach to do some exploratory fishing. Northbound 1 Red-throated Diver. A Bonxie put in three appearances and is obviously loitering with intent. All the usual's were present with Purple Sand on the point, Snow Bunting on the beach, female Stonechat on the Butts and the Iceland Gull that finally put in an appearance late morning (has it started scavenging chips and kebabs along Felixstowe sea front in addition to scrounging off beach fishermen ?).

No birds ringed.

Sunday 26th November 2017

Apart from the usual suspects that have been around for a few days now, like this Snow Bunting and the Iceland Gull, things are starting to look bleak. A couple of Goldcrests are still here, trying desperately to find enough food to see them through the winter. Apart from that 2 Purple Sandpipers on the point, 2 Bonxies loafing offshore and 2 Sanderling went south.

Ringed 1 Blackbird.