Saturday 20th January 2018

Rain. 2,580 Cormorants went out fishing early on. Southbound 3 Red-throated Diver, 3 Common Gull, Shag & Kittiwake with northbound 11 Brent & 7 Red-throats. Single Redwing in the compound & Turnstone but that's about it of note.

January Litter Pick

Litter pick this Saturday 20th January 0930hrs start. Usual arrangements on the events section of www.lbo.org.uk

Friday 19th January 2018

One of the delights of occupying old buildings is that chunks are liable to fall off. One of the garden benches also failed it's flying proficiency certificate yesterday morning being salvaged from the bushes today a fair way from its starting position in an unusable state. 2,150 Cormorants went out to sea fishing with the bulk of them going over 0720 hrs to 0730 hrs which is far to early to be here on a cold frosty January morning but then again it is getting lighter earlier. Mr & Mrs Peregrine were up displaying over the cranes as the last few Cormorants were going out at 0745 hrs. Nowt else to report.

Thursday 18th January 2018

WNW 8 - 9 gusting 10 with a gust of 55.75 knots at 0620 hrs is a bit draughty. A mere 80 Fieldfare passed through this morning with a single Redwing the only other indicator of any cold weather movements (yesterday's count of Fieldfare is the largest in the observatories history with the only other four figure count on record being 1,000 also during cold conditions a mere 34 years ago on 24th January 1984). 2 Purple Sandpiper on the point is the only other record of note.

Wednesday 17th January 2018

Cold weather forced flocks of Fieldfare totalling 1,259 to move quickly through the site this morning with just a few groups dropping in briefly. Also on the move southbound 108 Lapwing, 11 Common Gull, 11 Kitts, 3 Shelduck, Red-throated Diver & Great-crested Grebe with northbound 13 Kitts & Red-throat. Stonechat still present but no indication of any other refugees from bad weather elsewhere.

Tuesday 16th January 2018

With the "currant bun" out this morning no sea watching. Whilst 1,510 Cormorants went out fishing, as it was barely getting light, a young male Sparrowhawk was trying to battle his way out over the estuary but eventually gave us due to harassment from gulls. Quick wander round produced the female Stonechat but nothing else different from recent days.

Monday 15th January 2018

A Fulmar was the first record of the year of a species that we often don't record until the early spring. Wet 'n windy morning with a distant skua identified as several species in the gloom before coming close enough to see it was a Bonxie that after entering Essex soon turned round back north into Suffolk waters. Southbound 64 Kitts, 18 Brent, 6 Wigeon, 6 Teal, 2 Red-throated Diver & Shelduck with northbound 4 Red-throats. Only 700 Cormorant ventured out early on but in these weather conditions who can blame them. Winter Stalkball's out in profusion at the moment - they do like calcareous conditions and areas around the building where lime is leeching out of the old military buildings into the surrounding areas.

Sunday 14th January 2018

After the Cormorants went AWOL yesterday 2,669 went out fishing this morning almost all as one huge continuous flock. 40 minutes spent sea watching produced south bound 2 Red-throated Diver, 2 Brents & 2 Kitts with northbound 6 Brent, Red-throat & Common Scoter. On site 2 Turnstone on the point, Fieldfare on the reserve & female Stonechat north of the Butts pond.