Friday 2nd February 2018

Cormorants started at 0705 hrs and instead of coming out on mass spread it out over a 25 minute period with a total of 1,735 logged. Some movement with single Skylark and Fieldfare coming in off the sea plus a Marsh Harrier south. Offshore southbound 12 Red-throated Diver & 4 Brent with northbound 15 Red-throated Diver, 7 Brent, 4 Turnstone & Oyk. High tides at the moment coinciding with the super moon with a half metre storm surge due to the north-westerly wind but no need to start building that Ark just yet, which saves the dilemma of deciding which two rabbits to take with us !

Thursday 1st February 2018

A visually impressive "supermoon" and the spectacular sight of 1,822 Cormorants going out on mass overhead at dawn is enough to make one feel good to be alive on a distinctly chilly morning. What a Reed Bunting was doing flying high south at 0720hrs at this time of the year just as the Cormorants were about to come over is open to speculation but with the lengthening days the urge to get back to the breeding grounds are strong. Rock Pipit along the riverbank & the Stonechat on the Butts completes the excitement for one morning !

January Ringing Total

For the sake of completeness: 3 birds of 3 species ringed -

House Sparrow 1

Song Thrush 1

Blackbird 1

We have had lower January totals !

Wednesday 31st January 2018

Never managed a photo of Little Gull on the blog before but its a small bird offshore so this is the best one can manage. 2 adult Little Gull appeared late morning with earlier on, the highlight of several hours starring out being 5 Avocet heading south. Plenty of gulls following shipping but very little else moving with southbound 5 Red-throated Diver & 3 Brent with northbound 4 Red-throated Diver & a Brent. A mere 73 Cormorant went out overhead this morning, but apparently about 900 went out over Trimley this morning and missed us completely.

Tuesday 30th January 2018

1,230 Cormorants went out fishing early on. Rock Pipit along the riverbank & the female Stonechat again on the Butts. No sign of Purps, but they were not seen yesterday morning only to reappear in the afternoon so bet they don't go far when not on, or near, the point.

Monday 29th January 2018

A mere 72 Cormorant went out fishing this morning. Offshore southbound 22 Kitts with northbound 4 Red-throated Diver & 2 Gannet. 5 Ringed Plover on the reserve is the first time they have returned this "spring" - it only takes a couple of mild days for the locals to be stimulated to return in order to check out that the nesting grounds are still here.

Sunday 28th January 2018

811 Cormorants went out fishing. Short seawatch produced southbound 16 Red-throated Diver with northbound Fulmar & Oyk. The point was bird-less an hour after high-tide then another hour later Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone & Rock Pipit had reported for duty. 3 Long-tailed Tit paid a visit (one also did yesterday but it slipped my mind when doing the blog) which will be birds starting to wander in search of new sites to colonise this forthcoming spring.

A search round some of the old buildings under the observatory produced 4 Peacock butterflies and 2 Herald moths hibernating in dry dark recesses.