Saturday 3rd March 2018

Another dose of snow yesterday evening with the temperature finally creeping up above freezing overnight and, best of all, the biting easterly wind has abated. 15 Little Gull just off the beach slowing drifting north were exceptionally close inshore for here. Also on the beach 2 Sanderling and a Ringed Plover plus 7 Turnstone, Redshank & Lapwing on the riverbank. Very murky offshore deterred any meaningful offshore observations.

Friday 2nd March 2018

Overnight low of minus - 1.7 Celsius and only half a degree above that now but in an Easterly force 7 the wind chill is not pleasant. 4 Little Gulls offshore all morning but apart from 56 Cormorants going out fishing and 12 Brent north just a few seagulls. Waders along the riverbank were 7 Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Knot & Redshank plus Grey Plover towards the point and later over the observatory. Rock Pipit also along the riverbank & a Fieldfare on site conclude the sightings of note although for those of you who like Med Gulls a couple of the adults in the View Point car park area look absolutely stunning at the moment.

With the strong onshore wind a huge quantity of sand has blown onto the reserve over the last few days as this picture taken from the observatory helps illustrate.

Recent Ringing Recoveries

Blackcap ringed Landguard 29th March 2007 retrapped 179 km away at Bellum, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium on 13th October 2008 only took nearly ten years to get the information back whereas a Great Tit ringed Landguard 8th October 2017 was retrapped 54 km away at Pulham St. Mary, Harlston, Norfolk on 27th February 2018 with the information received within 24 hours of it being caught.

Thursday 1st March 2018

No fresh snow overnight but more this morning in an Easterly force 7 blizzard. Overnight low of minus - 4.2 Celsius and a wicked wind chill this morning with a daytime high of just minus - 2.4 Celsius so far. Water pipes to toilet finally frozen but not to the kitchen thankfully. Difficult to observe what was going on due to the blizzard except to say some waders were finally being forced to move although numbers counted probably only a fraction of those forced to move with southbound 300 Brent (one flock), 91 Dunlin, 22 Knot, 6 Shelduck & 5 Ringed Plover. Along the riverbank 5 Turnstone and 3 Dunlin desperately trying to find something to eat on the tideline plus a single Redshank flushed from the beach out the front by a dog walker. St David's Day was supposed to signify the first day of the spring - dream on !

Plenty of footprints in the snow including foxy loxy.

PSPO

The Landguard Partnership are looking for volunteers to undergo a training session to help with the enforcement of the Public Space Protection Order on Landguard Nature Reserve. You will not necessarily be expected to be out there laying down the law just because you have been trained. It's mainly about dissemination of information and confidence-building. That doesn't stop keen individuals pursing matters more vigorously, if they wanted to, provided they stick to a few basic rules. Anyone out there willing to come forward to receive a training session are asked in the first instance to contact the Landguard Ranger on Chris.Ryde@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

February Ringing Total

Just 2 birds - 1 Blackbird & 1 Chaffinch. Believe it or not but lower February ringing totals do exist.

Wednesday 28th February 2018

Overnight low of minus - 4.6 Celsius and still only minus - 2.4 Celsius now but the wind chill on top of that in an increasing SE gale is positively evil. More snow overnight has blown onto sheltered areas and caused some damage to the roof of the Helgoland trap but hopefully the increasing wind will stop any more accumulations on the roof of the trap despite blizzard conditions now in force as the wind picks up the fine dusty snow from exposed parts and blows it around. Bird wise no offshore movements of waterfowl although its far to cold to observe into the onshore gale for to long (40 mins starring out produced a highlight of just 2 Kitts). 3 Mipits flew south over the Fort & a Woodcock is new in. No doubt if these sub-zero conditions prevail for to long then vulnerable species like Robins & Wrens will basically die as a result of the lack of feeding opportunities caused by snow cover. Finally 5 Turnstone along the riverbank is the highest count for some time.

Tuesday 27th February 2018

Roughly 3 to 4 inches of snow overnight & this morning. Overnight low of minus - 4.8 Celsius at 0810 hrs this morning and a daytime high of minus - 0.2 Celsius late afternoon its not what we, or the small birds here, are used to in recent years. Some seawatching brought a handful of Red-throated Divers, Shelduck & Common Scoter plus 6 Skylark south but with the weather conditions not on site early enough for a proper Cormorant count. The only refugees from the cold are single Fieldfare & Mipit plus the Lapwing from the past couple of days still with us. Along the riverbank 3 Turnstone, Purple Sand & Rock Pipit are not really affected by the conditions. Attempts to prevent water pipes freezing up have been successful so far but attempts to lure gulls from the View Point car park to some old sandwiches in the compound for ringing have failed.

Annual General Meeting

The AGM of Landguard Conservation Trust is due to be held 7.30 pm on Tuesday 20th March 2018 at Felixstowe Guide Headquarters, Garrison Lane, Felixstowe. If any members have not received via e-mail a copy of the Agenda & the minutes of the 2017 AGM and would like them please contact landguardbo@yahoo.co.uk and copies will be sent out.

Monday 26th February 2018

Barely above freezing with flurries of snow. Offshore between snow showers a couple of Red-throated Diver, single Shelduck & Kitt noted but no obvious cold weather movements. Lapwing still with us but its bleak down here.

Sunday 25th February 2018

228 Cormorants went out fishing. An hours sea watching was little more than purgatory with, apart from Cormorants & seagulls, producing literally"diddly squat". On the plus side no cold weather movements means that the "beast from the east" is not forcing birds to move in response to the cold weather - well not yet anyway ! On the reserve a single Lapwing is the only sign of any refugee from the freezing conditions. Finally the Rock Pipit was along the riverbank.