Saturday 1st December 2018

Some interest offshore especially just as the rain was getting going with southbound 4 Brent, 3 Shelduck, 2 Little Gull & Bonxie and northbound 2 Brent, 2 Common Scoter, Bonxie & Pomarine Skua. A Guillemot was on the river behind the observatory. On site 7 Linnet, Greenfinch & Rock Pipit on the point worth a mention as winter sets in.

November Ringing Totals

395 birds of 27 species is 25% down on last years November total but higher then the totals for the previous five years.

Black Redstart	1
Blackbird	95
Blackcap	5
Black-headed Gull	1
Blue Tit	2
Chaffinch	10
Chiffchaff	2
Fieldfare	2
Dunnock	1
Firecrest	4
Goldcrest	128
Goldfinch	6
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1
Great Tit	2
Grey Wagtail	1
House Sparrow	3
Kestrel	1
Long-tailed Tit	28
Meadow Pipit	7
Palas's Warbler	1
Redpoll (Common)	1
Redpoll (Lesser)	27
Redwing	19
Robin	23
Song Thrush	14
Woodpigeon	2
Wren	8

Friday 30th November 2018

Much more pleasant weather conditions brought a small handful of new "turdus's" on site including 2 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, Fieldfare & a couple of new Blackies. On the move southbound 7 Skylark, 6 Starling & 4 Goldfinch. Loitering on site at least 8 Goldcrest, 2 Stonechat, Greenfinch, Purple Sandpiper plus Tuesday's Firecrest is still with us. 1,476 Cormorant went out to sea fishing early on but no other offshore movements noted.

Ringing, 2 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Redwing.

Thursday 29th November 2018

South-westerly force 6 - 7 with early morning rain then the occasional shower produced almost nothing offshore with a couple of hours observation giving southbound 4 Gannet & a Great-crested Grebe with northbound single Kittiwake & Red-throated Diver apart from the usual seagulls and only a couple of hundred Cormorant. On site a Fieldfare plus the wintering locals skulking away in areas out of the wind.

Struggle to photograph anything this morning so here's some Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae on the Elder by one of the moth traps, although some of you will know it by a previous name from less politically correct days.

Ringing: 1 Goldfinch, 1 House Sparrow.

Wednesday 28th November 2018

Wet, damp breezy morning with poor visibility. A fine Great-northern Diver flew south just offshore & a Shag came into the river mouth. Other offshore movements almost non-existent. On site a Chiffchaff & a handful of Goldcrests but more may be keeping their heads down. A couple of Turnstone were along the riverbank on a quick walk round but that's your lot.

Ringing: 1 Chaffinch.

Tuesday 27th November 2018

Last knockings but not to late in the autumn for a couple of tardy Blackcaps, Chiffchaff & Firecrest to still be arriving into Britain for the winter. Late arriving Blackbirds carry on into December but a new Robin & Wren are also on the drag. Vis mig barely existent but represented by southbound 6 Linnet & a Skylark. Offshore southbound 78 Brent, 58 Teal, 13 Red-breasted Merganser, 8 Wigeon, 5 Gadwal, & 2 Shelduck with northbound 56 Cormorant, 9 Common Scoter, 5 Snipe, 5 Turnstone & Barnacle Goose plus a Shag that came in off the sea then headed into Essex up the Stour. On site at least 15 Mipit & 8 Goldcrests remain.

Mottled Umber is a winter flyer that due to the bleak exposed conditions at Landguard is not recorded annually.

Ringing: 2 Blackcap, 1 Blackbird, 1 Firecrest, 1 Robin, 1 Wren.

Monday 26th November2018

Dull wet morning. On site 15 Mipit, 11 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 3 Song Thrush, 3 Turnstone, Chiffchaff, Fieldfare, Lapwing plus some lingering Goldcrests keeping their heads down. It's a rum old do when Greenfinch appears as worthy of a mention and a sad state of the current state of affairs. Offshore quiet with southbound 6 Brent and northbound 10 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Diver, Eider plus a Bonxie clobbering a Great Black-backed Gull forcing it to give up its breakfast which was entertaining for us but not for the gull.

Ringing: nil

Sunday 25th November 2018

Marsh Harrier coming in off the sea & heading inland is presumably contemplating spending the winter in Britain. The Cormorants heading out to sea fishing early morning have been missing us out recently but this morning they came over us in force with 3,402 counted which is a huge number for this early in the winter. On site migrants limited to 2 Redwing, Fieldfare, Song Thrush plus a new Chaffinch. Offshore southbound 30 Wigeon, 28 Common Scoter, 8 Teal, 4 Pintail, 2 Brent, 2 Mallard & Goldeneye with northbound 11 Brent, 3 Kitts, 2 Greylags & Gannet.

Ringing: 1 Chaffinch, 1 Song Thrush.