Saturday 21st December 2019

Please would someone turn the taps off. Landguard is usually in the top three driest sites in the UK but just recently it doesn't seem to stop with another deluge this morning. 2,870 Cormorants went out to sea fishing. Offshore southbound 87 Kitts, 26 Shelduck, 13 Pintail, 8 Black-headed Gull, 5 Red-throated Diver, 3 Common Gull, 2 Common Scoter, Golden Plover & Oyk with northbound 30 Red-throats, 7 Gannet & 2 Common Scoter. Purple Sand & Rock Pipit are on the point. 2 Rook in the car park is an exceptional record for the time of the year.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird.

Friday 20th December 2019

Thoroughly wet morning (again) plus poor visibility with the rain stopping and the sun trying to break through as this is written. Despite the early gloom when the vis did improve some offshore movement noted with southbound 199 Teal, 68 Wigeon, 2 Common Gull, 2 Gadwal, 2 Red-throated Diver, Brent, Curlew, Goldeneye, Great-crested Grebe, Oyk & Shelduck with northbound 6 Red-throats & 5 Brent plus 9 Kitts offshore. With the mild conditions its difficult to explain the duck movement although they probably know something we don't.

Thursday 19th December 2019

Offshore southbound 67 Red-throated Diver, 45 Teal, 20 Brent, 18 Wigeon, 4 Pintail, 2 Dunlin, 2 Turnstone, Bonxie, Common Gull & Shelduck with northbound 8 Brent, 5 Red-throated Diver & Guillemot.

In the cellar amongst the hibernating Peacock butterflies was the first site record of Buttoned Snout. Considering we rummage around every winter in the bowls of the building looking to see what's hibernating this livened up the morning no end and with only photos taken in the dark giving us identification quandaries it took up some time.

Recent Ringing Recoveries

Robin ringed Glabbek, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium on 9th October 2017 retrapped 277 km away at Landguard 13th October 2019.

Chiffchaff ringed Landguard 24th March 2019 retrapped 4 km away at Trimley on 6th May 2019.

Four Long-tailed Tits ringed Landguard 25th October 2019 retrapped 41 km away at Dunwich on 5th November 2019.

Wednesday 18th December 2019

A more benign morning with glorious sunshine to start the day. 2,414 Cormorant went out fishing. On site a Fieldfare is todays migrant with a pleasant perambulation around the peninsula yielding the Rock Pipit on the point & the Stonechat on the Butts. Couple of Brent, Red-throated Diver & Shelduck noted moving offshore.

Tuesday 17th December 2019

Thoroughly miserable damp morning with poor visibility. 2,270 Cormorants headed out to sea fishing. Couple of Red-throated Diver & a single Dunlin noted offshore but nowt else. Grim !

Monday 16th December 2019

2,870 Cormorants came out on mass low down the river at 0735 hrs which is a bit more amiable of them than the last few days coming out before daylight. Otherwise hard work with southbound 12 Shelduck, 8 Siskin, 7 Teal, 6 Brent, 3 Common Gull, 2 Goldfinch & Red-throated Diver. Shag was in the river again early on.

Sunday 15th December 2019

With a full moon and very low tides early morning the Cormorants are going out 40 minutes before sunrise which is not good for an accurate count with 1,800 logged going out fishing as it was barely getting light although the actual number may be higher. Little effort put into seawatching as 45 mins effort produced just single Kitt & Shelduck. What is presumably yesterdays Woodcock is still with us but enthusiasm to flog around the site in this wind is non-existent. Santa is in the Fort this weekend - think I might pop in and see if he will deliver us a "goodie" for the festivities !