Saturday 4th January 2020

1,210 Cormorant went out fishing early. on. Rock Pipit on the point & Stonechat on the Butts. Very limited offshore observations with northbound 5 Brent, 3 Common Scoter & Red-throated Diver.

Friday 3rd January 2020

Wet miserable morning greatly enlivened by a gaggle of 31 Bean Geese heading south and out to sea. Never managed a Bean Goose photo on the blog before & considering the conditions lucky to manage anything at all but being birders taking a photo is only an afterthought in proceedings once the geese were identified. Apart from this sighting rain & poor vis resulted in few records with southbound 7 Brent, 5 Common Gull, Oyk & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound 8 Brent, Fulmar & Oyk. We don't get many mid-winter Fulmar sightings, with some years none at all.

Thursday 2nd January 2020

Dull old morning. 1,270 Cormorants went out fishing. Southbound 4 Wigeon, 3 Red-throated Diver, 3 Teal, 2 Common Gull, Curlew, Oyk & Shelduck with northbound 7 Red-throats & 2 Shelduck. Rock Pipit on the point & Stonechat on the Butts.

MEMBERSHIP 2020

Members are reminded that membership renewals for 2020 are now due. New members who wish to support the work of the observatory are also welcome. Membership form on www.lbo.org.uk

Link:    https://www.lbo.org.uk/membership/

Wednesday 1st January 2020

Is this Magpie parliament sorting out their affairs for the new year talking any more sense than our lot will in 2020 ?

Glorious calm start until the cloud & poor vis rolled in mid-morning. 1,110 Cormorants headed out fishing early on. Very few offshore movements noted with southbound 13 Black-headed Gull, 9 Wigeon, 8 Brent, 6 Shelduck, 3 Common Gull, 2 Red-throated Diver & Oyk with northbound 4 Brent. 2 Purps & Rock Pipit on the point. Today's migrant is a Fieldfare.

December Ringing Total

4 birds of 3 species : 2 Blackbird, 1 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush.

This equals the lowest December total ever although we have several monthly totals in the winter in single figures.

Tuesday 31st December 2019

Only 595 Cormorants counted going out fishing. Quiet morning with southbound 5 Common Gull, 3 Wigeon, Brent, Red-breasted Merganser & Shelduck with northbound 6 Brent & 4 Red-throats. Nowt else to report.

Monday 30th December 2019

1,790 Cormorants went out fishing first thing. Glorious sunny winters day ideal for censusing the overwintering passerines with at least 18 Robins present following on from a good autumn passage. Blackbird numbers are on the low side with wintering Song Thrush difficult to come across. Chaffinch, Dunnock, Wren, Corvids & Tit numbers are about what's expected. 55 House Sparrows is okay for recent years with two distinct groups around the cottage/observatory and at the north end of the Butts although individual change allegiances between gangs. Wood Pigeon numbers vary here between winters with just a single pair of Collared Doves occasionally present recently. Collared Doves are normally on eggs by Christmas so hopefully they will get going soon. Single overwintering Stonechat on the Butts & Rock Pipit at the point although only a single Purp seen as the tide is out giving them plenty of spots to disappear into. Finally 2 Skylark heading south are today's migrants.

Sunday 29th December 2019

2,250 Cormorants went out early. Southbound 41 Wigeon, 23 Shelduck, 18 Teal, 14 Brent, 11 Common Gull, 4 Red-throated Diver, 3 Shoveler, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Pintail & Pochard (only our second sighting this year) with northbound 17 Brent, 11 Red-throats, 3 Shelduck & 2 Common Scoter.