Saturday 12th December 2020

Last century winter records of Linnet were very unusual but nowadays a walk around the site it is not difficult to come across a small group.

Another dull murky morning but with a bit more of interest compared with recent days with 4 Redwing, 3 Ringos on the beach, Skylark that flew inland, Little Egret along the riverbank, female Eider on the river & Great-spotted Woodpecker in the observatory compound. Song Thrush singing on the Butts also worth a mention. Offshore movements southbound 2 Red-throated Diver & Shelduck with northbound 2 Common Scoter & 2 Red-throats.

Friday 11th December 2020

With all the rain a large quantity of Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae on Elder at the moment which is a common & widespread fungi that has had a couple of English vernacular name changes in my life time due to political correctness.

Rain & poor visibility up to late morning. An hours purgatory looking out early on produced no Cormorants & very few gulls with the bulk of the Great Black-backs having moved on to different feeding grounds at the moment. Southbound 2 Brent, 2 Gadwal, 2 Teal, 2 Sanderling plus a Red-breasted Merganser that flew into the river & a Common Scoter north later in the morning. 10 Kitts were following shipping including 2 juvs. The female Eider is still with us on the river. As it has stopped raining if anyone gets the enthusiasm to walk around this afternoon then this blog may be updated later.

Thursday 10th December 2020

 An Eider was crabbing along the river & a Snow Bunting was heard calling whilst watching it. Offshore a handful of Red-throated Diver & Gannets coming & going but little else.

Wednesday 9th December 2020

The highlight was 6 Kitts offshore with numbers being dire this autumn/winter so far. An hour and a half starring out produced southbound 3 Lapwing & 3 Red-throated Diver with northbound 4 Red-throats & 3 Common Scoter plus a Great-crested Grebe fishing. Gull & Cormorant numbers very low. On site 9 Linnet, 2 Redwing & Chaffinch but very little else seen on a walk around.

Tuesday 8th December 2020

A reasonably calm start with the sun starting to break through and then the thick fog rolled down the river mid-morning. Worth a mention are 6 Greenfinch, 2 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush & a Little Egret that flew inland amongst a fairly predictable winter bird list.

As far as photos go we will have to stay with the leaf mines theme on Bramble with Stigmella aurella a common species with the flying moth a tiny tot barely identifiable from its congeners in its adult form.

Ringing: 1 Song Thrush

Monday 7th December 2020

Thick, damp, cold fog that thinned out a bit by midday quelled the enthusiasm this morning with the variety of species noted so far probably the lowest in the observatories history. Site Management & paperwork the order of the day so far.

Whereas yesterdays micro moth is never seen except as mines today's, Copotriche marginea, is common in the traps May to September but only infrequently encountered in its "mining form" here for some strange reason.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird

Sunday 6th December 2020

Dull start clearing to a fine winters morning limiting offshore observations to 11 Red-throated Diver north. On site very basic  bird wise with a Woodcock the highlight. Single Blackbird trapped was on the obese side so obviously hadn't come far to reach us.

Ectoedemia erythrogenella is a nationally scarce leaf mining moth that is fairly common here although we have never seen the adult moth. Is it as rare as records suggest or is it just a lack of recorders out looking for it ?

Ringing: 1 Blackbird.