Southbound 16 Red-throated Diver, 8 Black-headed Gull, 7 Teal, 4 Shelduck, Brent & Long-tailed Duck with northbound 35 Red-throated Diver, 18 Common Scoter, 2 Brent & 2 Gannet plus 12 Kitts & 7 Gannet behind shipping. 104 Cormorants flew out fishing from inland with a little later on 3,425 flying into the feeding grounds from the north
A Manx Shearwater heading south was most unexpected as we only have a grand total of 85 birds logged on 53 dates over 38 years with all previous records in the period 18th April to 3rd November and no winter records al all at a time of the year when this individual should have been somewhere off the coast of Brazil ! Apart from this wayward creature also southbound 7 Red-throated Diver, 4 Common Scoter, Brent Goose & Marsh Harrier with northbound 17 Common Scoter, Brent & Red-throat. 2,500 Cormorant came in from the north to the feeding grounds offshore. 7 Ringos were on the beach early on but soon shifted by humans.
More rain & poor visibility made for a grim morning enlivened by the mince pies. Amongst a paltry set of observations southbound 2 Golden Plover & Teal with northbound 15 Common Scoter. The Greater spotty Woody Woodpecker paid another visit.
Whilst waiting for the kettle to boil a quick sortie into the bowls of the building produced the first site record of Bloxworth Snout which I understand is only the third for Suffolk. Formally a rare immigrant to our shores it has colonised the south coast of Britain and, as the climate changes, will presumably invade the county.
Grim this morning for the winter solstice with the wind & rain making the shortest day of the year feel even gloomier than it should be. Oh well - it's all uphill from here onwards. Awful viewing conditions with a Shag heading overhead and into the river the only sighting worth a mention.
Southbound 11 Red-throated Diver, Goldeneye, Great-crested Grebe, Oyk & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound 6 Brent, 5 Red-throats & Red-breasted Merganser plus 2,640 Cormorant that came in from the north to the feeding grounds a long way out. Two groups of Starling totalling 18 birds went south. Rock Pipit is still at the point & a Great-crested Grebe was in the river. Afternoon update - second-winter Iceland Gull just inside dock fence at bottom of View Point Road flew over the car park into the river.