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December Ringing Totals

11 birds of 5 species.

House Sparrow 4

Blackbird 3

Song Thrush 2

Fieldfare 1

Mediterranean Gull 1

The 2021 annual ringing total was less than 2,000 birds. Our previous lowest total was 2,762 in 2019 with the highest 9,622 in 1998. As numbers have been declining this century are we just going to have to get used to less birds to ring & look at ?

Friday 31st December 2021

This youngster was reared on the museum roof this year and is still begging from its parent by the view point car park.

Mild for the time of the year plus the sun came out for a change! 254 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. Offshore southbound 2 Dunlin, 2 Shelduck, Brent & Goldeneye with northbound 4 Red-throated Diver plus 11 Kitts loitering. A Shag flew down river, Purp was on the point with the Rock Pipit on the shore by the docks.

Ringing: 1 House Sparrow.

Thursday 30th December 2021

Much milder weather induced a Song Thrush to sing along View Point Road at dawn and 9 Linnet to pay a visit. A new Songie turned up (but may have been here yesterday). Offshore southbound 12 Wigeon, Common Gull & the first Fulmar of the "spring". The last Fulmar was back on September 2nd as they are pelagic when they moult in the autumn with the first individuals starting to return off here from January. This one was three weeks earlier than the first of the year this year suggesting it is possibly a non-breeding bird or failed breeder this year as they are known to commence and complete their moult earlier than successful nesters allowing them to start their late winter & spring wanderings before successful nesters have completed their moult cycle.

Ringing: 1 Song Thrush

Wednesday 29th December 2021

Running out of adjectives to describe the miserable weather with, yet again, more mist, drizzle & rain up to early afternoon. 814 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. Southbound 47 Wigeon, 3 Brent, 3 Shelduck, Common Scoter, Oyk & Red-throated Diver. 22 Kitts were following shipping. A small group of Dunlin, Ringed Plover & 5 Sanderling were on the beach in the early morning mist as it was getting light. At the point 4 Turnstone, 2 Purps & Rock Pipit.

Tuesday 28th December 2021

Another dismal morning with yet more rain clearing to deliver damp dreary strong westerlies. Starring offshore largely a waste of time in the early morning mist and rain. 853 Cormorant headed out fishing early on and a quick walk around produced 2 Turnstone & a Purp. 4 Redwing in the compound early on could well be yesterdays birds.

Monday 27th December 2021

Another dank morning but at least the rain held off till late am. 964 Cormorant headed out towards the Cork Sands for breakfast early on. On site 10 Fieldfare, 6 Turnstone, 4 Redwing, 2 Lapwing, Mipit plus a charm of 21 Goldfinch are worth a mention. Offshore southbound 18 Shelduck, 8 Teal, 6 Wigeon, 4 Brent, 4 Red-throated Diver & Guillemot with northbound single Brent & Red-throat in an hours observation.

Sunday 26th December 2021

Grim morning due to rain & poor visibility. 600 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. Southbound 50 Shelduck, 30 Brent, 6 Red-throated Diver, 5 Gadwal, 2 Common Gull, 2 Dunlin & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound 2 Common Scoter & Red-throat. At least 6 Fieldfare & 5 Redwing are on site plus 2 Lapwing putting in an appearance mid-morning. No enthusiasm to wander around the reserve in these conditions.

Saturday 25th December 2021

Easterly wing plus rain delivered 31 Fieldfare, 11 Redwing & 9 Lapwing to the reserve but Xmas morning dog walkers soon shifted them. 225 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. Purp was on the point & Snow Bunting on the beach. Offshore southbound 44 Brent, 15 Golden Plover, 15 Wigeon, 9 Common Gull, 5 Teal, 4 Black-headed Gull, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Mallard, 2 Wigeon, 2 Red-breasted Merganser & Shelduck with northbound 12 Gannet, 7 Red-throats plus at least 7 Kitts loitering. Mid-pm update : 50 Fieldfare arrived in and straight off inland.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Fieldfare.

Friday 24th December 2021

Young Kittiwake have been very scarce so far this winter so not a good sign to see this waif on the riverbank.

313 Cormorant went out in the dull early morning mist. Offshore southbound 20 Red-throated Diver, 4 Shelduck, 3 Mallard, 2 Pintail, Gannet, Razorbill, Velvet Scoter & Whooper Swan with northbound 8 Red-throats. Pair of Peregrine chased off an itinerant young female with a full crop who had the audacity to fly past their patch. A Snow Bunting came in from the north dropping onto the beach & 4 Turnstone were on the riverbank. Wouldn't mind betting it's the same Velvet going past in recent days as it comes past at roughly the same time (c.0850 hrs) at the same distance. Whooper Swan is always a good Landguard sighting with this adult following the shoreline before turning right into the river mouth.

Thursday 23rd December 2021

235 Cormorant headed out early on. 9 Lapwing on the reserve were shifted by the first dog walker of the day. Southbound 17 Red-throated Diver, 6 Shelduck, 5 Brent, 2 Great Crested Grebe & Velvet Scoter with northbound 5 Red-throats. 6 Turnstone & 2 Purps were on the point plus a Fieldfare on the reserve.

Ringing: 2 House Sparrow

Wednesday 22nd December 2021

Offshore southbound 4 Red-throated Diver, 3 Eider, Great Crested Grebe, Shag & Velvet Scoter with northbound 8 Red-throats, 4 Brent, 2 Common Scoter & Great Northern Diver plus a Goosander in off over the observatory & into Essex. 2 Purps were on the point & a Fieldfare at the obs.

Tuesday 21st December2021

The only hint of the sun on the shortest day was this apparition of a ship on fire at dawn.

7 adult Whooper Swans in off the sea heading for Cobbald's Point is only our 16th site record. Also offshore southbound 40 Shelduck (on their way back from the Waddenzee), 17 Brent, 11 Wigeon, 9 Red-throated Diver, 9 Shoveler, 7 Pochard, 6 Teal, 5 Common Scoter, Black-throated Diver, Great Crested Grebe & Oyk with northbound 11 Red-throats. Earlier on 331 Cormorant headed out to the Cork Sands fishing. On site 3 Turnstone, 2 Purps & Rock Pipit on the point, 2 Mipit on the reserve & Guillemot in the river.


Monday 20th December 2021


Still dull and gloomy but at least that pesky fog & mist has shifted. On the move this Marsh Harrier coming out of the river then north - we can get odd records of this species at any time. 204 Cormorant headed out fishing first thing. On the reserve 5 Snow Bunting on the beach, 2 Turnstone & Rock Pipit along the riverbank and a Redwing by the Butts pond. Offshore southbound 30 Red-throated Diver, Brent & Common Scoter with northbound 19 Red-throats Great Crested Grebe & Great Northern Diver.

Sunday 19th December 2021

Thick damp fog clearing late morning with a quick Billy Whizz around the site producing this Snow Bunting but nowt else of note.

Saturday 18th December 2021

Another grim scenario with intermittent fog and fine drizzle coming & going that delivered 65 Fieldfare & 3 Redwing lost and confused in the murky conditions. Offshore the poor visibility only cleared for a while to encourage observations with southbound 59 Brent, 22 Wigeon & 2 Red-throated Diver with northbound 8 Red-throats. The Purp & Rock Pipit were on the point plus a Guillemot and a couple of Red-throats just offshore.

It is only a couple of times a year that Herald visits the moth traps although a goodly number are hibernating in the buildings this winter.

Friday 17th December 2021

Dreich. 607 Cormorant headed out towards the Cork Sands first thing (but even they were late on parade). 2 Sanderling were on the beach with single Chaffinch, Fieldfare & Linnet on site. The drake Eider, Guillemot & Rock Pipit were present and accounted for along the river.
A rummage around the bowels of the building produced 2 Buttoned Snout. It was as recent as December 2019 that the first site record was found hibernating here and its difficult to explain what this nationally scarce species, that lives on Hops, is doing here.

Thursday 16th December 2021

249 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. 140 Dunlin on the beach at high tide is exceptional here but not long before they departed for Essex. 2 Turnstone & Sanderling also on the beach plus the drake Eider & Guillemot on the river. 5 Goldfinch headed south although in some "autumns" passage in this species drags on into early January. 4 Goldfinch, Fieldfare & a Linnet are on the reserve plus 3 Med Gull, including the above bird that has acquired a droopy leg.

Wednesday 15th December 2021

Looks like Starfish are also on the menu.

Southbound 43 Red-throated Diver, 2 Gannet, 1 Teal & 1 Oyk with northbound 32 Common Scoter & 16 Red-throats. Drake Eider, Guillemot & Shag on the river plus a Rock Pipit on the riverbank.

If any photographers with decent equipment is down at the point in the afternoon's one of the Cormorants that likes siting on the green triangle is sporting a Danish metal ring but with our inferior cameras we have not been able to read the digits. Not as photogenic as the Eider - scientifically more valuable to get the ring combination & far more challenging !

Tuesday 14th February 2021

3 separate Skylark came in off and inland were the only migrants. 3 Peregrine is worth a mention as not been seeing the regulars very often recently. Offshore very quiet with 2 Common Scoter south as good as it gets. Eider still on the river & Purp on the point.

Monday 13th December 2021

Offshore movements almost non-existent although a flock of 62 Golden Plover flew south late morning. Overhead heading south 3 Siskin & a Mipit. On site 5 Linnet, single Chaffinch & Fieldfare. A Shag was by the point & the drake Eider was along the river. Very low numbers of Cormorant counted either this morning or yesterday suggesting that the inland roost was attacked Saturday evening.

Sunday 12th December 2021

Winter Stalkball is out in profusion at present in the open moss covered areas. It is one of the site specialities noted at few sites. A lover of open calcareous 'soils' it also occurs alongside old buildings where lime mortar was used. Note the bit of Rabbit 'poo' giving a size comparison.

Today's migrants were Velvet Scoter went north just offshore, a drake Goosander flew west over the observatory & 5 Fieldfare were present early on before departing inland. Offshore movements very poor and predictable. The drake Eider remains crabbing in the river & a Purp was on the point. 

Saturday 11th December 2021

1,410 Cormorant went out fishing early on plus a stack more coming in from the north when the sun was out making them uncountable. New in were 3 Fieldfare, couple of new Blackies and 2 Siskin in off the sea. Offshore southbound 6 Brent, 6 Shelduck, 2 Goosander, 2 Great Crested Grebe & Shag with northbound 2 Red-throats plus 5 Wigeon sat on the sea for a while. 3 more Red-throats were in the river plus the drake Eider & Guillemot. 

Ringing: 2 Blackbird, 1 Mediterranean Gull.

Friday 10th December 2021

 No coverage - all the regular observers on a coordinated low water count up the Orwell & Stour.

Thursday 9th December 2021

Dinner plate sized Oyster Mushrooms on rotting fallen Poplar stump that something has been nibbling at.

A Shag flew north & the drake Eider is still crabbing on the river. The highlight of a good walk around the site was 16 Goldfinch at the north end which is far more than we have been noting recently.

Wednesday 8th December 2021

 Very quiet with offshore movements barely worth a mention. 10 Kitts were following ships & the drake Eider is still with us on the river.

This tiny tot landed on the computer screen after dark yesterday. We have leaf mines of Acrocercops brongniardella on the Holm Oaks and very occasionally record the flying adult in mid-summer but there doesn't appear to be any winter records of adults in Suffolk despite the literature stating that they can fly all year round.

Ringing: 1 House Sparrow.

Tuesday 7th December 2021

Early morning calm before the storm.

1,048 Cormorant heading out early on suggests less persecution at the roost inland and exemplifies how birds will return to preferred roost sites if at all possible. Movements offshore were southbound 26 Teal, 16 Brent, 3 Shelduck, 3 Shoveler, 2 Wigeon, Common Scoter, Gadwal & Red-throated Diver with northbound 3 Red-throats plus 2 Goosanders in off heading across towards Harwich and, presumably, on their way to Abberton. A Black-throated Diver was on the river before departing into Essex in addition to the regular drake Eider. 3 Turnstone were along the river & a Purp on the jetty.

Monday 6th December 2021

Handful of new migrants including 4 Blackbird rising out of Marram Grass along the shore and towering off inland first thing, 4 Fieldfare dropping in when the fog descended, Water Rail in the compound & a Mipit heading south. 4 Shag is a notable count for us tying in with an arrival elsewhere in the general area. 2 Snow Bunting were on the strand line, drake Eider is still crabbing in the river, a Rock Pipit was briefly on the point & a Woodcock remains was along the riverbank having presumably washed down from up river..

Sunday 5th December 2021

Drake Eider still on the river.

Migrants were single Mistle Thrush, Woodcock plus a Snow Bunting heard calling as it went over. 260 Cormorant went out fishing plus 2,619 came onto the feeding grounds from the north. Offshore movements pathetic with southbound 6 Common Scoter, 4 Red-throated Diver, Brent & Guillemot with northbound 5 Red-throats & Common Scoter.

Saturday 4th December 2021

Another dank drizzly morning up until the front cleared and the sun coming out late morning. Only 2 Brent Geese seen but one of them was a Pale-bellied Brent Goose B.b.hrota which is only our 18th ever record although others may have been missed amongst more distant Brents. The drake Eider is still with us in the river plus a Shag noted nearby mid-morning. Offshore southbound 4 Red-throated Diver, 3 Gannet, Shag (different to the for mentioned individual) & Wigeon with northbound 6 Red-throats. 435 Cormorant headed out fishing with a stack more coming in from the north to the feeding grounds uncountable in the very poor viewing conditions. 10 Kitts were following ships, 7 Linnet on the reserve, 3 Turnstone were along the river, Chaffinch at the observatory & Mipit by the point indicating not a lot happening. Worth a mention is a couple of Common Seal hauled out on the Outer Ridge Buoy which is notable from the fact that in 40 years of observation we have never noted this behaviour before.

Friday 3rd December 2021

Considering the cool breeze & annoying drizzle it was a much more interesting morning than was predictable as it was getting light. The fine drake Eider was in the river (photo taken yesterday when it was sunny), 6 Lapwing, 2 Fieldfare and Snipe were on the reserve, Guillemot was by the View Point again, 2 Shag flew south and into the river mouth just off the beach, a Bonxie was offshore late morning & an adult Glaucous Gull briefly joined the 1,000 big gulls offshore. Also noted southbound 8 Common Scoter, 5 Brent, 3 Common Gull (where are all the Common Gulls this winter ?), Golden Plover & Red-throated Diver with northbound 12 Common Scoter & Red-throat. Also worth a mention is 9 Kittiwake following a ship in which is our highest Kitt count of the winter so far.

Thursday 2nd December 2021

This Buzzard is only our second ever December record (with the only previous one being on 1st December last year). Otherwise a rotund Song Thrush weighing in at a third higher than the usual autumn migrants weight is the only hint of a passage bird on site and has successfully fattened up for the winter. Offshore c.1,000 seagulls with southbound 4 Common Scoter, 2 Brent, 2 Red-throated Diver, Goldeneye, Shelduck & Teal with northbound 4 Brent, 2 Red-throats & Goldeneye. A drake Eider was on the river behind the cottage mid-morning (must have walked past it in the cold wind) and a Guillemot was alongside the old Landguard Terminal mid afternoon.

Ringing: 1 Song Thrush.

Wednesday 1st December 2021

Hawthorn Shieldbug should really be thinking about hibernating at this time of the year.

Bulk of the morning spent packing up the mist nets & moth traps for the winter. Despite this a drake Eider was by the point, a Shag was feeding just north of this and a Heron flew south. 

NOVEMBER RINGING TOTALS

215 birds of 21 species ringed. This continues the theme of poor returns this year for the effort put in although do have five lower November ringing totals over the past 40 years (the highest November ringing total was 1,523 in 1998). 3 Jay is worth highlighting plus on the doom & gloom side only the second Goldcrest all autumn.



Tuesday 30th November 2021

Whilst walking around the reserve this winter on a 'birdless' day, if you want something to put a smile on your face poke your head over the fence behind the cottage garage to see the "Octopus's Garden". 

165 Cormorant headed out fishing with a further 4,291 coming in from the north to feed on the Cork Sands. Apart from seagulls behind shipping (plus a few Gannets feeding with them) not a lot moving offshore with southbound 10 Common Scoter, 8 Brent, 4 Red-throated Diver, Kitt & Teal with northbound 11 Red-throats, 3 Common Scoter, Brent, Guillemot & Teal. The only suggestion of a migrant on site today is a new Chaffinch.

Ringing: 1 Chaffinch, 1 Wood Pigeon

Monday 29th November 2021

EL45108 is the car park glutton. Haven't seen it since last winter so was getting a tad concerned but, alas, it is now back on station in recent days - bit like seeing an old friend.

First sharp frost of the winter for us. Only migrants apparent were 2 Redwing, Brambling, Chaffinch plus a Skylark flying south. Looking out to sea in this bright sunshine is retina damaging although no indication of anything on the move. 167 Cormorant headed out to sea over the observatory early morning suggesting that some are still using the traditional roost inland.

Ringing: 1 Chaffinch, 1 Redwing, 1 Wood Pigeon.

Sunday 28th November 2021

Small Tortoiseshell hibernating in a building.

Cold day with southbound 8 Brent, 8 Red-throated Diver, 5 Common Scoter, 5 Gannet, 3 Teal, Common Gull, Curlew & Kittiwake with northbound 4 Brent, 3 Gannet, 3 Red-throats, 2 Eider, Dunlin, Guillemot, Shelduck & Wigeon. Only migrant noted on site a Redwing.

Saturday 27th November 2021

Nominate race Guillemot Uria aalgae aalgae from up north in the river. Offshore southbound 43 Red-throated Diver, 9 Teal, 2 Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe & Great Northern Diver with northbound 11 Common Scoter, 9 Red-throats, 2 Gannet, Curlew & Guillemot. Grounded migrants limited to a single Redwing with nothing going over with a walk of the reserve producing just the birds that will winter with us, Purp & Turnstone included.

Ringing: nil.

RINGING RECOVERIES

Blackcap ringed Svanker, Bedsted, Thisted, Viborg, Denmark 26th October 2021 retrapped 710 km away at LBO 9th November 2021. This is only the ninth Danish Blackcap ever caught in the UK & will be a bird coming into the UK for the winter.

Robin ringed Kilnsea, Yorkshire 3rd October 2020 retrapped 202 km away at LBO 15th November 2021. This will be a continental bird coming into the UK for the winter via two different routes in subsequent years coming in via a shorter sea crossing and later in the autumn this year.

Chaffinch ringed Dalen, Luster, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway 13th August 2019 was killed by a Sparrowhawk 1121 km away at LBO 24th November 2021. We have four previous Norwegian Chaffinch movements to & from the region of Vest-Agder but this location is 300 km further north.

Friday 26th November 2021

Grim morning with cooler conditions, rain to late morning and an increasing wind making it feel like a bit like winter should. Offshore movements very poor although a single Kittiwake amongst the mass of big gulls was good to see (can't believe I wrote that considering the numbers we used to get last century).  Southbound 11 Red-throated Diver & 2 Gannet with northbound 3 Red-throats & 2 auks. In this weather no enthusiasm to walk around the reserve although a Turnstone, at least, is on the point.

A Grey Shoulder-knot lifted the gloom as it is not annual here and to have any moths at all in these conditions in late November is uplifting.

Ringing: nil.

Thursday 25th November 2021

An immature Night Heron calling as it flew overhead at 0640 hrs was most unexpected - our only previous record is back in August 1996. The only other migrants on site were a couple of Blackies & a Songie plus a visit from a Great Spotted Woodpecker. No overhead migrants with offshore very quiet with southbound 4 Red-throated Diver, 3 Common Scoter & Guillemot and northbound 6 Red-throated Diver, Curlew & Gannet. A turnstone was in the View Point car park and a Purp was on the point.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush.

Wednesday 24th November 2021

Flat calm andmuch colder with some fog first thing. Couple of new Blackies, single Redwing & Siskin on site plus a Chaffinch with a Norwegian ring. A Great-northern Diver flew over the obs and went into the Stour. Southbound 4 Common Scoter, Avocet, Brent, Gannet, Guillemot & Razorbill plus northbound 4 Brent. Purp was on the point. Cormorants have been devastated by control methods at the roost inland so it was pleasing to see at least 4,000 coming in from the north on the horizon to the feeding grounds at the Cork Sands.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird.

Tuesday 23rd November 2021

Handful of new Blackies this morning with 30 ish present plus 3 Mipit, 2 Chaffinch, Black Redstart, Redwing & Siskin. A Snow Bunting did a whizz around early on & a Purp is on the point. Southbound 5 Goldfinch, 4 Mipit, 2 Skylark & a Rock Pipit. A few Starlings were starting to arrive from late morning. Offshore quiet but southbound 5 Eider, 5 Shelduck, 5 Red-throated Diver & Gannet with northbound 8 Common Scoter, 7 Brent, 5 Teal, 5 Red-throats, Guillemot & Puffin. Finally a Common Darter is worth a mention.

Odd examples of adult Acrocercops brongniardella are seen in the summer but we only rarely see the mines as they tend to occur towards the tops of the Holm Oaks.

Ringing: 5 Blackbird, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Monday 22nd November 2021

More interesting this morning (certainly compared with yesterday!). We have a dismally poor showing of only 7 Goldcrests all autumn so it was good to get this positively obese young male which, by its weight, hadn't come far to reach us. Other migrants included 30 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, Brambling & a Woodcock sitting on View Point Road pre dawn. At least 556 Starling in off the sea headed inland during the morning with the only other passerines noted on the move were southbound 4 Chaffinch, 2 Skylark & a Mipit. Offshore southbound 24 Black-headed Gull, 14 Red-throated Diver, 12 Shelduck, 9 Brent, 4 Eider, 4 Greylag, 3 Goosander, 3 Teal, 2 Gannet & Common Scoter plus northbound 13 Gannet, 5 Common Scoter, 4 Eider, 4 Red-throats, 3 Common Gull & a Pomarine Skua at mid-day. The 2 tame Purps were on the point and a Guillemot in the river.

Ringing: 13 Blackbird, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Robin, 1 Song Thrush.

Sunday 21st November 2021

No grounded migrants apparent with visible migration limited to southbound 4 Redpoll & 2 Skylark. Offshore equally riveting with southbound 11 Red-throated Diver, 9 Shelduck, 5 Brent, 5 Wigeon & Oyk with northbound 3 Red-throats, Common Scoter, Guillemot & Shelduck plus at least 9 Gannet with gulls behind shipping although looking out into bright sunshine not encouraging prolonged observation. The daily census of the nature reserve was also enthralling and could have been completed without binoculars.

Still the odd migrant moth like Dark Sword-grass showing up - although with the night time temperatures forecast to drop the number of moths, per se, will do likewise.

Ringing: Nil.

Saturday 20th November 2021

 A handful of late autumn migrants including 15 Blackbird, 9 Fieldfare, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, Blackcap, Reed Bunting & Ring Ouzel plus 124 Siskin heading south. Offshore southbound 33 Shelduck, 15 Red-throated Diver, 2 Brent, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, Guillemot, Razorbill & Tufted Duck with northbound 15 Red-throats, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Great Crested Grebe & 2 Guillemot plus 2 Bonxie loitering amongst the big gulls. 8 Turnstone & 2 Purps on the point.

With the mild conditions odd moths like Turnip are still on the wing.

Ringing: 3 Blackbird, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Blackcap.

Friday 19th November 2021

Grounded migrants  almost non-existent. Southbound 15 Goldfinch, 8 Mipit, 7 Siskin, 2 Greenfinch & 2 Skylark. 2 Purps and a Turnstone were on the point, Snow Bunting was heard calling first thing over on the beach & a Dartford Warbler was just south of the Butts pond. Big Gull numbers are picking up offshore with roughly 900 Great Black-backs & 700 Herring Gulls following shipping.

The second site record of Scarce Umber with our only previous one in 2008.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird.

Thursday 18th November 2021

The second Puffin sighting of the autumn is notable here although the bulk of our previous sightings are in November. Starring into the sun offshore not clever although southbound 29 Black-headed Gull, 3 Pintail, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great-crested Grebe, Guillemot, Red-breasted Merganser & Shelduck with northbound 12 Common Scoter, 5 Guillemot & 5 Red-throats plus a Great-northern Diver that went south just offshore then back north again 5 minutes later for the second day running. Other movers consisted of southbound 9 Goldfinch, 5 Redpoll, 5 Siskin & 2 Chaffinch. On site a small handful of new birds as exampled by those species ringed plus 2 Mipits, 2 Purps on the point & 5 Snow Bunting (nothing consistent about Snow Bunt counts at the moment as birds are obviously wandering about rather than settling down for the winter).

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Robin, 1 Song Thrush.

Wednesday 17th November 2021

A shift in the breeze to north-west & clearing conditions brought very little new grounded  migrants in. Heading south 26 Goldfinch, 26 Stock Dove, 23 Wood Pigeon, 16 Goldfinch, 10 Redpoll, 8 Starling, 6 Chaffinch, 4 Skylark, 3 Mipit, Linnet & Rock Pipit with on site a couple of new Blackies & Redwing. Offshore very quiet, not helped by the sun in ones eyes, although a Great-northern Diver did fly up & down. Only 2 Snow Bunting seen on this mornings census although good to see Mr & Mrs Peregrine on station as they can go AWOL in the autumn.

Ringing: 3 Blackbird.

Tuesday 16th November 2021


Light Brown Apple Moth is a colonist from the Antipodes, first noted in the UK in the 1930's and now abundant and widespread

 A similar day to yesterday - heavily overcast and very calm; birds of note included c30 Blackbirds, 28 Brent Geese, 2 Chiffchaffs (first ones for a while now), 2 Purple Sandpipers still on the jetty, 12 Red-throated Divers, 7 Redpolls, a Sanderling south, 50 Siskins south, 8 Snow Buntings still and a Woodcock.

Ringing: Blackbird 6, Redwing 1, Chaffinch 1, Dunnock 1, Robin 5, Lesser Redpoll 5, Goldfinch 3, Song Thrush 1


Monday 15th November 2021


Black Redstart and Woodcock


A promising looking morning, heavily overcast with a feather-light NE breeze but despite a handful of Thrushes at dawn and a new Black Redstart in the nets there was little fresh in to get excited about; on the land birds comprised a Blackcap, the aforementioned Black Redstart, 9 Snow Buntings still, 40+ Blackbirds, a Brambling, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Turnstone on the jetty, 2 Redpolls, 3 Rock Pipits and 2 Woodcock.

A few bits offshore included a Goosander south, a Great-northern Diver on the sea, 91 Brent Geese, 21 Common Scoter, 6 Dunlin, 8 Eider, 10 Gannets, a Guillemot, 11 Lapwings, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 9 Red-throated Divers, 50 Shelduck south, 6 Teal and 44 Wigeon.

Ringing: Woodcock 1, Blackcap 1, Black Redstart 1, Robin 4, Blackbird 13, Song Thrush 1


December Moth is a late autumn flyer that only occurs here sporadically