Saturday 13th February 2021

Glorious sunshine but a biting easterly wind & still sub-zero. At least 4 Woodcock on site. A Heron that tried to land on the frozen Butts pond departed to the north. This weather will have killed off some of the local resident species with a Wren in the office as this is being typed sensible enough to retreat into the buildings to scavenge a few spiders from their webs.

Ringing: 1 Woodcock.

Recent Ringing Recoveries

Lesser Redpoll ringed Landguard 25th October 2019 retrapped 344 km away Harze (Aywille), Liege, Belgium on 15th February 2020 is notable due to the fact that 2019 was our worst ever autumn for Redpolls with only four ringed.

Blackcap ringed Landguard 5th October 2020 retrapped 666 km away Batardeau, Saint-Clement-des-Baleines, Charente-Maritime, France on 12th October 2020 on its way south for the winter.

Dunnock ringed Landguard 24th June 2020 found dead 5 km away in Harwich January 2021 is one of our youngsters that was being adventurous by flying across the estuary for a new life in Essex.

Lesser Redpoll ringed 12km away at Newbourne 21st November 2020 retrapped the following day at Landguard. Other ringers in Suffolk regularly retrap our Redpolls after we have done them but it is rare for them to get to them before us as many new arrivals hit the coast first before heading inland..

Friday 12th February 2021

Anyone for ice skating ?

Biting easterly wind. On site 2 Fieldfare, Redwing & Woodcock plus another Woodcock seen to fly in off the sea. Offshore movements almost non-existent with southbound 3 Shelduck, Common Scoter & Red-throated Diver with northbound 3 Brent & Common Scoter.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird.

Thursday 11th February 2021

Another layer of snow overnight to add to what we have already got. 1,490 Cormorant headed out to sea fishing. A Razorbill siting on the sea drifted into the rivermouth. Offshore extremely quiet with just southbound 5 Brent & 3 Red-throated Diver. At least 3 Woodcock on site but no other indications of anything frozen out inland on the move.

Wednesday 10th February 2021

Yet more snow falling this morning but at least the wind has abated. 1,300 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. Considering the weather very little moving with southbound 28 Brent and northbound 13 Dunlin & 9 Brent. At least 2 Woodcock are on site plus it was good to hear a Wren, as no doubt, some of its compatriots will have succumbed in these conditions. Hard times for many small birds at the moment.

Tuesday 9th February 2021

Lot of wind blown sand from the beach lying on top of the snow.

More snow but temperature now slightly above zero but still bitterly cold. 1,200 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. Offshore southbound 31 Brent, 17 Shelduck, 5 Gadwal, 3 Wigeon, 2 Velvet Scoter, Oyk & Red-throated Diver with northbound 38 Brent, 15 Barwit, Common Scoter, Golden Plover, Great Crested Grebe, Ringed Plover & Wigeon. On site single Fieldfare, Lapwing, Mipit, Redwing & Woodcock plus 3 Dunlin on the beach.

Monday 8th February 2021

Bit of cold weather movement with southbound 533 Brent, 65 Wigeon, 42 Pintail, 36 Skylark, 30 Barnacle Geese, 30 Shelduck, 4 Mipit & 2 Teal with northbound 4 Dunlin, 2 Brent, 2 Common Scoter & Knot. At least 47 Fieldfare passed through stopping on site before slowly moving inland. Also on site 16 Golden Plover & 4 Lapwing on the reserve quickly moved off south-westwards. Also noted 4 Linnet, 2 Redwing, 2 Snipe, Jack Snipe, Mipit & Woodcock. 2 Sanderling & a Turnstone were along the riverbank in the afternoon.

Sunday 7th February 2021

Overnight rain turned into a blizzard from 0645hrs with a fair accumulation of snow. Despite best attempts a number of splits have occurred in the Helgoland netting under the weight of snow. Bird feeders filled up but no indication of anything arriving apart from 4 Lapwing siting on the reserve. What is presumably the Mistle Thrush present the past couple of days was in the cottage garden.