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Saturday 27th February 2021


Glorious sunny morning but very much a migrant free zone. Southbound 37 Wood Pigeon, 25 Black-headed Gull, Reed Bunting & Stock Dove. Good to hear a Wren call as the cold snap has almost wiped them out here. A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was on the wing on the Butts lunchtime.

Friday 26th February 2021


Glorious calm morning. On the move southbound 12 Barnacles, 2 Stock Dove, Buzzard, Fulmar, Jackdaw & Skylark. Handful of migrants on site including 3 Robin, couple of new Blackies plus Goldcrest. A Long-tailed Tit paid a visit with singletons at this time of the year being bachelors looking for a friend for the season. One of the new Blackies was a young male "stockamsel" type presumably on its way back to north-east Europe. On the seaward side of the Butts 7 Turnstone & a Purp.

Ringing: 3 Robin, 2 Blackbird, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Great Tit, 1 Dunnock.

Thursday 25th February 2021

Southbound 124 Barnacles, 3 Brent, Curlew, Grey Wag, Oyk, Mipit & Skylark with northbound 13 Red-throated Diver. A Black Red at the fishing club at Manor Road car park was new in. Single Fire & Goldcrest appeared in the compound mid-day but it was not ascertained whether these were ringed birds from last autumn or not - if they were new then this would be our earliest ever spring arrivals by a week or so. A Fieldfare put in appearance & a Purp was on the groynes along the Butts.

Wednesday 24th February 2021

345 Cormorant headed out early. A male Stonechat is the first of the year of this, one of the classic, early spring migrants that get going at the end of February. Apart from this a single Mipit south & a very small handful of Brent & Red-throated Diver coming & going.

Tuesday 23rd February 2021

550 Cormorant headed out fishing in one flock pre dawn. Offshore southbound 4 Red-throated Diver, 2 Barnacles, 2 Brent, Knot & Shelduck with northbound 2 Brent & 2 Red-throats. Signs of spring were a handful of Lesser Black-backs siting on containers in the dock & 2 Shelduck paying a visit prior to the breeding season. Only other movers & shakers was a visiting Chaffinch, Mipit south & a Stockie heading inland. 2 Kestrel was the first time that one of both sex has been seen on the same day since the last time we noted one of both sex sometime last year - lets hope that they become 'friends'

Monday 22nd February 2021


 Camera shy Bluey.

Bit of movement in the shape of southbound 46 Barnacle Geese, 7 Red-throated Diver, 5 Chaffinch, 5 Oyk, 4 Shelduck, 3 Skylark & Yellowhammer with northbound 16 Brent plus a Marsh Harrier that flew out to sea due East looking like it knew exactly what it was doing. The first hint of Yammer passage is right at the end of February, although some springs we record hardly any at all. A walk around the reserve proves that it is migrant less with the highlight being 5 Ringos on the beach plus a single Purp on the groynes at the Butts. A dead Red-throat was on the tideline behind the cottage.

Sunday 21st February 2021


 1,110 Cormorant headed out fishing. Whilst undertaking more trap repairs a bit of passage noted overhead including the evocative sound of at least 4 Curlew heading out & north on their way back to their breeding grounds. After noting the first Linnet in almost a fortnight yesterday at least 28 were whizzing around this morning suggestive of the fact that they don't go far when they abandon the place. Southbound single Barnacle Goose, Shelduck plus 3 Mipits, Skylark and the first Reed Bunting of the spring. Lastly 5 Ringos were displaying and a cheeky Chaffinch dropped in briefly on a morning that actually felt pleasant.