2,445 Cormorants came in from the north to feed. Also offshore southbound 14 Red-throated Diver, Oyk & Shelduck with northbound 5 Red-throats & Great Crested Grebe. Only migrants noted were a single Skylark at the north end and a Rook heading south. Single Firecrest in the compound may well be yesterday's bird from the Butts.
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We kept the chilly NNE breeze and although the sun broke through on occasion it still felt very wintery; most of the birds of note were over the sea which included a Great Skua, 18 Brent Geese, 2 Common Scoter, a good total of 2760 Cormorants heading out to feed, a Curlew, 2 Eiders, 2 Gannets, a Kittiwake and 130 Red-throated Divers.
On the land it was hard work with a Firecrest (a ringed bird, so presumably from last autumn which has wintered locally...or maybe not!), a Chaffinch, 2 Goldfinches and a cock Pheasant.
Still nice and calm through the day but the overnight rain, morning drizzle and the light breeze shifting into the north meant the fog had all but disappeared so we could see the sea again after a good few days; there were a few birds noted over the sea although no real passage was going on, these included a Great Skua north, 9 Brent Geese, 440 Cormorants, a Fulmar, 44 Gannets, 4 Great-crested Grebes, 2 Greylag Geese, 67 Red-throated Divers, 3 Shelduck and a Tufted Duck.
Landbirds were scarcer and nothing was ringed but of note comprised a Woodcock, 3 Chaffinches, a Goldfinch, 3 Meadow Pipits, a Robin, a Skylark, a Stonechat and 2 Chiffchaffs.
Cold & foggy. Bit bizarre to have a single adult White-fronted Goose at this time of the year that had presumably got lost in the murky conditions. Other migrants today were single Goldcrest, Lapwing, Skylark & Yellowhammer. 9 Sanderling were on the beach by the point. In the early afternoon single Firecrest, Stonechat & the first Chiffchaff of the spring was at the northern end plus a Golden Plover on the reserve.
Ringing: nil.
Murky old morning with very few migrants including single Chaffinch, Mipit, Stonechat & a couple of new Dunnocks. A Grey Heron flew north. On groyne 19 along the Butts 4 Turnstone & a Purp.
Ringing: 2 Dunnock.
Wood Pigeon with its crop stuffed full of bread but times are hard late winter & early spring for many species.
Dull & murky with a chilly onshore breeze. Only migrants noted were a Mipit & a male Stonechat. Wrens were culled by the cold snap so it was good to get a new one plus retrap an individual from last autumn that has survived the freezing conditions.
Ringing: 1 Wren.
February ringing total for what it's worth - 14 birds of 9 species :
3 Blackbird, 3 Robin, 2 Great Tit, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Magpie, 1 Woodcock, 1 Wood Pigeon.
Thick damp fog clearing from 0900 hrs with a chilly ENE breeze. No migrants noted & very few birds at all heard or seen.