Saturday 6th November 2021

Small arrival of typical autumn fare including 50 Blackbird 12 Fieldfare, 12 Redwing, 4 Song Thrush, Brambling, Chaffinch plus a Dartford Warbler that has probably not come from to far away. 4 Snow Bunting were again noted although 3 of the 4 are not staying long on site. Southbound 110 Goldfinch, 41Starling, 17 Siskin, 15 Chaffinch, 14 Linnet, 14 Mipit, 3 Rook,  Greenfinch & Skylark. Offshore southbound 38 Common Gull, 33 Teal, 23 Brent, 14 Pochard, 11 Black-headed Gull, 6 Dunlin, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Lapwing,  Black-throated Diver, Great-crested Grebe, Little Egret & Shelduck with northbound 4 Red-throated Diver, Gannet plus 7 Gannet loitering. Gull numbers behind shipping is starting to take hold with at least 550 Herring Gull joining the Great Black-backs.

Blair's Shoulder-knot doesn't visit very often but as it lives on ornamental conifers it probably explains why.

Ringing: 21 Blackbird, 2 Robin, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Wren, 1 Chaffinch. 

Friday 5th November 2021

Snow Bunting

 Despite constant Redwing calls before first light, there were far fewer grounded birds than yesterday due to the clear skies and light winds; totals on / over the land included 71 Woodpigeons, a Stock Dove, 20 Redwings, 50 Blackbirds, 18 Bramblings, 3 Fieldfares, 250 Starlings, 3+ Woodcock, 13 Skylarks, 7 Chaffinches, 8 Lapwing, 5 Song Thrush, 48 Siskins, 4 Snow Bunting, a Snipe and a late Common Redstart.

Over the sea birds of note comprised 39 Brent Geese, 5 Greylag Geese, 5 Eiders, 4 Red-throated Divers, 4 Shelduck, a Heron, 35 Common Scoter, 6 Gannets, 17 Teal, a Wigeon and a Little Egret.

Ringing: Blackbird 17, Redwing 1, Lesser Redpoll 4

Thursday 4th November 2021

Redwing

 Despite the brisk, cold NW wind and largely clear conditions there was a lot more life through the morning than of late with a variety of Thrushes whizzing round at first light; totals comprised 110+ Blackbirds, 40 Redwings, 7 Song Thrushes, a Mistle Thrush, 78 Fieldfare, 360 Starlings in, 7 Bramblings, 6 Chaffinches, a Siskin, 11 Skylarks, a Snipe, 4 Snow Buntings and 2 Woodcock.

It was quiet offshore with 23 Brent Geese, 4 Common Scoter, 5 Dunlin, 9 Gannets, a Guillemot, a Red-throated Diver, a Shelduck, a Teal and 10 Wigeon.

Ringing: Blackbird 35, Song Thrush 2, Brambling 1

Ringing Recoveries

 Common Gull ringed Hamburg, Germany 25th June 2018 & seen again in Hamburg 16th July 2021 was wandering around the reserve 623 km away on 7th October 2021. Hamburg will be its natal site and where it has returned to breed being noted at LBO on migration to its unknown wintering site.

Robin ringed Ventas Rigas, Silutes, Lithuania 11th September 2021 was retrapped 1362 km away at LBO 8th October 2021. This is only the fourth Lithuanian ringed Robin to have been found in the UK and is all the more remarkable in this year when the number of continental Robins trapped here is at an all time low.

Lesser Redpoll ringed LBO 29th September 2020 was retrapped 41 km away at Dunwich Heath 23rd October 2021. 

Wednesday 3rd November 2021

You can tell winter's coming when one resorts to reading gull rings in the car park.

Another glorious, if chilly, morning with a very thin scattering of migrants. Southbound 75 Black-headed Gull, 34 Goldfinch, 12 Siskin, 7 Mipit, 6 Chaffinch & 4 Skylark plus in off the sea 620 Starling & a single flock of 14 Brambling that pitched in briefly before heading inland. On site migrants included 7 Mipits, 3 Mistle Thrush briefly, single Brambling, Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Redpoll & Song Thrush plus a couple of migrant Blackies amongst the locals.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Goldfinch.

Tuesday 2nd November 2021

Jay

 Beautifully calm and lovely and sunny; a little selection of birds passed overhead through the morning including a Brambling, 57 Chaffinches, 82 Goldfinches, 7 Greenfinches, 16 Linnets, 7 Meadow Pipits, 3 Redpoll, a Rock Pipit, 49 Siskin, a Swallow, 10 Skylark, a Snow Bunting, 6 Stock Doves, 702 Woodpigeons, a Woodlark and 2 Yellowhammers.

On the land the few birds comprised 2 Chiffchaffs, a Jay and the Ring Ouzel still.

Ringing: Blackbird 3, Chaffinch 1, Robin 1, Jay 1, Woodpigeon 1, Chiffchaff 1, Lesser Redpoll 1, Dunnock 1, Starling 1

Despite being common and living on Sycamores, we only very occasionally see Caloptilia rufipennella

Monday 1st November 2021

Linnet

 Still windy from yesterday and still quiet on the bird front; offshore today birds comprised 34 Black-headed Gulls, 8 Brent Geese, single Curlew, Dunlin and Knot, 10 Gannets, a Great-crested Grebe, 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Razorbills, a Guillemot, 2 Shelduck and 9 Wigeon.

Over the land there was a little trickle of birds heading south including 6 Chaffinches, 176 Goldfinches, 4 Greenfinches, a Grey Wagtail, 41 Linnets, 5 Meadow Pipits, 3 Redpolls, a Reed Bunting, 45 Siskins, 11 Skylark and 71 Woodpigeons.

The Ring Ouzel was still here and a Peregrine landed on the common first thing.

Ringing: Lesser Redpoll 1 

October Ringing Totals

307 birds of 26 species is pathetic. Our previous lowest October ringing total was 571 in 2006 with our highest October ringing total 2,741 back in 1988. Numbers of all species were very poor with only 1 Goldcrest unbelievably low (our highest Goldcrest October total was 702 ringed in 2015). Single Cetti's is the only bird of note but we have had several this year of a species that only visits very infrequently.

Sunday 31st October 2021

Southerly gale gusting up to force 8 with rain up to early afternoon not pleasant. At least 1,302 Cormorant came in from the south heading for the Cork Sands fishing grounds is not a typical flightpath to arrive offshore but with deliberate culling & disturbance at the roost inland their behaviour is likely to be erratic. Offshore movements included southbound 28 Gannet, 24 Dunlin, 18 Knot, 17 Brent, 15 Grey Plover, 4 Common Scoter, 3 Curlew, 3 Teal, 2 Red-throated Diver, 2 Wigeon, Guillemot & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound 8 Gannet & 3 Red-throats although with up to 10 Gannet feeding offshore there may be some duplication. A Yellow-legged Gull was sat on the reserve with a couple of Great Black-backs during a particularly unpleasant bit of weather. On site observations limited but included a Blackcap plus what looked like the loitering Ring Ouzel coming out to play in the afternoon sunshine.

Yellow-line Quaker is a classic autumnal & early winter flyer that crops up here very occasionally.

Ringing: 1 Blackcap.