Saturday 26th November 2022

Pleasant calm morning with southbound 118 Goldfinch, 9 Starling, 6 Skylark, 4 Redpoll, 3 Chaffinch, 3 Greenfinch, 3 Siskin,2 Linnet, 2 Mipit & 2 Yellowhammer plus northbound 2 Swallow over the docks. Offshore heading south 5 Common Scoter, 3 Common Gull,2 Black-headed Gull, Curlew & Oyk. On site a small handful of new Blackies was about it.

Ringing: 4 Blackbird, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Friday 25th November 2022

A very small handful of birds heading south on a glorious sunny morning including 11 Goldfinch, 4 Mipit, 4 Skylark & a Linnet. The only evidence of any migrants on site was a couple of new Blackies. A Rock Pipit was on the point & one of this autumns Goldcrest is still with.

One of the reasons the moth traps are kept running late in the season is to try and get species like Scarce Umber. This is only our third ever record of a moth whose peak flight period is the second half of November.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird.
 

Thursday 24th November 2022

 

A small handful of migrants heading south including 37 Goldfinch, 16 Redpoll, 11 Starling, 8 Siskin, 7 Greenfinch, 7 Mipit, 4 Chaffinch & Skylark. Offshore movements again negligible with southbound just 9 Common Scoter, 3 Common Gull, 3 Teal & Red-throated Diver. On site only the faintest evidence of migrants like Blackbird, Chaffinch & Song Thrush.

Starting to get late in the year for immigrants like Silver Y who have not had the best of fortunes this autumn being noted in only substantially below par numbers.

Ringing: 3 Goldfinch, 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Song Thrush.

Wednesday 23rd November 2022

 

638 Cormorant went out fishing early on with the rest of the morning a non-event with several hours of strong winds & heavy rain not helping proceedings. Offshore movements negligible and apart from a handful of Gannets not worth listing. On site a couple of migrant Blackbirds, 2 Chaffinch & Skylark. Of the 20 Blackbirds feeding in the open areas on the nature reserve in the afternoon sun 90% already bore rings with the assumption being made that they mostly live here.

Ringing: 2 Chaffinch, 1 Blackbird.

Tuesday 22nd November 2022

Quiet morning for bird movements as the final pangs of autumn are now in their death throes before winter is upon us. On the plus side there is only 30 days to go until the days start getting longer again. 648 Cormorant headed out to sea fishing. Offshore southbound 10 Common Gull, 4 Black-headed Gull, 2 Brent, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Shelduck, 2 Teal, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Gull, Red-breasted Merganser & Red-throated Diver plus northbound 4 Common Scoter was the sum total in over 3 hours observation. A Kestrel came in off the sea and pitched in on the beach. Overhead 2 Mipit & 2 Skylark headed south when the sun broke through. Grounded migrants consisted of a couple of new Blackies.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird, 1 House Sparrow.

Monday 21st November 2022

A Little Owl calling at 0600 hrs is the first of its kind since 2017. Also of note were the first 2 Yellowhammer of the autumn flying south. Offshore quieter this morning with southbound 56 Teal, 48 Black-headed Gull, 12 Common Gull, 9 Common Scoter, 8 Brent, 8 Lapwing, 7 Dunlin, 6 Red-throated Diver, 5 Shelduck, 3 Great-crested Grebe, 2 Gadwal, 2 Shoveler, Goldeneye, Pintail & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound 5 Common Scoter, 5 Red-throats & Gannet plus 8 Gannet were loitering offshore. 329 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. Some vis mig with southbound 43 Goldfinch, 13 Mipit & a Siskin. On site a small arrival of about 30 Blackbird, Chaffinch, Redwing & Woodcock. The Snow Bunting was again along the beach.

Ringing: 11 Blackbird, 2 Wren, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Sunday 20th November 2022

 

Another wet morning clearing late on. Offshore southbound 37 Dunlin, 34 Teal, 27 Shelduck, 19 Common Gull, 17 Brent, 9 Black-headed Gull, 9 Red-throated Diver, 8 Common Scoter, 5 Gadwal, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Wigeon, 3 Turnstone, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Gull, Great-northern Diver, Lapwing, Little Auk, Little Egret, Long-tailed Duck & Redshank with northbound 9 Brent, 8 Common Scoter, Kittiwake, Red-breasted Merganser & Red-throat although both the Great-northern & Long-tailed Duck pitched in on the sea with one of the Little Gulls loitering for a while by the river mouth. A Shag was sitting on the jetty late morning. On land possibly a couple of migrant Blackbird on site plus a Redwing.

Ringing: nil.