Saturday 10th December 2022

 

Frosty morning. Refugees from the cold snap were a Little Egret flying south plus this semi-moribund individual not looking very well at all. A single Snipe was the only other bird of note. 

Friday 9th December 2022

 Exceedingly brief early morning visit produced 17 Lapwing & a Snipe on a cold frosty backdrop.

Thursday 8th December 2022

 

First ground frost of the winter brought a Snipe onto the reserve plus a Little Egret flying south. A walk around the reserve revealed just the locals & wintering individuals.

Wednesday 7th December 2022

Cool, dull, murky morning. 613 Cormorant went out to the feeding grounds. Southbound offshore 8 Shelduck, 5 Brent, 4 Red-throated Diver, 2 Mallard, Common Scoter & Eider with northbound 6 Gannet, 5 Shelduck & Red-throat. On the reserve a Jack Snipe is only our second ever December record and is presumably a late migrant coming in from the continent for the winter. Also on site 7 Turnstone & a single Redwing.

Ringing: 1 Greenfinch.

Tuesday 6th December 2022

Glorious sunny morning made a pleasant change. 600 Cormorant went out to the fishing grounds with many more probably coming in from different directions obscured by early morning sunrise. A good trawl around the reserve produced nothing of note with the only evidence of any migration being a couple of new Blackies.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird

Monday 5th December 2022

 

519 Cormorant headed out fishing plus an additional 817 came in from the north joined up to 36 Gannet feeding around the Cork Sands. Heading north 20 Gannet, 7 Common Scoter, 4 Red-throated Diver, Little Auk & Razorbill with southbound a single Goldeneye. 4 Turnstone were on the beach with no sign of any migrants present on site.

Sunday 4th December 2022

Just when one thinks it is all over a handful of new Blackbirds and the first Chiffchaff for three weeks were new in. Sea watching is as bleak as the weather with southbound 19 Brent, 6 Shelduck, 2 Gannet, 2 Wigeon & Eider with northbound 17 Common Scoter, 6 Gannet, 3 Kittiwake & Red-throated Diver. An additional 13 Gannet were feeding in the distance by the Cork Sands along with the 700 Cormorant that headed out for breakfast.

Ringing: 4 Blackbird.