Sunday 31st December 2023

More wind with a nasty hail squall 1600hrs. Wasn't expecting any duck movement today, as its not particularly cold anywhere to the east of us at the moment, which is probably related to snow cover in Scotland forcing waterfowl to shift. A light movement of southbound 192 Wigeon, 70 Teal, 49 Kitts, 29 Red-throated Diver, 12 Pintail, 5 Shoveler, Brent, Razorbill & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound 9 Red-throats & a Gannet. Cetti's still at the north end.

Saturday 30th December 2023

 

963 Cormorant headed out, 129 came in from the north & 95 went south. Southbound 101 Red-throated Diver, 11 Brent, 5 Wigeon, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Razorbill & Great Crested Grebe with northbound 78 Red-throats plus about 60 Common Scoter on the sea a long way out to the north of us. Whilst looking through the gulls in the harbour, which included 3 Meds, a Sparrowhawk headed out from the Port low over the water to Harwich although this might be part of its usual foraging routine for all we know.

Friday 29th December 2023

 

1,070 Cormorant headed out fishing. Southbound 5 Teal, 3 Pintail, 2 Canada Geese, Great Northern Diver & Red-throated Diver. Cetti's still at the north end plus a couple of lingering Linnet.

Thursday 28th December 2023

Another day another gale. 550 Cormorant went out fishing. Southbound 12 Wigeon, 3 Shelduck, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Shoveler, 2 Velvet Scoter & Brent with northbound 7 Red-throated Diver plus at least 83 Kitts offshore.

Wednesday 27th December 2023

 

585 Cormorant went out fishing on a dull old morning. Southbound 83 Kitts, 29 Wigeon, 27 Shelduck, 18 Brent, 14 Red-throated Diver, 7 Common Scoter, 5 Pintail, Avocet & Gannet with northbound 8 Red-throats, 2 Razorbill + 70 Common Scoter & a Razorbill sat on the sea. Strangely the Avocet pitched in to sit on the sea for some unexplained reason. A walk around the site produced the regular Rock Pipit but very little else.

Tuesday 26th December 2023

 

Photos don't do the pink moon illusion any favours as it appears larger as it drops below the horizon as the Cormorants are coming out down river. 513 Cormorant  went out early on. Glorious boxing day weather brought large numbers of humans out for a stroll. Little to mention bird wise - 28 Common Scoter south plus 70 on the sea in the distance, handful of Brent & Red-throated Diver on the move and a single Razorbill.

Monday 25th December 2023

 

990 Cormorant headed out fishing late on parade as is the case in recent days adding an hours flight time from wherever they have roosted to the feeding grounds than should be the case plus at least another 320 came in distantly from the north. Southbound 15 Brent, 7 Common Scoter, 4 Shelduck, 2 Red-throated Diver & Oyk with northbound 8 Brent, 8 Red-throats & Common Scoter plus at least 70 Common Scoter sat on the sea to the north of us and 2 Razorbill offshore. Cetti's & Rock Pipit still in their favoured places.

Sunday 24th December 2023

Overnight low of 12 Celsius and, despite the gale force winds, reaching over 15 degrees this afternoon is a a bit barmy for the time of year. Southbound 14 Common Scoter, 8 Brent, 6 Shelduck, 4 Wigeon, & Great Northern Diver with northbound 7 Red-throated Diver plus 5 Gannet & 4 Razorbill offshore. First-winter Glaucous Gull followed a container ship in is probably the same individual seen a week or so back. 15 Waxwing south is a good Landguard record. 

Saturday 23rd December 2023

 

1,595 Cormorant went out fishing with 1,350 of these an hour later than the early risers so obviously not roosting nearby. Southbound 33 Shelduck, 4 Red-throated Diver, 2 Brent & 2 Razorbill with northbound 73 Red-throats & 8 Brent plus a dozen Kitts & a Gannet offshore. On site a very predictable selection including 2 Mipit & a Cetti's. 2 Collared Dove were the first of the month (following on from only two November records) as the decline in this species, that a lot of people take for granted, continues.

Friday 22nd December 2023

 

942 Cormorant headed out fishing plus 291 in from the north & 25 in from the south. Southbound 7 Shelduck, 5 Common Scoter, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Brent & Gadwal with northbound 14 Red-throated Diver & 2 Brent plus at least 58 kitts around shipping & 2 Razorbill on the sea. The Rock Pipit is still feeding along the tide wrack line.

Thursday 21st December 2023

 

Wild n' windy with yet more gale force gusts just into Force 9. Offshore southbound 9 Brent, 4 Shelduck, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Red-throated Diver, Pomarine Skua & Barwit with northbound 2 Red-throats. At least 120 Common Scoter a long way out to the north of us and at least 24 Kitts were following shipping. 3 Razorbill is equal to our 4th highest day count for this species in over 40 years of records is concerning as it suggests that they might be having a food shortage in there usual wintering grounds and are being forced to wander ? Still single Cetti's, Meadow & Rock Pipit on the reserve.

Wednesday 20th December 2023

 

143 Cormorant headed out fishing (numbers have been almost non-existent recently). Southbound 9 Brent, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Velvet Scoter, Shelduck & Skylark with northbound 13 Red-throats. 120 Common Scoter were on the sea well out to the north of us. At least one Cetti's still with us.

Tuesday 19th December 2023

 Rain all day - no coverage.

Monday 18th December 2023

 

A survey of the lepidoptera in Left Battery produced 21 Peacock butterflies & a Bloxworth Snout but no Herald moths. 4 Natterer's Bats probably explains the lack of Herald's as this bat has a penchant for them when they get peckish in the winter months. 

Migrants this morning were a Fieldfare plus a Skylark heading south. About 100 Common Scoter were a long way out.

Sunday 17th December 2023

 

Gulls following shipping have increased to 2,000 ish but with glorious sunny conditions looking through them for owt odd far from ideal. 6 Wigeon flew south but otherwise 'same old same old'.

Saturday 16th December 2023

 

 

A Buzzard perched on a telegraph post (does anyone under 50 know what a telegraph is?) in the half light moved off inland over the docks. Up to 1,500 seagulls offshore & in the estuary suggests Sprats are appearing. A first-winter Glaucous Gull came in with the melee following a container ship before siting around a while before going back out to sea. Southbound 27 Common Scoter, 12 Wigeon, 10 Brent, 10 Red-throated Diver plus 130 Common Scoter offshore. 

Friday 15th December 2023

 

160 Common Scoter offshore out from the Butts (with 400 to 450 off Felixstowe Pier in the afternoon flying off south past Landguard presumably including these seen in the morning). Having a flock of Scoter offshore loafing & feeding in recent weeks is not very Landguard but suggests a new food source has developed with the shifting sands of time. Nothing much else to report - 3 Kitts following shiping, 2 Cetti's on the Butts, Chaffinch in the compound, Song Thrush singing, Turnstone on the point.

Thursday 14th December 2023

 

A few late autumn migrants this morning were single Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Redwing plus a Heron in off the sea. Offshore 71 Common Scoter south, 9 north plus a distant flock of 120 sat on the sea. Also noted a handful of Red-throated Diver, Brent & 3 Mallard south over the obs and up river.

Wednesday 13th December 2023

 

More rain early morning & in the afternoon is getting tedious and delaying some of the on site management tasks from getting done. Offshore southbound 13 Red-throated Diver, 10 Common Scoter, 3 Brent, Great Northern Diver & Marsh Harrier with northbound 65 Red-throats & 11 Common Scoter plus a flock of 72 Common Scoter sat on the sea a fair way out. 6 Kitts were following shipping with the big gulls.

Tuesday 12th December 2023

 

Wintering Black-headed Gull disappeared from the Manor Terrace car park at the same time that car park charges were introduced as consumption of fast food by humans at this site largely stopped. Numbers in the View Point car park have rapidly declined in recent years for reasons not understood although this individual has been with us for at least 11 winters.

Heavy rain to mid-morning & another belt of rain mid-day is getting tedious. 2 Snipe were flushed from the reserve first thing indicating some migration is still going on. 4 Mipit on the reserve + a Rock Pipit on the riverbank may be contemplating attempting to overwinter here.

Monday 11th December 2023

 

Southbound 32 Common Scoter, 18 Common Gull, 15 Red-throated Diver, Brent & Kitt with northbound 3 Common Scoter & Red-throat in c.90 minutes sea watch. Passerines southbound were single Mipit & Skylark. On site still 7 Mipit hanging on (in recent winters they have usually gone by now), 3 Songies (2 singing pre-dawn), 3 Cetti's, 3 Greenfinch & a Rock Pipit on the riverbank amongst the expected regulars.

Sunday 10th December 2023

Overnight gale with gusts to Force 9. Once upon a time we thought gusting Force 8 was exceptional but over the last couple of years winds gusting Force 9 are becoming much more frequent in occurrence. Rain held off to mid-day. Southbound 26 Red-throated Diver, 7 Common Gull, 2 Med Gull, Brent, Heron, & Velvet Scoter with northbound 17 Common Scoter & 5 Red-throats plus 9 Common Scoter & 3 Kitts offshore.  A Redpoll was flying around in the half light first thing with other passerines still on the move southbound being 4 Mipit, Chaffinch & Yellowhammer.

Saturday 9th December 2023

Wet & windy with poor visibility until early afternoon followed by a dull windier milder spell. In a quick wizz round late on Rock Pipit on the point only thing of note.

Friday 8th December 2023

 

Glorious calm winters morning following on from yet another deluge. A Bullfinch was the first of it's kind seen this year. Also this morning 2 Cetti's and presumably the same Chiffchaff as seen a couple of days back still with us. Southbound 3 Mipit (+ 5 on the reserve) & 2 Chaffinch. Offshore a distant flock of 25 Common Scoter & sat separate from them 2 Velvets. Next to nothing moving out to sea.

Thursday 7th December 2023

 

Southbound 6 Brent, 5 Common Gull, 5 Teal, 3 Snow Bunting, 2 Kitts, Common Scoter, Knot, Razorbill & Shoveler, with northbound 6 Common Scoter, 3 Red-throated Diver & Gannet. Song Thrush singing on the Butts pre-dawn is getting a bit keen this early in the winter.

Ringing: 1 Wood Pigeon

Wednesday 6th December 2023

 

Glorious sunny day was the highlight. Getting late for Chiffchaff to still be moving through, although not unprecidented. Rock Pipit on the river bank only other thing to report.

Tuesday 5th December 2023

 

A trip into the Mine Station produced 16 Peacock butterflies, 1 Small Tortoisehell & 8 Herald moths hibernating.

Otherwise another dull morning with annoying mizzle. Offshore 47 Common Scoter went north + 28 south with no sign of the flock offshore in the poor vis. A walk around the reserve resulted in a Snipe flushed plus 2 Cetti's Warbler worth a mention but very little else.

Monday 4th December 2023

 

More like purgatory than pleasure this morning. Cold, dull, windy with annoying intermittent rain. 843 Cormorant went out fishing. Southbound 23 Teal, 12 Common Gull, 3 Kitts, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Shoveler, Great Crested Grebe & Red-breasted Merganser with northbound 12 Common Scoter & 10 Brent plus 43 Common and a Velvet Scoter sat offshore. 

Sunday 3rd December 2023

 

Bleak, wet & windy. 783 Cormorant headed out fishing. Southbound 13 Common Gull, 12 Common Scoter, 12 Teal, 2 Brent, 2 Gadwal & Gannet with northbound 11 Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter plus offshore 48 Common Scoter, 8 Gannet, 7 Kitts & a Velvet. A flock of Scoter on the sea feeding north of the observatory watchpoint has been a fairly regular feature in recent weeks.

Ringing Recoveries

Blackbird ringed Anjum, Friesland, The Netherlands, 27th January 2022 was retrapped 362 km away at LBO 31st October 2023. This one is interesting as it is obviously wintering in The Netherlands two winters back then was caught on autumn passage at LBO presumably coming into the UK for the winter this year.

Herring Gull ringed as a pullus on the Museum 17th July 2023 and present at Landguard up to 20th September 2023 was seen on a landfill site at Blaringhem, France on 1st December 2023. Interesting in that this birds two siblings were still present in the car parks here in November whereas this one cleared off. An increase in colour ringed gulls has been noted in Northern France in recent years roughly in line with the closure of landfill sites in the UK.

Saturday 2nd December 2023

"Brass Monkey Weather" down here. Freezing fog with a cold north-westerly breeze and the bulk of the site below zero all day. 2 Redwing were seen & a Redshank was heard.

Friday 1st December 2023

 

Dull frosty start with a light dusting of snow/sleet then rain. 793 Cormorant headed out fishing. 14 Lapwing came in off the sea & headed inland, Snow Bunting on the beach & Woodcock in the compound. Southbound 59 Common Scoter, 30 Red-throated Diver, 4 Pintail, Brent & Eider with northbound 11 Common Scoter, 3 Red-throats & 2 Teal plus a Little Gull offshore.

Mist nets packed away for the winter with the moth traps packed away yesterday.

November Ringing Totals 2023

280 birds of 22 species is an increase on last years figure although nothing special with several sessions lost to the weather. Another Cetti's is worth highlighting as well as some visiting flocks of Long-tailed Tits. Both Common (or Mealy) Redpoll trapped were good lookers.

Thursday 30th November 2023

 

Cold, frosty, icy morning. 1,055 Cormorant headed out fishing, 1,194 later came in from the north and, later still, a tight phalanx of about 1,000 came in from the south miles out possibly from as far away as north Kent ? Obviously the birds are using several different roosts although the location of these is unknown to us. Other offshore movements were southbound 18 Common Scoter, Great Crested grebe & Oyk with northbound 13 Common Scoter & 7 Red-throated Diver plus 25 Common Scoter sitting offshore leading one to conclude that the current cold snap ain't moving much about. On site migrants were 2 lingering Firecrest, Redwing plus the reappearance of the pale Lesser Whitethroat, that hasn't been seen for over 10 days, in a sunny spot on the seaward side of the Butts.

Ringing: nil.

Wednesday 29th November 2023

 

980 Cormorant headed out to sea to go fishing with another 100 coming in from the north later on to join them on a crystal clear frosty morning. Small arrival of new Blackies & a Robin with some of the Starlings on site plus a Woodcock also possibly new in. Southbound 18 Linnet, Siskin & Skylark. Offshore movements, again, almost non-existent but included 10 Common Scoter & a Shoveler.

Ringing: 3 Blackbird, 1 Robin, 1 Starling.

Tuesday 28th November 2023

 

Much more pleasant morning saw 580 Cormorant head out fishing plus another 46 coming in from the north. New migrants included a couple of new Blackies, an adult male Common Redpoll, Jack Snipe & Woodcock. Lingerers were 2 Firecrest, that may be contemplating trying to overwinter here, Cetti's & Snow Bunting. Offshore quiet with southbound 7 Black-heads, 7 Common Gull, 5 Red-throated Diver, 4 Brent, 3 Shelduck & a Lesser Black-backed Gull plus northbound18 Common Scoter & 2 Red-throats.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird, 1 Common Redpoll.

Monday 27th November 2023

 Rain. Lapwing on the reserve was the only new migrant on site as far as we are aware. 440 Cormorant headed out fishing late on parade. Several hours seawatching proved that there was next to nothing going past.

Sunday 26th November 2023

Feeling more like winter. A few new Blackies, Brambling, Lesser Redpoll & Robin still passing through as autumn grinds to a halt. Offshore southbound 59 Common Scoter, 34 Black-headed Gull, 18 Common Gull, 15 Teal, 8 Brent, 6 Shelduck, 4 Dunlin, 3 Red-throated Diver & Great Crested Grebe with northbound 12 Red-throats, 4 Common Scoter, 2 Brent & Little Auk. 2 Kitts were following shipping.

Ringing: 5 Blackbird, 1 Robin.

Saturday 25th November 2023

Chilly morning. Southbound 53 Common Scoter, 40 Shelduck, 27 Brent, 7 Black-headed Gull, 7 Common Gull, 3 Oyk, 2 Lapwing, 2 Red-throated Diver, Goldeneye & Spoonbill with northbound 25 Common Scoter, 11 Brent, 2 Spoonbill, Curlew, Golden Plover & Red-throat plus 25 Common Scoter offshore. On site 8 Mipit, 2 Chaffinch, Cetti's, Snow Bunting & Woodcock. The Spoonbill really do need to head for warmer climes as winter sets in.

Light Brown Apple-moth was accidently introduced from Australia 100 years ago and is now one of our commonest moths that can be found all year round.

Ringing: nil.

Friday 24th November 2023

 

Bleak. 328 Cormorant headed out fishing.  Only migrants were 4 Skylark in off plus Fieldfare & Goldcrest on site. Offshore southbound 34 Red-throated Diver, 17 Common Gull, 9 Shelduck, 2 Oyk & Goldeneye with northbound 24 Common Scoter, 7 Red-throats, Guillemot & Razorbill. 23 Ringos & 3 Sanderling were on the beach early on.

Ringing: 1 Goldcrest.

Thursday 23rd November 2023

 

New in a handful of Blackies & a Chaffinch all on the large size indicating a distant origin to the north & east of us. Vis mig grinding to a halt with southbound 36 Starling, 5 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Skylark plus a Yellowhammer heading north. Offshore movements negligable. 16 Ringos, 6 Sanderling & a Snow Bunting were on the beach early on. Still a flock of 18 Mipit on the reserve although they should depart for finer climes shortly.

Moth numbers & variety running out as winter sets in. Angle Shades can appear in the traps at any time all autumn/winter.

Ringing: 3 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch.

Wednesday 22nd November 2023

 

Interesting looking Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis quite possibly from the western end of its range fulvescens type due to various green tinges in its plumage (particularly so on the underwing coverts not shown). Call "tristis" (also not shown in photo!). Complicated taxa not resolved with current knowledge and understanding.

An arrival of 30 Blackies, 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Woodcock plus 35 Lapwing and Starlings arriving in off the sea from late morning & a couple of Chaffinch dropping in in the afternoon. Southbound 150 Starling, 64 Black-headed Gull, 17 Common Gull, 17 Common Scoter, 11 Dunlin, 10 Shelduck, 6 Brent, 3 Siskin, 2 Redshank & Skylark with northbound 16 Brent, 5 Red-throated Diver & Shelduck. A Great-northern Diver headed south then into the river mouth possibly heading for the Stour. 3 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrest & Cetti's are lingering around the reserve with a Snow Bunting heard on three separate occasions throughout the morning but only seen in flight, high up, once.

First December Moth to appear this winter - which is odd as its main flight period is throughout November so lets hope that they are just late on parade this year and not suffering a setback.

Ringing: 12 Blackbird, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Robin.

Ringing Recoveries

Chaffinch ringed Isle of Grain, Medway, Kent 70 km away on 8th November 2021 was retrapped LBO 21st October 2023. Presumably a continental bird coming into the UK for the winter via slightly different routes.

Blackbird ringed Haradsskar, Gyrt, Valdemark, Ostergotland, Sweden 1211 km away on 6th October 2021 was retrapped LBO 28th October 2023. This will be a bird coming into the UK for the winter.

Robin ringed Finset, Hemsedal, Buskerud, Norway 1086 km away on 21st September 2022 was retrapped LBO 12th November 2023 will also be a bird coming into the UK for the winter.

Tuesday 21st November 2023

Annoying fine mizzle on & off for most of the morning. An adult Iceland Gull flew south mid-morning and a Moorhen on the "icky ridge" are both good Landguard birds. Other migrants included a small handful of new Blackies, Fieldfare, Redwings, Songies & a Chaffinch. A couple of Goldcrest are lingering on site, Shag flew up river and a Snow Bunting was on the beach. Also worth a mention are 4 Stock Dove.  Offshore southbound 63 Brent, 11 Black-heads, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Shelduck, Red-throated Diver & Teal with northbound 5 Red-throats, 4 Common Scoter & Barnacle Goose. 18 Gannets were pulling in behind shipping amongst the melee of gulls foraging on what's being churned up by propellers. A few flocks of Starling are arriving in off from late morning presumably having departed the Low Countries at dawn.

Yellow-line Quaker is an autumnal flyer that turns up roughly every other year in low numbers with this being the third of this autumn following on from nil last year.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Redwing.

Monday 20th November 2023

 

First site record of Hemp although, being sweet innocent souls, looking at the size of it we have been walking past it for weeks.

Glorious morning although not a lot on the move as autumn grinds to a halt. Now 2 Snow Bunting on the beach, Firecrest and Lesser Whitethroat on the reserve & Rock Pipit on the point. Heading south 19 Goldfinch, 2 Siskin & Mipit plus 2 Goosander in the early afternoon.

Ringing: nil

Sunday 19th November 2023

 

New in on site a couple of Blackies, Robin, Chaffinch, Snow Bunting with leftovers from recent days 3 Goldcrest plus the pale Lesser 'throat (that actually has three tail feathers remaining and not just one, as we thought a couple of days back). Southbound 38 Brent, 22 Goldfinch, 6 Skylark, 4 Gannet, 3 Common Gull, Curlew, Kitt & Redpoll with northbound 19 Common Scoter (+ 25 sat on the sea) & a Gannet. A Grey Phalarope was reported on the sea 1500 hrs.

The long awaited first site record of Sprawler which is a woodland species absent from this end of the Felixstowe peninsula. It is classified as 'vulnerable' on the Red List of species conservation concern.

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

Saturday 18th November 2023

 Wet n' windy morning with the rain petering out early pm. Perseverance starring out into the soggy abyss resulted in southbound 215 Teal, 30 Common Scoter (+23 sat on the sea), 26 Brent, 8 Wigeon, 7 Dunlin,4 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Red-throated Diver, Mallard & Shelduck with northbound 12 Little Gull, 4 Red-throats & Brent. On site a few Blackbirds new in and a Fieldfare but not a lot else noted.

"Epirrata" moths are hard but, being a male, this was identified as a November Moth by photographing the underside and enlarging the shots to look at the vital bits.

Ringing: 5 Blackbird.

Friday 17th November 2023

 

The loitering pale Lesser Whitethroat on the reserve appears to have lost all but one of its tail feathers since it was last seen two days ago presumably in an altercation with something that wanted to make a meal out of it.

A half decent arrival of typical late autumn fare on a pleasant calm morning with a guesstimated 75 Blackbird plus a supporting cast of 14 Redwing, 6 Goldcrest, 5 Song Thrush, 2 Firecrest, 2 Lapwing, Chiffchaff, Fieldfare, Lesser Redpoll, Short-eared Owl, Snow Bunting & Woodcock. On the move southbound an impressive 1,420 Black-headed Gull count plus 169 Common Gull, 117 Brent, 114 Shelduck, 66 Common Scoter, 38 Starling, 31 Goldfinch, 14 Wigeon, 11 Barnacle Geese, 8 Skylark, 6 Pintail, 6 Siskin, 4 Mipit, 4 Pochard, 3 Chaffinch, Goldeneye, Oyk, Knot & Teal with northbound 2 Bean Geese, 2 Eider & Red-throated Diver.

Ringing: 35 Blackbird, 7 Starling, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Firecrest, 2 Robin, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Wren.

Thursday 16th November 2023

 

Calm start with yet more rain arriving late am. Entertaining mid-November mix of birdies including southbound 724 Brent, 59 Common Scoter, 16 Teal, 16 Tufted Duck, 13 Black-headed Gull, 13 Shelduck, 6 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Common Gull, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Kitts, 2 Mallard, Goldeneye, Goosander & Great Crested Grebe with northbound 33 Common Scoter, 15 Pintail, 5 Brent, 2 Little Gull, Kitt & Velvet Scoter (which pitched in with a flock of Common Scoter for a while). Passerine movement limited to southbound 24 Chaffinch, 6 Starling, 3 Fieldfare, Siskin plus a Brambling that headed inland. On site a handful of new Blackies, Songies, Redwing, Robin, Firecrest, Goldcrest & Woodcock although only a single Redpoll all morning.

Ringing: 4 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Robin, 1 Woodcock.

Wednesday 15th November 2023

 

Glorious sunny morning, although with an increasing wind dropped in a handful of new Blackbirds but not a lot else. Heading soutrhbound offshore & overland were an assorted pick n' mix with 109 Goldfinch, 66 Starling, 51 Brent, 33 Teal, 12 Mipit, 9 Chaffinch, 8 Oyk, 8 Shelduck, 8 Stockies, 7 Siskin, 5 Goldeneye, 5 Skylark, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Linnet, 3 Rock Pipit, 3 Swallow, 2 Redpoll,  Curlew & Crossbill with northbound 3 Brent, 2 Common Scoter & 2 Gannet. At least 2 Cetti's and the Lesser Whitethroat are still with us, a Rock Pipit is on the point plus another new volery of Long-tailed Tit paid a visit.

Ringing: 5 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Blackbird, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Song Thrush. 

Tuesday 14th November 2023

Another windy day, though the rain held off for the morning. Migration was slow however. 2 more goldeneye and 9 crossbill south were the highights, though at least 3 Cetti's warblers were still present on the reserve. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 4, Robin 1, Song Thrush 1.

Monday 13th November 2023

Incredibly strong winds and driving rain were the theme of the day. Battling it out in these conditions were an unusually high amount of 60 tufted duck flying south along with 2 pochard and 17 teal. 100 great black-backed gulls were also making the most of the unsettled weather. 40 redwing on site was one of highest numbers we've had so far this autumn. 2 Cetti's warblers were still on site and the young shag seen earlier in the week was resting out the strong winds in the cafe car park of all places! 

 The Chestnut is a common winter flyer inland, but this one is our first for 3 years. 

Sunday 12th November 2023

 

Calm overcast morning saw a small arrival of Blackies, Robins (including one bearing a Norwegian ring), 5 Lapwing, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Redwing, Song Thrush & Woodcock. Vis mig almost non-existent probably due to the thick fog to the north of us that thankfully avoided us. Offshore southbound 110 Common Scoter, 89 Black-headed Gull, 39 Shelduck, 35 Common Gull, 34 Teal, 22 Wigeon, 14 Dunlin, 5 Pintail, 3 Red-throated Diver, 2 Gannet, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Curlew, 2 Goldeneye, 2 Little Gull, Eider, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Short-eared Owl & Snipe with northbound 43 Common Scoter, 14 Brent, 8 Gannet, 6 Shelduck, 2 Red-throats, Kittiwake & Little Gull. 237 Starling came in off the sea & 4 Cetti's were singing pre dawn.

The third site record of Red-headed Chestnut with the last one ten years ago. It is an immigrant species arriving from central Europe & the Mediterranean characteristically appearing in late autumn.

Ringing: 9 Blackbird, 3 Wood Pigeon, 2 Robin, 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Wren.

Saturday 11th November 2023

 

Pleasant sunny & cool late autumn/early winter's day. A handful of migrants included 10 Mipit, 4 Chaffinch, 4 Redwing, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Firecrest, Brambling, Stock Dove & the pale Lesser Whitethroat 'Billy Whizzing' around the reserve. The juv Shag spent a second day around the jetty feeding on, what are presumably, Gobies. A Great Spot payed a visit. Some vis mig included southbound 174 Starling (+75 in off the sea), 154 Wood Pigeon, 97 Goldfinch, 16 Mipit, 8 Linnet, 6 Skylark, 5 Siskin, 3 Redpoll & Reed Bunting. Offshore southbound 71 Black-headed Gull, 31 Brent, 17 Shelduck, 15 Common Scoter,7 Common Gull, Cattle Egret, Gannet & Redshank. (It's surprising how quickly Cattle Egret has gone from being a notable species to an almost also ran in the Felixstowe area).

Ringing: 2 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Redwing, 1 Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Woodpigeon, 1 Wren.