Saturday 13th January 2024

 

880 Cormorant headed out as it was barely getting light. Today's migrant was a Woodcock. Several observers spent several hours starring out to sea proving that almost nothing was on the move with paltry rewards of southbound just 2 Common Scoter & Mallard with northbound a Gannet plus 40 Common Scoter sat on the sea. A walk around the nature reserve was equally poor with the only thing of minor interest being the Cetti's at the north end. It can be bleak here at this time of the year although on the plus side not to cold & no rain.

Friday 12th January 2024

 

About 1,000 Starling came out of roost from the brambles just south of Manor Terrace car park which is not a spot they have used in previous years. 813 Cormorant went out fishing, 40 Common Scoter were on the sea way out to the north of us & a couple of Red-throated Diver went to & fro. Finally a male & female Peregrine were vocalising over the observatory which is notable due to the fact that records last year were well down and recent sightings are very few & far between.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird.

Thursday 11th January 2024

 

Glorious sunrise on a frosty morning with the biting wind abating to a more amiable strength. 

1,318 Cormorant went out fishing. A Redpoll flying around in the half light is our first January record since one noted on three dates in January 1987 back in the day - makes one wonder what flavour of Redpoll it is? About 1,000 Starling at the north end of the Butts early morning plus again  late in the day suggests that someone or something has had an attack on where this crew were roosting forcing them to find an alternative roost site at short notice.

Ringing: 1 Blackbird

Wednesday 10th January 2024

 

1,110 Cormorant went out early. Southbound 12 Red-throated Diver, 5 Brent & 2 Common Scoter with northbound 3 Goldeneye, Razorbill & Scaup (northbound Goldeneye are very unusual here). 6 Turnstone & Rock Pipit were along the riverbank.

Tuesday 9th January 2024

 

A much more pleasant winters day than yesterday but without anything of note to report. 909 Cormorant headed out fishing, 2 Razorbill offshore, 2 Turnstone & the reappearance of the Rock Pipit on the riverbank for the first time this year.

Ringing Recoveries

Herring Gull ringed as a pullus on the museum roof 17th July 2023 was found entangled in fishing line with a hook in its bill & successfully rescued 10th August 2023 and still present at LBO up to 6th December 2023 was photographed at Wansted Flats, Greater London on 28th December 2023. We were beginning to think that this one wasn't going to go anywhere.

Ringed Plover ringed Nowy Świat:przekop Zatoka about 40 km from Gdansk, Poland 17th August 2023 & seen nearby at Skowronki, Poland 10th September 2023 was on the beach at LBO 3rd January 2024. There are only 19 previous Polish ringed Ringed Plover ever recorded in the whole of the UK. This bird was in its first winter and it is not known what proportion of Ringed Plover from populations around Fennoscandinavia & the Baltic winter in the UK.

Monday 8th January 2024

 

Local Ringed Plovers have been back in recent days to check on their breeding sites. 

Cold north-easterly wind, flurries of sleet & snow with a naughty little wind chill but some decent winter sightings. Slavonian Grebe is a very scarce species here so one fishing offshore is a good Landguard record. 1,200 Cormorant went out fishing first thing. Not a lot moving but entertaining with southbound 30 Wigeon, 16 Brent, 4 Shelduck, Eider & Red-throated Diver with northbound 6 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throats, Purple Sandpiper & Velvet Scoter. Amongst the gulls 17 Kitts plus the reappearance of what we presume is the same first-winter Glaucous Gull last seen back in December. 11 Blue Tit is a high winter count for us & a Woodcock in the moat is an indication of it getting colder from where it comes from.

Sunday 7th December 2024

It's got more wintery with a northerly airflow. 515 Cormorant headed out fishing early on. A handful of Brent & Common Scoter noted but little else.