Saturday 24th February 2024

 

Pleasant late winter's morning. Rock Pipit at the point is as good as it gets.

Ringing: 1 House Sparrow

Friday 23rd February 2024

 

2 Stonechat still at the north end & Rock Pipit along the riverbank.

Thursday 22nd February 2024

A couple of classic early spring migrants with 2 Stonechats just south of the caravan site & a Yellowhammer south over the observatory. No idea where migrant Yellowhammer passing through here are from or where they are going to and with rapidly declining populations this century we may never find out. Rock Pipit on its favoured bit of the riverbank and guess what - the wind & rain are with us again !

Common Quaker is, as it's name suggests, common, but not here as we just get the odd ones.

Wednesday 21st February 2024

Wet n' windy. An adult Yellow-legged Gull in the river behind the observatory plus a slight increase in the number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls is today's meagre offering.

Oak Beauty was the only moth today and that was sat on the outside of the trap rather than in it. It is a species that just about makes it onto the moth list in recent years but was far from annual in the past.

Tuesday 20th February 2024

 

Rock Pip[it along the riverbank & a couple of Red-throated Diver was as good as it gets. A first-winter Black-headed Gull is worth a mention as birds of this age have been as rare as hen's teeth over the winter.

March Moth is one of those species that has been declining here in recent years for no obvious reason so hopefully this one is a forerunner of a better spring for them.

Monday 19th February 2024

Very low numbers of Cormorants going out in recent days hint that there has been a drastic purge at the roost site. Despite odd bits of light drizzle this morning a trudge around the reserve revealed no migrants with some of the other recent regular species either being elusive or having departed.

Moth traps producing a few bits n' bobs in the mild conditions although no migrants. Angle Shades is one of those species that can be encountered at any time of the year well away from it's main flight periods.

Sunday 18th February 2024

Heavy rain & poor visibility up to midday with the only thing worth a mention being a single Barnacle Goose north. Limited pm coverage.