Saturday 16th November 2024

 

Fungi knowledge very poor. This is Blackening Waxcap, also known as Witch's Hat.

Handful of new Blackies, Songies plus 2 Lesser Redpoll was as good as it got around the observatory. Offshore movements sparse with southbound 9 Black-headed Gull, 7 Brent, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Snipe, Little Egret & Red-throated Diver with northbound 5 Gannet, 4 Brent & a Red-throat. Those togger friendly 3 Purps were at the point although the English Dictionary is yet to catch up with the current usage of this term.

Ringing: 2 Blackbird, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Song Thrush.

Friday 15th November 2024

A relatively quiet morning as the observatory bade farewell to its seasonal warden for the year. Still blackbirds arriving off the sea, some coming in with the container ships going into the docks. A woodcock on the beach was clearly fresh in and there was a small movement of red-throated divers off the beach, with 8 heading south and 4 heading north. 3 purple sandpipers, 4 turnstone and a rock pipit were on the jetty and 242 cormorants headed out of the river to feed. 

 

It's very unusual to see Lathronympha strigiana on the wing this late in the year. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 8, Wren 1.

Thursday 14th November 2024

Less blackbirds around today, though most of the usual suspects were still around. 2 purple sandpipers and a rock pipit were still on the jetty, 5 Cetti's warblers were singing around the reserve and hundreds of cormorants moved throughout the morning, with 350 heading south, 127 straight out to sea and a paltry 10 north. 3 Egyptian geese were slightly notable, though they have been much more common a sight this year, as the feral population grows. A single redpoll called over the observatory early morning, and a single great crested grebe flew south. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 6, Goldcrest 1, Wren 1. 

 

Wednesday 13th December 2024

 

An arrival of Blackies with at least 45 on site with other migrants including 9 Mipit, 3 Songies, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Redwing, Fieldfare, Redwing, Skylark plus a Merlin that flew inland. 8 Sanderling were on the beach early doors and 2 Purps & a Rock Pipit were on the point. Offshore movements almost non-existent.

Ringing: 16 Blackbird.

Tuesday 12th November 2024

A switch in wind direction to north westerly didn't noticeably change the range of species encountered today, or numbers. 20 blackbird were onsite, many fresh in. 277 starling came in off the sea during the morning, as did a late morning woodcock. 374 cormorant flew south along with 136 black-headed gull, 2 kittiwake and 11 common gull. Still some meadow pipits moving with 5 heading south and 4 feeding on the reserve. A single swallow south was notable this late in November. 5 red-throated diver flew north and a handful of ducks went south, 2 gadwall, 5 teal and 4 wigeon. A single great-crested grebe went north. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 3, Robin 1, Song Thrush 1. 

 

Monday 11th November 2024

A switch in the wind direction made for a diverse range of species recorded. 8 long-tailed tits were the first we've had this autumn, much later than we usually expect them. They brought with them at least one new blackcap. A few birds remained from the weekend, a golden plover and the snow bunting out on the reserve and a brambling within the observatory compound. 3 lesser redpoll were new in, a snipe flew over and a few thrushes remained, with a mistle thrush moving west, at least 15 blackbird, 3 song thrush and 2 redwing onsite as a whole. 3 little egret flew south, 3 purple sandpipers and two turnstone were on the jetty and a colour ringed ringed plover was photographed on the beach. Interestingly this was a bird that had been seen here as a juvenile last year after being marked in Poland. Has it returned to Poland to breed itself in the intervening months? We can hope so. 

Birds Ringed: Blackbird 1, Blackcap 1, Lesser Redpoll 2, Long-tailed Tit 8, Song Thrush 2.

Sunday 10th November 2024

 

Cooler start. Classic mid-November fare with today's migrants including 25 Blackbird, 7 Song Thrush, 6 Chaffinch, 3 Blackcap, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Skylark, 2 Swallow, Brambling, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Golden Plover, Redpoll, Redwing, Snow Bunting & Woodcock. 7 Turnstone & 2 Purps were on the point. Heading south 8 Gadwal, 5 Red-throated Diver, 3 Brent, Buzzard, Egyptian Goose & Kestrel (in addition to the 2 regulars). A rare sight was blue sky & sunshine for half an hour late morning - almost forgotten what it looks like over the past couple of overcast weeks we have been enduring !

Ringing: 4 Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Redwing.