Saturday 1st December 2018

Some interest offshore especially just as the rain was getting going with southbound 4 Brent, 3 Shelduck, 2 Little Gull & Bonxie and northbound 2 Brent, 2 Common Scoter, Bonxie & Pomarine Skua. A Guillemot was on the river behind the observatory. On site 7 Linnet, Greenfinch & Rock Pipit on the point worth a mention as winter sets in.

November Ringing Totals

395 birds of 27 species is 25% down on last years November total but higher then the totals for the previous five years.

Black Redstart	1
Blackbird	95
Blackcap	5
Black-headed Gull	1
Blue Tit	2
Chaffinch	10
Chiffchaff	2
Fieldfare	2
Dunnock	1
Firecrest	4
Goldcrest	128
Goldfinch	6
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1
Great Tit	2
Grey Wagtail	1
House Sparrow	3
Kestrel	1
Long-tailed Tit	28
Meadow Pipit	7
Palas's Warbler	1
Redpoll (Common)	1
Redpoll (Lesser)	27
Redwing	19
Robin	23
Song Thrush	14
Woodpigeon	2
Wren	8

Friday 30th November 2018

Much more pleasant weather conditions brought a small handful of new "turdus's" on site including 2 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, Fieldfare & a couple of new Blackies. On the move southbound 7 Skylark, 6 Starling & 4 Goldfinch. Loitering on site at least 8 Goldcrest, 2 Stonechat, Greenfinch, Purple Sandpiper plus Tuesday's Firecrest is still with us. 1,476 Cormorant went out to sea fishing early on but no other offshore movements noted.

Ringing, 2 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Redwing.

Thursday 29th November 2018

South-westerly force 6 - 7 with early morning rain then the occasional shower produced almost nothing offshore with a couple of hours observation giving southbound 4 Gannet & a Great-crested Grebe with northbound single Kittiwake & Red-throated Diver apart from the usual seagulls and only a couple of hundred Cormorant. On site a Fieldfare plus the wintering locals skulking away in areas out of the wind.

Struggle to photograph anything this morning so here's some Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae on the Elder by one of the moth traps, although some of you will know it by a previous name from less politically correct days.

Ringing: 1 Goldfinch, 1 House Sparrow.

Wednesday 28th November 2018

Wet, damp breezy morning with poor visibility. A fine Great-northern Diver flew south just offshore & a Shag came into the river mouth. Other offshore movements almost non-existent. On site a Chiffchaff & a handful of Goldcrests but more may be keeping their heads down. A couple of Turnstone were along the riverbank on a quick walk round but that's your lot.

Ringing: 1 Chaffinch.

Tuesday 27th November 2018

Last knockings but not to late in the autumn for a couple of tardy Blackcaps, Chiffchaff & Firecrest to still be arriving into Britain for the winter. Late arriving Blackbirds carry on into December but a new Robin & Wren are also on the drag. Vis mig barely existent but represented by southbound 6 Linnet & a Skylark. Offshore southbound 78 Brent, 58 Teal, 13 Red-breasted Merganser, 8 Wigeon, 5 Gadwal, & 2 Shelduck with northbound 56 Cormorant, 9 Common Scoter, 5 Snipe, 5 Turnstone & Barnacle Goose plus a Shag that came in off the sea then headed into Essex up the Stour. On site at least 15 Mipit & 8 Goldcrests remain.

Mottled Umber is a winter flyer that due to the bleak exposed conditions at Landguard is not recorded annually.

Ringing: 2 Blackcap, 1 Blackbird, 1 Firecrest, 1 Robin, 1 Wren.

Monday 26th November2018

Dull wet morning. On site 15 Mipit, 11 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 3 Song Thrush, 3 Turnstone, Chiffchaff, Fieldfare, Lapwing plus some lingering Goldcrests keeping their heads down. It's a rum old do when Greenfinch appears as worthy of a mention and a sad state of the current state of affairs. Offshore quiet with southbound 6 Brent and northbound 10 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Diver, Eider plus a Bonxie clobbering a Great Black-backed Gull forcing it to give up its breakfast which was entertaining for us but not for the gull.

Ringing: nil