Monday 12th March 2012

Crystal clear first thing then the fog appeared 0630hrs onwards. Decent arrival of typical mid-March migrants including at least 12 Goldcrests, 5 Chiffchaffs 2 Siskins, Fieldfare & a Firecrest. A second winter Iceland Gull came off the beach out of the fog & into the dock complex - three different Iceland Gulls over the last few weeks is unprecedented. 3 Canada Geese went south just off the beach & the 2 Snow Buntings flew over the obs onto the aggregate yard beach late morning. Peregrine chaos over the reserve at mid-day. An immature male, which is probably the bird seen ten days ago (it has some primary feathers missing), was been given the "bums rush" by the local adult male when a third male appeared to join in the fracas for good measures - mayhem !

Sunday 11th March 2012

Migrants today include 45 Wood Pigeons, Rook & Yellowhammer all going south & a confused Siskin going south then back north. In the bushes a handful of new Blackies plus singles of Dunnock, Long-tailed Tit & Woodcock. Two Lead-coloured Drabs were good for us as this species is only noted infrequently here.

Saturday 10th March 2012

Female Marsh Harrier went south early morning. Also going south 6 Crows, 4 Mipits, 2 Jackdaws & a Goldfinch. Moving through the bushes new in were a couple of Great Tits & a Chaffinch. 3 Yellow-legged Gulls were noted with the loafing gulls just inside the dock complex this morning. 2 Snow Buntings are still with us. Signs of spring are the appearance of Frogs in the Butts pond doing what Frogs do !

Friday 9th March 2012

5 Rooks, single Jackdaw, Carrion Crow & Yellowhammer went south. Offshore a handful of Brents, Red-throats, Shelduck & Common Scoter coming and going plus a single Gannet north. In the bushes a couple of new Blackies, Chaffinchs & a Long-tailed Tit. The pair of Peregrines strutted their stuff around the near dock cranes with the adult Iceland Gull appearing late morning before heading towards Harwich up the River Stour. Also amongst the gulls a 2nd winter & an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Thursday 8th March 2012

On the move 8 Crows, 2 Jackdaws, Rook & Yellowhammer going south. Migrants in the bushes non-existent. Less gulls than yesterday with the bulk of those that are with us staying well offshore. Of greater note is the fact that the local pair of Peregrines appear to be very keen on using the crows nest on the nearest green dock crane for their nuptials - much to the annoyance of the crows who successfully reared a brood at this site last year. At mid-day what was presumably yesterdays adult Iceland Gull was seen just inside the dock compound with the 2 Snow Buntings reappearing around the point in the pm.

Recent Recoveries

Amongst the most recent batch of recoveries are a Blackcap caught here on 22nd October 2011 having been ringed 308 km away in Holland on 30th September 2011. Female Blackbird ringed here on 24th October 2011 trapped 5 days later 93km away at Rye Meads in Hertfordshire. Long-tailed Tit ringed here on 14th November 2010 retrapped 147km away at Gibraltar Point, Skegness on 14th May & again on 9th October 2011. Lesser Redpolls trapped here on 11th October 2011 retrapped 124km away at Icklesham in East Sussex 4 days later, another trapped here on 12th October 2011 also caught 4 days later at Icklesham plus another trapped at Burgh Castle, Great Yarmouth on 16th November 2011 retrapped here 77km away and 1.3g lighter the next day.

Wednesday 7th March 2012

A bit of a Roger Melee in the gull department with at least 6,000 gulls behind the ships going in & out of the harbour at the moment. 2nd winter Glaucous put in an appearance at 0745hrs & an adult Iceland Gull at 0845hrs. Also on the move were a single flock of 28 Chaffinchs battling south in the wind & rain plus 5 Starlings coming in off the sea.