Monday 11th February 2013

Cold easterly with sleet & snow showers is not conducive to an enjoyable time. 9 Wigeon south is the only movement although c2,000 gulls feeding close enough to look through, although 1,500 of them are Herrings. The pair of Peregrines performing over the fort was the mornings highlight. Spent a couple of hours picking up rubbish in the obs compound grovelling into the parts not normally reached. Amongst the expected wind blown items a fine selection of items that had been lobbed into the compound including various alcohol containers, tins, dog pooh in bags & a knife that may be of a nefarious origin but is brand new from Ikea so has been added to the kitchen stock. Rooting around the bushes a sparrowhawk was disturbed plucking a male Blacky so that's one less to count this spring & plenty of fresh fox diggings at their dens including a dried and dessicated fox cub that has been evicted from under one of the buildings. It's amazing what one can find to waffle about when there's no birds to talk about !

Sunday 10th February 2013

Cold SE breeze with rain then drizzle making it not very pleasant at all. A Fulmar going north was the first of the year but apart from that starring out to sea was fairly tedious with just 11 Teal & a Great-crested Grebe south, 2 Dunlin north plus a dozen Red-throated Divers and Cormorants coming and going. Roll on spring !

Saturday 9th February 2013

A light dusting of snow overnight soon melted but it's still cold. Bird wise it's a bit "same old same old" at the moment. A Ringed Plover near the point is probably one of the locals returning to check his territory is still here as, despite the cold, days are lengthening which normally stimulates some thoughts of spring. The regular Sanderling is on the beach with just 2 Turnstones. Turnstone numbers this winter have been poor for reasons not known although it could just be tied in with numbers declining nationally across parts of the country. 6 Med Gulls were loitering along side a fisherman - do they learn which individual fishermen feed them as opposed to those that don't ?

Friday 8th February 2013

Yet another Marsh Harrier seen this morning, this time coming in off the sea. 2 Siskins on site is a bit unusual for the time of the year & not sure what 12 Goldfinch's going south are up to. Plenty of gulls a long way out still. Usual Red-throated Divers & Cormorants going back and forth with the only offshore movements 3 Shelduck & a Dunlin south plus a Gannet north. Finally a Shag offshore is possibly the same one seen a few days ago.

Thursday 7th February 2013

Glorious sunny morning with a biting NNW wind. Forget starring out to sea looking into the sun although still plenty of gulls feeding a long way out. A walk around the site just produced the usual birds in the usual places.

Wednesday 6th February 2013

6,500+ seagulls mostly 4 to 5 miles offshore seem to be quite content feeding at that range rather than be dragged in following shipping in any numbers. In that lovely dull flat light early on a juv "white-winged" gull was picked up on two separate occasions but i wouldn't like to guess which one it was. Far better was a Balearic Shearwater tracking north from 0840 to 0845hrs first picked up by the "Deane" buoy but heading out following the deep water shipping channel. This is only the 3rd site record with one of the previous ones also in early February, which is not necessarily the time of year that one would expect to see this species. Also offshore over 50 Red-throated Divers coming & going, 11 adult Gannets north 2 south, 2 Guillemots & an Auk sp. north. Finally, yet another winter record of a Marsh Harrier going south offshore to add to the recently growing list of winter sightings.

Tuesday 5th February 2013

Glorious sunny but windy morning with a distinct nip in the air. Spent the morning on maintenance tasks so limited observations. 2 Siskins went south & a Collared Dove has built a nice new nest feet from one of last years nest sites. Later news concerns a Marsh Harrier south + a Velvet Scoter north at 1335 hrs.