Sunday, 5th January 2014

Offshore

1 dark-bellied Brent Goose west, 33 Common Scoters west, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 15 Red-throated Divers west, 2 Great Crested Grebes west, 1 Great Skua west, 4 Little Gulls west, 1 Guillemot west and 4 Auk sp. west.

 

 Little Gull

Visible Migration

220 Pink-footed Geese north.

Others

11 Red-breasted Mergansers, 44 Ringed Plovers, 136 Grey Plovers, 1,500 Knots, 150 Sanderlings, 4 Purple Sandpipers, 400 Dunlins, 100 Black-tailed Godwits, 250 Turnstones, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Stonechat, 3 Grey Wagtails and 60 Goldfinch.

 

 Snow Bunting

Saturday, 4th January 2014

The highlight today was the return of a Bittern, this is now a regular occurrence in recent winters.

Offshore 

1dark-bellied Brent Goose west, 57 Common Scoters west, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 17 Red-throated Divers west, 1 2CY Shag on the sea off the scar, 3 Great Crested Grebes west & 1 on the sea, 1 Kittiwake west, 4 Little Gulls west, 1 Razorbill east and 3 Auk sp. west.

 

 Little Gull

Red-breasted Merganser

Others 

335 Wigeons, 3 Pintails, 8 Goldeneyes, 16 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Bittern seen in flight over the reedbeds, 1 Little Egret, 1 Peregrine, 1 Water Rail, 48 Ringed Plovers, 75 Golden Plovers, 230 Sanderlings, 4 Purple Sandpipers, 1 Woodcock, 94 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Stonechat, 1 Grey Wagtail and 11 Rock Pipits.

 

 Grey Wagtail

Goildeneye

Friday, 3rd January 2014

Strong winds and a high tide meant all eyes where on the sea today and the highlight was an unseasonal Leach`s Petrel that flew west during the morning.

Offshore 

46 Wigeons west, 32 Teal west, 37 Pintails west, 23 Common Scoters west, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Leach`s Petrel west at 10:53, 1 2CY Shag on the sea late afternoon, 12 Great Crested Grebes west, 35 Kittiwakes west, 130 Little Gulls west - most of these were over the sewage outlet late afternoon, 1 Guillemot west and 42 Auk sp.west.

 

 Little Gulls (above and below)

Others 

19 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Peregrine, 37 Ringed Plovers, 800 Knots, 280 Sanderlings, 4 Purple Sandpipers, 260 Turnstones and 1 Stonechat.

Eider

Thursday, 2nd January 2014

Another decent passage of birds offshore this morning in a spell of calm sunny weather! The main feature was a high count of Great Crested Grebes, 42 flew west which is a good count for here. Also of note was the male Hen Harrier seen again and a single Snow Bunting by the sea wall.

Offshore 

4 Shelducks west, 6 Teal west, 8 Pintails west, 21 Common Scoters west, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers west, 19 Red-throated Divers west, 42 Great Crested Grebes west, 43 Kittiwakes west, 49 Little Gulls west, 4 Guillemots west, 1 Razorbill west and 87 Auk sp. west.

Visible Migration 

1 Skylark 'in off'.

Others 

6 Goldeneyes, 1 male Hen Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 44 Ringed Plovers, 220 Golden Plovers, 1,000 Lapwings, 90 Sanderlings, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 800 Dunlins, 175 Black-tailed Godwits, 315 Turnstones, 1 Stonechat, 9 Rock Pipits and 1 Snow Bunting.

 

 Snow Bunting

Common Gulls

Wednesday, 1st January 2014

A good start to the new year with a male Velvet Scoter being seen off the point, plus the Great Skua still around and a good count of Red-throated Divers moving out of the bay.

Offshore 

3 Wigeon west, 9 Common Scoters west, 1 male Velvet Scoter west, 1 Goldeneye, 8 Red-breasted Mergansers east, 43 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Great Crested Grebe west, 1 Great Skua, 1 Kittiwake west, 8 Little Gulls west, 1 Guillemot west and 10 Auk sp. west.

 

 Red-breasted Merganser

Visible Migration

89 Pink-footed Geese north.

Others:

750 Teal, 7 Goldeneyes, 10 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Buzzard, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 38 Ringed Plovers, 56 Golden Plovers, 125 Grey Plovers, 1,000 Knots, 175 Sanderlings, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 22 Snipe, 4 Jack Snipes, 78 Black-tailed Godwits, 245 Turnstones, 1 Jay, 1Chiffchaff, 1 Stonechat, 7 Rock Pipits and 50 Goldfinch.

 

 Sanderlings

Tuesday, 31st December 2013

The highlight of the day was a Great Northern Diver which came in from the north in front of a heavy squall and remained on the sea showing well on and off for 30 minutes. Also noteworthy was a Greenshank on the marsh which are very rare here in winter.

Offshore

37 Teals west, 17 Common Scoters west, 9 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Great Northern Diver, 4 Great Crested Grebes east & 1 west, 1 Great Skua - still lingering around offshore, 5 Kittiwakes west, 6 Little Gulls west plus 26 over the sewage outlet early afternoon, 1 Guillemot and 4 Auk sp. west.

Others 

500 Pink-footed Geese, 800 Teal, 7 Goldeneyes, 13 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Merlin, 44 Ringed Plovers, 90 Golden Plovers, 218 Grey Plovers, 1,500 Knots, 225 Sanderlings, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 1 Woodcock, 210 Black-tailed Godwits, 12 Bar-tailed Godwits, 280 Turnstones, 1 Med.Gull, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Jay, 25 Goldfinch and 11 Linnets.

 

 Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones

Linnet

Monday, 30th December 2013

Offshore 

62 Teal west, 12 Pintails west, 6 Common Scoters west, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Great Crested Grebe west, 9 Kittiwakes west, 14 Little Gulls west, 1 Guillemot, 1 Razorbill west and 3 Auk sp. west.

 

 Little Gull

Pintails

Others

6 Goldeneyes, 9 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Buzzard, 1 Peregrine, 44 Ringed Plovers, 800 Knots, 200 Sanderlings, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 700 Dunlins, 185 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Med. Gull, 1 1CY Yellow-legged Gull and 5 Rock Pipits.