December 2008

The last day of the year was a cold frosty one with low cloud or fog hampering visibility, very little of note recorded except 9 Teal N, a Goldeneye came in, 11 Red-throated Diver, 43 Lapwing (Triangle), 120 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Sky Lark (Clubley’s), a Rock Pipit, 3 Stonechat, 3 Fieldfare, a Redwing (Point) and a Snow Bunting (Clubley’s).

Another cloudy day but a few more birds located today with a Pink-footed Goose blogging, 3 Wigeon S, a teal (Canal), 2 Goldeneye (1 S), 7 Eider, a Velvet Scoter S, 27 Red-throated Diver, a Water Rail (Canal), 2 Jack Snipe (Borrow Pit), 5 Snipe, a Meadow Pipit (Borrow pit), 2 Rock Pipit (Cliff Farm), 4 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush (Warren), 5 Goldfinch and 24 Snow Bunting (Clubley’s.

A cloudy day with just the odd interesting sighting, with 8 Eider (6 S), a Velvet Scoter N, the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), a Red-breasted Merganser came in, a Peregrine over the Humber, 450 Golden Plover and 65 Black-tailed Godwit (Humber), a Rock Pipit (Salt Marsh), 4 Stonechat, 3 Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch (Point), 13 Snow Bunting (Clubley’s)

Still a few bits and pieces around but feeling a little bit colder than of late despite the full cloud cover.

Highlights of the day were 4 Whooper Swan out SE, a Teal, 17 Eider (6N, 5 S and 6 on the Humber), the Goldeneye was still present, 26 Red-throated Diver (25 N), a Hen Harrier and Peregrine hunting the area, 6 lapwing, 2 Snipe (Humber), 3 Sky Lark (1 S), 6 Meadow Pipit (Sheep Field), 2 Rock Pipit (Salt Marsh), 6 Stonechat, 10 Fieldfare (7 Triangle), a Redwing (Wire Dump), 5 Goldfinch (Point) and 23 Snow Bunting blogging.

A few birds moving at sea in a cloudy dull day with a cold force 3 E wind blowing.

Of note were 7 Wigeon S plus 11 blogging, 15 Teal S, 47 Eider (28 N, 19 S), 28 Common Scoter S, the resident Goldeneye, 92 Red-throated Diver (70 N), a freshly dead Water Rail (Church Field), 7 Lapwing (Humber), a Jack Snipe (Salt Marsh), 1 Snipe, 150 Black-tailed Godwit, a Bonxie S, 3 Razorbill S, 2 Sky Lark S, a Rock Pipit (Cliff Farm), 2 Redwing and 12 Snow Bunting S.

Better all round today with some sunshine and more birds to look at.

Highlights were 12 Eider (10 N), 20 Common Scoter (17 S), the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), 45 Red-throated Diver, 4 Gannet, single Snipe and Woodcock (Church Field), a Fieldfare (Kew), 2 Redwing (Point/Triangle), 2 Goldfinch and 2 Snow Bunting blogging.

A much colder day in a force 1-2 N-NE and still dull and grey of note were 2 Gadwall (Canal Scrape), 6 Wood Pigeon, 3 Meadow Pipit (Sheep Field), 3 Stonechat, 3 Fieldfare and a Redwing (Point).

A very quiet day although there was plenty of sunshine in light winds, highlights were the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), a Snipe, a Stonechat, 7 Fieldfare (6 point, 1 Warren) and 5 Goldfinch.

Dull and cloudy all day in a force 2 W wind of note today were 3 Wigeon S, 2 Teal blogging, a Shoveler (Canal Scrape), 5 Eider S, 6 Goldeneye, 98 Red-throated Diver (67 S), 3 Snipe (Salt Marsh), 3 Kittiwake S, 2 Meadow Pipit (Sheep Field), a Rock Pipit (Cliff Farm), 24 Snow Bunting (New Road).

A lovely bright sunny winters day, not that much of note except 4 Teal S, 12 Common Scoter S, the resident Goldeneye, a Red-breasted Merganser S, a Hen Harrier S over the Humber, c3000 Golden Plover and 400 Lapwing from the Fields, 150 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Wood Pigeon, 24 Collared Dove, 10 Sky Lark (Triangle), 11 Meadow Pipit (5 S), 4 Stonechat, a Chiffchaff (Southfield Farm), 3 Goldfinch blogging and 12 Reed Bunting.

A stiff SW wind blew all day which was mainly full cloud cover and rather dull, of note were 13 Pink-footed and a Grey-lag Goose S, 2 Gadwall (Canal Scrape), 4 Teal S, 2 Goldeneye (1 S), a Red-breasted Merganser went out, 94 Red-throated Diver, 5 Meadow Pipit (3 S), 2 Waxwing were at Chalk Bank, 5 Stonechat, a Fieldfare (Sheep Field), a Redwing (Point), a Chiffchaff (Southfield Farm), 2 Goldfinch, 4 Snow Bunting (3 S, 1 Clubley’s), a Yellowhammer (Point).

A cloudy day with very light winds, more birds around than previous days with a Wigeon S, 2 Gadwall (Canal Zone), 18 Common Scoter S, the Goldeneye was still present, 96 Red-throated Diver, a Hen Harrier S, 5 Lapwing, 3 Snipe, 350 Black-tailed Godwit, a Short-eared Owl blogging, 6 Sky Lark, 2 Rock Pipit, 4 Stonechat, 46 Fieldfare came down from the fields and soon returned back N, single Song Thrush and Redwing, 3 Chiffchaff (Warren/Canal Zone/Kew), 60 Tree Sparrow (Church Field) and the 17 Snow Bunting (New Road).

A Spotted Redshank was at Beacon Lagoons.

After a bright start cloud built up giving rain by the afternoon in a moderate – strong SW wind.

Very few notable sightings except 116 Brent Geese, the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), 2 Sky Lark, a Rock Pipit (Salt Marsh), a Stonechat and 17 Snow Bunting (New Road).

A partly sunny day in a moderate SW wind with very little of note except the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), a dead Woodcock on the road, 2 Stock Dove blogging, 5 Sky Lark, 3 Rock Pipit (Wire Dump/Warren/Cliff Farm), 2 Stonechat, 21 Blackbird and a Song Thrush(Point).

Overnight frost made it rather chilly first thing but plenty of sunshine made it rather pleasant in a light S wind.

Highlights for the day were 2 S, a Gadwall on the sea, 53 Common Scoter (35 S), 2 Red-breasted Merganser N, 14 Red-throated Diver, a Cormorant S, a Jack Snipe (Salt Marsh), 65 Common Gull S, 9 Sky Lark, 2 Rock Pipit (Cliff Farm), 2 Stonechat, a Chiffchaff (Warren), 2 Goldfinch (Warren/Kew).

Mainly cloudy with just a glimpse of the sun later on in a light S wind produced 19 Wigeon S, 3 Gadwall (2 S, 1 Canal), 11 Teal S, a Shoveler S, a Little Gull off the Point, 2 Waxwing at the Point along with a Redwing, a Chiffchaff (Warren) and a Snow Bunting (Point).

A dull damp overcast day with little of note except a Teal (Canal), the semi-resident Goldeneye, 7500 Golden Plover on the Humber, a Woodcock (Canal), a Mistle Thrush (Warren) and a Snow Bunting at Wire Dump.

A dull drizzly day with poor visibility hampering observations, with a light N picking up in the afternoon.

A few new birds around including 6 Whooper Swan S, 15 Wigeon and 2 Teal blogging, 9 Shoveler N, 4 Tufted Duck S, 26 Eider N, 2 Goldeneye (1 S, 1 Borrow Pit), a Great Northern Diver on the sea, 2 Little Egret (Humber), 2 Hen Harrier a female at Potato Fields and a male in the Triangle, a Water Rail, 5000 Golden Plover, a Woodcock (Point), a Bonxie N, a Rock Pipit, 3 Fieldfare, 23 Redwing (10 Point, 13 Warren), 2 Chiffchaff (Warren/Salt Marsh).

Torrential rain during the morning and mid afternoon in a force 7 S wind becoming SE force 8 by the afternoon producing some movement at sea.

Of note were 45 Wigeon S, 269 Teal S, 3 Common Scoter S, 5 Eider S, a Gannet S, 5 Ringed Plover S, 286 Lapwing in after 14.15 pm, a Snipe S and 2 Little Auk S.

Another cloudy with light rain by the afternoon with a stiffening S wind, very little of note except a Gannet N, the Jack Snipe (Salt Marsh), 2 Fieldfare, a Goldcrest (Point0 and a Snow Bunting (Clubley’s).

A wet day with plenty of showers and a light N wind of note today were 3 Pink-footed Geese S, 5 Common Scoter S, the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), a Great Northern Diver S, a Shag S, a Little Egret (Humber), a Water Rail, a Jack Snipe (Salt Marsh), 4 Fieldfare and a Yellowhammer (Church Field).

A bright start which clouded up with showers in the afternoon in a cold moderate WNW wind producing 3 Grey-lag Geese NW, a Velvet Scoter N, the Goldeneye, a Little Egret (Humber), 17 Lapwing blogging, 10,000 Knot, a Snipe, 4 Sky Lark, 4 Stonechat, single Song Thrush and Redwing (Point) , 2 Goldfinch (Warren), 4 Linnet S and a Snow Bunting (Clubley’s).

A bit more interest today but remaining cold with a heavy frost of note were a Teal S, the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), 14 Red-throated Diver, 2 Lapwing (Humber), a Jack Snipe and 2 Snipe (Salt Marsh), 490 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Meadow Pipit (Triangle), 8 Fieldfare (3 Point/Kew), a Chiffchaff (Warren), 7 Long-tailed Tit (Warren), 4 Goldfinch (Potato Fields), 2 Snow Bunting (Clubley’s).

A very dull day bird and weather wise with full cloud cover and rain by the afternoon with the only birds of note being the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), a Little Egret (Humber), a Woodcock (Triangle), 3 Sky Lark, 3 Stonechat, 4 Song Thrush (3 Warren), 2 Redwing and the Snow Bunting on Clubley’s.

A heavy overnight frost but bright and sunny all day in a light SW wind, producing a few birds which for this time of year was not bad.

Of note today 3 Whooper Swan that were going S but landed on the Humber, a Canada Goose, a Pochard S, 7 Common Scoter, the Goldeneye, 16 Red-throated Diver, a Shag S, a Little Egret (Humber), 3 Snipe and 2 Woodcock (Triangle area), 11 Wood Pigeon, 14 Sky Lark (6 N, 2 in), a Meadow Pipit S, a Rock Pipit (Salt Marsh), 10 Waxwing dropped in at Kew for a very short while, 3 Stonechat, 41 Blackbird, 3 Fieldfare (Kew), a Chiffchaff (Warren), 3 Long-tailed Tit blogging, 5 Goldfinch (2 S), 3 Siskin S, 12 Linnet (Salt Marsh), a Lesser Redpoll S, 5 Snow Bunting (Clubley’s) and a Yellowhammer (Church Field).

A day with plenty of sunshine albeit a bit cool in a light NW wind, with the highlights today being 1 Eider S, 6 Common Scoter S, the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), 38 Red-throated Diver (34 S), a Little Egret (Humber), a Water Rail (Canal), an Iceland Gull N along the tide line, 10 Sky Lark (3 N, 7 Clubley’s), 12 Meadow Pipit (7 S), 2 Stonechat, 30 Blackbird, 6 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, a Chiffchaff (Warren), 4 Linnet blogging and 3 Snow Bunting (2 Point, 1 Clubley’s).

A better day with some sunshine to start with and light showers later in a light W wind. Of note was the Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), a Grey Heron S, 2 Merlin at the Narrows, a Water Rail (Fourways), 115 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Sky Lark)Clubley’s), 2 Meadow Pipit S, 3 Stonechat, a Fieldfare (Crown), 3 Song Thrush, a Chiffchaff (Canal Zone), 4 Long-tailed Tit (Fourways), a Goldfinch (Crown).

Poor weather with rain and gale force winds dropping of later. Not much seen with the best of it being 2 Red-throated Diver, a Water Rail (Canal Scrape), a Snipe (Point), a Stonechat, a Goldcrest (Point).

A pleasant day after the showers cleared with highlights today being 16 Eider N, 7 Common Scoter S, a Scaup S, 2 Goldeneye (1 S, 1 Borrow Pit), 7 Red-throated Diver N, a Shag S, single Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Merlin all hunting the area, 4 Sky Lark, 2 Stonechat, 6 Fieldfare (4 S, 2 Kew), a Chiffchaff (Warren) and 2 Goldfinch blogging.

A more wintry day with sleety showers of note was 5 Eider S, a Goldeneye (Borrow Pit), a Water Rail (Canal Scrape), 1 Stonechat, 21 Blackbird, a Fieldfare (Warren), a Chiffchaff (Blue Bell), 2 Goldcrest and a Goldfinch (Point) and the Snow Bunting (Clubley’s).

A bright start clouded over giving showers by midday little of note except 47 Eider N, 9 Common Scoter S, a Grey Heron, 5 Stonechat dotted about, 34 Blackbird, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest (Point), 3 Long-tailed Tit (North Hedge), 3 Siskin (Crown) and a Snow Bunting (Clubley’s).