February 2007

The last day of the month went out with a bang with the wind reaching force 6+ and heavy rain by early afternoon making life difficult, very few birds around must have been under cover.

Highlights were 19 Red-throated Diver, the usual 6 Pink-footed Geese, 5 Lapwing (Walker Butts), a Jack Snipe (Salt Marsh), a few Auk’s at sea mostly distant, 9 Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipit, 7 Song Thrush and 2 Redwing (Point/Warren).

On the road a flat Common Toad was found by Sunny Cliff Farm an unusual visitor to Spurn and not seen that often.

Low cloud with rain most of the day in a strong cold SW wind, very little about apart from a wet warden!

Highlights today were few with 6 Red-throated Diver, a Shag S, 6 Pink-footed Geese (Walker Butts), 9 Wigeon came in, 2 Black-tailed Godwit (Walker Butts), a few distant Auk’s and a Fieldfare at the Point.

Cloudy most of the day with only the odd glimpse of the sun in a cold N-NW wind, just the odd bird on the move and little in the way of new arrivals.

At sea 25 Red-throated Diver, a Great Northern Diver N, single Gannet and Cormorant N, 2 Teal S, a 1st winter Med Gull went N, lots of distant Auk’s were moving S, along with 6 Guillemot and a Razorbill.

Elsewhere 3 Teal (Triangle), 23 Lapwing S, a Jack Snipe (Salt Marsh), 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Skylark (3 S, 10 Clubley’s), 3 Meadow Pipit, a Rock Pipit (Salt Marsh), 1 Stonechat, a Fieldfare (Canal Hedge), 1 Redwing (Point), 6 Starling S, 4 Greenfinch plus single Goldfinch and Linnet all S. Whilst the Marsh frog total doubled to 2 at Kew today.

A much better start to the day with some sunshine which clouded up later, with light winds inducing some southerly passage and just the odd new arrival.

Heading south were a Grey Heron, 1 Canada Goose, 154 Lapwing, 3 Curlew went out SE, 6 Stock Dove, 14 Wood Pigeon, 28 Skylark, 4 Meadow Pipit, 2 Alba Wagtail, 3 Great Tit, 6 Jackdaw, 4 Rook, 8 Carrion Crow, 73 Starling and a Twite.

Other birds of interest were a Great Crested Grebe on the sea, the Pink-footed Geese gained a member now numbering 6 in Walker Butts, 354 Brent Geese, 4 Wigeon (Humber), a Peregrine (Humber), a Woodcock (Triangle), 6 Black-tailed Godwit (Humber), a Rock Pipit, 2 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest, 600 Starling and a Linnet at the Warren. Also on the wing today at Chalk Bank was a Peacock butterfly. Of note in the ringing department was a Great Tit controlled at Kew that was previously ringed in the Netherlands, an unusual record for a normally fairly resident species.

A cold drizzly day with some heavy showers in the afternoon, a few birds on the move and a few new birds turning up.

On the move south today were 1 Lapwing, 37 Black-headed Gull, 4 Stock Dove, 8 Skylark, 1 Alba Wagtail, and 18 Starling.

Other birds of note were a Fulmar N, 5 Pink-footed Geese, 160 Brent Geese, 94 Shelduck, a Sparrowhawk along the Canal eating a Water Rail that it had caught, a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Crown, 8 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 10 Fieldfare (9 Point), 5 Song Thrush, a Goldcrest (Point) and 650 Starling (Triangle).

With rain petering out leaving showers by mid-morning a few birds were on the move both at sea and overland induced by a decreasing SW wind.

At sea 31 Red-throated Diver, a Great Crested Grebe, a Fulmar N, 9 Gannet, 2 Wigeon and 2 Mallard S, 3 Eider S, 5 Common Scoter, , a Woodcock came in, 4 Kittiwake S and 11 Guillemot (8N, 3S) were observed.

. On land birds heading south included 380 Golden Plover, 166 Lapwing, 1 Curlew plus 3 out E, 8 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Rock Pipit, 3 Alba Wagtail, 1 Great Tit, 20 Starling plus 5 in, 2 Greenfinch and a Reed Bunting. Other birds of note were the 5 Pink-footed Geese, a Pintail (Walker Butts), single Jack Snipe and Snipe (Salt Marsh), a Stonechat (Warren), 9 Fieldfare (8 Point, 1 Wire Dump), a Redwing (Canal Hedge) and 300 Starling (Triangle).

A really awful day with constant rain and blustery winds with very little to be seen.

Highlights today were 2 Red-throated Diver N, a Marsh Harrier S over the Triangle, 3 Grey Partridge (Church Field), a Snipe (Salt Marsh), 2 Stock Dove S, 1 Meadow Pipit, 26 Blackbird, 3 Fieldfare (Point) and a Mistle Thrush (Church Field).

One of the best day’s of the year so far with a good deal of passage and plenty of sunshine in a light SW wind.

Birds on the move were 12 Pintail S on the Humber, 80 Golden Plover and 2740 Lapwing S, 12 Curlew in plus 3 out E, 4 Stock Dove S, a Woodlark S at 12.35 then was seen at the Potato Fields, 73 Skylark S plus 3 in then NW, 3 Meadow Pipit and a Rock Pipit S, 5 Great Tit, 410 Starling, 14 Chaffinch, 41 Greenfinch, 9 Linnet, 2 Yellowhammer and 8 Reed Bunting all south.

Other notable observations were 5 Pink-footed Geese (Triangle), 36 Ringed Plover, 9 Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipit, 8 Fieldfare (Point). The Shag that was in the buildings at the Point was found dead at the Narrows today. North of the area the adult Iceland Gull was feeding off Beacon Lagoons and 3 pale-bellied Brent Geese were in Long Bank. A first for the year was in the form of a Marsh Frog in the pond at Kew.

Another dull day with a burst of heavy rain mid-morning stopping what little passage there was, remaining dull all day with just a couple of new sightings.

Highlights today were the 4 Pink-footed Geese and a Grey-lag Goose in the Triangle, c400 Brent Geese plus 3 pale-bellied birds on the Humber, a Peregrine took a Knot on the Humber, 2 Water Rail (Canal), 14 Golden Plover S plus 7 in the area, 272 Lapwing S, 3 Black-tailed Godwit (Walker Butts), 2 Stock Dove S, 40 Blackbird, 3 Fieldfare (Point), a Goldcrest (Point), 250 Starling (Triangle) plus 46 S and 3 Yellowhammer were blogging around.

A dull damp dreary day with low cloud and mist most of the day even the SSE wind was colder than the last few days, a couple of interesting birds around just to keep on interest going.

At sea 6 Red-throated Diver, 8 Wigeon, 10 Eider S, 42 Common Scoter S, 3 Goldeneye (2 S), and an adult Iceland Gull was feeding on the Pipe fish on the tide line just of the Warren. Elsewhere c200 Pink-footed Geese went NW plus the 4 still in the Triangle, 9 Wigeon and 3 Goldeneye were on the Humber along with a hunting female Peregrine, an Avocet was flying around the Tank Block area, single Jack Snipe and Snipe (Salt Marsh), 23 Ringed Plover was a big increase from recent days with the odd bird displaying, 32 Blackbird, single Redwing and Goldcrest, whilst at Kew around 250 Starling came down from Easington.

In one of the Life-boat house’s at the Point a Shag was found making itself home amongst the shoes/boots in the porch, it seemed fairly healthy and was feed up before release at high tide seemingly none the worse.

A nice sunny day with some passage of birds at sea as well as over land feeling rather pleasant in light winds.

On the move at sea were 32 Red-throated Diver, 1 Shag, 40 Common Scoter N and 245 Black-headed Gull S, whilst over land 321 Lapwing, 2 Stock Dove, 29 Skylark, a Rock Pipit, 1 Great Tit, 75 Starling, 7 Greenfinch and 1 Goldfinch all went south.

Other notable sightings were the 4 Pink-footed Geese, 11 Teal and 27 Pintail (Humber), 7 Ringed Plover, a Black-tailed Godwit (Walker Butts), 450 Black-headed Gull (Humber), 4 Stock Dove, 8 Skylark, 6 Meadow Pipit, 12 Fieldfare (Point), 8 Song Thrush, a Snow Bunting at post 17 and a Corn Bunting u-turned back north.

A cooler day with a moderate N wind but some sunny spells a few birds on the move, so things slowly picking up.

. On the move were 41 Red-throated Diver, a Great Crested Grebe N, a Shag S, 3 Grey-lag Geese N, 4 Wigeon in, 2 Shovelor S,1 Scaup S, 30 Common Scoter S, a Red-breasted Merganser S, 800 Herring Gull S, 8 Skylark S, 30 Starling S and a Linnet S.

. Other birds of note included the 4 Pink-footed Geese (Triangle), a Merlin (Warren), a Peregrine hunting the Humber, 4 Skylark and a Meadow Pipit (Clubley’s), a Stonechat (Warren), 29 Blackbird, 8 Fieldfare, 8 Song Thrush, and a Redwing. There were c850 Brent Geese north of the area plus 3 pale-bellied birds.

Still remaining very mild with plenty of sunny spells in the morning with the odd shower, clouding up later with rain and a force 3-2 S-SE wind, very little change on the bird front.

Birds of any note today were 18 Red-throated Diver, the 4 Pink Footed Geese stuck in the same field, 300 Brent Geese that returned back north, 83 Shelduck & 11 Wigeon (Humber); a few Auks’s at sea, 47 Blackbird, 13 Fieldfare (Point), 8 Song Thrush, a Goldcrest (Point) and 5 Linnet (Warren).

North of the area around Long Bank a good count of 857 Brent Geese, had 4 pale-bellied birds with them.

Starting like the previous day ended, sunny and bright and then clouding over with a strong S wind helping with some light southerly passage but on the whole little change to recent days.

Heading south were a Grey-lag Goose, 7 Starling, 2 Greenfinch and 6 Linnet whilst other birds of note were the 4 Pink-footed Geese still in Walker Butts, a Merlin in Scrape Field, a Jack Snipe (Salt Marsh), 4 Fieldfare, 27 Greenfinch (Church Field) and a Linnet (Point).

Cloud dispersing leaving a lovely bright sunny afternoon in a moderate SW wind a bit of a Goose day with 3 species recorded all in Walker Butts these being 4 Pink-footed, 1 Grey-lag and 2 Canada Geese, with the latter two species heading of south later on.

notable sightings were a Stock Dove S, 11 Skylark some displaying being the local breeding birds, 2 Stonechat (Blue Bell), 40 Blackbird, 13 Fieldfare (12 Point), 9 Song Thrush, 6 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush (Triangle) and around 200 Starling (Triangle) plus another left 7 the Point S.

Sunny spells gave way to thicker cloud by the afternoon in a light-moderate W-SW wind, little change to yesterday but no sign of the Dolphin.

At sea 29 Red-throated Diver (26 N), 1 Pink-footed Goose S and 16 Common Scoter S were about the best of it, whilst elsewhere interesting birds were 4 Pink-footed Geese (Walker Butts), 10 Wigeon (Humber), a Black-tailed Godwit (Walker Butts), 13 Skylark, 2 Stonechat, 37 Blackbird, 4 Fieldfare, 6 Song Thrush, 2 Redwing (Point), a Goldcrest (Point) and 226 Starling (220 Triangle, 6 S).

A lovely spring like start to the day but clouding over with persistent rain by the mid-afternoon an interesting day with a trickle of new birds and an unusual animal.

Notable sightings for today included 6 Pink-footed Geese (2 S, 4 Triangle), c350 Brent Geese plus 4 pale-bellied raced birds, 15 Wigeon, 4 Eider, 2 Common Scoter and a female Goosander on the Humber, a Peregrine (Humber), 2 Snipe, a Stock Dove (Church Field), 12 Skylark (3 Wire Dump, 8 Clubley’s, 1 Triangle), a Meadow Pipit, 32 Blackbird, 12 Fieldfare, 7 Song Thrush, 16 Redwing, 3 Linnet N over the Triangle and a Snow Bunting over Scrape Field.

The most interesting sighting was a Bottle-nosed Dolphin feeding in the shallows of the Humber at around 13.40 and staying for about an hour before disappearing.

With the rain petering out by midday a much better day with the return of the 4 Pink-footed Geese (Well Field), 2 Grey Partridge, Water Rail (Chalk Bank), 5 Golden Plover and 45 Lapwing mostly in the Triangle, 2 Woodcock (Middle Camp/Wire Dump), a Short-eared Owl (Sheep Field), 2Skylark (Wire Dump), 1 Stonechat, 18 Fieldfare (15 Point, 3 Church Field), 5 Song Thrush, 15 Redwing and 2 Goldcrest at the Point.

A dreadful day with driving rain and low cloud making it dark all day and a stiff S wind as well, very little seen except for a Cormorant and a male Eider at Chalk Bank, a Sparrowhawk (Kew), 2 Song Thrush and a Redwing (Point).

A really dull day with frequent showers and a moderate E-SE wind also dull for birds with a Red-throated Diver (Humber), 110 Brent Geese, the 2 Teal were still in the Triangle, 2 Stonechat (Chalk Bank/Warren), 3 Fieldfare (2 Point, 1 Crown) and 4 Song Thrush were the best of it.

. At Beacon Lagoons 5 Goldeneye were about the only birds of note.

A cold wintry day with frequent showers in a stiff easterly wind, with little change on the bird front. Birds of note today were 67 Shelduck, 3 Wigeon and 2 Teal, 2 Grey Partridge (Church Field), 6 Ringed Plover (Chalk Bank), single Jack Snipe and Snipe (Salt Marsh), a Stonechat (Chalk Bank) and 2 Fieldfare (Point).

A cold crisp day with heavy overnight frost and a light NW wind. The only birds seen of note today were 1 Red-throated Diver, a Shag sat of the cliff top at Big Hedge, 4 Pink-footed Geese in the Triangle, a Water Rail at Chalk Bank and 3 Auk sp N.

A cold clear day with a light northerly wind. Birds of note seen were 1 Red-throated Diver, 4 Pink-footed Geese in Walker Butts, 3 Golden Plover in Well Field, 33 Lapwing, 1 Woodcock in Church Field, 1 Stonechat along the Canal, a Fieldfare and Blackcap at the Point and a Song Thrush in Canal Hedge.

Light NW-NE wind with hazy cloud cover. 6 Red-throated Diver on the sea, Pink-footed Geese were active with 28 S, 5 left S, 215 NW and 4 on Walker Butts. A Greylag Goose and a Common Scoter flew south, 18 Lapwing were in the Triangle, Common Snipe and Jack Snipe were in the saltmarsh, a Kingfisher was seen along the Canal, 3 Sky Lark flew south, single Meadow Pipit and Stonechat were in the Triangle and 4 Fieldfare were at the Point.

A cloudless day with a very light westerly wind. 2 Pink-footed Geese were still in the Triangle and 46 flew NW, 6 Lapwing and a Stonechat in the Triangle, but the highlight was a Waxwing north over the Blue Bell

A light north-westerly wind and a mainly clear sunny day. The only birds of note seen were 2 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Water Rail at the Point, 17 Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush and 1 Redwing.

A lovely spring like day perhaps too nice as very little bird life was found except for all the local populations sorting out territories.

Notable sightings were 2 Pink-footed Geese (Walker Butts), 70 Shelduck (Humber), 3 Sparrowhawk, a Peregrine chasing Knot, 3 Stock Dove displaying in Church Field, 11 Wood Pigeon S, 3 Skylark in Clubley’s plus 4 came in and went NW, 2 Stonechat, 4 Fieldfare (3 Point), 3 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush (Kew), single Blackcap and Goldcrest (Point) with the best sighting being a Peacock butterfly enjoying the sunshine at mad Garry’s.