Sunday 2nd February

Blue skies and a lack of rain was the biggest surprise of the day and the springlike conditions encouraged the reappearance of the two Siberian Chffchaff with at least two Chiffchaff also present. Many of the resident species were in song and/or paired up including Little Grebe and Great-spotted Woodpecker. The Bonaparte's Gull showed on and off during the day, off the seawall first thing, then feeding distantly offshore late morning and in the estuary late afternoon. Also present offshore six Red-throated and three Great Northern Diver, the six Velvet Scoter, two Eider and two Long-tailed Duck, however numbers of the commoner species remain very low. Elsewhere the resident Slavonian Grebe remains in the estuary along with counts of 202 Grey Plover, 89 Knot, 42 Bar-tailed Godwit, 14 Ringed Plover and two Greenshank, a Water Pipit was briefly on the Golf Course and at least six Water Rail were present, including one in front of the hide.

Green Woodpecker © Lee Collins

Wildlife News: A Grey Seal was on Bull Hill and a couple of queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee were on the wing.