Monday 1 January 2024

Monday 1st January

Another (un)seaonably warm New Year's Day, with a bright showery start becoming progressive greyer and wetter as the day went on, a total of 72 species were recorded.

Despite the overnight wind there was little passing offshore with six Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, 18 Kittiwake, 10 Gannet and a Guillemot SW in the first hour. Also offshore a roosting flock of 10 Red-breasted Merganser, five Pintail circled the bay at dawn with 13 Great Crested Grebe, four Eider (three ♀, imm ♂) and three Great Northern Diver close inshore.

Counts from the estuary included c1975 Dunlin, 639 Oystercatcher, 209 Wigeon, 162 Bar-tailed Godwit, 147 Grey and 31 Ringed Plover, 142 Teal, 131 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 118 Knot, 95 Shelduck, 49 Curlew, 14 Sanderling, nine Snipe and a Jack Snipe.

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was occasionally alarm chattering from bushes along the Back Path, a pair of Shoveler were on the Main Pond and four Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest in the bushes.

Other Wildlife: The year started with a new species for the Recording Area, Phormium Mealybug Balanococcus diminutus on the planted New Zealand Flax. 

2024 Year List

Dark-bellied Brent Goose
Shelduck
Shoveler
Wigeon
Mallard
Pintail
Teal
Eider
Red-breasted Merganser
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Water Rail
Moorhen
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Oystercatcher
Grey Plover
Ringed Plover
Curlew
Bar-tailed Godwit
Turnstone
Knot
Sanderling
Dunlin
Jack Snipe
Snipe
Redshank
Greenshank
Kittiwake
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Common Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Guillemot
Red-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Sparrowhawk
Green Woodpecker
Magpie
Rook
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Skylark
Cetti's Warbler
Long-tailed Tit
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Wren
Starling
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Robin
Stonechat
House Sparrow
Dunnock
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Rock Pipit
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Cirl Bunting
Reed Bunting

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