Early morning at least eight Razorbill were feeding offshore but the arrival of a persistent fog bank prevented any other sightings. In the estuary the shoreline wasn't even visible, let alone any birds, although it sounded like the usual suspects were all present over the high tide.
In the bushes 23 Redwing, four Goldcrest, three Bullfinch and a Green Woodpecker, with 20 Skylark on site and six Water Rail, four Snipe and two Teal around the ponds.
No sign of yesterday's grebe in mirror calm conditions, although 30 Great Crested Grebe, 12 Red-throated and 12 Great Northern Diver, three Eider and the Sandwich Tern were off the seawall.
In the estuary counts included 562 Teal, 376 Wigeon, 282 Curlew, numbers back up as surrounding fields become frozen, 194 Redshank, 126 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 103 Grey and 10 Ringed Plover, 83 Shelduck, 70 Knot, 59 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 13 Greenshank, three Shoveler and two Red-breasted Merganser.
Elsewhere, 15 Redwing overhead were a sign of the cold weather, with two Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff in the bushes, the Cetti's Warbler at the icy Main Pond with five Shoveler, four Water Rail and Snipe and a Little Grebe.
Ringing News: One of the Shelduck was a yellow ringed bird, SL. This was ringed as an adult at Seaton Marshes on 09/02/2013. It is back for at least it's eight winter on the Warren, last being recorded here back in February. Also today several colour-ringed Oystercatcher feeding in Greenland Lake, these birds regularly are seen foraging on the Golf Course so were presumably seeking out less frozen areas to fed.
Wildlife News: A Common Seal was off the seawall and a new species for the Recording Area, the freshwater leech Erpobdella testacea, was found on the underside of some submerged wood.
A Black-necked and 18 Great Crested Grebe were reported off the seawall along with three Red-throated Diver and two Eider.
Cold and clear after the first heavy ground frost for a while, ice remained in some areas all day, the weather also produced flat calm conditions offshore. At least eight Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver viewed from the seawall, with 15 Great Crested Grebe, 13 Common Scoter, six Razorbill and two Eider, an adult and first winter males, also present.
The light beat the tide this evening so unable to check or count the majority of waders, but wildfowl were present in good numbers. Counts from the estuary included 588 Teal, 355 Wigeon, 81 Shelduck, 73 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 52 Turnstone, five Greenshank, two Red-breasted Merganser, a Black-tailed Godwit and, feeding in Shutterton Creek, an Avocet.
Elsewhere four Water Rail and three (mff) Shoveler were at the Main Pond, 12 Skylark were on the Golf Course, and the bushes remain quiet, with two Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest within a roving flock of 10 Long-tailed Tit.
Wildlife News: A Harbour Porpoise was off the seawall early afternoon.
A quiet low tide visit with 247 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 42 Shelduck feeding on the mudflats. The bushes and sea were also relatively quiet; an immature Eider was offshore with six Great Crested Grebe; 19 Skylark were in the Bight; a pair of Shoveler and a Little Grebe were on the Main Pond; and 80 Goldfinch, 30 Greenfinch, just one Goldcrest and a Green Woodpecker.
Wildlife News: Still a few insects to be found, with beetles in particular under various logs and driftwood.
Offshore no sign of yesterday's grebe with just five Great Crested Grebe present, along with two drake Eider, the Sandwich Tern and single Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated and Great Northern Diver.
The three Avocet were still in the estuary with counts of 439 Wigeon, 293 Teal, 126 Bar-tailed Godwit, 105 Grey Plover, 90 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 78 Shelduck, 65 Knot, 35 Ringed Plover, six Greenshank, a female Shoveler, and single Kingfisher and Mediterranean Gull. At total of 60 colour-ringed Oystercatcher were recorded over high tide.
Elsewhere 14 Redwing were overhead, the drake Shoveler and five Water Rail were at the Main Pond with tallies of 35 Robin, 26 Blackbird, 26 Wren, 15 Dunnock, 12 Cirl Bunting, four Song Thrush, three Firecrest, three Goldcrest, three Chiffchaff and a Bullfinch.
The highlight was a brief Red-necked Grebe offshore early morning, the second record of the year, with no sign later on on choppy conditions, also offshore three new Eider, two ad and an imm male, 10 Great Crested Grebe, three Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver.
In the estuary three Avocet were only the third record of the year, with counts including 386 Wigeon, 301 Teal, 91 Common and an adult Mediterranean Gull, 89 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 64 Shelduck and three Red-breasted Merganser, still no Goldeneye. Wader counts were more challenging due to the presence of a hunting Peregrine but 1200 Dunlin, 163 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 88 Grey Plover, 42 Knot and 36 Turnstone were present, with 11 Skylark and three Rock Pipit in the Bight.
Elsewhere a Sandwich Tern flew south over Warren Point, the first since three on 23 Oct; the Eastdon corvid roost was again disturbed with a mixed flock of 200+ including c100 Jackdaw and c20 Rook circling the estuary; three Great Spotted and a Green Woodpecker were on site with the Cetti's Warbler around the Main Pond with three Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest.
A pleasant day with both bird and insect interest. A smart male Eider was in the estuary, with good numbers of waders at roosts around the Bight, although many Oystercatcher are currently preferring to roost on the estuary wall north of Cockwood. Counts included 1200 Dunlin, 140 Grey and 44 Ringed Plover, 135 Bar-tailed Godwit, 95 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 56 Knot, 55 Turnstone, 40 Shelduck and 21 Sanderling.
The usual mix of species in the bushes with four Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest with the Cetti's Warbler at the Main Pond where a drake Shoveler has hopefully returned for the winter. Offshore a flock of five Red-throated Diver and 28 Common Scoter flew south early morning with a female Pintail offshore with a small flock of five Great Crested Grebe.
Wildlife News: Insects on the wing included a Slender Melanostoma M. scalare and two Opomyzid flies: Geomyza subnigra and G. tripunctata.
The calm weather revealed the continuing presence of the wintering warblers, namely a Dartford Warbler on the Golf Course and the two Cetti's Warbler one at the Main Pond and one roaming, today it was in the Buffer Zone. Also in the bushes, a Siberian Chiffchaff and a Blackcap along with a few Song Thrush were new in, with a Firecrest, six Goldcrest, two Bullfinch, a Chiffchaff and a Siskin, with four others overhead.
Elsewhere the Spotted Redshank and 10 Cattle Egret were in the estuary with counts including 422 Wigeon, 131 Curlew, 104 Bar-tailed Godwit, 38 Teal and four Greenshank; three Great Northern Diver, two Common Scoter and a Mediterranean Gull were offshore and a year's high 43 Mallard roosted on the Main Pond.
Wildlife News: A Devon Fungus Group foray turned up at least 60 species including Poisonpie Hebeloma crustuliniforme, Bark Bonnet Mycena speirea, Smoked Oysterling Resupinatus applicatus, Girdled Knight Tricholoma cingulatum, Parrot Waxcap Gliophorus psittacinus and Tawny Funnel Lepista flaccida.
