Saturday 9th January

A Purple Sandpiper was again on the seawall, the fourth record this winter of presumably the same individual, this is the first regular wintering bird since 1984/85. Also from the seawall an adult Little Gull offshore with 11 Red-throated and five Great Northern Diver south along with 100+ Kittiwake and c50 Gannet.

In the estuary a flock of 165 Black-tailed Godwit were roosting on Finger Point, presumably moved down river by floodwater, other counts included just 725 Dunlin and 350 Oystercatcher, 213 Brent Geese, 122 Curlew, 81 Grey Plover, 33 Bar-tailed Godwit and 29 Knot. Also from the hide the Slavonian Grebe, two Greenshank, the Water Pipit and a Sandwich Tern. Elsewhere a Firecrest was in the Entrance Bushes with a second bird in Dead Dolphin Wood and a Cirl Bunting was singing in bushes behind the hide.

Thursday 7th January

Despite the overnight conditions there were few seabirds in the bay early morning with just a single Red-throated Diver, seven Common Scoter and four Gannet present. Elsewhere a couple of Siskin remain in the Entrance Bushes and Little Grebe continue to trill from the Main Pond.

Wednesday 6th January

Calm conditions offshore revealed very little was out in the bay but a single Great Northern Diver was towards the estuary mouth and a single Red-throated Diver flew south. Elsewhere the Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood and a Cirl Bunting was still holding territory in the Buffer Zone.

Tuesday 5th January

A Yellow-browed Warbler around the Buffer Zone and Entrance Bushes early morning was presumably the bird last seen on 23rd December rather than a new individual, either way it is the first January record for the Warren. Also around the Buffer Zone six Reed Bunting, a singing Cirl Bunting and a Coal Tit.

Monday 4th January

Two Little Gull remained offshore this morning with two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver. Elsewhere a Goldeneye was in the estuary from Cockwood with another Little Gull and Great Northern Diver with two Cirl Bunting in song around Greenland Lake.

Sunday 3rd January

A fine spring-like day once the rain moved through midmorning. Once again there were few seabirds offshore despite the gales but 491 Wigeon, 38 Teal, 13 Shoveler and six Pintail did fly in off, presumably displaced from further upriver, but some flocks did arrive from the east. Also four Little Gull were feeding offshore, with a couple moving to the estuary later on, 1750+ Herring Gull were around the estuary mouth and six Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver flew south.

Elsewhere the resident Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary with 166 Great Black-backed Gull, a first-winter Sandwich Tern and a Great Northern Diver with five Chiffchaff, the Treecreeper, a Coal Tit and a Great-spotted Woodpecker around the bushes.

Wildlife News: A Painted Lady was around the sunny side of the Main Pond early afternoon with a Red Admiral also on the wing.

Saturday 2nd January

Seawatching early morning following the continued SE gales was surprisingly quiet with just 13 Gannet and six Kittiwake offshore although a single Great Skua also passed south. Later on at least two Little Gull were off the estuary mouth with half a dozen Great Northern Diver. Elsewhere a Firecrest was again by the Main Pond, the Water Pipit was on the flooded 7th fairway and counts from the estuary included a site record count 122 Shelduck, c800 Dunlin, 55+ Common Gull, 26 Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 Sanderling, two Great Northern Diver and single Goldeneye and Slavonian Grebe.

Wildlife News: Both queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee and a queen German Wasp (Vespula germanica) were on the wing in the afternoon sunshine.

German Wasp

Friday 1st January

2016 kicked off with an intense storm blasting a SSE wind all day but despite the harsh conditions, 70 species were recorded today.  Sea-watching was light, the highlight being two Great Skua with one flying past the hide in the estuary.  Also past the seawall flew seven Great Northern Diver, three Red-throated Diver and two diver spp; 37 Kittiwake, c25 Gannet, 20 auks with a few Guillemot and Razorbill picked out; eight Fulmar, six Common Scoter, a flock of Wigeon and a pair of Pintail, 

Many waders and wildfowl took advantage of the golfer free saturated golf course fairways. There and in the estuary were three-fig counts of Oystercatcher and Dunlin, 256 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 138 Grey Plover, 79 Shelduck, 47 Knot, 36 Teal, 36 Turnstone, 13 Sanderling, 13 Common Snipe, c10 Redshank, six Red-breasted Merganser, five Mediterranean Gull (two at sea), two Ringed Plover, two Curlew, two Bar-tailed Godwit, a Goldeneye, a Greenshank, the resident Slavonian Grebe and another at sea.  Two Sandwich Tern weathering the storm sat on the wader island were unseasonal.

A Little Grebe trilled on the Main Pond, whilst the bushes held two Firecrest, nine Goldfinch, five Goldcrest, two Chiffchaff, two Chaffinch, two Siskin and a Treecreeper.

Thursday 31st December

Two Slavonian Grebe remain in the estuary with 163 Grey Plover, 94 Shelduck, 50+ Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank and a Mediterranean Gull. Elsewhere two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore and a Firecrest was in Dead Dolphin Wood.

Wildlife News: A Grey Seal was in the estuary.

Tuesday 29th December

The only news received suggests an early April date not late winter. A single Swallow was, not unexpectedly, the latest ever site record and just outside the Recording Area a Painted Lady was in the village.

 Goldcrest - Simon Thurgood

Redshank - Dave Jewell