Late November 2014

November 30th. Birds around included 10000 Golden Plover, 2500 Lapwing, a Hen Harrier, a Marsh Harrier, a Merlin, 3 Woodcock, a Green Woodpecker, 3 Yellowhammer, 5 Fieldfare, a Chiffchaff, 2 Redpoll, a Siskin and 14 Goldcrest. On Tennyson Sands were a Kingfisher, 2 Water Rail, 80 Shoveler and 2 Pintail. On the Millennium Ridge tip were 3 Snow Bunting. Flying south were 630 Pink-footed Goose.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mick Briggs produced 8 new birds: a Goldfinch, a Great Tit, a Robin, a Song Thrush and 4 Blackbird; and 24 retraps: 8 Goldcrest, 2 Robin, 3 Blue Tit, 2 Chaffinch, a Wren, 6 Great Tit, a Greenfinch and a Coal Tit.

November 29th. Around were a Lapland Bunting, a Snow Bunting, a Woodcock and a Hen Harrier. Flying south offshore were 3 Pomarine Skua.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mick Briggs resulted in 8 new birds: 2 Goldcrest, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch and a Blackbird; and 6 retraps: a Robin, 3 Blue Tit, a Greenfinch and a Great Tit.

November 28th. At sea 3 juvenile Pomarine Skua went south. Birds around included a Hen Harrier, 2 Woodcock, a Bullfinch and 7000 Golden Plover.

November 27th. Light rain early morning and early afternoon, then soggy.
 Around were a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Hen Harrier, 6 Twite, 1000 Lapwing and a Fieldfare.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling provided 12 new birds: a Goldcrest, a Blue Tit, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch and 5 Blackbird; and 17 retraps: 3 Goldcrest, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Blue Tit, 3 Dunnock, 4 Great Tit, 2 Greenfinch and a Chaffinch.

November 26th. Rain most of morning, then soggy.
 Birds around included a Merlin. On Jackson's Marsh were 3 Pochard, and on Tennyson Sands a Goldeneye and a Water Rail.

November 25th. Frozen, then foggy, then sunny, then cloudy.
 Around were 3000 Pink-footed Goose, the European White-fronted Goose and a Bullfinch. On Tennyson Sands were 3 Water Rail and 96 Shoveler.

November 24th. Frosty start, then sunny.
 Birds around included a Water Pipit, 6 Twite, 21 Snow Bunting, a Short-eared Owl, a Chiffchaff, 3 Hen Harrier, a Kingfisher and 22 Corn Bunting. An adult European White-fronted Goose was found with the Pink-footed Goose flock, which numbered 3000 birds. On the sea was a Goosander. Flying south were 25 Whooper Swan, 1000 Lapwing, 3 Barnacle Goose (with 58 Pink-footed Goose), 1147 Pink-footed Goose, 2 Snow Bunting and a Lapland Bunting.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue produced 19 new birds: a Goldcrest, 4 Chaffinch, 3 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, a Song Thrush, 6 Blackbird and a Snipe; and 7 retraps: a Wren, 2 Blackbird, a Greenfinch, 2 Great Tit and a Goldfinch.

Snipe, ringed 24th November 2014.
Photo - George Gregory
November 23rd. Rain most of day.
 Heading south were 517 Pink-footed Goose and 8 Whooper Swan. Around were 6 Hen Harrier, 3 Merlin, 2 Short-eared Owl, a Barn Owl, a Grey Partridge, a Woodcock, a Mediterranean Gull, 3000 Pink-footed Goose, 300 Blackbird, 50 Redwing, a late House Martin and 8 Fieldfare. On the sea were 2 Red-throated Diver and a Shag.

November 22nd. Occasional light rain.
 Birds around included a Hen Harrier, a Marsh Harrier, 3 Woodcock, 18 Corn Bunting, a Brambling and 3 Chiffchaff.
 A ringing session at Aylmer Avenue resulted in 35 new birds and 10 retraps. The highlight of the session was a Siberian type Chiffchaff, subspecies Phylloscopus collybita tristis, showing almost no green apart from on the edges of the primaries, secondaries and tail feathers, very black legs, a ridiculous amount of white below and a long white supercilium - see photos below. The bird did not call upon release though a tristis-like call was heard some half hour later.
 The new birds were 16 Goldfinch, 7 Blackbird, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Robin, 2 Greenfinch, and singles of Chaffinch, Sparrowhawk and Siberian type Chiffchaff. The retraps were 4 Goldcrest, 2 Great Tit and singles of Wren, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Dunnock.
Siberian type Chiffchaff, ringed 22nd November 2014.
Photo - Mick Briggs.
Siberian type Chiffchaff, ringed 22nd November 2014.
Photo - Mick Briggs.
Siberian type Chiffchaff, ringed 22nd November 2014.
Photo - Mick Briggs.
November 21st. Around were 2 Snow Bunting, 2 Hen Harrier, a Common Buzzard, a Woodcock, a Brambling and a Bullfinch. On Tennyson Sands were 109 Shoveler (a reserve record). Flying south were 3 Velvet Scoter, 4 Shoveler and 5 Pintail.