Late December 2016

December 31st. Birds around included 800 Brent Goose, a male Hen Harrier, 2 Water Rail, a Woodcock, 7 Song Thrush, 6 Goldcrest, 2 Water Pipit and a Brambling..

December 30th. Frosty start.
 Around were 100 Brent Goose, 2 Goldeneye, a Water Rail, a Snipe, 4 Fieldfare, a Coal Tit and 2 Rock Pipit. Flying north-west were 8 Pink-footed Goose.
 An afternoon ringing session at Aylmer Avenue, with Jenni Godber, produced 17 new birds: a Robin, 3 Blue Tit, a Chaffinch, a Dunnock and 11 Greenfinch; and 22 retraps: a Goldfinch, 7 Blue Tit, 12 Great Tit and 2 Dunnock.

December 29th. Frosty start.
 Birds around included 80 Brent Goose, 4 Pintail, 2 Goldeneye, a male Hen Harrier, 60 Lapwing, 2 Woodcock, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Goldcrest and a Treecreeper. An adult male Marsh Harrier was over the New Saltmarsh at dawn.
Hen Harrier from Harvey's Hide, 29th December 2016
Photo - Paul Neale

Sunrise over the Visitor Centre Car Park, 29th December 2016
Photo - Richard Doan
December 28th. Frosty, misty start.
 Around were 8 Pink-footed Goose, 100 Brent Goose, 2 Goldeneye, a Water Rail and a Green Woodpecker.

Sunrise, 28th December 2016.
Photo - Jim Shaw

Frost at Sykes Farm, 28th December 2016.
Photo - George Gregory
December 27th. Birds around included 400 Brent Goose, 80 Lapwing, a Siskin and 2 Water Rail.

December 26th. Around were 300 Brent Goose, 400 Lapwing, 300 Golden Plover, 2 Brambling and 2 Goldcrest.

December 25th. A Glaucous Gull flew south offshore in the afternoon with numerous Herring Gull. On the sea were 4 Red-throated Diver, 3 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Common Scoter. Birds around included 400 Brent Goose, 2000 Lapwing, 1500 Golden Plover, 61 Black-tailed Godwit, a Goldcrest, 2 Water Rail and a Treecreeper.

December 24th. Around were 400 Lapwing and a Chiffchaff. Flying south was a Lapland Bunting.

December 23rd. Birds around included 600 Golden Plover and a Goldcrest. On the sea was a Black-throated Diver, 4 Red-throated Diver and 4 Great Crested Grebe.

December 22nd. The Brent Goose flock consisted of 400 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (including 1 colour-ringed female originally ringed in July 2004 in the Taimyr Peninsula, Russia), an adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose and a hybrid Black Brant x Pale-bellied Brent Goose. Other birds around included 1300 Golden Plover, 1000 Lapwing, 35 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Water Rail, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Water Pipit and 70 Corn Bunting.

December 21st. Around were 400 Brent Goose, 60 Pink-footed Goose, 600 Lapwing, 400 Golden Plover, 65 Black-tailed Godwit, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest and 2 Snow Bunting. Offshore were 20 Red-throated Diver, a Great Northern Diver, a Shag and 6 Great Crested Grebe.

Snow Bunting on Greenshanks Creek, 21st December 2016
Photo - Richard Doan
Snow Bunting on Greenshanks Creek, 21st December 2016
Photo - Richard Doan

Mid December 2016

December 20th. Birds around included 13 Pink-footed Goose, 8 Pintail, a Goldeneye, 1000 Lapwing, a Common Buzzard, 4 Water Rail, 25 Black-tailed Godwit and a Green Woodpecker,  Flying south were 90 Golden Plover.

December 19th. Around were 19 White-fronted Goose, 500 Pink-footed Goose, a Goldeneye, 4 Water Rail, a Kingfisher, 18 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Water Pipit and 70 Corn Bunting.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue, with Jenni Godber, yielded 7 new birds: a Blue Tit, 2 Chaffinch, a Goldfinch, a Greenfinch and 2 Blackbird; and 12 retraps: 5 Blue Tit, a Robin, 3 Dunnock and 3 Great Tit.

December 18th. Birds around included 19 White-fronted Goose, 2 Goldeneye, a Water Rail, 500+ Lapwing, 5 Snipe, a Kingfisher, 20 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing and a Chiffchaff. Going south were 13 Whooper Swan and 50 Pink-footed Goose.

December 17th. Around were 300 Pink-footed Goose, 30 White-fronted Goose, 13 Barnacle Goose, 2200 Grey Plover, 3000 Dunlin, 300 Oystercatcher, 10 Snipe, a Kingfisher, 70 Corn Bunting and 7 Song Thrush (including 2 singing). Heading south were 2 Goosander, 8 Eider, 10 Golden Plover, 26 Wood Pigeon, 40 Skylark, 4 Rock Pipit, 2 Chaffinch, 22 Linnet, 6 Meadow Pipit, 2 Goldfinch, a Snow Bunting, 2 Reed Bunting and 2 Lapland Bunting; and southeast 189 Pink-footed Goose.

Barnacle Geese and White-fronted Geese in flight, 17th December 2016.
Photo - Garry Wright
White-fronted Geese on Croftmarsh, 17th December 2016
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth 
Barnacle Geese and White-fronted Geese on Croftmarsh, 17th December 2016.
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth
Corn Buntings by the Visitor Centre Car Park at dusk, 17th December 2016.
Photo - Stuart Ainsworth
December 16th: Birds around, including those trapped, were 2 Goldeneye, a Barn Owl, 5 Goldcrest, a Coal Tit and a Chiffchaff.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling provided 7 new birds: a Wren, 2 Goldfinch and 4 Greenfinch; and 16 retraps: 5 Blue Tit, 8 Great Tit, a Wren, a Coal Tit and a Dunnock.

December 15th. Around were a Common Buzzard, a Peregrine, a Merlin, 900 Lapwing, a Green Woodpecker, 25 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush (including 1 singing), a Goldcrest, 2 Water Pipit and a Brambling. Flying south were 300 Lapwing, 90 Golden Plover and 9 Siskin.

December 14th. Birds around included 200 Pink-footed Goose, 200 Brent Goose, a Goldeneye, 5 Water Rail, 1500 Lapwing, 3 Snipe, a Kingfisher, 50 Redwing, a Chiffchaff and 60 Corn Bunting

December 13th. Around were 200 Pink-footed Goose, a Goldeneye, 6 Water Rail, 1200 Lapwing, 50 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe, a Kingfisher, 5 Fieldfare, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest and 39 Corn Bunting.

December 12th. The Long-tailed Duck reappeared on Jackson's Marsh. Birds around included 230 Pink-footed Goose, a Merlin,12 Golden Plover, 4 Fieldfare, 2 Goldcrest and a Brambling.
 A brief morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue produced 3 new birds: a Chaffinch, a Goldfinch and a Greenfinch; and 13 retraps: 6 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 4 Dunnock and a Greenfinch.

December 11th. Around were 350+ Brent Goose, a Scaup, 2 Hen Harrier, a Merlin, a Woodcock, a Green Woodpecker, a Chiffchaff, 8 Water Pipit 2 Brambling and 3 Corn Bunting. Heading south were 2 Whooper Swan, south-east 230 Pink-footed Goose, and south-west 50 Fieldfare.

Roe Deer in the East Dunes, 11th December 2016.
Photo - Rob Watson
Brent Goose family group, 11th December 2016.
Photo - Rob Watson
Stonechat, 11th December 2016.
Photo - Rob Watson


Early December 2016

December 10th. Birds around included 300 Pink-footed Goose, 6 Pintail, 5 Water Rail, 85 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Avocet, a Woodcock, 6 Goldcrest and 2 Water Pipit. Flying south were 60 Golden Plover, 14 Redwing, 310 Fieldfare, 6 Brambling and 20 Chaffinch.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue with Jenni Godber produced 5 new birds: 3 Goldfinch, a Chaffinch and a Greenfinch; and 12 retraps: 4 Blue Tit, 6 Great Tit, a Dunnock and a Robin.

December 9th. The Long-tailed Duck was still on Jackson's Marsh. Around were a Bewick's Swan, 300 Pink-footed Goose, 900 Brent Goose, 5 Pintail, a Goldeneye, 2 Pochard, a Grey Heron, a Common Buzzard, 4 Water Rail, 300 Lapwing, 5 Turnstone, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, a Snipe, 2 Avocet, 250 Fieldfare, a Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, a Coal Tit, a Water Pipit, a Brambling and 15 Corn Bunting. Going south/southwest were 300 Golden Plover and 300 Fieldfare; and to roost on the Mere 300 Starling.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling resulted in 6 new birds: a Blue Tit, a Chaffinch and 4 Greenfinch; and 26 retraps: 11 Blue Tit, 3 Dunnock, 2 Chaffinch, 8 Great Tit, a Robin and a Goldfinch.

December 8th. The Long-tailed Duck remained on Jackson's Marsh. Birds around included 300 Pink-footed Goose, 5 Pintail, 2 Pochard, 6 Water Rail, 260 Lapwing, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Snipe, 2 Avocet, 23 Fieldfare, 2 Chiffchaff and 20 Corn Bunting.

December 7th. On Jackson's Marsh were a Long-tailed Duck, 4 Pintail and a Pochard.

December 6th. Fog most of day.
 On Jackson's Marsh was a Long-tailed Duck.

December 5th. On Jackson's Marsh were now 2 Long-tailed Duck, photographed together. On Tennyson's Sands was a Water Rail. Around were a Merlin and a Corn Bunting.

Merlin, 5th December 2016.
Photo - Paul Neale

Long-tailed Duck on Jackson's Marsh, 5th December 2016.
Photo - Paul Neale

Water Rail, 5th December 2016.
Photo - Paul Neale
December 4th. The Long-tailed Duck remained on Jackson's Marsh. Around were a Scaup, 6 Pintail, a Common Buzzard, 2 Woodcock, 2 Snipe, a Green Woodpecker and a Twite. Heading south were a Great Northern Diver and 12 Redwing, and north a Gannet.

December 3rd. Offshore was a Great Northern Diver. The Long-tailed Duck was still on Jackson's Marsh. Birds around included 200 Pink-footed Goose, 2 Snipe, 8 Redwing and a Lapland Bunting. Flying south was a Black-throated Diver.

December 2nd. The Long-tailed Duck remained on Jackson's Marsh. Around were 16 Redwing and a Siskin.

December 1st. The Long-tailed Duck was still on Jackson's Marsh. Birds around included 200 Pink-footed Goose.
 A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Mike Polling produced 6 new birds: 3 Blue Tit, a Chaffinch, a Reed Bunting and a Greenfinch; and 25 retraps: 12 Blue Tit, 9 Great Tit, a Chaffinch, a Dunnock and 2 Robin.