Sunday 12 November 2023

Knot rings thin on the ground, so far this year.

A light SSE wind early on became fresher and ended up quite strong. Heavy rain started late morning with just a short afternoon window.

Howard checked the old helipad wall and near naze yesterday. There were c3000 Knot but the only colour marked one he saw was in flight and too distant to read.
The circled bird was the only colour marked Knot from 3000 birds

This is a panoramic of the birds on the Near Naze. 
If you open it, the detail of each bird is clear to see.


South Shore 
Sorry if my records are becoming repetitive, but I currently have a trapped nerve in my back and the flat level walk along the sea wall, with somewhere to rest all along it, is all I can manage at the moment (MD). Fortunately, at least there is something to see here. 
Arctic Tern 1 juvenile feeding on No.2 outflow this morning. The tide was coming in and already quite high. The Tern was feeding just along the sea wall. 

Little Gull
2 first calendar year - there was no sign of them in the morning, but I managed to walk out to No.2 outflow in the gap in the afternoon rain. The tern was still there and now joined by the two Little gulls. This clip is really to show the change in conditions as you can hear the fresh wind blowing through the outflow superstructure.

1st calendar year Little Gull

This Black-Headed gull had a conspicuously dark head for this time of year.
Peregrine Falcon 1 above the Power Station 
Shelduck 6
Wigeon 130 - these are a few eating the gutweed on Red Nab this morning.

Janet took this nice collection of Cormorant shots yesterday, there are always plenty to see here, particularly when the tide is in.
Rooting on the platforms in the harbour

and on the wooden jetty


Cormorant