28th February 2018

 

The Siberian airflow has brought bone-shaking storm force easterly winds, heavy snow and plummeting temperatures over the last few days, which has encouraged some cold weather movements into the area. Most notably, Fieldfares have arrived and moved through in good numbers, with several hundred per day and many birds in gardens, along roadsides, in reedbeds and basically anywhere feeding may be possible. Lesser numbers of Redwings and Blackbirds, and a few Song Thrushes, have likewise been pushed into the area.

Lapwings have been on the move each day with a peak of 470 through (mostly at the Dams on 27th, Golden Plover have numbered up to 45 on several days, and Snipe are particularly numerous; estimates are hard to give but examples include at least 29 at the Dams on 27th (few of which were visible when grounded), and 25 in the Carr Naze Pond area on the same day. 

A Water Pipit was at East Lea on 24th, with at least one (probably two) at the Dams from 27th, while a Black Redstart was at Hunmanby Gap on 24th. The male Velvet Scoter remains in the north of the bay, where a Great Northern Diver and at least 73 Red-throated Divers (plus 36 at the Gap) braved the conditions on the 26th, when a Blue Fulmar went north. A Little Gull flew south on 26th on an otherwise very quiet (and extremely choppy!) sea.