Early January 2014

January 10th: Moderate south-westerly wind, damp start, partly cloudy.
 Birds around included 7000 Golden Plovers, 1000 Lapwings and 25 Fieldfares.
 Gibraltar Road near the Yacht Club, and the footpath around the Plantation, have re-flooded, not by sea-water, but as a result of the recent heavy and persistent rain.

Gibraltar Road re-flooded near Yacht Club, 10 January 2014.
Photo - George Gregory
Footpath around Plantation closed, 10 January 2014.
Photo - George Gregory
January 9th: Fairly strong westerly wind, cloudy, rainy start.
 Around were a Merlin, 3 Rock Pipits, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 50 Fieldfares, 2 Song Thrushes and a Yellowhammer. On the sea were 6 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, an Eider and 2 Red-throated Divers. Heading north were 4 Common Scoters, and south 4 Red-throated Divers.

January 8th: Moderate south-westerly wind, partly cloudy.
 Notables were a Chiffchaff, a Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, a Yellowhammer, 90 Fieldfares, a Redwing and a Goldcrest. On the sea were a Great Crested Grebe, 2 Eider and a Guillemot. Flying south were 35 Red-throated Divers, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 19 Eider, 13 Common Scoter, 4 Guillemots, a Razorbill, 16 Cormorants, 12 Brent Geese, 13 Pink-footed Geese and 8 Kittiwakes.

January 7th: Moderate south-westerly wind, mostly cloudy then clear, occasional rain.
 Birds around included a Marsh Harrier, a Common Buzzard, 3 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs and 4 Song Thrushes. On the water bodies were 62 Gadwall, a Goldeneye and 13 Snipe. Heading north-west were 250 Pink-footed Geese.

January 6th: Moderate south-westerly wind, mostly clear.
 On Croftmarsh were 7900 Golden Plovers, 1200 Lapwings, a Merlin and 20 Skylarks, and on Tennyson Sands a Scaup, 4 Pochard, 52 Gadwall and 48 Black-tailed Godwits. Also around were a Siskin and a Chiffchaff. Flying north offshore were a juvenile Pomarine Skua, and south a Red-necked Grebe, 56 Red-throated Divers, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Eiders, 44 Common Scoter, a Kittiwake, a Little Gull, 7 Guillemots, 2 Pintail and 7 Wigeon. Heading to Norfolk were 52 Pink-footed Geese.

January 5th: Moderate south-westerly wind, clear then clouding over.
 The 6 Shorelarks were still on Millenium Ridge. Other birds around included 8 Woodcocks, a Green Woodpecker, 6 Redwings, 70 Fieldfares, a Peregrine, a Marsh Harrier, a Hen Harrier, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Snow Bunting. Heading south were 36 Pink-footed Geese and 9 Whooper Swans. A Mistle Thrush sang near the Decoy. Offshore were a Great Northern Diver, a Velvet Scoter and an Eider, while south went 91 Red-throated Divers, 9 Great Crested Grebes, a Guillemot, 2 Razorbills, 45 Common Scoters and 3 Velvet Scoters, and north 15 Red-throated Divers, a Guillemot and 10 Common Scoters. A Harbour Porpoise swam north.
 The first ringing session of the year at Aylmer Avenue by David and Liv Vincent and Jenni Godber resulted in 9 new birds and 12 retraps. The new birds were 5 Goldfinches and 4 Greenfinches. The retraps were 6 Greenfinches, 2 Dunnocks, 2 Great Tits, a Goldfinch and a Blue Tit. 

January 4th: Fairly strong south-easterly wind, rain most of day.
 Around were 2 Chiffchaffs, 15 Fieldfares and 3 Redwings.

January 3rd: 6 Shorelarks remained on Millennium Ridge. An Eider was offshore, and 120 Common Scoters went south.

January 2nd: Light south-westerly wind, mostly clear.
 On Millennium Ridge were 8 Shorelarks. Other birds around included a Chiffchaff, 35 Fieldfares, 3 Redwings, a Green Woodpecker, a Yellowhammer and a Siskin. A Marsh Harrier flew south. At sea 8 Common Scoters and 4 Red-throated Divers flew south, and 2 Red-throated Divers north, while on the sea were a Red-breasted Merganser, a Common Scoter and 4 Red-throated Divers. On Croftmarsh were 5000 Golden Plovers and 400 Lapwings.

January 1st: Strong southerly wind, mostly cloudy, rainy afternoon.
 Flying south offshore were a Slavonian Grebe, a Goldeneye, 2 Razorbills, a Gannet, a Pintail, 2 Scaup, a Kittiwake and 5 Guillemots, and north a Little Gull, while offshore were 4 Eiders, 20 Red-throated Divers and 2 Great Crested Grebes. Around were a Snow Bunting, a Chiffchaff, 12 Fieldfares, a Redwing, a Water Rail, 4000 Golden Plovers and 500 Lapwings. On Tennyson Sands were 3 Pochard. Across the River Steeping were 26 Whooper Swans and 3 Bewick's Swans.