28th November 2022

 Weather:  SE force 4

 A bright morning with a south east wind brought a small passage of 9 Starlings and 5 Skylarks while earlier 3 Redwings were in the old obs garden then drifted south to the new obs garden before moving on. A Pied Wagtail and a Goldfinch were here, also 13 Meadow and at least 8 Rock Pipits.

Eighteeen Linnets were busy finding seed on Middle. There were a good number of Redshank in the flooding gutter and on the ebb the single Eider had increased to 7 with the newcomer having a white breast.

 

Waders today included 79 Grey Plover and 4,000 Dunlin, while Purple Sandpiper numbered 16 on the west side roost, although some had been feeding below the Obs earlier.

At high tide 6,000 Oystercatchers rested in the roost around the islands.

The Brent feeding about the shore numbered over 200 birds, including a few of them that are colour ringed are are therefore of especial interest.

Highlights on the sea were 8 Gannets, 3 Red-throated Divers and 1200 Common Scoter. Three Little Egrets showed well today for the camera.

A barrell jellyfish rhizostoma pulmo was found on the shore, the largest commonly found in British and Irish waters. It can be moderately venomous but not as deadly as some others.

 The marine lake contained a few Goosander, as they do during most days now in the winter.

 Photos AS, CJW, SRW