31st January 2026

Weather: SE force 5

Following on from the first snowdrops, the first flowering narcissi showed this morning.

 

  

 

 It is still very much winter among the birds however, with  325 Common Scoter, 

 

  2 Razorbills, a Red-throated Diver, 14 Great Crested Grebes and 200 Brent Geese.

 

  Around the island were 5 Goosanders.

 

 

 and a single Red-breasted Merganser.

 A calling Snow Bunting unfortunately was passing the island too quickly to be pictured and was the sole small bird 'movement' today. The small number of wintering birds on the island included 5 Rock Pipits and 2 Song Thrush. 

 

 Seventeen Purple Sandpipers were the highlight of the wader counts, 

 ...........although there were 500 Dunlin and 1,200 Knot.  

 

 with the Knot were 115 Turnstone and 85 Redshank. 

 

 Oystercatchers are just about at their peak now, a magnificant 12,000 estimate today.

 

 Photos AEH, SRW

30th January 2026

Weather: E force 5

A late morning visit in a cold easterly wind found 3 Tufted duck in flight, a very scarce bird to see over the sea.

 

 

 

 Meanwhile the very similar Scaup that has been on the marine lake for some time now was also in unfamiliar territory and was still there today. Other sea wildfowl were 12 Common Scoter,

  18 Shelduck, 325 Brent,

 

 and 3 Goosander (one male) around the island.. 

The best wader of the day was a Golden Plover sitting on the beach next to the gutter between Little Eye and Middle Eye.

 

 

Other waders here were 1,200 Oystercatcher, 65 Redshank, 120 Knot, 50 Turnstone and 8 Purple Sandpiper. One of the 2 Song Thrushes present on the island was then ringed. The first Snowdrops made for a cheerful sight while the spring is a little way off yet. 

Photos SRW 

29th January 2026

 

Two Redwings were spotted in the old obs today, and a Raven was by Little Eye. other sightings included 52 Brent, 6 Common Scoter, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 110 Turnstone, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 40 Redshank, 4 Purple Sandpipers and the Kestrel.

 Our thanks to Matt Thomas for information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14th January 2026

 Weather: SE force 3

 Two colour ringed birds were on the whaleback this morning, both ringed elsewhere. One of the 225 pale-bellied Brent present was holding a ring showing 'XJBB'

 

 ....... and the other was the German ringed Curlew among the 180 that has been here for quite a while now. A single dark-bellied Brent was also sighted. Goosanders showed up again at the north end, this time there were 6 with 2 of them being males.

  

Eighty five Shelduck and 220 Common Scoter were logged with a Great Crested Grebe. A survey of the gulls came up with 450 Herring, 6 Great Black-backs and 8 Common Gulls. Forty five Black-headed Gulls flew west passed the island. Waders today were 90 Turnstone, 25 Dunlin, 25 Sanderling and 9 Purple Sandpiper. 

Photos: Matt Thomas 

10th January 2026

 Weather: ESE force 1

 An early start was made on a cold morning. 

The low tide meant waders were feeding on the shore soon after dawn.

During the early light about about a thousand Pink-footed Geese flew out of the estuary. At the north end 3 Goosanders (one male) spent an hour feeding and preening.

There were just 300 Oystercatchers near the island at low tide,

Other waders included 1,500 Knot, 62 Sanderling, 3 Purple Sandpiper, 40 Turnstone and 20 Curlew, one of which was the German ringed bird hanging around the west side which has been seen here frequently.

 

Six Bar-tailed Godwits were also here and made a fly-past

 

 

 

A Song Thrush and 2 of our colour ringed Rock Pipits  are staying with us at the moment.

A single Grey Heron fed but no Little Egrets joined it on the shore.

Spring cannot be far away, Daffodils on the island are already starting to come into flower.

 

Photos AEH 

5th January 2026

 Weather: NE force 3  later NNE 3

Despite the morning temperature being 1 degree it was a much more pleasant day than yesterday with constant sun and lighter winds. Just after dawn 4 male and a female Goosander flew in and landed at the North End, a 5th male turned up later.

 

 On the East Hoyle after tide were 109 Redshank, 26 Sanderling and 45 Grey Plover, over tide 18 Ringed Plover had roosted in various spots around the island along with some of the Redshank and Turnstone.

Other records today included 187 Brent, 29 Shelduck, 70 Common Scoter, a Great Crested Grebe and a Grey Heron. Sightings in the gardens and paddocks were 7 Wrens, 5 Blackbirds, 3 Robins and a Song Thrush. 

Photos AS

4th January 2026

 Weather: WNW force 4  snow/sleet showers

It was a bleak day with the temperature 3 - 4 degrees without factoring the wind chill, with snow and sleet showers.

 

Three male Goosander flew east passed the north end early morning. At the tide 6 Purple Sandpipers were found roosting in Niffy Bay along with some of the 52 Redshank and the odd Turnstone.

 Only 3 Ringed Plover roosted on the west side.

 

The rest of the Turnstone roosted in various spots around the island and numbered 85.

 There were 3,000 Dunlin, 800 Knot, 106 Curlew and 7,500 Oystercatchers.

 The only wildfowl noted today were 145 Brent, 20 Shelduck and 80 Common Scoter while 2 Great Crested Grebes were seen on the sea. About 5 Robins are present with 2 Blackbirds, 5 Wrens and a Rock Pipit. The Fox was detected even at this cold season.

 Photos AS 

3rd January 2026

 Weather: NNW then N force 5

An extremely cold day with significant wind chill with a bright Jupiter shining at dawn alongside a bright full moon. 

 The most notable birds of the day were the thousands of Herring Gulls congregating east of the islands on the ebb tide on a wreck of Clam shells. No less than nearly 16,000 were seen later moving west, several other species of gull were also present around the islands. The female Eider was here with 45 Brent and 65 Shelduck. In the afternoon a pair of Goldeneye were seen on the sea which on the whole was quiet apart from 280 Common Scoter, a single Great Crested Grebe and a Shag. Waders at the high tide were 6,500 Oystercatchers, 85 Curlew, 1,350 Knot, 3,200 Dunlin, 20 Sanderling, 92 Turnstone and 17 Purple Sandpipers.

Among the residents survivng the weather were 2 male Blackbirds, 2 Rock Pipits and a Robin.

 

 The light looked pleasent before the sun went down but the sea was rough. 

Plenty of water was lying on the north end of the island 

Photos SRW,  and with thanks to Pierre Montieth for some records