Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory Blog: Late November 2018

Ringing Recovery.
Black-headed Gull ringed GPBO 29 August 2008, ring number read in field GPNNR 27 November 2018.

November 30th. Moderately strong south-westerly wind.
Around were 3000 Pink-footed Goose, 185 Brent Goose, 2 Velvet Scoter, a Black-throated Diver (reported), a Great Northern Diver, a Shag, a Grey Heron, a Slavonian Grebe, a ringtail Hen Harrier, 200 Lapwing, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Hooded Crow, 11 Redwing, 3 Rock Pipit and 30 Corn Bunting. Flying north were 2 Velvet Scoter, a Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Crested Grebe and 3 Guillemot; and south 48 Pink-footed Goose, 84 Wigeon, 3 Eider, a Long-tailed Duck, a Goldeneye, 8 Red-breasted Merganser, 17 Red-throated Diver, a Sooty Shearwater, a Great Crested Grebe, a Red-necked Grebe, 7 Guillemot, 2 late Sandwich Tern and 14 Snow Bunting.

Male Hen Harrier, 30th November 2018.

Red-throated Diver, 30th November 2018.
Photo - Owen Beaumont

Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 30th November 2018.
Photo - Owen Beaumont

Brambling, 30th November 2018.
Photo - Paul Johnson

November 29th. Strong southerly wind, with some early morning rain.
Birds around included 18 Whooper Swan, 2000 Pink-footed Goose, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Sparrowhawk, 250 Lapwing, 4 Snipe, 3 Woodcock, a Chiffchaff, 12 Redwing, a Rock Pipit and a Corn Bunting. Going south were a Pintail, 2 Stock Dove and 25 Chaffinch.

November 28th. Increasing southerly wind with rainy spells.
Around were 18 Whooper Swan, 2000 Pink-footed Goose, 2 Velvet Scoter, a Marsh Harrier, a ringtail Hen Harrier, a Sparrowhawk, 250 Golden Plover, 800 Lapwing, a Merlin, a Hooded Crow and 2 Rock Pipit.

November 27th. Birds around included 18 Whooper Swan, a Shag, 2000 Pink-footed Goose, a Grey Heron, a Hen Harrier, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Woodcock, 6 Snipe, 2 Hooded Crow, 2 Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff, a Waxwing, a Treecreeper and 3 Rock Pipit.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue provided 10 new birds: 3 Great Tit, 2 Goldfinch, a Chaffinch, a Blue Tit, 2 Greenfinch and a Blackbird; and 13 retraps: 9 Great Tit, a Goldcrest, a Blackbird, a Robin and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, retrapped 27th November 2018.
Photo - George Gregory

Ringing Control: Blackbird ringed GPBO 24 May 2018, controlled Theddlethorpe St Helens, Lincolnshire 21 October 2018.

November 26th. Around were 18 Whooper Swan, 2700 Pink-footed Goose, 250 Brent Goose, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, a Water Rail, 400 Golden Plover, a Woodcock, 29 Snipe, a Kingfisher, a Green Woodpecker, a Merlin, a Peregrine Falcon, a Hooded Crow, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, 65 Redwing, a Stonechat, a Water Pipit, 2 Rock Pipit and a Brambling. Heading north were a Long-tailed Duck, 2 Velvet Scoter, 3 Red-throated Diver, a Great Northern Diver, a Slavonian Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, a Great Skua, 13 Kittiwake and 8 Little Gull; and south 6 Red-breasted Merganser, 25 Red-throated Diver and 4 Brambling.

Lapwing, 26th November 2018.
Photo - Owen Beaumont

Golden Plover and Lapwing, 26th November 2018.
Photo - Owen Beaumont

Roosting Snipe, 26th November 2018.
Photo - Owen Beaumont

November 25th. Birds around, including those trapped, were 18 Whooper Swan, 275 Brent Goose, 2800 Pink-footed Goose, a Buzzard, 3 Water Rail, 2000 Grey Plover, 600 Bar-tailed Godwit, 19000 Knot, 460 Sanderling, 1500 Dunlin, 2 Woodcock, a late Sandwich Tern, a Barn Owl, a Kingfisher, a Merlin, a Hooded Crow, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit, a Blackcap, 12 Fieldfare, 19 Redwing, 6 Rock Pipit, a Brambling and a Snow Bunting. Flying north was a Little Auk; and south 60 Eider, 8 Velvet Scoter, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 30 Red-throated Diver, a Red Kite, 2 Brambling, 2 Redpoll and 25 Siskin.
A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue produced 10 new birds: 2 Robin, a Goldfinch, a Blackcap, a Great Tit, 2 Blue Tit, a Greenfinch and 2 Blackbird; and 16 retraps: a Blackbird, 8 Great Tit, a Blue Tit, a Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit, a Goldfinch, a Wren and a Long-tailed Tit.

High tide wader roost of mainly Grey Plover and Knot, 25th November 2018.
Photo - Kevin Wilson

argentatus Herring Gull - 25th November 2018.
Photo - Kevin Wilson

November 24th. Around were 19 Whooper Swan, 300 Brent Goose, 3000 Pink-footed Goose, 7 Pintail, 6 Velvet Scoter, 17 Little Egret, 2 Hen Harrier (a male and a ringtail), 2 Water Rail, 90 Lapwing, a Woodcock, 2 Sandwich Tern, a Short-eared Owl, a Green Woodpecker, a Peregrine Falcon, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, 30 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Stonechat, 4 Rock Pipit and a Brambling. Going north were 2 Red-throated Diver; and south 3 Common Scoter, 3 Gannet, a Great Crested Grebe and 40 Fieldfare.

Blackcap, 24th November 2018.
Photo - Paul Johnson

Fieldfare, 24th November 2018.
Photo - Paul Johnson

Redwing, 24th November 2018.
Photo - Paul Johnson

Sandwich Terns, 24th November 2018.
Photo - Kevin Wilson

November 23rd. A Waxwing was seen at the north end of Gibraltar Road. Birds around included 18 Whooper Swan, 60 Brent Goose, 800 Pink-footed Goose, 2 Grey Heron, a ringtail Hen Harrier, a Water Rail, 30 Golden Plover, a Woodcock, 4 Snipe, a Green Woodpecker, a Hooded Crow, 2 Chiffchaff, 44 Redwing, 2 Water Pipit, 5 Rock Pipit, 15 Brambling and a Crossbill. Heading south were 21 Fieldfare and 34 Siskin.

November 22nd. Some early morning light rain.
Around were 450 Pink-footed Goose,a Grey Heron, a Hooded Crow, a Cetti's Warbler, 8 Redwing, 2 Stonechat and 2 Corn Bunting. Going south were 53 Wigeon and 36 Eider.

November 21st. Moderately strong but decreasing south-easterly wind.
Birds around included 21 Whooper Swan, 200 Brent Goose, 3000 Pink-footed Goose, a Jack Snipe, a Woodcock, 12000 Black-headed Gull, a Caspian Gull, a Mediterranean Gull, a Green Woodpecker, a Merlin, 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Fieldfare, 17 Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, 15 Rock Pipit, 4 Snow Bunting and 14 Corn Bunting.