23rd December.
Stormy conditions with a very strong SW wind blowing all night. The wind had not abated by the morning and continued most of the day - interspersed with hail showers. Certainly a lot colder!
At 9 am small groups of Barnacles started to trickle by, flooded off their roosts further upstream by the surge in the high tide (8.9m at 10.06am). A Kestrel came hunting low along the roadside edge to the marsh - presumably sheltering from the gale.
Kestrel persistently hunting along the roadside gorse in the hamlet.
24th December.
After a very stormy night with heavy rain, the morning dawned clear but still very windy. As the tide came in, the strong surge soon flooded the saltmarsh and by 10.30am ( highwater of 9.2m at 10.57 am) small skeins of Barnacles had already started to struggle by - rounding Scargavel Point with difficulty as they met the full force of the gale. It was only until about 11.30am that groups of Oystercatchers and other waders started to show - going west to their high tide roost high up on the saltmarsh round the boundary fence. The Avocet could be seen flying with them.
The Kestrel was again seen hunting but trying to keep out of the wind also.
MP reported having seen a Barn Owl from the Hide, hunting over the fields to the east (presumably the rain overnight had curtailed its nocturnal hunting activity!)
LOGBOOK SIGHTINGS
Visitor - Snow Goose with Barnacles in fields between Cardurnock and (Campfield) scrape.
Barnacles flying low over the flooded saltmarsh . . .
. . . and preparing to meet the full force of the wind as they round the Point.
Oystercatchers also battling the waves.
Grey waders and more Barnacles.
Avocet flying with the Oystercatchers.
Kestrel again hunting low along the marsh edge vegetation.
Christmas Day.
A calm dull drizzly day ensued. The high water of 9.3m at 11.45 am produced some fascinating aerial displays of grey waders: Golden and Grey Plover, and Dunlin - in the bay near the Viaduct . Good collections of Oystercatchers roosted all along the saltmarsh at high tide. Skein after skein of Barnacles were moving west - some eventually landing on the saltmarsh near the boundary fence where the Snow Goose could be distantly picked out amongst them.
A trip along the Lonning about midday elicited a Bullfinch flying ahead of us and stopping periodically to eat berries in the hedge. A Buzzard was stationed on a dead tree in the meadows on the left-hand side.
Aerial display of grey waders in Viaduct Bay.
Golden and Grey Plover with Dunlin.
Waders and gulls clustered around the Viaduct Bay.
Wader high tide roosts along the shoreline.
Barnacles heading west over the Wetlands Centre.
The rather upright figure of the Snow Goose can be discerned through the haze - amongst the Barnacle flock near the boundary fence.
27th December.
After a solid day of rain, the high tide of 9.5 m was well up the marsh although not pushed by a much calmer day.
PB - Hen Harrier seen from hide. 2 Kingfishers - posts outside the hide. Pintail, Shoveler, Teal on ponds. Buzzard, Kestrel flying above.
Visitor - Sparrowhawk, Tree Sparrows, Great Spotted Woodpecker, on or near Centre feeders.
A flock of Curlew passing by . . .
. . . and the inevitable Barnacles.
28th December.
A fine morning which stayed relatively warm all day.
A flock of some 100 Pinkfeet flew in a NE direction over the Wetlands Centre at 9.30 am. A joyous sound to hear and an indicator of the start of their drift back north. A small flock of 25 Curlew are being seen regularly flying along the saltmarsh at high tide.
A male Bullfinch and 3 Longtailed Tits visited the hamlet feeders. First of both seen in the vicinity this season. A ringed Blue Tit (Silver ring on left leg) also turned up today.
Male Bullfinch eating sunflower hearts.
Ringed BlueTit with one of the three Long-tailed Tits seen.One of our Christmas presents was a bird wreath made by our grandaughter, decorated with all sorts of bird goodies. No sooner was it in position than its first visitor arrived - (to date, it has proved to be very popular and has been pecked and poked by a good range of birds - having stood up to the strong winds, too).
Bird wreath full of 'goodies'.
First visitor minutes later was a Coal Tit.
30th December.
Stormy weather, the forerunner of storm Frank, pushed the tide well up onto the saltmarsh. Although the high water was due at 3.06pm, by midday a flock of about 150 Barnacles had already arrived on the saltmarsh west of the Viaduct and it was not until 2.30pm that the main groups started to come through. One large flock of about 400 containing 3 leucistic Barnacles appeared to have come off the reserve - back over from the hamlet, and was flying northwards but suddenly changed direction, heading west round the Scargavel Point.
Spindrift as the gale took hold.
Barnacles grazing on a sheltered area of saltmarsh near the Viaduct at midday.
Barnacle flock flying by with three leucistic birds amongst them - at 2.30pm.
Other small flocks kept low over the water as they neared the Point where the strength of the wind was most severe.
Oystercatchers battling it out also.
During this time a Kestrel was sitting up in an Ash tree on the road edge, giving it a good vantage point over the now flooded saltmarsh. Nearby a Crow perched in the top of a small hawthorn - intently eyeing the marsh for any small morsel there.. Black-headed Gulls were being blown about by the strong gusts, seemingly to enjoy the sensation.
Kestrel overlooking the saltmarsh.
Crow surveying the scene also.
31st December.
A beautifully fine sunny morning - although the heavy leaden looking clouds over the Scottish side of the estuary did look rather ominous! Sure enough by early afternoon the skies darkened and rain set in. This produced a frenzied bout of feeding on the hamlet bird feeders before it got too dark. Needless to say, the Christmas wreath was getting plenty of attention.
There was not much activity now on the estuary, as the storm had abated and the high tide series was falling back.
LOGBOOK MESSAGES.
John Ireland - Grey Heron, Little Egret. Happy New Year!