What a difference a few days makes. this time last week temperatures were still in double figures, but the strong northerly wind on Saturday saw a marked drop in temperatures, accompanied by a scattering of snow in Suffolk on Sunday morning and the first proper frost of the year yesterday. It's a little milder again today though rather wet underfoot in places.
Whenever a strong northerly wind blows in November, thoughts turn to windblown seabirds putting in an appearance along the East coast. A few dedicated seawatchers will wrap up warm, find a suitable vantage point, and spend several hours staring out to sea in search of storm-blown seabirds. And in November, one of the target species is the diminutive little auk.
Little auks are tiny relatives of the much more familiar puffins, guillemots and razorbills that nest on sea cliffs in northern and western Britain. Little auks are also colonial nesters, but they share their breeding cliffs with glaucous gulls and arctic foxes around the high Arctic - as seen in a recent episode of The Hunt on BBC One. They move south in winter, but only usually as far as the edge of the arctic sea ice.
When climatic conditions dictate a period of strong northerly winds, some of these tiny seabirds are blown hundreds of miles farther south than usual and can be seen flying south along the UK's coasts. A few may even turn up inland, having accompanied flocks of migrating starlings or simply become disorientated by the storm. Saturday was a classic little auk day, and several were duly seen along the Suffolk coast.
Once the wind subsided a little on Sunday, most of these little auks reorientated themselves, returning north towards the sea ice, allowing more birdwatchers the chance to spot one. At least eight little auks were spotted from Minsmere beach on Sunday - some flying north, others resting on the sea. By yesterday they had all gone.
Two little auks photographed at Minsmere a few years ago
Like many species of Arctic wildlife, little auks are threatened by the impacts of climate change. Rising sea temperatures affect the distribution of fish, while melting Arctic ice will make some breeding cliffs more accessible to ground predators. You can read more about how climate change is affecting our wildlife, and what the RSPB is doing to help by clicking here. With world governments meeting in Paris next month to for a global conference on climate change, this is a significant time for the future of wildlife and people.
It wasn't just little auks seen over the weekend either. Large numbers of gannets have been seen offshore over the last few days along with several brent geese and common scoters, odd eiders and red-breasted mergansers and flocks of commoner ducks and wading birds.
The northerly winds also brought with them a few small flocks of starlings, redwings and blackbirds, and a couple of snow buntings arrived on the beach (though they couldn't be found today. The first two white-fronted geese of the winter flew over the sluice on Sunday too.
Elsewhere, the Scrape continues to attract lots of ducks and gulls - the latter have included four Caspian, two yellow-legged, two common and a Mediterranean gull this morning. An Icelandic ringed black-tailed godwit on the Scrape is sporting a satellite transmitter, which is helping to reveal lots of information about the complicated movements of this species.
The great white egret put in another appearance at Island Mere on Sunday, and up to 15 Bewick's swans may be seen on the mere. Two female goldeneyes have been seen on several dates, while bitterns, otters, marsh harriers, water rails, snipe and bearded tits are regular. A water pipit has been seen there this morning too.
A water pipit by Jon Evans (taken a couple of years ago)