Despite the continuing changeable weather – mostly cold, with winds from the north – some migrants have still managed to make it through. Sea-watching over the past few days has produced reasonable numbers of regular stuff like Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver and Gannet. More interesting – a couple of late Brent Geese, a single Kittiwake, Little Egret and a spate of Little Tern – 50, in three groups, on Wednesday morning. On land, a quick catch-up trip to Beeston Bump produced three Ring Ouzel – my first for the year – and a brief but spanking Whinchat. Later at Felbrigg, my first Common Sandpiper of 2021 – two in the same tree as three Grey Wagtail. The resident Mute Swan have produced an early brood of young cygnets – originally eight – I saw seven, including two very good candidates for ‘Polish’ Swans. This morning, a walk along the cliffs produced a fly-over Yellow Wagtail, Whimbrel off-shore and, courtesy of Dave the finder and Graham the re-finder, Ring Ouzel on the under-cliff. An elusive female and a second, probably young male, were playing hide and seek amongst the cliff-side vegetation. A bright but silent Willow Warbler in the same vicinity completed a pretty productive session. With the bad weather returning tomorrow we’ve taken the decision to delay the NENBC Big Sit until Sunday. Fingers crossed for a good day – weather and bird-wise!
