Tuesday 1st January 2013

A total of 83 species were recorded on the first day of decent weather for a long while, and there was also an unexpected highlight to start 2013; a male Serin briefly in Dead Dolphin Wood with Greenfinch, the first site record since 1991 and only the seventh overall. Also around Greenland Lake a Short-eared Owl, three Chiffchaff and two Stonechat. Offshore there were four Red-throated Diver, three Common Scoter and a Slavonian Grebe with a regular northward passage of Black-headed and Common Gull. The resident Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary with 400+ Wigeon, 140+ Teal, 28 Red-breasted Merganser, 13 Lapwing, 12 Snipe, 12 Ringed Plover, six Goldeneye, two Mediterranean Gull and two Avocet. Elsewhere four Lesser Redpoll, three Siskin and two Redwing were in the Entrance Bushes and the Black-necked Grebe was on the Main Pond with at least seven Water Rail in flooded areas.

Wildlife news - The Common Seal was in the estuary.