January 18th

Quiet today - overcast and, on occasions, rather wet. Nevertheless, Gore Point delivered, with 60 Snow Buntings on the beach, 13 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 7 Red-throated Divers, 60 Wigeon and an Eider on the sea, whilst three Marsh Harriers, a Short-eared Owl and what just may be the largest Peregrine I've ever seen hunted the grazing marsh. Plants seen in flower for the first time this year were Red Clover, Red Dead-nettle, Germander Speedwell and Hogweed, whilst a Sea Buckthorn Bracket was the fungi highlight of the day.