SYSTEMATIC LIST RED-THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Coastal reports were widespread in the first winter period but nobody could have predicted the events of January 23rd when 2724 flew south and 92 north off Covehithe (PJD) and 1200 were offshore at Minsmere — it seems likely that these are the highest totals ever recorded in the Western Palearctic. Additional monthly totals off Covehithe were 288 in February and 172 in March. Away from the immediate vicinity of the coast single birds were located as follows : Beccles: River Waveney, February 15th to 25th. Lowestoft: Lake Lothing, January 17th. Iken: January 21st. Deben Estuary: February 13th. Orwell Estuary: wide-ranging individual frequently reported between January 2nd and April 14th (when found dead at Trimley Marshes); it was seen in Ipswich Wet Dock, February 2nd.
Spring passage was well documented at Covehithe where a maximum of 32 flew north on April 19th and later sightings there involved nine north on May 20th and the final bird of the spring on May 28th. Birds were also noted offshore in the third week of May at Southwold, Minsmere and Landguard. The first autumn birds were four off Covehithe on the early date of August 16th. Totals off Covehithe reached 45 in October and 255 on November 24th before peaking spectacularly in mid-December with 337 north, 13th and 1500 north, 16th (DFW). Elsewhere, 200 were off Southwold, November 28th and 85 off Minsmere, December 12th. BLACK-THROATED DIVER Gavia arctica Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. The total of 11 is average for recent years although several additional reports await consideration by SORC. Typically, most reports were from the coast although the most accessible birds were those remaining from 1993 on Alton Water. It is open to speculation as to how many went unrecorded amongst the huge gathering of Redthroated Divers off the Covehithe/Minsmere stretch of coastline in January. Lowestoft: north, March 12th. Benacre: offshore, January 8th. Covehithe: north, September 13th (summer plumage); south, October 17th; south, November 7th; north, December 13th. Southwold: offshore, October 22nd (summer plumage). Aldringham cum Thorpe: Thorpeness, offshore, January 23rd. Bawdsey: January 9th. Trimley St Martin: Loompit Lake, first-winter, dead, February 13th. Felixstowe: Landguard, south then into Stour/Orwell Estuary, December 29th. Alton Water: two from December 1993 remained to January 6th; January 15th.
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. A good year for this species with at least seven being recorded. The bird on the upper reaches of the Orwell Estuary attracted much attention from observers. Covehithe: two north, May 18th (PJD); November 17th to 19th (PJD). Southwold: south, November 5th (SJL). Leiston: Sizewell, south, February 6th (WJB). Ramsholt: River Deben, January 16th to 22nd (N Mar, N Mas).
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