Thursday 26th May - Squally rain

First rain for ages came in squally showers today - late evening at home c40 House Martins and 10 Swifts were over the trees at the edge of the garden, a Cuckoo flew over the house and at 8pm a Hobby was being chased through by the hirundines. This change in the weather could produce some interesting birds over the weekend.

Saturday 21st May - Where are the birds ?

A continuation of the dry, windy and bright weather continued all this week, although it's been slightly colder. Another Red Kite was seen over the garden early Friday morning and a Spotted Flycatcher, which then promptly vanished.

With Sally in New York and the girls on a sleepover I had most of Saturday free. Late Spring migration where anything can turn up at anytime the idea is to be out somewhere, although news of rarities had been pretty sparse in this part of the country but I was staying in Sussex and knew that the list might remain a little thin on the unusual species and so it proved.

I was at Church Norton at 8am just as a mist was lifting. I spent over 3 hours walking down to Siddlesham, back to the sea and along the Severals. The tide was low, which didn't help, but until 9.30am I didn't see another soul - bliss !  Out in the harbour a single Whimbrel, a single Bar-tailed Godwit and a handful of Dunlin and Ringed Plover represented Waders and just a couple of Common Terns and Little Egrets made up the numbers. Lots of Reed and Sedge Warblers were very active in the ditches and there were plenty of Whitethroat with one Lesser Whitethroat. Reed buntings, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Red-Legged Partridge and a Corn Bunting contributed a farmland feel and on the Ferry Pool a flock of 32 Black-tailed Godwits, 27 Dunlin were joined by a Greenshank.

After a Ginsters pasty slice for lunch, I went round to the North Wall of the harbour and wandered through the fields to the breach pool and although a pleasant sunny walk didn't really add many new species. So headed home about 3ish to pick the girls up having reached 70 species but nothing out of the ordinary.



Linnet

 



Grey Heron

 


Reed Warbler - Trying to stay hidden



Little Grebe with young



Sedge Warbler



Roe Deer - in moult and looking a bit scrappy.



Broad-bodied Chaser - in Garden.

 

Tuesday 17th May - Spring catch-up

A sluggish couple of weeks where birding has remained in the vicinity of the house and activities other than work have been a Spring show, and an organised walk through the new A3 tunnel at Hindhead which is due to open in a couple of months. Despite the fact that walking through a tunnel for just over a mile holds little appeal (and guaranteed zero wildlife) this actually felt reasonably momentus and enjoyable given that it will never be possible again and especially as the girls' school is virtually next door.

So on the bird front  it's worth a round up of who is breeding in and around the garden. For the last couple of weeks the dawn chorus and song in general has been at it's peak, which is essential to find out which birds are present, because otherwise being busy nesting and feeding, renders them largely invisible as they keep hidden where possible and otherwise dash between cover.

Last Saturday (7th), a Nightingale was heard at around 5am and Cuckoo on the 13th - but both so far single experiences not repeated this year.  All of the below are either in the garden, hedge boundary, orchard or pond field.

Robin - two pairs
Dunnock - a breeding threesome !
Wren - One songster
Song Thrush - At least one pair.
Mistle Thrush - one pair
Blackbird - At least one pair
Great Tit  - Feeding young already.
Blue Tit - nestbox on shed.
Blackcap - One pair
Garden Warbler - One singing edge of paddock
Chaffinch - One pair
Goldfinch - One pair
Greenfinch  - One Pair
Magpie - One Pair
Pheasant - one male holding territory in the orchard - not sure where the Mrs is.
Woodpigeon - At least one pair - including a short-tailed bird that was also present last year.
Goldcrest (2 singing birds not sure where exactly their territory is)
Bullfinch - A pair in the garden calling constantly but not sure where of if they're nesting.
House Sparrow - a pair in the front of the house

and the best of all the pair of Swallows, although they actually nest in next doors garage they spend all their time perched on the Electric cable from the pylon in the garden. There seems to be a third Swallow around that's tolerated by the pair, so maybe one of last year's young birds, as other intruders are voraciously sent packing. I love everything about Swallows, their call, the elegant flight and the reminder of Summer times in the country .. and they've got attitude.



Looks like my intake needs to increase considerably !



Male Swallow on wires in garden




The new A3 tunnel at Hindhead





Frog in pond



Cirsium Rivulare Atropurpureum (red thistle)



Oriental Poppy about to unfurl




Garden Aliums



Iris's with added Bee - proves there's some left



Monday -2nd May - Another Holiday

Never had so many bank holidays come so thick and fast. With 2 days of good seabird passage reported I did wonder whether it would fizzle out today but the winds were still forecast to be strong and Easterly, so I headed to Selsey Bill arriving at 5.45am for what turned out to be another good morning.

The number of summer plumaged waders moving was the first amazing spectacle. Bar-tailed Godwits (c380), Whimbrel (35), Sanderling (80), Knot (10), Dunlin (10), Grey Plover (20), Turnstone, Oystercatcher and Redshank. Divers were represented by 5 Great Northerns on the sea, 2 Red-throated and a single Black-throated. Common Terns (c650), Little Terns (100), Sandwich terms (65) and very smart Black Terns (26) were constantly moving through and then the Skuas, with 4 Bonxies, 2 Arctics and 9 Pomarine Skuas with the morning highlight being a flock of 7 which gave good views.  In addition to inbound Swallows, House Martins, Swifts  a Hobby was the best of the rest. So the numbers perhaps hadn't matched previous days but I was very happy with the haul and the views.

I briefly called in to Siddlesham on the way home and saw a male Garganey, Summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and 2 Common Sandpipers.

Saturday 30th April - Weddings and Warblers

Being married to an Australian monarchist meant there was no way that yesterdays Royal festivities were going to be avoided, so joining all the wedding fun was the only way through...... and could be in trouble when she reads this .... mention of  Pom Skua's  only causes confusion, and no acceptable excuse, as she presumes I must be referring to Englishman on a stick which after marinating go on the barb'cue.

So Saturday was a birding day, although the start was a little slower than expected , due to the required intake of beverage as demanded, and somehow still toasting the bride and groom some 10 hours after the wedding !!  , so decided to stay inland and save my Selsey trip for Monday.

I arrived at Waltham Brooks at 7.15am and was the only sole around for the next couple of hours in a blue sky but breezy morning, a great little Wildlife Trust reserve comprising a river valley with a bit of flood, reeds and scrub. The warblers were in full voice with Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Whitethroat all within the first hundred yards, a Little Egret was flushed then 3 Greenshank took flight calling loudly, shortly followed by 10 Whimbrel. 3 Little Ringed Plovers were establishing territories on the muddy fringes of the river along with a Green Sandpiper. I then saw a crow mobbing a bird quite high which through the scope turned out to be a Short-Eared Owl. The crow and Owl continued the scrap until the Owl gradually decreased height until it went down out of view a few hundred yards away. I crossed the railway to Coldwaltham sewage plant where 2 Nightingales were in song and  a Cuckoo was calling.

I moved onto Pulborough, where again warblers were the highlight,  counted at least 7 singing Nightingales, of which 2 gave themselves up and appeared from their normal hidden songposts. Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler were the additions to those already seen at Waltham. Waders were represented by 2 Ruff,  Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Snipe and  Greenshank and 2 Swifts were the first for the year. A Barnacle Goose and 2 Snow Geese went into the feral category.

Reports from the coast showed a significant movement of seabirds (with great counts of Pom Skuas !), but I headed East staying inland and did a circuit of Arlington Reservoir which added little to the bird list but was a pleasant walk and then called in at Old Lodge, where a smart pair of Redstart were nice, with lots of Lesser Redpolls buzzing around and a couple of Ravens rounded of the day.



Whitethroat - Pulborough



Little-Ringed Plover - Waltham Brooks

 

Sedge Warbler - Waltham Brooks



Nightingale- Pulborough



Garden Warbler - Pulborough



Pulborough from the 'Hanger'