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.