Sunday 25th March - British Summer Time

The clocks moved forward an hour last night for BST and the weather certainly lived up to the billing with the glorious weather during the week actually lasting throughout the weekend with wall to wall sunshine and temperature at nearly 20c.

Early on Saturday morning I headed to Selsey Bill. Light North Easterly winds probably didn't raise my expectations too high for sea passage, but this is the beginning of Spring migration and I envisage more visits in the weeks to come as the influx of birds should increase.
The sea was flat calm, and there was a slight sea mist which limited visibility to about 1 mile, so not a problem but more distant birds were just silhouettes. Until I left at 10.30 the following birds were noted and were mostly flying East into the breeze. 154 Brent Geese, 5 Med Gulls, 34 Common Scoter, 7 Sandwich Terns, 2 Fulmar, 4 Gadwall, 3 Pintail, 11 Shelduck, 2 Eider, 1 Peregrine, a handful of Gannets and Red-breasted Mergansers and two small duck which remained unidentified as they remained silhoueted but could well have been Garganey. 4 Great Northern Divers on the sea and around 300 Meadow Pipits  flying North with 3 Pied Wagtails. There were 3 Wheatear and 2 Sanderling on the beach and the best bird of the morning was a Spoonbill which flew past fairly close in around 9am.

I called in for  a brief walk around the Ferry pool end of Pagham, and enjoyed the continued sunshine, although there was little on the bird front, a single Avocet and 3 singing Chiffchaffs the most notable.

The plan was an afternoon spent in the garden and this was the case for Sunday as well after a charity run with the girls. The Firecrest was still singing away and 2 birds were present and I managed to get  the first passable picture ! .2 Chiffchaffs were in song, and the spectacular weather during the week had seen the departure of the Bramblings, Siskins and Redpolls from the feeders (although a pair of Bullfinch were around). I sat at the back of the barn with my scope set up, a cup of tea and a radio with the football on ! - and started scanning into the distance and was rather surprised with the results.

Common Buzzard - 11 at one time the most (there were probably more)
Kestrel - 3
Sparrowhawk - 2
Red Kite - 2 different birds
Raven 1
Rook - 7/8 - a new bird for the house list
Meadow Pipit - 6 flew over (maybe some that I'd seen in the morning on the coast ?!)
Goshawk !!!! - I saw a this bird on 4 different occasions (assumption that it was one bird) on both Saturday and Sunday - a little distant but for prolonged spells of soaring/flapping/ gliding. almost as big as the Buzzards which it attacked at one point and about twice the size of a Sparrowhawk that it flew past. one of the most distinctive features was it's slow flapping. Incredible to add this to the house list .

I also saw a female Blackcap from the kitchen on Sunday morning. Other good news to report that there are hundreds of Tadpoles both in the pond and Adie's fishtank and the badgers are still filling up nightly on peanuts.

Firecrest at home - more impressive when it's singing as the red crest is raised.

Sunday 18th March - Spring edging in

Another weekend which was spent mostly near home, with mid-week weather being glorious but Saturday morning delivering the first deluge for several weeks. Hannah returned from a successful French trip on Saturday afternoon and with Mothers Day on Sunday I stole a couple of early hours on Sunday morning returning before the household had surfaced.

I've seen a Firecrest at home on a few occasions since we arrived here last Summer, but they have largely been fleeting glimpses. On Saturday I saw a male in song and following several more sightings over the weekend I've worked out its holding territory. Good for it's well being, it's fairly hidden away, which is unfortunate with regard to photo's and it'll be interesting to see progress here.
Also in the morning 2 Mandarin Ducks alighted from the stream and flew off over the fields. Another new bird for home bringing the total to 62 ! Great spotted Woodpeckers, Green woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Treecreepers were all active.  Around the feeders, 5 Brambling (3 males), 10 Lesser Redpolls, 6 Siskins, 18  Chaffinches, 2 Greenfinches and one Bullfinch provided the seed-eating interest, whilst Great Tit numbers had increased, Blue Tits, 2 Coal Tits and 4 long-tailed Tits frequented. Buzzards were again visible and Robins,Dunnocks, Wrens, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds have been very vocal especially early morning. A brief Chiffchaff calling Sunday morning was probably my first Spring bird.

Early on Sunday I ventured out for a local walk. I again heard Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (called 3 times) but failed to locate and saw Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Mandarin, Moorhen, Little Grebe and a Grey Wagtail on a local pond, 2 Skylark, 2 Crossbill and a distant song which I thought was Woodlark (but a burst of Crossbill song can surprisingly be similar at distance) but will have to wait until I find the bird or hear again at more recognisable distance.  4 Chiffchaffs on the walk made it a little spring -like.

The Badgers are still nightly visitors, but not often the 3 together.

Badger Feast

Field behind house with early morning frost

Local Woodland Pond  

Nuthatch

Another male brambling shot - they'll be off North soon , so I'm making the most of it.

A Woodland Fern

Lesser Redpoll - a paler bird, but structurally this is a Leseer Redpoll not a Mealy.

Brambling so fantastically colourful - Don't normally do feeder shots but so attractive.

A Greenfinch - 'Don't normally do feeder shots' but just to prove they haven't all died out around here

Bumble bee on Rhododendron - whilst waiting for the Firecrest to show.

Sunday 11th March - Back off my chickens !

 ... Saturday morning having let the ducks and hens out  of their pen I walked along the field edge and this fox was moving through the fields towards the house - at first it didn't seem to notice me until eventually it bolted.


Back off buddy !

Engrossed in thinking whether KFC, roasted or grilled is a better option, I was only
noticed at the last minute.

Another weekend spent largely at home. Hannah was off on a school trip to France for the week on Sunday morning, so before we dropped her off I went out for a couple of hours. Since moving into our new house I've been quite keen to explore a little of the local area, but seemingly without actually having any time to do so. I've been largely studying the os map deciding what might be an interesting area to look at. this morning I went to Woolbeeding Common, which is only a 5 minute drive but is National Trust land and looked as if it might be interesting habitat. One problem I've always experienced with National Trust properties, especially when there is a proper car park is it is a magnet for dog walkers, and this was no exception. The area was heathland on an escarpment, although slightly more enclosed than other Sussex heaths so probably limited the avian interest, however the views were spectacular. bird interest included Yellowhammers, Linnets, Siskins, Great-Spotted Woodpeckers and a single pair of Woodlark. But if I'm thinking of Raptor watching in the future It'll definitely be worth a try.

Back at home the Badger nightly displays continue and although finch numbers appear to have reduced during the week, there were still 3 Brambling around on Saturday (1 male 2 females). I had  Crossbill fly over on both days and 7 Buzzards were thermalling in the glorious weather on Sunday. Bullfinches and a few Redwings are still around and a Tawny Owl has been calling. 2 Mallard were flushed from the stream as I dumped garden waste and the Treecreepers were visible. Can't be long before I see my first Spring migrant.

Let me in Let me in ?

Siskin

Another shot of a male Brambling - may as well while they are still around - such attractive birds

View from Woolbeeding common

Another panoramic view

Sweet Violets at home

Treecreeper at home - normal variety !

Slightly unbalanced , but occasionally the local Jackdaws try out their Woodpecker credentials.



Sunday 4th March - We're having babies !

.... thousands of them. Between last weekend and Saturday the Frogs have been busy and the tiny woodland pond is covered in frog spawn. The frogs are still around as as I approached there was lots of waves and bubbles as they all headed to the bottom. We will see whether the progression from spawn to tadpole to frog is successful without too much attention from the local herons.

Last Sunday and this weekend was spent around home, the light early mornings and later evenings are making a difference. Both last Sunday and Saturday afternoon the weather was excellent and spring-like, whilst today was foul - heavy rain, then sleet and a bit of snow before it eventually stopped around 4am, and today was the only day I had the camera out !
The significant bird news at home was a Little Owl that I saw last Sunday. The local birds were making a racket, which before has signified they've found a roosting Tawny Owl. I went to investigate in a Holly bush, Blackbirds, Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Chaffinches, were all going mad - but I couldn't see into the depths of the bush. Eventually a bird flew out into the woods and I only caught sight of the tail - well it wasn't a Tawny Owl, I thought it might just be a Sparrowhawk but it obviously alighted not too far away as it's pursuers were still going mad. This time I saw a small bird bound away , and immediately thought it must be a Little Owl, I found it perched up at the back of the woods, got the scope onto it but before Sal and the girls could get a look it flew again seemingly into an Ivy-clad tree, but no further sign since. It's behaviour and being hunted out by the local birds suggest it isn't a local resident but I'll be keeping an eye out for it as another it's good bird for the house list.

I had 2 Skylarks flyover calling, and another Crossbill. There are still 4 Bramblings with the Chaffinch flock around the feeders and up to 10 Redpolls, 6 Siskins, 3 Bullfinches (still only 1 Greenfinch), Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatches a pair of Treecreepers are often seen and in song near the garden rubbish point. 2 Buzzards were displaying and a male Sparrowhawk was unsuccessfully raiding the feeders. Stock Doves seem to be nesting in the nearest Oak to the kitchen and a Long-tailed Tit spent most of the weekend trying to get in through the kitchen window. and Marvin has a friend ... Bruce ?!? - We've seen a Badger every night but 2 on one occasion.

Frog Spawn  in the pond

A few Daffs out in the last week

A male Brambling - one of four birds still visiting the garden

Male Sparrowhawk

Sprrowhawk - no visible success on the hunting