Sunday 31st December - The year ends

A very wet and windy end to the year and hopes abound for the new one. It's been a mixed year. My only trip away with the family to the US and Canada was enjoyable and I had a couple of decent weekends in Norfolk and Portland, but overall a year dominated by work pressures and fairly uneventful on the bird front. Lets hope I can make more of 2018.

The last few days have been relaxing but the weather has been decidedly mixed. A cold snap on Wednesday didn't last long before we have been thrust back into westerly wet airstreams. On Thursday (28th), the morning was cold and bright which was helpful. I went to Selsey first thing, not expecting too much, the highlight was the number of Red-throated Divers on the move with a single flock of 16 being exceptional. 3 or 4 Slavonian Grebes were on the sea with at least 3 Great Northern Divers and several Razorbill, Guillemot and Red-breasted Mergansers were visible, along with Gannets and Shag .

After a couple of hours I moved to Church Norton, the day was bright but the harbour was quite quiet with a low tide. c1,000 Lapwing were visible in the distance with the large Brent Goose flock. A few Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plover were scattered in the harbour and a long scan revealed a single Ringed Plover, Avocet and the long-staying Whimbrel. A walk out to the end of the spit had a single Stonechat and a small number of Skylark and Linnet, where there was nothing on the sea, although a number of Pintail were visible towards the North side and several Wigeon, Teal and Shelduck were in small groups.

There are still a number of finches at home, I had thought that my previous sightings of Hawfinches had dried up completely as I hadn't seen one since 21st, until today when I flushed one from the bottom of the field where it flew off calling. Also the flock of Little Egrets that were seen down the road had increased to 16 on the 29th. I'm planning to do a local New Year Birdrace on the 13th with Dave B , so it would be good if they hang around until then as otherwise birds have generally dispersed and finding anything in the muddy tracks of the West Weald will be a challenge,

Onwards to tomorrow and Happy New Year,

Pagham Harbour from Church Norton, with a fairly low tide

Grey Heron

Teal

Green Woodpecker in garden

Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Siskin

Saturday 23rd December - xmas rush

The shortest day on 21st seems to coincide with frustrated shoppers and knackered commuters, the latter then have to become frustrated shoppers with a couple of days to go, I put myself in the knackered commuter category, and having the luxury now of a few days break which will combine more sleep than usual with ample food and drink !. The sharp cold spell earlier in December has abated and given way to the familiar damp, heavily overcast skies and quickening westerly wind that always seems to return just before the festive break.

Encouragingly, the bird activity at home still seems to have interest, particularly with finches. I am still seeing a Hawfinch almost daily when I watch, but always very brief often in flight or perched at the top of a not so near tree. I wonder whether there is more than one in the area. Goldfinch and Siskin are still in good number with a sizeable flock of c70 birds frequenting the tops of the Alders and 3 or 4 Bramblings are still regular around the feeders and just yesterday 5 Redpoll were on the feeders.

I walk yesterday afternoon was generally very quiet although as I returned a flock of 100+ Redwing flew over and 20 + Pied Wagtail were in the field with the horses at the top of the lane. Earlier in the day, as I drive to Petersfield, there were 9 Little Egret in another horse field at the end of Vann Road, which is an unusual record for here.

Merry Christmas to all !

some Brambling pictures below

Sunday 19th November - The finches keep coming

Last weekend I made a visit to the coast on Sunday, Selsey & Medmerry. All very pleasant but little on offer on the avian front, just a single Great Northern Diver and an early flyover  Redpoll, which itself is a little unusual for Selsey although rather more common inland, with just single figures of Brent Goose and a trickle of Meadow Pipits moving through, it was 'dead quiet'. I then visited Medmerry from Easton Lane , which was also dead quiet with a few Skylark, Reed Bunting  Yellowhammer, Stonechat in the scrub on the way down to the Stilt pools and a single Dartford Warbler dashing into the gorse. The pools held a few Duck including  Pintail, Teal, Gadwall, the only waders were Lapwing and a Sparrowhawk passed over with 2 Kestrel in the vicinity.

Contrast to this Saturday at home, when again before 10am before the domestic jobs started and then the rain set in for the day, it was quite birdy with the following highlights from a decent list seen from the patio, with excitingly another Hawfinch in flight.

Peregrine 1
Fieldfares 136
Redwing 21
Brambling c 25
Goldfinch 70+
Blackbird 6
Woodpigeon 975
Hawfinch 1w @ 8.25am
Grey Wagtail
Siskin 18+
Marsh Tit 2

This morning, it was cold but very still with a bit of frost that soon cleared with the rather odd cloud cover eventually clearing to give a bright sunny afternoon. I went for a walk from the house, down through the farms to the woodland, which was just very muddy. Woodpigeons were everywhere , but apart from an early Sparrowhawk and some  40+ Siskins in a stand of Alders and a couple of Bullfinch, there was really little else on the walk until I started the return from the Furnace Pond and as I was skirting  along the edge of the arable field I heard a distinctive chip call of a Hawfinch and saw one land at the top of an Oak, although viewing through the trees was rather limited. It flew off , then further along the same path another alighted , then 2 more together, so 4 in total. Views were still rather limited but  exciting to see another 4. Local Rarities always spice up a morning. Back at home there is still a good Goldfinch flock c70 birds in the Alders , a few Siskin with them, and the odd Brambling. The thrushes seem to have dispersed today, although not surprising as the previously berry-laden hollies have been almost stripped bare.

view down the lane towards Woolbeding

Small batch of Woodpigeons at first light

a bit of frost on the ground

Hawfinch

Nuthatch

Marsh Tit

Sunday 29th October -Daylight saving bonanza

As the clocks went back, I decided to forgo my theoretical extra hour in bed and arose at the same time as yesterday, i.e. just before dawn. I had to pick Sal up from Heathrow late morning and given yesterdays bird bonanza decided that the early hours might yield some more interesting birds.

The weather had changed a little a strengthting NW wind brought a lot more cloud. The thrushes were still around with the early Blackbird lek followed by calling Redwings still abundant and several Mistle Thrush. As the light slowly came a couple of Grey Herons flew West  and even though the Redwings were still moving through in a westerly direction, the Woodpigeons were not as abundant with groups spending time in the treetops rather than moving against the stiff breeze. At around 7am, the first real surprise of the morning when a Goosander flew high and West. A redhead, most likely female rather than eclipse male, but such a surprise and a welcome and unexpected house tick.

Then proof that the birding gods were smiling when 5 Hawfinches flew North straight over me with their  distinctive calls. Stocky finches that at a distance as they approached I first thought of thrushes until their wingbars were clear and I could hear them, then I knew exactly what they were. I'd been hoping that this would happen with the recent influx of birds and so many being seen in nearby parts , this was probably going to be the best chance in years to add them to the house list.

It didn't stop there, with 2 Egyptian Geese seen flying West then the distinctive call of a Woodlark which I eventually picked up in flight heading the same way. Around 7.45 Another 2 Hawfiinches appeared. It looked as if they had alighted from the hedge at the bottom of the sheep field and headed off towards the taller trees to the left of the property, then about 5 minutes later I heard a call behind and saw a Hawfinch fly over the house and it seemed to land in the top of one of the Oaks next to the house, but I couldn't locate it, just hearing a couple of calls.

Siskin and Goldfinch still had a healthy flock combined of around 40 birds spending time in the Alders, and other highlights were 2 Bullfinch, 1 Fieldfare a few Herring Gulls drifted North after a windy squall which ripped a lot of leaves off the trees. Eventually the birds and the weather calmed a little but another day where I recorded 51 species from home ! with 2 new house ticks.  Happy days !

The autumn colours are starting to peak

Mid-morning darkness with a heavy squall which deprived the trees of a few leaves

Blue Tit

Dunnock

Bullfinch

Marsh Tit

Saturday 28th October - Halloween influx

When I got home from work on Friday about 7pm it was a calm starry night and at least 4 Tawny Owls were making a racket in the gully.  I woke this morning at 6.30am and  had planned in my mind to go out birding this morning possibly to the south coast, then it dawned on me that I needed to take Adie to and from Netball so the plans were scuppered. I decided to make the most of birding from home in between shuttle runs, the weather looked ok, although it did start rather misty but with a light win and it cleared to a mild and occasionally sunny morning.

I'm not in a major migration hotpsot by any means, South West of Blackdown and about 200m lower in elevation, in the lower Weald.  I have a view South West from the patio which looks over the Sheep's field to a tree stand of Alders, Hazel, Ash, Oaks, Beech, and a few Chestnut, with a small view beyond towards the Woolbeeding ridge. It is mainly wooded, no water and  there is no obvious flyway, but today birds were everywhere.

The first hour of daylight between 7.40am and 8.40 was astonishing, there were so many birds moving. I could hear thrushes as soon as I opened he back door and several groups of Woodpigeons were on the move. So I watched for the first hour, took Adie to Netball then watched for another hour between 9.30 and 10.30, then collected her , had another hour between 11.30 and 12.30 , then took Hannah to Witley and spent a little time outside between 2.30 and 4pm but also doing other jobs.

The species list was 46, which is probably the highest I've had in a day from home.

Ordinarily, Woodpigeons don't get a second glance unless like today they are moving in large flocks, the highlights were Over 100 Redwing, 3 decent size flocks of Fieldfare, large numbers of finches included a flock of 26 Brambling that pitched into the top of one of the Alders with the goldfinch, albeit for a brief stay. no raptors until after mid day then a Goshawk seen for about 5 minutes circling South and 9 Lapwing flew West, the first ones I've seen here for 4 years. The only thing missing was the big fat finch (Hawfinch)  that's been seen all over the South in the last couple of weeks and close to home but I have yet to add one to the house list.

The full list (why not !) - below, the majority were flying West

Woodpigeon   (528)
Stock Dove (6) - Although probably more in the Woodpigeon flocks
Redwing  (149)
Fieldfare (87)
Blackbird (7)
Mistle Thrush (9)
Song Thrush (8)
Starling (124)
Skylark (3)
Meadow Pipit (4)
Lapwing (9)
Jackdaw (84)
Carrion Crow (4)
Rook (2)
Magpie (2)
Jay (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)
Green Woodpecker (1)
Chaffinch (38)
Siskin (18)
Goldfinch (49)
Bullfinch (2)
Brambling (26)
Greenfinch (1)
Redpoll (4)
Pied Wagtail (6)
Grey Wagtail (2)
Nuthatch (2)
Firecrest (2)
Great Tit (4)
Blue Tit (12)
Coal Tit (2)
Marsh tit (1)
Long-tailed Tit (6)
Robin (3)
Dunnock (3)
Wren (1)
Black-headed Gull (2)
Common Gull (2)
Collared Dove (1)
Pheasant (2)
common Buzzard (4)
Goshawk (1)
Sparrowhawk (2)
Red Kite (1)
Mallard (2)

View from Patio.

Despite lots of birds this was the nearest I came to a Hawfinch

A few Redwings ended up in the nearest Holly

A well cropped Holly tree will probably be stripped bare in a few days.

The nearest beech tree is shedding leaves straight into the pond !

Sunday 22nd October - Normal service resumes

After the great weekend I had at Portland there was an inevitability about this weekend with the birds on offer. Saturday was just mega winds and spells of heavy downpours (poor Adie was on a Netball trip involving a pretty awful Dover-Calais ferry crossing !). A total of 68 Redwings flew over the garden.

With the winds very slightly abating I went to Selsey this morning. There were a few birds moving the best of which was a Black-throated Diver, a trickle of Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches and Skylark battled into the wind and there was enough to keep an interest for a couple of hours, although not the quantity of Portland, then I had to return home.

A brief bright spell with a drop in winds was good for around an hour. There were definitely plenty of thrushes around with Redwing (30+), Song thrush (5+) Mistle Thrush (3), Blackbirds (10+). A Buzzard, Sparrowhawk made an apperance and the few Goldfinches were joined by 2 Siskin in the Alders and a party of Long -tailed Tits arrived this afternoon. An Emperor Dragonfly and Common Hawker were still around the pond and a couple of Red Admiral butterflies were trying to suck the last of the nectar out of the verbena. The Oaks and Beech outside the back door are just starting to dump their haul of leaves which I will need to keep an eye on as far s the pond is concerned.

Selsey List (All birds heading West)

Brent Goose 7
Sandwich Tern 1
Wigeon 3
Common Scoter 2
Great Skua 1
Kittiwake 2
Gannet 9
Black-Headed Gull 100
Med Gull 3
Black-throated Diver 1
Diver sp 1
Curlew 2
Grey Plover 1
Oystercatcher 1
Pied Wagtail 20
Goldfinch 20
Meadow pipit 50
Skylark 4

The pond has a decent amount of vegetation around it but I don't think it is sufficient to attract a passing Crake or Rail

A number of Pheasants are turning up with all sorts of plumage.

17th October - Portland Weekend

A few days away were in order. Initially I thought of going to the East coast, but the birding winds looked to be set to South Westerly . I pondered whether to go as far as Cornwall or Devon, but then decided to try Portland, I had never before stayed at the Observatory so viewed this as a bit of a new adventure. I was probably lucky that the Bird Observatory had a space, so I took this and headed there on Thursday. 

On route I stopped firstly at Arne, the RSPB reserve on the Isle of Purbeck. Although largely a heathland reserve there are views to the Poole Harbour estuary and a Stilt Sandpiper has been seen in the area for the last week. Not really knowing the best viewing points and having not checked the tides before I arrived, I decided to walk over Coombe Heath towards the lower end of the Middlebere Channel seeing Stonechat, Dartford Warbler and Chiffchaff. A viiewing screen was the first stop, overlooking part of the Middlebeare Channel. The tide looked low and the birds were at a distance towards the Estuary. I could make out flocks of Avocet, Black tailed Godwit, large numbers of Redshank a few Curlew and a single Spoonbill.  I saw that the tide was rising, so moved along the ,path to a hide where the waders were flying past to roost a little further down the channel. After another 30 minutes I picked out the Stilt Sandpiper which was feeding on the mud among the roosting flock of around 150 Avocet. A large flock of Black-tailed Godwit, and Redshank were joined by smaller numbers of  Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plover. Happy with good if a bit distant views of the Stilt Sandpiper, I returned to the car seeing a Peregrine on route.

I headed across Dorset to  Lodmoor about 50 minutes away with the hope of seeing the Lesser Yellowlegs, another American Wader which had been there a couple of days.  Amazingly my car fitted under the barrier at the car park (I normally have a problem when council car parks have a 2.0m height barrier as my car is 2.05m, this car park was 2.10m, I still duck as I drive under the barrier thinking I'm going to hear scraping on the roof). Lodmoor is a set of roadside lagoons in the centre of Weymouth on the beach road with a footpath that circumvents the reserve with a few viewing points into the pools, not all of the pools are visible as there is a fair amount of vegetation .  I walked  to a viewing shelter and immediately saw a Great Egret, 3 Ruff , 6 Snipe and Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher flew up the channel the Egret was standing in.  There seemed to be a group of birders on the other side so I headed there 6 Little Stint were with Dunlin and Ringed Plover, more Ruff and a Med Gull in with the Black-headed Gulls. A  Sparrowhawk caused havoc as it swooped through the middle of the reserve putting up all the waders . I picked up the Lesser Yellowlegs flying around which eventually dropped down into the middle of the reserve unfortunately out of sight from where we were returning to the first shelter viewpoint the Yellowlegs was briefly there before running over a bank and out of view. I wanted to get to the Obs by around 4.30 so left Lodmoor.

Arriving and finding my bunk room for the next few nights, sorted myself out then had a look around the obs garden. A Yellow-browed Warbler was good to see and a Firecrest was picked up before the light faded when a Short-Eared Owl was picked up sitting on a fence post in the Crown Estate field..

Great Egret

Ruff

View from the observatory terrace

The Obs' lighthouse from the Crown Estate field

From the Obs quarry

Friday 13th

My one hope for this weekend was to see migrating birds. I really enjoy the spectacle of seeing birds in the process of migrating, always asking the question why and where ? Yes, being October, this can be enhanced by the occasional rare bird, but nothing is guaranteed and it is largely influenced by the strength and directions of the winds. 

Today turned out to be a bit of all sorts, which I really enjoyed, with a bit of drizzle after dawn raising hopes that it may have grounded migrants, but the high hopes didn't really materialise into numbers of birds, then a brisk southwesterly wind picked up, which at least improved activity on the sea.
First thing just after dawn, a Hawfinch was seen bombing around the obs garden, and a few Pied Wagtail, Linnet and Meadow Pipit were seen moving south. A Golden Plover  flew over calling. The activity on the sea picked up late morning with several Sooty Shearwaters seen in a 2 hour spell, I had views of 10 birds with a total of 20 reported. The afternoon I spent walking around the southern part of the Bill and to the Top Fields, seeing 2 Peregrines kill a Woodpigeon and a Dartford Warbler moving along one of the hedgerows being the highlight.

Another highlight for me today was bumping into Ralph and Brenda Todd. Ralph was the leader of the Bexley RSPB Group when I first started a birding interest (I must have been 10 or 11) and my Dad took me to local meetings, field trips and even weekend trips. It was how and when my lifetime interest really blossomed and Ralph was a real inspiration to this start and to get out and see more birds. I've probably bumped into him and Brenda about every 7 or 8 years.They spend some time in Dorset every year, so I was lucky to spend some time with them over the next few days.

Main birds for the day as follows ;

Pied Wagtail c 100
Meadow Pipit c75
Linnet c 1000
Hawfinch 1
Goldcrest c10
Wheatear 5
Common Scoter 28
Gannet 30+
Sooty Shearwater 10
Kittiwake 2
Razorbill 2
Guillemot c25
Skylark 18
Stonechat 6+
Dartford Warbler 1
Raven 4
Rock Pipit 2

Wheatear

Raven

Managed cereal crops to produce seed for birds

Sooty Shearwater

Saturday 14th

Another day with expectations high when the weather really didn't know what it was doing: the dreariest of starts with a noticeable breeze blowing eventually gave way to a millpond calm and positively hot late afternoon and evening before the breeze freshened again and swirling fog clamped down after dark. 

Standing on the Obs terrace just as the sun was rising , hopes were high, but the first hour of daylight, which can often been the most promising, was a little disappointing. Then things started to move and the numbers of Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Goldfinches moving South were a significant increase on the day before and it was clear a few more migrants had been grounded. At least 1 Hawfinch was seen with more Goldcrest , Firecrest and a Blackcap in the bushes, then a very welcome surprise when a 1st year Rustic Bunting was caught in the nets. I was lucky enough when later on I walked into the Crown Estate Field and a Bunting flew up from cover and back over the road, with a call that was not a typical Reed Bunting call, landing in a tree in the Obs garden. I picked it up in the tree and could clearly see it was the Rustic Bunting. It flew again before I could get a better view did a lap of the lighthouse and headed on towards the top fields where I lost it, Martin, the obs warden, had been in the field with others and had seen me watching the bird and also saw it fly but out of view, we could only conclude it went to the Top fields into cover there. 

Again I spent the afternoon walking the fields and the coastal path, the Little Owl was in the quarry several Swallows were moving and a Merlin was seen, a Whinchat was in the Crown Estate Field with a flock of c1000 Linnet with another c1000 having flown out to sea. An exceptional day with great birds

Pied Wagtail 250 +
Meadow Pipit 100+
Linnet 2000 +
Goldfinch 300+
Hawfinch 3
Firecrest 3
Rusting Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 2
Swallow 13
Skylark 25+
Merlin 1
Peregrine 1
Kestrel 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Whinchat 1
Wheatear 2
Stonechat 
Sand Martin 1
Little Owl 1

Odd Sunrise , looks like the top is missing.

Rustic Bunting

Firecrest

Another

Sunday 15th

The day started in a similar fashion to yesterday, although migrant bird activity was soon picking up with the number and variety even more prominent than the excellent day on Saturday with the incredible sight being that of Firecrests - everywhere. Firstly in the Obs garden where the bushes seem to be full of Firecrest I then walked down to the Bill tip and up the coastal path and over the top fields and Culverwell Woods, I wouldn't be surprised if there were well over 100 birds , they ended up ringing 68 in the nets, which was a record day (more than they had ringed all year so far). A huge number of Linnets were moving with an estimated 2000+ in the Fields with well over 1000 flying out to sea. 

Other migrants seen were more Hawfinch, Golden Plover, Snipe, Black Redstart Grey Wagtail, Mistle Thrush and a Merlin. Later in the morning another highlight when a Radde's Warbler was trapped in the nets. It was released in the quarry. I had views with others as it did a lap of the quarry field in and out of brambles, then back into cover near the Obs.

The afternoon was again spent walking the coastal path and quatering the fields, several Wheatears and Swallows were seen along with the Whinchat and a pod of  Bottlenose Dolphins was seen offshore. Even though activity quietened down a the day went on, Firecrests were still everywhere.

Another fantastic day.

Pied Wagtail 150+
Meadow Pipit 100+
Linnet 2500+
Siskin 2
Goldfinch 300+
Golden Plover 4
Snipe 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Skylark 30+
Mistle Thrush 1
Blackbird 20+
Black Redstart 1
Hawfinch 2+
Firecrest c100
Goldcrest 3
Swallow 27
Radde's Warbler 1
Merlin 1
Sparrowhawk 3
Wheatear 12
Whinchat 12

Another Firecrest

Radde's Warbler

Radde's Warbler

Hawfinch

Linnet Flock

More Linets

Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose Dolphins

2 Sparrowhawk

Peregrine

Another Firecrest

1st year male Sparrowhawk

Monday 16th

A day of predicted high winds with the remains of Hurricane Ophelia signaled a day of bizarre weather and confusing light conditions. It started windy with a couple of predawn squalls which obviously had desert origins with the car covered in sandy splodges. The wind was strong at dawn and got stronger in the afternoon, but mid-morning the sky turned dark with a strange orange hue to the atmosphere (it certainly confused the camera). 

The weather was potentially interesting for birds but ultimately slightly disappointing as visible migration was obviously hampered by the strong winds and grounded migrants were few and the sea didn't really produce anything. I did venture out of the Bill area with Ralph to see the Red-breasted Flycatcher which was on the edge of   the Broadcroft quarry on the north of the island, and again spent the afternoon walking the paths in the hope of maybe bumping into something interesting, but 12 Wheatear, a Merlin and a Sparrowhawk were the best of the haul, the Linnet flock of c1000 was still present but it was good to be out in the breeze !

Pied Wagtail 30+
Meadow Pipit 30+
Linnet 1,000+
Goldfinch 20+
Great Skua 2
Arctic Skua 1
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1
Wheatear 12
Stonechat 4
Merlin 1
Sparoowhawk 1
Peregrine 1

at dawn

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Deaths-head Hawkmoth

Red-breasted Flycatcher, the strange Orange hue in the picture was real.

Windy coastline

Merlin

Merlin

Stonechat

Tuesday 17th

I only had a couple of hours first thing in the morning before I needed to head home. The wind had abated slightly since yesterday, but not a huge number of birds visible first thing but a few Song Thrush had dropped in . The highlight of the morning was 2 Short-Eared Owls seemingly trying to fly South and another Hawfinch which dropped into the garden.

A great few days and I will go back to the obs again.

Early Hawfinch

Short-Eared Owl

A final Firerest

The Firecrest was ever present and in numbers never seen before.