Saturday 22nd April - More Spring

A cold northerly wind has persisted all week but it has remained dry and occasionally bright. A similar forecast for this morning, I was up early and arrived at Selsey before 6am . It was a decent species list with something of interest most of the time before I headed to Church Norton around 10am.

The full list was

Sandwich Tern 12
Common Tern 4
Little Tern 1
Great Northern Diver 8
Red-throated Diver 1
Common Scoter 135
Teal 2
Red -Breasted Merganser 1
Arctic Skua 1
Great Skua 2
Grey Plover 32
Whimbrel 16
Bar-tailed Godwit 18
Knot 30
Sanderling 10
Dunlin 12
Swift 4
Swallow 12
Sand Martin 13
House Martin 2
Yellow Wagtail 4
Meadow Pipit 17
Wheatear 1

I went straight into the churchyard at Church Norton, a Firecrest was singing in a Yew and there were a number of vocal Blackcaps and Willow Warblers. As I reached the far end I was sure I heard a brief snatch of a Lesser Whitethroat rattle, I took the footpath at the end of the churchyard and just where the oaks cover the pathway a couple of birds flitted into the canopy. Yes, one was the Lesser Whitethroat, I got on the other, expecting a Willow Warbler, it looked  a little large, then turned - bright yellow throat, clean whit underparts and lime green head and shoulders - a stunning Wood Warbler. I managed a few pictures but it was in the canopy and after a couple more minutes just seemed to melt away. I put the news out, had a further look to see if I could relocate the bird, which I couldn't then went to find some others.

I got to the hide and could hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling at the back of the mote a further look here from another angle saw two Redstarts and a Garden Warbler, but the reeling Gropper just didn't reveal itself. I walked back to the hide met with Chris J and went back to the end of the churchyard a small gathering was looking for the Wood Warbler without success, A Cuckoo flew over and the Lesser Whitethroat was calling again.

The harbour had 3 Whimbrel, lots of Med Gulls and a Swallow and House Martin flew through. A walk towards the beach added Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler. So particularly pleased with the Wood Warbler as it can be tricky to see now in Sussex as breeding records have vanished the last few years.

Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler

and again

and a final one

A mid afternoon walk at Ebernoe common, there were 3 singning Nightingales and oddly a Reed Warbler in the same scrub plus a Marsh Tit with plenty of Bluebells and Orchids.

male Redstart at Church Norton

Monday 17th April - Easter weekend

How wonderful to have 4 days off in the extended weekend, so it was a bit of birding , gardening and sheep watching for the agenda.

Friday 14th

Friday mornng saw another visit to the coast - having checked on Shaniqua before heading out - but still no sign of labour, just getting bigger. The winds are NW so not ideal for either sea passage or migrants but the wind was not strong, so a few species were noted. 6.30am-9.30am
highlights were

Velvet Scvoter 5
Common Scoter 23
Common Tern 1
Great Skua 1
Swallow 32
Yellow Wagtail 2
Wheatear 2
Whimbrel 5

Saturday 15th

With still no sign of Shaniqua attempting to give birth and Sheila's lambs seemingly doing fine I went for a walk on Blackdown first thing Saturday, it was fairly cold with a bit of sharpness in the NW wind, so not ideal indeed the signs of Winter started with a Brambling in the wood near the car park - quite late for this species, but there were signs of Spring the highlight being a calling Cuckoo which was sitting on top of the pines and making flights towards the reservoir copse.

Brambling 1
Tree Pipit 3
Woodlark 2
Crossbill c20
Dartford Warbler 2
Stonechat 1
Willow Warbler 4
Chiffchaff 10+
Firecrest 3
Linnet 4

Woodlark at Blckdown

At home in the afternoon there were up to 8 Common Buzzards along with a Red Kite a late afternoon Goshawk, which was very high but almost over the house before disappearing quickly West, 2 Sparrowhawks and 7 Swallows.

Finally, I could tell that Shaniqua was getting a little restless and sure enough around 9pm she started what I would call labour - At 10pm she started to have a little more difficulty, so out with the bottle of lubricant and 3 pairs of arm-length gloves later her lamb was born, and it was huge !!! and just one, but very healthy and Shaniqua is a very natural mother.

Shaniqua with her ewe lamb

About 8 hours old in this pic.

A Red kite from the garden - a bit drab in colour, but definitely a Red not a Black.

Easter Sunday 16th

The girls had just returned from Portugal about 1am, so I went for an early walk before they were up from 7am-9.30am. A little more cloud and a cold Northerly wind, but hey this is spring !!

the best birds on the walk were

Blackcap 4
Green Wodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Cuckoo (heard and seen)
Swallow 2
Marsh Tit 1
Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 6
Firecrest 2
Woodlark 1
Skylark 1
Yellowhammer 3
Mandarin 2
Mallard 4
Crossbill 2
Bullfinch 4
Grey Wagtail 1

Starling in full flow

The Bluebells were out creating the stunning carpet

Only a single Willow Warbler on the walk

Easter Monday 17th 

A final outing for my few days off was back to the coast. The winds again were poor a light NW breeze, but by date alone there should be birds migrating . The highlight was an early Roseate Tern which drifted past to the delight of the locals, but by 9am the activity had ceased

Common Scoter 220
Velvet Scoter 2
Bonxie 3
Roseate Tern 1
Common Tern
Sandwich Tern
Whimbrel 14
Bar-tailed Godwit 1
W/Chiff 12
Wheatear 2

The remainder of the day was spent at home mainly tidying the garden and checking on the lambs.

Thursday 13th April - Midweek Sheep and Work

The Sheep were 'due' on Monday, so I'd arranged to work at home Monday and Wednesday, with Tuesday and Thursday scheduled for the London commute, in the hope that the Sheep would respect this plan and deliver their lamb(s) with ease, fitting into my schedule.

So on Monday, which was in theory the due date, nothing happened, except for a Red-legged Partridge on the roof of the Barn - the first I've seen here. Neither did anything happen on Tuesday,which was quite lucky, but early Wednesday morning, Sheila had twin lambs, it must have been sometime between 4 and 5 am and they arrived without any assistance from me (a boy and a girl) the boy was a little small so I helped with some bottle colostrum and all seemed fine.

If I was predicting which sheep would be the first to deliver it would have been Shaniqua based purely on size as she is huge. I'm actually beginning to think that during the 3 week stint with the Ram, she was instead taken to the Rhino enclosure at Marwell Zoo, as I am sure she will give birth to a Rhino (or about 6 lambs).

In addition on Wednesday, there were 2 Willow Warblers singing away in the willow trees aoutside the kitchen and 2 House Martins flew over.

Sheila on the right with 2 new born lambs - Shaniqua very fat and waiting ion the left

Lambs are fine, Sheila is not a natural !

Red-legged Partridge on Barn roof

One of two Willow Warblers outside kitchen .... in a willow

Sunday 9th April - After the fog

2 attempts this weekend - The weather was hot and turned out lovely on Saturday, but this was after wasting 3 hours at Selsey waiting for the fog to lift. It was clear for about 10 minutes when I arrived at 6.30am only for the fog to roll in and as I understand lasted most of the day. At home a Willow Warbler was singing away along with Chiffchaff and Blackcap and 2 Firecrest were seen.

Sunday was a case of try again and was much more productive with a good deal of passage recorded with totals as follows

Common Scoter 85
Velvet Scoter 9
Brent Goose 300
Teal 8
Eider 2
Red Breasted Merganser 1
Common Tern 31
Sandwich Tern 131
Little Tern 3
Great northern Diver 3
Red Throated Diver 1
Fulmar 1
Little Gull 21 (including flock of 13)
Med Gull 3
Avocet 1
Peregrine 1
Wheatear 1
Swallow 3

At Pagham a Spotted Redshank was in the Ferry channels but the pool was empty save for 1 Wheatear.  Several Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap were singing and 3 Sedge Warblers on the Long Pool.

Spent the afternoon as per yesterday enjoying the Spring sunshine and a bit of warmth,

Sunday 2nd April - More Spring Sunshine

Another weekend allowing me time to get out in glorious spring sunshine.

A trip to Selsey first thing Saturday, in a fairly strong SSW wind showed a little more promise than last weekend as far as sea passage, but no passerines at all which was a little disappointing.

Log was
Velvet Scoter 2
Common Scoter
Eider
Red breasted Merganser
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Little Gull
Med Gull
Gannet
Red throated Diver
Great Northern Diver

A stop at Church Norton had a harbour with the tide out, with a local Peregrine sitting out on one of the islands, the ususal Little Egret a few Curlew, Black-tailed  Godwit, a distant flock of  Grey Plover and  Dunlin. 3 Swallow flew through the harbour which were my first of the Spring and the churchyard had a singing Firecrest a few Blackcap and Chiffchaff, Swallow 3, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk.

A brief stop at the Ferry Pool, which was largely empty save for the 2 Little Ringed Plover at the back on the mud.

Firecrest at Church Norton

On Sunday I managed a walk from house in the morning, there seemed initially little activity but quite, but I notched up 8 singing Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, and  1 Willow Warbler.

The large arable field had been ploughed but thankfully I still found a singing Woodlark, and in an adjacent field a Skylark. There were also 2 singing Yellowhammer in pines, and the surprise of the morning a Kingfisher shot through the sluice by the Furnace pond which also held  Mandarin, Teal, and Mallard

At home the highlight were the spring  butterflies, Brimstone, White, Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell all drifted past. Plenty of Tadpoles in the Pond

Yellowhammer in a pine

.....and another

Arable field where woodlark displayed

Song Thrush

Sunday 26th March - Spring marches on

Saturday gave me my first opportunity to head to the coast for a long while. It was due to be bright and sunny, although the strong NE wind was probably the least attractive possible for potential spring migrants, however a good 2.5 hours at Selsey from 6.30am was still welcome.

The list was a little sparse

Great Northern Diver 4
Eider 1
Red Breasted Merganser 2
Kittiwake 3
Gannet 30+
Fulmar 6
Brent Goose 3
Shag 2
Bar-tailed Godwit 3
Meadow Pipi4 Stonechat
Jackdaw 14

The Jackdaw are listed as they appeared to be inbound migrants. A coupe of hours at home in the sunshine but out of the wind was productive for raptors with 5/6 Buzzard , 4 sightings of Goshawk, 2 singing Chiffchaff and 2 Brambling.

I managed a midday walk at Blackdown on Sunday (again in the sunshine but with a sharp NEwind still blowing) . 2 pairs of Stonechat,1 Dartford Warbler and 1 Woodlark were seen . 5 singing Chiifchaffs were heard several Linnet, a Raven and 2 or 3 Buzzards. Back at home another Goshawk was noted later in the day heading East

The fantastic sound of spring bird song has been ringing out all day now, and with the clocks going forward it is definitely Spring in full swing. Nuthatch look like they are  breeding in Oak outside the kitchen door with Stock Doves lower down in the same tree. A singing Firecrest is still in the gully and one was seen collecting nesting material around the same Oak.  A pair of Pied Wagtail are frequently seen, mostly with the sheep.

male Brambling

Brambling

Nuthatch nest outside Kitchen

They are probably still nest building rather than incubating or chick feeding.