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