Sunday 18th April - A busy week of Birding

This is unusual for me to have the time to enjoy Spring at it's best and be out doing what I enjoy the most. With Spring migration ramping up towards it's peak and now that we're allowed out, I can spend a bit more time on the coast where visible migration has to be the most enjoyable birding spectacle. This has to be tempered with the knowledge that a seawatch at Selsey Bill can often be unproductive  but enough time spent may yield worthwhile prizes such as Pomarine Skuas and other specialities and optimism is a key trait for productive birding.

Friday 9th April - Selsey Bill

A slight Westerly breeze produced a few good birds with 13 Red-throated Divers, c180 Common Scoter, a Whimbrel, 33 Bar-tailed Godwits, Long-tailed Duck, Great Skua and an unusual sight of a Little Egret flying south and 2 Wheatears on the beach and 4 Swallows in.

Wheatear (female)

Saturday 10th April - Liphook

I was watching Adie play Hockey in a cold biting wind and my first Cuckoo of the year flew over the hockey pitch !!

Sunday 11th April - Blackdown

Another freezing cold morning and a strong NE wind left little joy on Blackdown this morning. I had 4 Woodlarks, 15+ Crossbills and a similar number of Linnet, 2 Lesser Redpolls, 5 Siskin and a single Willow Warbler.

A surprise this afternoon when I found a Tawny Owl sunning itself in the gully just near the back door. The Blackbirds were making a commotion that led me to the Owl who had found a sunny sheltered spot out o the biting wind.

Woodlark

Tawny Owl

Tawny Owl

Tuesday 13th April - Selsey Bill

Still cold this morning ith frost being scraped off the car, the wind this morning was a light NE which swung round to SW at the end of the morning. It was a decent morning with the highlight being a male Common Redstart that battled in from the sea. Also 7 Little Terns, Great Skua, 17 Red-throated Divers, c180 Common Scoters, 9 Whimbrel, 26 Bar-tailed Godwits and 129 Brent Geese. There was an Eider on the sea, a Wheatear flew into the beach and 3 Swallows came in.

This Wheatear flew in and landed on the Green Triangle

Thursday 15th April - Fernhurst

I did a walk this morning from the house and eventually found the male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which showed briefly calling a couple of times. The only unusual sighting for here was a Little Egret that flew over.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male)

Blackcap (male) in song

Friday 16th April - Selsey Bill

The frost was still on the car and the light NE wind made for a bit of a slow morning. The highlight was a single Little Gull that went through early on followed by a Little Tern it then slowed down rather than being the start of passage with only 14 Common Scoter, 5 BRent Geese, 6 Whimbrel, 3 Sanderling, the Great Skua lingering offshore and a handful of Meadow Pipits..... it will improve !

Brent Geese

Whimbrel

Saturday 17th April - Stanley Common

Again, I was on parent duty, dropping Adie near Liphook to play Hockey I then spent an hour on Stanley Common before picking her up where I found my first 2 Tree Pipits of the year, a surprise Dartford Warbler and some Crossbill.

Sunday 18th April - Black Down

Despite another frosty start it was better conditions this morning on Black Down with less wind and more birds out with 7 Woodlark, 6 Stonechat, 5 Dartford Warbler, 3 Tree Pipit, 7 Willow Warbler, 2 Redstart, 3 BRambling and lots of Crossbill and Linnet. It also seems to be the day with my last Brambling sighting at home.