Paul Matson's Birding Blog: Sunday 25th April - An even busier Birding week.

It's been great. Being able to have a number of birding sessions over the last week with a couple of really good seawatch days at the end of the week, it's what Spring birding is all about, watching visible migration with always the chance of something more unusual.

Tuesday 20th - Selsey

It was fairly quiet this morning but not unpleasant, with a very light easterly wind. A single White-fronted Goose was a surprise and the Long-tailed Duck was seen. Otherwise 2 Arctic Skuas, Great Skua, 4 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Divers, 14 Whimbrel, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Terns, 2 Little Terns, 14 Swallows and 6 Sand Martins.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Whimbrel

Wednesday 21st - Pagham / Honer Reservoir

This morning was spent on a bee-keeping course and news that a male Ring-necked Duck was still present near Pagham on the small farm reservoir at Honer, had me going there this afternoon. The short walk out from the main Pagham Road passed the sewage works where there were a number of Swallows, Sand Martins and my first 2 House Martins of the year. There was a Wheatear on some rough ground and my first Whitethroat of the year in one of the hedges with several calling Cetti's Warblers close-by. The reservoir was viewed through a Hawthorn hedge over the fence and among a number of Tufted Duck was the very smart male Ring-Necked Duck which I viewed for about 45 minutes feeding at the back of the reservoir. There were also a pair of Gadwall several Mute Swan and a Shelduck on the water.

A really smart looking rarity for the day.

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck

Thursday 22nd April - Local

I walked early from the house back to where I'd seen the Lesser Spot last week. I had recalled it spent rather a long time on one tree although slightly at the back of the tree from where I was looking. I re-positioned myself this time so I had a view up to the other side of the tree, although the sun was behind I could clearly see a hole in the tree. I waited for just over an hour and then the male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew silently into the tree and started working away at the hole, including into the hole, chipping away, and intermittently spraying the chips out of the hole. He could fully immerse himself leading me to conclude that the hole must be nearly finished. The activity lasted for 12 minutes before he flew out a short distance, called a couple of times then flew off - fantastic and something I've never witnessed before.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male)

Excavating the nest hole

more hole digging

Room with a view

Friday 23rd April - Selsey

Always with anticipation, the 35 minute drive to Selsey early in the morning and still with a frost on the car first thing, but wondering what the morning session will bring. Despite the chill, the wind this morning was a promising E veering ESE and F4. It perhaps took a while for lift off, but it was a great morning withe the undoubted highlight 3 Pomarine Skuas, of which one was pretty close. Also Great Skua and 6 Arctic Skuas, a Black-throated Diver, 5 Red-throated Divers, 2 Great Northern Divers, a flock of 14 Little Gulls, c100 Common/Commic Terns. Ducks were represented by 114 Common Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, 7 Shelduck and 6 Shoveler. There was a small wader movement with 40 Bar-tailed Godwit, 22 Whimbrel, 4 Knot, 4 Grey Plover and 2 Sanderling. A single Yellow Wagtail a couple of Meadow Pipits, Wheatear, 22 Swallow, 12 Sand Martin and 2 House Martin were inbound smaller birds and then topped up with an inbound Merlin and a Marsh Harrier.

A really enjoyable session in good company.

Common Terns

Kittiwakes

Pomarine Skua

Sandwich Tern

Bar-tailed Godwit and Arctic Skua

Avocet

Arctic Skua

Bottlenose Dolphin

Saturday 24th April - Selsey

I returned to Selsey this morning on the basis that the winds were at least as good as yesterday with an Easterly F4-5. It was a very busy morning and right from the start there were birds moving.

An early Atlantic Puffin was a bit of a surprise, as I hadn't seen one here for a few years. The largest numbers went to ducks with over 1,800 Common Scoter but also 14 Velvet Scoter. The first, albeit small, movement of Terns this spring was seen with over 200 Common / Commic Terns, 2 Arctic Terns, c200+ Sandwich Terns, 42 Little Terns and 34 Little Gulls and 10 Kittiwakes. The highlight again were 3 Pomarine Skuas together later in the morning with 2 Great Skuas and 2 Arctic Skuas. Waders continued to move through with 97 Whimbrel, 14 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 19 Sanderling 2 Knot, 2 Grey Plover and 3 Lapwing. The first Hobby of the year was seen flying in and 3 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Alba Wagtails, 22 Swallow, 2 Sand Martin and 2 House Martin.

An exciting morning that was a highlight of the week.