With monsoon-style rainfall hammering down outside it's always a bit of time to reflect on the year just passing
Firstly, a limited update on December where it has been pretty slow birding wise, having a nasty bug in the middle couple of weeks curtailed much activity, and the weather has been pretty awful. A trip to Pulborough and Amberley on the 1st had plenty of wildfowl with good numbers of Pintail in particular, with probably over 300 birds between the 2 sites. 3 White-fronted Geese were on the wildbrooks at Amberley, 2 of the un-tickable White-tailed Eagles, Merlin and Peregrine, with good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing topped off an interesting morning.
A trip to Selsey and Pagham on 15th gave a pretty decent return with over 300 Red-throated Divers a highlight, including an incredible flock of nearly 30 birds together flying through, Velvet Scoter, Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Slavonian Grebes, Red-necked Grebe and large numbers of the common waders in the harbour topped off a good winter birding session.
Around home there were lots of Redwing at the start of the month, that stripped all of the Holly berries and numbers have dramatically reduced and a large flock of 200+ mainly Siskin feeding in the alders has also slowly diminished, unusual for here was a female-type Blackcap that visited the calicarpus berries and old apples for a few days before Christmas, but generally very little activity around the garden feeders which I am hoping is a sign of plentiful hedgerow food and the lack of cold weather. The country-wide Waxwing invasion hadn't to date produced a decent flock less than an hour away, but a surprise on the 29th after Gary, Jenny and the boys had stayed with us overnight, we decided to go to Petworth and walk in the park. As we were getting a car park ticket in the town centre, distracted by a call, we found a group of 11 Waxwings, feeding on a Mistletoe ball, they didn't stay long but it was a superb surprise.
On reflection for 2023, it has been another odd year for me. The early part of the year dominated by some intense work until the end of May, limited my birding until the end of Spring. Since then my birding has been all in the UK and mostly in the second half of the year. Trips to Scilly, Spurn and Portland were enjoyable and added some good birds without any part really lucking into ideal wind conditions for migration and big lists of rare birds. Seabirds this year have been spectacular with great views of the thousands of shearwaters being particular highlights and I have seen several new birds in the UK, 5 of which have been 'world lifers' for me. Red-footed Booby, Aquatic Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Forster's Tern and Little Crake.
... and so to look forward to 2024 and undoubtedly it will be another different year, always hoping those that have found difficulty can find some solace in the year ahead.
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| Some Pulborough wildfowl |
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| Redwing |
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| Redwing, demonstrating how it was ascribed it's name. |
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| Blackcap - taken through a wet window |
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| Blackcap |
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