Nearly 3 months have gone in the year and what have I done so far ? Well my bird list is up to 1,109 species this year, so I must have been busy, but it feels a little surreal as I stare out of the wet kitchen window looking at a Blue Tit and a few Siskin on the feeder, just as I did in February and as it was in January.
I returned last week from nearly 4 weeks birding in Colombia, and it was breath-taking, with a list of some 750 species of the spectacular, colourful, noisy and the difficult to find. It takes a little longer to re-base the expectations back to local UK birding.
I have, however, embraced the approaching Spring with anticipation of birds arriving to these shores with a visit to Selsey on the 21st which managed to coincide with a small influx of Northern Wheatears a decent haul of 22 birds seen between the Bill and Church Norton with many of them smart males in pristine plumage which you cannot tire of. Another visit to the Bill on the 26th with optimism that a SE wind would start to produce some good sightings was also productive with over 500 Common Scoter and the first Arctic Skua of the Spring and my first Blackcap of the year singing near the visitor centre at Siddlesham with a Spotted Redshank on the Ferry Pool.
A couple of visits to Black Down have remained quiet with only a dozen or more singing Chiffchaffs the only spring birds, the continuing highlight is the Great Grey Shrike which yesterday appeared to be 'singing'. I must admit to never having heard a Great Grey Shrike attempt to sing before and being honest it sounded a little rusty. Woodlark, Stonechats and Dartford Warblers were keeping their heads down in the strong wind, a few Crossbills were around and a Goshawk was chasing 2 Mallards before disappearing over the ridge.
I have yet to see a UK hirundine this Spring or even a Willow Warbler, so hope that despite the continuing awful weather I bump into a few birds over the Easter Weekend.
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| newly arrived male Wheatear |
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| more arriving Wheatears |
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| Another male |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Great Grey Shrike |
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| Great Grey Shrike |
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| in song ! |
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| Goshawk |
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| Crossbill |
