Monday 15th April - April Showers

Rain almost every day. Not completely unexpected for April, but just a bit unrelenting as it has been for the whole Winter. The exception was possibly this weekend when we had a spell of milder weather which was mostly dry. The migrant birds have been trickling in some earlier than others, it is difficult migrant numbers are more or less than usual. It feels like a full complement of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs with their distinctive songs. Less so of Willow Warblers, I have only heard 2 on a visit to Black Down this week. 

My first visit in the month to Black Down was on the 2nd, of course with high expectations there might have been an influx of migrants but to be firmly put in my place with only Chiffchaffs singing. Woodlark numbers seem ok as do Stonechats, Linnets and a small number of Crossbill, Dartford Warblers were not showing  but I think they are around.

male Crossbill

Woodlark

The first of a couple of visits to Selsey and Pagham on the 6th, had some activity with Red-throated, Black throated and Great Northern Divers seen. 28 Whimbrel and 11 Bar-tailed Godwit were potentially a sign of the start of wader passage this month. The best activity were over 270 Sandwich Terns, 30+ Common Terns and a Little Gull all moving purposefully East with 2 Arctic Skuas in pursuit. There is nothing better than watching groups of Terns migrate. Another Swallow and a Wheatear were the limit other species on offer. This was followed up by another visit on the 8th, which started promisingly with the first 2 Little Terns of Spring but very quickly died down to nothing at all. I walked from the Siddlesham visitor centre out  on the Medmerry trail towards Ham. My first Sedge Warblers and Common Whitethroats of spring were amongst the numerous Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs , Linnets and 2 more Swallows but Spring felt like it still had a long way to go.

Brent Geese

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Sandwich Terns

Red-breasted Mergansers

Mediterranean Gull

Swallow

I visited Black Down on the 10th, the morning started with a pair of Mandarin Duck that were next to the garden pond at first light although they didn't hang around. Black Down remains fairly quiet although a Common Redstart was singing, although remained hidden in the pines and there were 2 Willow Warbler, although their song was rather tentative.

The following day on the 11th I walked to the Furnace Pond, no real surprises here either although 2 Greylag Geese on the pond a relatively unusual here and a Goshawk was seemingly displaying.

Mandarin Duck

Stonechat

Unfeasibly smart male Mandarin

Roe Deer

Early Purple Orchid ?

Goshawk

Furnace Pond still looking wintery.

A trip to Pulborough brooks with Paul Bowley on the morning of the 12th, surprisingly still  and sunny weather first thing. A Treecreeper was nest-building in the car park and our first of 4 or 5 Nightingales was heard then seen shortly after. This was the reason we went as we knew they had arrived in the last few days, such a wonderful song.

A Cuckoo was calling as we approached West Mead hide and we found it in the scope although rather distantly. The South Brooks had a lot of birds, with lingering Wigeon, Teal and Pintail on the water. A few Avocet had paired up and there looked to be a good number of Lapwing and Redshank. A single smart male Wheatear was in the grassy areas. The walk to Winpenny hide had good numbers of Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat a Reed Bunting and Stonechat. The North brooks, by contrast, still had high water levels and as a consequence lower numbers of birds although the White-tailed Eagle was sitting out on a fence on the brooks. A distant pipit was possibly the Water Pipit that had been present but was too far to allow ID. A return via the hides added 2 smart Adder near the path. A very pleasant Spring morning.

The first Nightingale of Spring was tricky to locate

The second Nightingale was a little more obliging

Blackcap

rather distant - White-tailed Eagle

White-tailed Eagle

2 Adders