21st - 26th April 2024

Friday, 26th April: A cool and mostly heavily overcast morning, with the moderate to fresh NE breeze force 2-3 becoming more E/ESE 4-5 later, with the odd brief shower.

Bilsham farm: On the way back home after another visit 'off-patch' there was just enough time for a short diversion to the reservoir, which was still rather quiet, but it still produced 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Coots, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Tufted Ducks and 2 Pied Wagtails, whilst the Mallard ducklings have now grown considerably in size. In the hedgerows were a Yellowhammer and at least 3 Whitethroats.

Common Sandpiper and Pied Wagtail at Bilsham farm reservoir

Thursday, 25th April: A very grey and overcast start with rain and just a light SW breeze, before becoming dry with sunny spells, as the wind freshened and veered W/NW force 4.

Elmer Rocks (0800-1030hrs): Just a sea-watch this morning - in the hope that a good movement of seabirds is surely overdue - but it didn't happen and again it was very quiet. Gannets were the only birds really moving, though I did manage to catch up with my first Swifts of the year, arriving from the sea. My log below:-

Great Crested Grebe - 2 o/s

Gannet - 8E, 86W

Gadwall - 4E (dropped onto the sea for a while)

Whimbrel - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 14W

Swift - 2N

House Martin - 4N

Swallow - 3N

Linnet - 4

Goldfinch - 10W

Gannets west past Elmer Rocks; at distance and against a clear blue sky they can be surprisingly difficult to pick out sometimes.

Wednesday, 24th April: Another cold, overcast and grey day, with a fairly light N/NW breeze 2-3 and a few brighter spells during breaks in the cloud....

Elmer Rocks: It remains generally very quiet, with little visible migration at present. Even so, there were a couple of highlights this morning, with a Great Skua (aka Bonxie) and a Great Northern Diver both putting in an appearance. The Bonxie was first observed way out, around a group of anglers on small boats, before it then headed in towards the coast for some while, eventually lumbering off westwards until lost from view. The Diver flew in from the west and dropped onto the sea, later taking flight again, circling around then dropping a second time....perhaps the same bird as reported some days ago, which did a similar thing. My log was as follows:-

Great Northern Diver - 1 o/s

Great Crested Grebe - 3 o/s

Gannet - 2E, 5W

Grey Heron - 1E

Whimbrel - 13E

Oystercatcher - 28W

Sanderling - 3 o/b

Great Skua - 1 o/s flew W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 5E, 12W

Swallow - 1N

Chiffchaff - 1

Willow Warbler - 2

Whitethroat - 2

Linnet - 4

Barnham Brooks: The flooded fields are drying out quite steadily now, although there is some way to go yet, and a Greylag and 2 Canada Geese still found it to their liking. There were plenty of Grey Herons and Little Egrets out feeding or relaxing (counts of 17 and 15 respectively) and 45 Shelduck and 2 Gadwall were also present. Waders seen included a Greenshank, 3 Redshank, 5 Black-tailed Godwits and several Lapwings, whilst Reed Warbler and Whitethroat numbers are increasing and Cetti's and Sedge Warblers were heard.

Barnham Brooks: (above) Greylag (centre) with Canada Goose, whilst (below) Grey Herons and a Little Egret relax

Barnham Brooks: (above) Shelducks in flight, plus four Black-tailed Godwits (on right, just visible underneath the ducks) and (below) Whitethroat - on territory

Tuesday, 23rd April: Grey and overcast early on and just about remaining dry, with a light N/NE breeze and a calm sea. Some hazy and sunny interludes later, before the return of more grey cloud and a freshening and chilly N breeze force 3-4.

Elmer Rocks: There was very little movement over the sea this morning and bird-wise it remains remarkably quiet for the time of year - with no sign of the Dolphins either. The slow trickle of migrants continues however and I logged the following:- 

Great Crested Grebe - 5 o/s

Mute Swan - 2W

Little Egret - 1

Whimbrel - 3W

Oystercatcher - 28W, settled on rocks

Turnstone - 20

Sanderling - 7 o/b, flew W

Green Woodpecker - 2

Sandwich Tern - 12E, 10 o/s

Swallow - 15 N from sea

Wheatear - 2

Song Thrush - 1

Blackcap - 2

Chiffchaff - 2

Willow Warbler - 2

Lesser Whitethroat - 1

Whitethroat - 3

Goldfinch - 12

Linnet - 4

Greenfinch - 2

Two Mute Swans west off Elmer Rocks; it is relatively unusual to see this species flying over the sea.

Oystercatchers heading west past the rock islands

Sanderlings on Elmer beach: note some birds now moulting to summer plumage

Variety of plumages here....winter bird (right) and partial summer (top left)...

partial summer plumage here but well on the way....

Bilsham farm: On the reservoir today were a Common Sandpiper, 8 Tufted Ducks, the Mallard brood, a pair of Great Crested Grebes and a couple of Coots. Around the area were 6 Reed Buntings, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, the usual Cetti's Warblers and a few Whitethroats and Blackcaps, plus the resident pair of Buzzards.

Monday, 22nd April: A very cool, dry, sunny and clear start with a brisk NE wind force 3-4, steadily clouding over from mid-morning as the wind backed NW 3.

The Dolphins (I'm no expert but I'm reliably informed they are Bottle-nosed Dolphins) were perhaps the stars of the show this morning, offshore from the east end of the rock islands for up to half an hour, although binoculars were a must to get any decent views. I estimated there were about 6 to possibly 8 animals of varying sizes, one large one surely a male. and they genuinely seemed to be having fun as up to 4 together broke the surface at times. Trying to get any sort of an image was (for me at least) very difficult, but a few heavily-cropped images give some idea....

Bottle-nosed Dolphins offshore from Elmer Rocks

Elmer Rocks: The continuing cold and northerly-based winds are doing us, and the birds, no favours at all at the moment, with migration currently at a trickle. Such are the vagueries of the British weather, so we look forward to a bit of warmth and a nice southerly-based wind soon! 

It was still very slow offshore this morning, but even so, a number of species were recorded. Several Whimbrels, a Common Scoter and at least 12 Sandwich Terns went east, whilst 10 Gannets were also logged (3E,7W). Along the shoreline and rocks at least 14 Oystercatchers and 10 Turnstones were still present, as were 2 newly-arrived Wheatears. Two Swallows arrived N from the sea as did a single House Martin (actually my first of the year).

The hedgerows, field margins and set-aside behind the beach produced 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 4 Whitethroats and 2 Linnets, whilst resident species included 2 Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Buzzards and 4 Greenfinches, and up to 10 Mediterranean Gulls flew over to the ploughed fields.

Sunday, 21st April: Another dry, bright and mainly sunny but cold morning, in a brisk N/NE breeze force 4-5, with some cloud building up later.

The last ten days or so of April and the first 10 days of May are traditionally seen as the peak period to watch the up-Channel (easterly) spring migration of seabirds along this part of the South Coast, together with the inbound arrival of landbirds from the Continent. That's the theory anyway; the truth however is that the weather, and in particular the wind, plays a huge part in deciding when the peaks days will be. But today was most certainly not one of them....as I found myself birding off the patch! 

I perhaps should have gone to Climping, where other local observers enjoyed a better morning, with a number of incoming and/or recently arrived migrants, including 3 Redstarts, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 20 Willow Warblers, 7 Wheatears and 3 Swifts, (thanks to H.Ramm/D.Booker). That's how it goes sometimes!

Elmer & Ancton: As I arrived home, an unseen Whimbrel flew over calling, soon to be followed by a few more conspicuous Mediterranean Gulls giving their distinctive 'meow' calls as they headed towards the ploughed fields. So, back out I went to check the local paddocks and fields, but there was little out of the ordinary, the usual few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, plus a Willow Warbler, were soon logged, but I was pleased to see a newly-arrived Swallow hawking over the stables - hopefully one of the local breeders having just returned.

12th - 20th April 2024

Saturday, 20th April: A mainly sunny but notably chilly start in a fresh NE breeze force 4-5, with increasing amounts of cloud by afternoon and the persistent wind keeping the temperature down.

Bilsham farm: It was basically more of the same here, with 4 Tufted Ducks, a pair of Mallard with their brood of young and a pair of Great Crested Grebes on the reservoir and a single Common Sandpiper feeding around the edges. Two rival Yellowhammers were singing from the perimeter hedges, whilst a number of Whitethroats and a couple of Blackcaps were present.

Yellowhammer, Bilsham farm

Barnham Brooks: There was a bit of variety this morning, including 18 Little Egrets, 8 Grey Herons, 25 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 2 Canada Geese, 10 Mallard, (one pair of which had young), 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Redshank, a Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and several pairs of Lapwing. At least 3 Swallows were flying around over the floods, whilst along the rifes and ditches were at least 5 singing Reed Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 5+ Whitethroats, 3 Blackcaps, a Yellowhammer and a pair of Reed Buntings.

Grey Heron at Barnham Brooks

Friday, 19th April: Sunny at first, becoming rather grey and cloudy in a cool and blustery N/NW wind 5-6. with the odd isolated shower later.

Elmer Rocks: There was an obvious fall of newly-arrived Willow Warblers this morning and I logged at least 5 singing birds in the hedgerows and field margins behind the beach; this included one that was observed arriving low from the sea, then passing very close to me as it dived into a hedgerow near Poole Place and immediately commenced singing - just wonderful! These apart, there were 3 Whitethroats, a couple of Blackcaps and 2 Chiffchaffs in the bushes, plus 3 Swallows and a flock of 15 Goldfinches arriving from the sea, and 3 Wheatears along the beach.

Offshore were 2 Great Crested Grebes and 5 Gannets, whilst 3 Whimbrels went west, as did 12 Sandwich Terns. Ten Mediterranean Gulls were noted flying east, calling as they went, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were amongst a large flock of Herring Gulls on a newly ploughed field.

Thursday, 18th April: A much brighter and drier day, with plenty of sunshine and high cloud, but still cool in a fresh NE wind, before becoming warmer as the wind eased to become more variable later.

Barnham Brooks: My planned visit yesterday didn't materialise due to illness, but it cost me dear as I learned that another local observer (D. Boon) had seen a number of scarcer species there, including a Spoonbill, a Great White Egret, a Greenshank and a summer-plumaged Little Gull amongst other species.....overall a nice selection. He even kindly supplied the following photos:

(above) Great White Egret (right) with Little Egret, (centre) Spoonbill and (lower) Little Gull at Barnham Brooks (photos: D. Boon)

So, feeling better and armed with hope against expectation, I visited the Brooks this morning, only to discover there was no sign of the Spoonbill, Greenshank or Little Gull today! However, a good selection of species was still to be had, starting with the Great White Egret, then 15 Little Egrets, 56 Shelduck, 4 Gadwall, a pair of Shoveler, a single Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Redshanks, 2 Common Sandpipers, plus  a number of Lapwings. Along the rifes and ditches were 3 Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 2-3 Cetti's Warblers and a pair of Reed Buntings.

Wednesday, 17th April: A day of light cloud, sunny intervals and the odd rogue shower, whilst still feeling chilly in a moderate N/NW breeze force 4.

Elmer & Ancton: Not feeling great today due to ongoing health issues, which restricted my birding opportunities, so I opted to just stay very local this morning.... visiting the horse paddocks and the woods behind. The first bird of note was a 'White' Wagtail (the continental form of our familiar Pied Wagtail) in the paddocks, but it was soon flushed by stables staff arriving. A Song Thrush and a Green Woodpecker were both feeding there too, whilst in the woods behind were a Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaffs.

Moving further into the woods and the fields behind I was pleased to readily locate two newly-arrived Willow Warblers, which were actively feeding and singing frequently (though trying to get a photo was another matter). Another Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were located, plus 2 more Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff. Several Mediterranean Gulls also flew over, en route to more distant fields which were being ploughed.

White Wagtail and (lower) Green Woodpecker at Ancton paddocks

Willow Warbler at Ancton Woods

Tuesday, 16th April: Another chilly morning, with periods of sunshine and cloud; remaining dry but with a brisk NW wind force 5-6 persisting.

Elmer Rocks: A very quiet morning, perhaps not surprising given the wind direction and strength, but apart from a couple of Gannets going west and up to 4 Great Crested Grebes offshore, there was nothing to report, bar the local gulls and Cormorants moving back and forth. On the beach were 15 Oystercatchers, then later a build-up of small flocks of Turnstones on the rocks eventually totalled 65 birds. Along the long hedge behind the beach, a singing Whitethroat looked as if it was claiming territory, whilst nearby a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were also singing, 6 Linnets flew west and 10 Goldfinches went east.

Turnstones on the rocks at Elmer

Bilsham farm: The reservoir again held 4 Common Sandpipers - quite a good count for this time of year - together with the Tufted Ducks and Mallard brood previously reported on 14th. Nearby were 2 Shelduck on a flooded field, together with an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull amongst other gulls. Around the hedgerows it was clear that Whitethroat numbers are steadily increasing and I counted 7 different birds on my circuit; however migrant numbers are still generally low, with just a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps logged. Resident species included a pair of Reed Buntings and 2 Cetti's Warblers.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Sandpipers and Whitethroat at Bilsham farm

Monday, 15th April: A real change to a distinctly cool, grey and dull morning with plenty of showers early on, driven by a near gale force WSW then NW wind, before becoming somewhat brighter later with sunny interludes and the odd shower.

Elmer Rocks: I couldn't get out birding until early afternoon, when a visit to the beach soon showed there was nothing at all moving through offshore. A casual check whilst walking the beach revealed a hint of migration with 3 Wheatears present, plus a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap singing from the set-aside hedges behind, whilst 4 Linnets were on the shingle and 15 Oystercatchers were on the rock islands.

Ancton paddocks: The rasping NW wind ensured that small birds were at a premium today, the best on offer being 2 Pied Wagtails, a Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, 2 Long-tailed Tits and a Green Woodpecker.

Sunday, 14th April: A rather pleasant, mild morning of light cloud and hazy sunshine in a light NW breeze, force 2.

Bilsham farm: An early afternoon stop, on the way back from birding on the Selsey Peninsula, found a surprising total of 4 Common Sandpipers on the reservoir, together with the first brood of Mallard and 6 Tufted Ducks. Two Grey Partridges flushed from along the base of the reservoir banks, whilst the hedgerows held a Yellowhammer, up to 5 Whitethroats and a couple each of Chiffchaff and Blackcap.

Common Sandpipers on the reservoir at Bilsham farm, and (bottom) the first brood of the year of Mallards there.

Climping: There was quite an influx of Wheatears this morning along the West Sussex coast, and here alone, at least 23 were counted along the beach. (D.Booker)

Saturday, 13th April: An early morning blanket of coastal fog rolled in, before clearing fairly quickly to reveal a day of cloud with sunny periods and a light to moderate W/SW wind.

Scarce and rare breeding birds on the patch: It is now the breeding season and it is likely that one or more scarce or rare species may breed on the patch. Such species are fully protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - with some species receiving special protection under what is known as Schedule 1 of that Act. In common with many other sites, this blog will adopt the protocol of not mentioning any detail that might identify the nesting area of these species, in an effort to avoid undue or illegal disturbance during this time.

Following on from the above, I will share the following basic information concerning two Schedule 1 species.....

Last night, I was able to confirm the great news that a pair of Barn Owls are nesting within the boundaries of the M-o-S parish. I am also aware of another pair that breed outside of the parish, to the east. All information of any owl species - not just Barn Owls - is of value, so if you are aware of any that have not been officially documented, do please let me know.

Little Ringed Plovers are migrants that arrive here to breed and I am aware of 1-2 pairs that appear to have now settled into suitable territory. You will understand that no further information can be disclosed at this stage.

Little Ringed Plovers, spring 2024, undisclosed location

Climping/Atherington: The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was singing its rattling song almost constantly for about half an hour, from within the hedgerow in the old horse field, though it gave just glances of itself throughout. As the mist began to clear, other species noted were Common Whitethroat (3), Blackcap (5), Chiffchaff (4) and a single Swallow. A couple of Great Crested Grebes were offshore and 2 Little Egrets were feeding along the shoreline. The recent flooding and damage to the beach was all too apparent, then as the increasingly sunny conditions drew in the visiting public, it was time for me to leave.

Lidsey WTW & area: There were 2 Great White Egrets at some distance, feeding at the back of the flooded meadow behind the WTW, but the water level has now subsided considerably. Wildfowl numbers are also very much reduced, with just 14 Gadwall, 12 Teal and a few Mallard on show, whilst nearby were 4 Tufted Ducks and 2 Little Grebes. Warbler numbers are now beginning to increase however, with at least 8 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers and 6 Chiffchaffs logged.

Barnham Brooks: Two Redshank and 3 Black-tailed Godwits were on the flooded water meadows, with several Lapwings which seemed to be defending territory. On the water were 28 Shelduck, 10 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 14 Mallard and 4 Canada Geese. Along the hedgerows and rifes were a Yellowhammer, a Reed Bunting, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Reed Warblers and 2 Cetti's Warblers.

Friday, 12th April: Fairly cool and grey to start, before slowly improving to give a generally warm and mainly sunny day in a moderate SW breeze 3-4.

Having been away from home for the last four days, and given the time of year, I was expecting to miss a fair bit of bird migration locally, but in the event I got away with it fairly lightly, the exception being a smart Pied Flycatcher at Climping, which sadly didn't linger (found by Bola Akinola on 9th). That apart, a number of the more common warblers also began to appear, so I was keen to get out birding this morning to see what I could find within my local 5km area, otherwise known as the patch.......

Elmer Rocks: There really wasn't much at all moving offshore this morning - 6 Mediterranean Gulls went east and a single Great Crested Grebe was on the sea - so after a short time I abandoned sea-watching and spent time searching the beach and set-aside field and woods to Poole Place. My first Common Whitethroat of the season was found, together with a selection of species including 2 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 6 Linnets, 10 Goldfinches, 3 Greenfinches, 2 Song Thrushes and a pair of Stock Doves.

It was more of the same really at Ancton (Lane End) paddocks which produced another Common Whitethroat, at least 2 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Greenfinch, a couple of Long-tailed Tits and a Pied Wagtail amongst other regular species.

Bilsham farm area: On the reservoir were just 5 Tufted Ducks, 5 Mallard and a pair of Great Crested Grebes, but whilst 'scoping the latter, I noticed a small wader along the edge on the far side and it turned out to be the first Common Sandpiper of the season. Nearby, my third Whitethroat of the morning appeared, with at least 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap also logged. There was some ploughing taking place on the farmland, which had attracted quite a number of gulls; these were mainly Herring and Black-headed Gulls, but also included a Lesser Black-backed Gull and at least 4 Mediterranean Gulls. A pair of Grey Partridge also put in a brief appearance.

(above) Cropped image of a Great Crested Grebe on the reservoir at Bilsham, but if you look closely you can just about make out the Common Sandpiper on the water's edge, just right of the tyres. It proved not to be photogenic, always staying on the opposite side of the reservoir to me!    (below) Mediterranean Gulls flying over to the fields.

1st - 11th April 2024

Apologies  if you've noticed a break in my regular reports, due to me being away from home for several days....normal service will resume by the weekend at the latest. 

Sunday, 7th April: Bright and breezy today, with sunshine breaking through the early morning cloud to give a dry and pleasant day, but staying blustery in a fresh SW wind force 5-6.

Elmer Rocks: A brief sea-watch revealed that little was on the move; a handful of Sandwich Terns and 2 Mediterranean Gulls went east, whilst a Great Northern Diver flew west and 32 Oystercatchers dropped onto the rock islands for a short while. A newly-arrived Wheatear was also on the beach.

However, since yesterday's Hoopoe report, it has become apparent that a small influx, involving several birds, has occurred at a few other Sussex locations, so I spent most of the morning checking likely locations on the patch, just in case! No luck I'm afraid - but I'm not alone - for I'm aware that several local birders were also out looking, with the same result, although a few other species were found in the process.

Wheatear on Elmer beach

Ancton & Elmer: My count for the morning produced 2 Swallows, 3 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Linnets and several Greenfinch among other species, but it was disappointingly quiet.

Climping area: Amongst the species found by other local observers were a male Redstart and a couple of Whitethroats. (D.Booker/H.Ramm)

Saturday, 6th April: A dry morning of grey cloud and sunnier interludes, with a brisk wind SSE-SW 5-6, easing to force 4 later, with the risk of showers later, though overall very mild.

Bilsham farm area: I was off the patch most of the morning, committed on a wildfowl count, so had only a short time to make a visit here. The reservoir remains very quiet – perhaps because of all the other fresh water around the flooded fields – with just 9 Tufted Ducks and 2 Mute Swans present, although 2 smart Wheatears were on the adjacent fields. The hedgerows held a Willow Warbler, several Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap, but nothing else of note.

Climping: This was perhaps not the best day for me to be off the patch and away from the coast, as observers from elsewhere logged an interesting list of species.... an Arctic Skua was recorded here passing through eastwards (H.Ramm), whilst scarcer still was a report of a Hoopoe having been seen on the R. Arun riverbank....the sighting and exact location is still not fully confirmed, but it appears at this stage to have been just within the eastern boundary of the 5Km patch.

Friday, 5th April: After overnight rain, a blustery day of overcast skies with sunny periods in a fresh to strong SW wind force 6. 

Elmer Rocks: My personal highlight was seeing my first Swallow of the year, battling in over the rough sea and heading north over the Kiosk. Whilst I'm aware that quite a number have now been recorded across Sussex, there is still a delight in observing one's first of the year....perhaps a first for M-o-S parish too, unless anyone else has done better?

I'm often asked "are there are any Dolphins around this morning?" so was pleased that today I could answer "yes".....however, don't get too excited, as there were only about four, half way to the horizon, with lots of sunny reflections on a rough sea, so viewing was tricky and a telescope was essential!

Most of the limited offshore movements this morning involved birds heading west, best among them being a Great Northern Diver, which dropped onto the sea at some distance, whilst other species included 6 Common Scoter (and 5E), 10 Gannets and 4 Sandwich Terns.

Common Scoters behind the rock islands and (below) Gannets passing west offshore

Ancton paddocks area: My visit to the local paddocks was less successful this time, with no sign of the recent Black Redstart, though in the woods immediately behind a newly-arrived Blackcap and up to 3 Chiffchaffs were singing, a pair of Long-tailed Tits were present and several Greenfinches were display-flighting. Other species recorded included a Great Spotted and a Green Woodpecker, 2 Pied Wagtails, 2 Stock Doves and a pair of Jays.

Thursday, 4th April: Another very unsettled and blustery morning in a fresh SW wind force 5-6, pushing through banks of heavy cloud and squally showers, interspersed with some sunny interludes....but remaining very changeable!

Lidsey WTW & area: It was a matter of trying to dodge the heavy showers this morning - not always successfully - whilst the water levels have increased again with some footpaths still flooded in places. There was nothing to report from within the WTW itself, but around the hedgerows were about 8 Chiffchaffs, at least 2 Cetti's Warblers and 2 singing Song Thrushes.

There was more activity however in the flooded meadows behind the works, the highlight being a fairly distant Great White Egret - presumably the bird seen yesterday at nearby Barnham Brooks - and 8 Little Egrets, whilst several Lapwings looked as if they were paired up. Some wildfowl were also still present; 50 Teal, 40 Gadwall, 24 Shoveler and a pair of Pintail.

Two views of the distant Great White Egret at Lidsey; note also the Shovelers in the left foreground of the lower image.

Barnham Brooks: There were 6 Little Egrets this morning (but no Great White Egret - see above) and on the flooded fields were at least 2 Redshank, c.12 Lapwings and a single Ringed Plover. Wildfowl consisted of 14 Shoveler, a few Teal, 8 Shelduck and 8 Mallard, but with yet more heavy rain threatening, I cut short my visit and headed for home.

.

These two images (flight shots) of Great White Egret (above) and Little Egret (below) were taken very recently at Barnham Brooks (D. Boon). They highlight the differences between the two species: the Great White is much larger overall, long-winged and long-legged, being about the size of a Grey Heron, with a long orangey-coloured bill and a saggy neck in flight.

The Little Egret is a notably smaller and more compact bird (note it was much closer to the photographer) with a blackish bill and notably yellowish feet, smaller wings, a more rapid flight action and a less saggy foreneck. Although not shown in this image, it may in the breeding season also have two long, narrow plumes extending from the nape down the back of the neck. 

Wednesday, 3rd April: Overnight rain, giving way to a murky and windy morning, with a fresh breeze S/SSW 4 gradually increasing to a strong W 6/7.

A short update:  This new local blog has so far covered the first three months of the year and I'd always planned to review things after this time, basically to see how it was received and to decide whether it was worthwhile continuing. I'm glad to say I feel it certainly is, and I'm grateful for the support and kind comments received from both local residents and a number of birders so far.

I have tried to balance my output to be of interest both to those who have perhaps just a passing interest in the birds of the area, as well as those who are more committed birders - and indeed those in-between - so I hope there is at least something for everyone. I'm sure I won't always get things right and I may have to adapt as time goes on, but it's so far so good.

Finally, I should just explain that there may be some days when no report appears; it could well be I'm birding 'off-patch' that day or perhaps I'm away from home for a few days, but I'll update the local reports as soon as I'm able. Meanwhile, keep your eyes open and check those gardens, and if you do find something unusual, do please tell me asap. Prize for the rarest confirmed garden rarity on the patch this spring! 

Barnham Brooks: The Great White Egret was again present this morning, together with 11 Little Egrets, but the highlight was a large gathering of 474 Black-tailed Godwits on the flooded fields. Other waders included 4 Redshank, 10 Lapwings and a single Dunlin, whilst a total of 46 Shelduck were also logged. Along the hedgerows were 4 Willow Warblers and 2 Chiffchaffs. (D.Boon)

Tuesday, 2nd April: A fairly bright and breezy morning, in a surprisingly cool southerly breeze force 4, with cloud increasing later and some rain by late afternoon.

Barnham Brooks: I called in late morning, following news of a Great White Egret being present there, and after some while located it out on the flooded brooks feeding alongside a Grey Heron, both birds looking roughly the same in height. At least 8 Little Egrets were also around, plus a number of Lapwings and several Redshank, then 2 Ruff were seen, feeding along a grassy margin, albeit a bit distant, (thanks to D. Boon). Lingering wildfowl included 11 Shelduck and 8 Shoveler, whilst nearby were a couple of Cetti's Warblers and a Willow Warbler.

Great White Egret, feeding alongside a Grey Heron.

Easter Monday, 1st April: A mainly sunny and bright start with a moderate SSW breeze 3-4, but soon clouding over with occasional heavy showers developing.

Elmer Rocks: A brief look at the sea this morning produced very little once again, with just a single Common Scoter and a couple of Sandwich Terns heading east being the only birds of any note. A check of the hedgerows and set-aside area produced a Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaffs and a pair of Linnets as the only reward for my efforts.

Bilsham farm area: It was disappointingly quiet here again, the highlights being a Willow Warbler singing its delightful 'sound of spring' song in the rain, 3 Cetti's Warblers and the same of Chiffchaffs and a decent-sized flock of 75+ Linnets. Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also of interest, bathing in the floods with other gulls.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the floods at Bilsham Farm. Excuse the rain blobs in this image, but the birds flew off as the rain stopped!   (Birders note: This appears to show the two different forms which occur regularly....the paler grey-mantled graellsii (left) and (presumably) the darker intermedius of Europe)