21st - 30th April 2024

Tuesday, 30th April: A bright and breezy morning, with the wind initially due south before backing SE force 4, following on with a bit of warmth in the sun.

Yesterday morning and today has seen me birding at the headland of Selsey Bill, so it was good to get back to some local patch birding this afternoon.....

Barnham Brooks: The recent rain has topped up the flooded fields again, though ironically wader numbers have dropped and I logged only 2 Whimbrel, a Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and the usual Lapwings. The 2 Canada Geese with a Greylag dropped in, whilst 45 Shelduck and 4 Gadwall were joined by a surprise flock of 5 Pochard, consisting of 4 drakes and a female. Little Egrets and Grey Herons were again conspicuous and 4 Buzzards were soaring above. Along the rifes and hedgerows singing birds on territory included Reed and Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Cetti's Warblers and Reed Buntings.

Pochards at Barnham Brooks this afternoon (with Shelducks in the background)

Sunday, 28th April: A wet and fairly windy night, continuing into the morning when the heavy rain became light showers, eventually passing through to give a cloudy day, with some sunny interludes and a moderate W/NW breeze, force 4.

Climping (Atherington): A fairly short visit this morning, much of it spent underneath an umbrella, with little to report for my efforts! News of interesting birds elsewhere filtered in as I made a search of the local area, but nothing noteworthy was forthcoming. Offshore were several Sandwich Terns, 10 Gannets and 2 Great Crested Grebes, whilst along the beach and set-aside was just a single Wheatear. A number of Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps were singing and showing, plus a single Willow Warbler, but these apart it was just resident species including several Greenfinches and 2 Green Woodpeckers.

Some days you just have to laugh......a selfie from underneath an umbrella in the rain at Climping - with very few birds around!

Ancton & Elmer: Things were little better here, with the usual array of the commoner warblers present in increasing numbers - Whitethroats, Blackcaps and 2 Chiffchaffs, a pair of Pied Wagtails which looked as though they were thinking of nesting, a Swallow over and the usual Green Woodpeckers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Barnham Brooks: I'm grateful for a report from this area this afternoon (per D. Boon) where a good selection of waders and other species is still present. Highlights below....

Cuckoo - 1

Grey Plover - 3

Ringed Plover - 25

Lapwing - 11+3 chicks

Whimbrel  - 4

Black-tailed Godwit - 48

Wood Sandpiper - 2

Redshank - 4

Greenshank - 1

Dunlin - 4

Lesser Whitethroat -1 

Whitethroat - 2

Wheatear - 4

Ringed Plovers and (below) Lesser Whitethroat at Barnham Brooks (D. Boon)

 

Saturday, 27th April: After overnight rain, a dry, cool and grey morning with a moderate ENE breeze 2-3, the cloud breaking up to give some hints of brightness as the wind veered SE 3-4.

Elmer Rocks: At last some migration was taking place, but things didn't begin too well for me, as I was half an hour too late in starting my sea-watch and so missed the birds of the morning, namely 2 Black Terns flying east off Climping beach (per H. Ramm). A number of late Brent Geese were on the move today, together with a few waders and my brief log (0750-0920hrs) is below;-

Great Crested Grebe - 2 o/s

Gannet - 5E

Brent Goose - 83E

Common Scoter - 6E

Whimbrel - 11E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 6E

Also, several Whitethroats, a Blackcap and 2 Linnets in bushes behind the beach.... then a message received concerning some interesting species at Barnham.....(thanks to Harry Ramm).

Brent Geese passing Elmer Rocks this morning

Barnham Brooks: A message had me hurrying here, where three interesting species had been found, namely a Spoonbill, a Wood Sandpiper and a Blue-headed Wagtail. There was also a nice selection of other waders present, including a Whimbrel, 6 Greenshank, 3 Redshank, c.20 Black-tailed Godwits, up to 9 Ringed Plovers and 6 Dunlin. At the end of the morning the Spoonbill had again managed to evade me, but there were plenty of other species around to maintain the interest. Hirundines included Sand Martins and a number of Swallows, plus 4 Swifts high above.

(above) The Wood Sandpiper was often very difficult to see amongst the vegetation; here there is a sleeping Black-tailed Godwit and just about visible to the left is the Wood Sandpiper! (below) The Blue-headed continental sub-species (flava) of Yellow Wagtail is always a nice find. (photos: Harry Ramm)

Lidsey WTW: At least 20 House Martins and 10 Swallows were over the works this morning.

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.