Friday, 10th May: Another fine, warm and pleasantly sunny day, with just a light NE breeze, veering S/SE force 3 later.
Elmer Rocks: A very quiet day once again, with very little migration over the calm sea, although with just a little more movement than the last few days, as below......
Great Crested Grebe - 4 o/s
Gannet - 2E, 4W
Little Egret - 1W
Shelduck - 4E
Whimbrel - 10E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E
Grey Plover - 1E
Turnstone - 38E
Dunlin - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 2W
Swallow - 6N
Whimbrels passing Elmer Rocks
Barnham Brooks: A quieter morning than yesterday, with fewer wildfowl and waders, though a Ringed Plover was a new addition, and it was nice to see some well-concealed young Lapwings with their attentive parents.
Thursday, 9th May: A fine spring day of warm sunshine, scattered cloud and light winds; initially SE1-2, gradually veering to S3.
Elmer Rocks: Another dreadfully quiet day in fine conditions, my short visit producing very little once again. Two Whimbrel heading E were the only hint of migration, whilst a Great Crested Grebe and 8 Gannets (2E & 6W) were about the only other birds of interest. The regular now-resident warblers were also present.
Barnham Brooks: A selection of wildfowl were present this morning, including a fine drake Garganey, a drake Pochard, 4 Gadwall, a pair of Shoveler, a small flock of Shelduck, up to 10 Mallard and 6 Canada Geese. Two Wood Sandpipers were birds of the day (thanks to D.Boon) but they could be very difficult - if not impossible - to see when obscured in the vegetation, whilst other waders included 2 Whimbrel, 4 Redshank, a couple of Little Ringed Plovers and some Lapwings. Singing Reed and Sedge Warblers were particularly obvious today, whilst a pair of Reed Buntings did their best to compete. A Raven and a large feeding flock of 80+ Stock Doves were also in the area.
Drake Garganey, Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler at Barnham Brooks
Wednesday, 8th May: A murky, foggy start with limited visibility, but clearing by about 0930 to become quite warm with prolonged sunshine and a light S/SE breeze 2-3.
Elmer & Ancton: A Barn Owl was seen in the area last night.
Climping/Atherington: The foggy conditions made looking at the sea a waste of time, so I checked out the hedgerows and fields, with very limited success. The regular Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps were singing, but the only highlights were 2 Grey Partridges which unexpectedly flushed (and soon disappeared) from set-aside near Bread Lane, and a distant Cuckoo calling from somewhere beyond Bailiffscourt Hotel.
Bilsham Farm: Two Great Crested Grebes and the Mallard with her brood were the only birds present on the reservoir. A Raven was seen being chased by a couple of angry Carrion Crows and there were 3 Lapwings (including an obvious pair) on the wet fields, but otherwise it was just the resident breeding species, including Skylarks, Reed Buntings, Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers.
Elmer Rocks: Although the fog had fully cleared by late morning, there was little to be seen offshore; a couple of Gannets went east and 2 Sandwich Terns went west, whilst 28 Oystercatchers dropped in to roost on the rock islands, to be joined by a single Whimbrel.
Whimbrel with Oystercatchers on Elmer Rocks
Tuesday, 7th May: After a grey and rather murky start, it soon became brighter with some welcome sunshine developing and feeling quite warm, despite a moderate NE breeze, later becoming variable before backing SW.
Elmer Rocks: Another promising-looking morning on a prime date, but once again the sea was devoid of visible seabird passage. There were lots of gulls - mainly Herrings - around the anglers' boats this morning but these apart the only movement I saw was 6 Sandwich Terns offshore and heading west, plus several Gannets. Five Great Crested Grebes were quite close together behind the rock islands and the flock of 20 Oystercatchers appeared again, but that was it in an hour and a half!
Three Swallows arrived from the sea, 2 Wheatears were on the beach and the regular Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were singing, whilst a pair of Linnets were carrying nesting material; however, with little else on offer, I decided to walk on to Climping/Atherington.
Wheatears on the beach at Elmer Rocks, near Poole Place
On my way back I arrived in the area of the set-aside corner about 11:00hrs, (I call it 'hotspot corner' for reasons you can probably work out!) and was on the lower path when suddenly a large bird of prey passed me from behind...it was a Red Kite, but as luck would have it I was in the wrong place as my view was temporarily obscured by the copse there. By the time I got an open view the bird was going away and I only managed a brief shot; but then hang on, there's two, and another, and another! Initially I counted 6 Red Kites, now all moving higher and heading NE, too far for a photo. Eventually I counted 9, all going higher and moving NE over Poole Place. It seems likely they all arrived from the sea, and although the species has increased steadily in recent years, it is still comparatively uncommon here, so perhaps they originated from the Continent.
Red Kite at Elmer - my first effort was the only chance I got!
Barnham Brooks: Water levels are still very high after the recent rains, with fewer muddy areas for waders. A single Whimbrel was noted amongst the regular Redshanks and Lapwings, whilst wildfowl included 4 Gadwall and a pair of Shoveler amongst the Shelduck flock, but no sign of the recent Egyptian Geese.It was otherwise much the same as recent visits, although a single Red Kite was a bonus.
Pair of Shoveler at Barnham Brooks
Sunday, 5th May: A cool but bright start, with early sunshine and a chilly E/SE wind force 3-4, but clouding over by mid-morning to become dull with occasional drizzly showers.
Elmer Rocks: Once again the weather for sea-watching looked promising, only to disappoint, an hour producing just 10 Gannets offshore, moving both E & W, just a few Sandwich Terns, 20 Oystercatchers and nothing else of note, bar the nearby Whitethroats, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and a single Swallow arriving. An hour was enough, before I moved on. Just where all our migrant birds are this year I really don't know....!
Lidsey WTW & area: Four Tufted Ducks and 2 Little Grebes were first seen, then a mixed flock of 20+ House Martins and 10 Swallows feeding over the works. On the re-flooded fields at the back of the WTW there were still some wildfowl, consisting of 24 Gadwall, a small flock of a dozen Teal, several Mallard and 3 Shelduck.
Gadwall over the floods behind Lidsey WTW
Barnham Brooks: A flighty flock of c.30 Black-tailed Godwits were at the back of the flood and difficult to see amongst vegetation when they landed, whilst other waders included a Greenshank, 4 Redshank and the usual Lapwings. A pair of Egyptian Geese suddenly appeared (perhaps the same birds recently seen at Shripney?) and 8 Canada Geese were also present, plus 4 Gadwall and the usual gathering of Shelduck. Small numbers of Swallows and House Martins were noted, and the now-resident Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers were in good voice, together with Whitethroats and Blackcaps and a couple of pairs of Reed Buntings. A Kestrel and at least 4 Buzzards were also logged.
Egyptian Geese preening at Barnham Brooks...perhaps the same birds as seen recently at Shripney?
Saturday, 4th May: A bright and calm spring morning of sunshine with a very light SW breeze, and feeling quite warm at times, before the wind backed to the SE force 3-4.
Elmer Rocks: Conditions looked ideal for some decent seabird passage today, but inexplicably, yet again it didn't happen and it was another very disappointing session; I'd planned to stay for several hours but in the event and hour and a half was more than enough! There were 5 Oystercatchers on the rocks, 4 Great Crested Grebes offshore, and half a dozen Sandwich Terns moving W, with the 'highlight' being 2 Gannets and 4 Shelduck going E !! The now usual Chiffchaff, Whitethroats and Blackcaps were singing but it was soon time to leave.
Shelducks passing east offshore at Elmer Rocks - you know it's a slow day when this is the highlight!
Bilsham farm: My visit here was also disappointing and the reservoir held just 3 Tufted Ducks, the lone Mallard with her brood of 8 and a pair of Great Crested Grebes, whilst a pair of Buzzards and a Kestrel were in the area and a Yellowhammer and several Whitethroats were singing.
Pair of sleepy Great Crested Grebes at Bilsham reservoir
Friday, 3rd May: A generally cloudy morning and a little cooler than of late, though remaining dry, with a fresh W/SW wind 4-5 and some brightness developing by early afternoon.
Lidsey WTW area: The last few days have seen some heavy rainfall, and as a result, many of the local fields that were beginning to dry up are now under water again. The flooded fields behind the works held just a pair of Teal, 6 Gadwall, a few Mallard and 4 Shelduck, whilst nearby were a pair of Little Grebes. Most of the action though was over the works, where at least 40 Swallows and several Sand Martins had gathered to feed above the filter pans. Other species present included Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Reed Warblers and Cetti's Warblers.
Shripney: Another visit produced much the same as last time, including the pair of Egyptian Geese, 4 Shelduck and about 8 Little Egrets, but the main difference today was the number of Swifts present overhead, with at least 20 counted, together with c.10 Swallows.
Swift over Shripney fields
Barnham Brooks: The water levels here have increased markedly again and some of the footpaths are again flooded, so that wellies are essential equipment at present! Birds of the day for me were undoubtedly the 3 drake Garganey together, loosely associating with 6 Gadwall. Unfortunately, all the time I was there, these ducks remained at some distance at the back of the floods and amongst vegetation, so that they could be tricky to see at times. Initially I located only 2 Garganey and a good scan of the area failed to produce more, yet later, I returned to have another look and found 3 drakes together....I couldn't locate any others but had an uneasy feeling that one or more extras could still be hiding!
A total of 12 Whimbrel were also present; 2 singles and a flock of 10, plus a Greenshank, a couple of Redshank and the usual Lapwings.
(above) Whimbrel at Barnham Brooks and (below) distant and heavily-cropped record shots of the drake Garganey. These birds remained at distance, with views often obscured by vegetation, so this is the best I could do in the circumstances.
Thursday, 2nd May: After a wild night of severe thunderstorms, wind and torrential rain, the morning was a complete contrast, being rather still, grey and generally murky and misty. As the morning progressed, conditions changed a little, remaining grey but with a W/NW breeze force 3-4 developing and the mistiness slowly clearing.
Elmer Rocks: A dead calm start, but the murky conditions made sea-watching very difficult and it was another very quiet morning with no real sign of any migration going on. A group of 4 Great Crested Grebes were offshore and quite close together, whilst a distant flock of c.15 presumed Brent Geese were just about visible, the only other movement noted being 8W Gannets and c.10 Sandwich Terns (some going E and W), plus a flock of 10 E Oystercatchers and 6 Turnstones. Two rival Whitethroats were clearly on territory behind the beach and singing at each other and likewise 2 Chiffchaffs and 3 Blackcaps were heard.
Elmer & Ancton: A few more Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps were heard along the field edges, and the (Lane End) paddocks were quiet, although a pair of Pied Wagtails appear to be nesting in one of the wooden stables, a pair of Song Thrushes were collecting food and the usual couple of Green Woodpeckers were around.
Song Thrush collecting food at Ancton paddocks
Bilsham farm: Any hopes that the overnight storms might have dropped in something unusual were soon dismissed and the reservoir and surrounding area continue to be unproductive at present, with just 5 Tufted Ducks, a pair of Gadwall and a female Mallard with 8 fast-growing ducklings on the water and a single Swallow overhead. Two singing Yellowhammers were present in the surrounding hedgerows.
Wednesday, 1st May: A pleasantly spring-like start with sunshine and some lingering mist offshore, feeling quite warm with just a very light breeze. Cloud developing later as the wind increased to W 4-5 by mid-afternoon, with rain not far behind....
Elmer Rocks: A disappointingly slow morning offshore, on what should really be a prime migration date, produced nothing more than half a dozen Whimbrels and 5 Sandwich Terns going east and 14 Oystercatchers and a few Turnstones west. The long hedgerow behind the beach held 2 Whitethroats, one at least obviously thinking about breeding and establishing a territory, singing stridently from bush-tops and even the telegraph wires. At least 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Song Thrushes in the general area were also singing around the woodland edges.
Whitethroat, full of the joys of spring in the sunshine, singing from telegraph wires behind Elmer Rocks
Shripney: The fields here are still well flooded and a check of the area produced a pair of Egyptian Geese, together with a pair of Gadwall, 4 Shelduck and 8 Little Egrets. Mute Swans are nesting along the rife and nearby were a pair of Lapwings, whilst a Yellowhammer was singing from an adjacent hedge, as were a Greenfinch, a Whitethroat and a Blackcap.
Egyptian Geese at Shripney; this formerly introduced species now breeds in the county and the population has steadily increased.
Barnham Brooks: A very similar visit to yesterday, with waders including 2 Whimbrel and a single Black-tailed Godwit, but there was no sign of the Pochards today, although a total of 8 Canada Geese were present, together with 4 Gadwall and the flock of Shelduck. Several Sedge Warblers were on territory and singing well, together with Reed Warblers, Cetti's Warblers, Blackcaps and Whitethroats.
Sedge Warbler at Barnham Brooks
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