10th - 11th February 2025

Tuesday, 11th February: Another grey and cloudy day, though perhaps a little less dull than recently, and drier too, with a light N/NW wind, making conditions feel more pleasant.

Elmer Rocks: As I left home a Grey Heron dropped onto a nearby roof, then on my arrival at the beach it felt quite pleasant after the recent days of gloomy weather, with a much lighter wind, a calm sea and even some hazy brightness. There were quite a lot of birds offshore, the main focus being on Red-throated Divers, which seemed to be everywhere! Although many were quite distant, there were closer birds too; three different groups of about a dozen were noted, plus other ones and twos behind all the rock islands, whilst further birds were flying mainly east. It is difficult to be exact, but I estimate at least 45 were on the sea, with a similar number flying offshore, so at least 90 in total.

There were also a good number of Red-breasted Mergansers, with several small groups displaying, say a total of c.25. Also logged were three Great Crested Grebes and 8E and 1W Brent Geese, whilst 12 Oystercatchers and c.50 Turnstones flew west. Away from the sea, other species recorded included two Song Thrushes, two Greenfinch and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.

(above) Rooftop Grey Heron which dropped in and (next three below) Red-throated Divers offshore.

(above) Red-breasted Mergansers (three males and a female) and (below) Oystercatchers heading west

Monday, 10th February: Another very grey, cold and murky day, with high pressure still dominating but bringing with it low cloud and light drizzly rain, and a fresh NE wind force 4-5.

Climping Gap: I tried some partly-flooded low vegetation to the north of the area, and it paid off this morning, when I located a total of four Jack Snipe and at least six Common Snipe. I confess I was greatly aided by my small thermal imager and doubt that I would have achieved too much success without it, eventually managing some great views. I did check out some of the adjacent fields for other species too, locating just 25 Linnets, 15 Goldfinches, several Greenfinches, a couple of Reed Buntings and a Kestrel.

Two of this morning's Jack Snipe; seen at this range it is amazing and you realise just how delicate but delightful these well camouflaged little birds are!

5th - 9th February 2025

Sunday, 9th February: A generally cool, grey and cloudy day, with persistent light drizzly rain for much of the time, a few brief glimpses of the sun and a fresh NE wind force 4-5.

There really hasn't been much to report from the patch over the last couple of weeks, so I've been taking the opportunity to catch up with a few 'year ticks' by travelling a bit and birding elsewhere. This morning found me at Shoreham harbour and Henfield Levels, but on the way back I dropped in at Climping for a brief visit, staying around the Atherington area.

There was again little to report, but the flooded fields were still of some interest, producing three Shelducks, a single Brent Goose and a good number of gulls, of which at least 20 were Mediterranean Gulls. A Kestrel was hunting and frequently perching on a convenient large tree stump, a Buzzard was perched up in tree-tops and a couple of noisy Jays were back and forth along the hedgerows. The field edges held a dozen feeding Blackbirds and at least four Song Thrushes, whilst several Greenfinches were giving their wheezing calls from song posts in the bushes. Two bickering Great Spotted Woodpeckers were in the trees, with perhaps another more distant bird drumming. A few Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were in the wet fields, before I called it a day.

The Kestrel on its favoured tree-stump at Atherington, Climping.

Friday, 7th February: A cold, grey and overcast morning, with fairly frequent showers and a brisk and chilly E/NE wind force 5-6.

Bilsham farm: The blustery wind and showers weren't the best conditions to visit the reservoir and there was little of note on arrival, with just 12 Tufted Ducks, a single Shoveler, two Little Grebes and 38 Coots present, whilst a couple of Song Thrushes were around the periphery hedgerows. In the distant fields the herd of c.20 Mute Swans was still in its regular location.

Elmer & Ancton: A look around the fields and hedgerows locally didn't produce anything beyond regular fare. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers - one occasionally drumming - and two Green Woodpeckers were noted, and in the partly flooded fields a single Brent Goose, two Shelduck and a Curlew were all feeding together, whilst several Skylarks and Pied Wagtails were also to be found. Three or four Song Thrushes were encountered, but perhaps unsurprisingly, none of them were singing today. A couple of noisy Jays and two Buzzards were also logged, but it was slow going indeed!

Two Shelduck, a Brent Goose and a Curlew feeding together in gloomy conditions in the local fields.

Wednesday, 5th February: A cold and frosty start to a bright and fairly sunny day, with hazy sunshine, high cloud and just a light W/NW breeze.

Elmer Rocks: Pleasant conditions on my visit this morning, but co-inciding with a dead low tide and a flat calm sea, which also meant that those birds offshore were all fairly distant. There were at least six Red-throated Divers, c.10 Red-breasted Mergansers, two Great Crested Grebes and four Shoveler present, whilst five Brent Geese flew west. There were good numbers of commoner gull species along the beach and extending towards Climping, but I could find nothing unusual amongst them, the best being about 40 Mediterranean Gulls.

Behind the beach my circuit produced three singing Song Thrushes; one in the wood near Elmer rife, one in the long hedge near Poole Place and one on the west side of that. A Great Spotted Woodpecker - or possibly two - was heard drumming from the woodland, a handful of Pied Wagtails and Skylarks were in the fields, but a check of the rife on the way back paid off with views of a Kingfisher again, quite near to the sluice, though partly obscured by vegetation. Fortunately, I was able to show the bird to several of the locals today, before it eventually flew further inland.

The Kingfisher at Elmer rife; I was delighted to be able to show it to several of the local walkers this morning.

1st - 3rd February 2025

Monday, 3rd February: A cold and very frosty start with some sunshine early on, in a fairly light SE breeze 2-3. Then becoming grey and quite murky, with some drizzly dampness by early afternoon.

Elmer Rocks: A short sea-watch and a look along the beach at low tide produced very little and it soon became clear I wouldn't be making a lengthy visit. A few gulls and a couple of Gannets were distantly offshore around a fishing boat, whilst around the rockpools a group of about 35 Mediterranean Gulls and two Oystercatchers were about it! The flooded area of the arable field behind the beach held a Grey Wagtail, whilst a single Song Thrush was in full song and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was distantly drumming, but with so little to show for my efforts it was time to move on.

Grey Wagtail in the flooded field behind the beach and Mediterranean Gulls feeding along Elmer beach at low tide 

Ancton & Elmer: A visit to the Lane End paddocks area and local woods produced two Greenfinch, two Green Woodpeckers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, plus a few Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits in the fields, but though it was generally quiet, the highlight was a mixed flock of 30+ Fieldfares with 70 Starlings in the tree tops for a while.

(above) Green Woodpecker and (below) Great Spotted Woodpecker at Ancton paddocks

(above) mixed flock of Fieldfares and Starlings and (below) Fieldfares at Ancton

Sunday, 2nd February: A cold, dry start but becoming pleasantly bright and sunny as the day progressed, with a fairly light SSE breeze and high pressure building.

Hotham Park: An early start, though I was a bit surprised at the number of walkers about, but fortunately there was a bit of birding interest. A Firecrest was the first bird of note, followed by a Green Woodpecker, a singing Song Thrush and then a pair of Coal Tits obviously pairing up, with the male singing and chasing around. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming, then two pairs of Stock Doves were calling frequently and displaying. There were plenty of Blue and Great Tits, but the highlight for me was the Nuthatch that spent its time almost evading me. This latter species may be commoner inland, but it is decidedly scarce on the coast and within my 5Km patch, so it is always a welcome addition to a year list! (I still haven't yet caught up with Treecreeper here though).

Stock Doves at Hotham Park this morning whilst (bottom) a sought after Nuthatch - well, half of it anyway - which finally showed briefly after it kept evading me!

Lidsey WTW & area: Around the floods and small reservoir were 70 Gadwall, 15 Teal and a Little Grebe, with a Cetti's Warbler calling nearby. Chiffchaffs were still present in good numbers around the trees and hedgerows surrounding the WTW and I logged at least 30. There was little else though and I was just about to leave, when a notably pale bird, which immediately stood out from the rest, was located in a thick hedge at the back of the oil field, opposite the Works. Suspecting it might be a 'Siberian Chiffchaff' I put in an hour or so, trying to get any sort of photo and also scrutinising it for critical detail, before eventually deciding it was indeed of that form.

Common Chiffchaff (above) in the hedge along Lidsey WTW, whilst (below) four images of the putative Siberian Chiffchaff. It was a bit of a nightmare trying to get any sort of photo as it preferred to stay in a dense hedge and was very active.

Saturday, 1st February: An overcast, grey day with a decidedly chilly SSE wind force 3-4, though remaining dry.

Elmer Rocks: It was, as expected, a fairly slow day with not too much moving, but there were a few bit and pieces of interest. A total of ten Red-throated Divers were logged (7E & 3W), and two other distant and unidentified diver sp going west were also probably Red-throated. At least ten Red-breasted Mergansers were also offshore, moving back and forth, whilst two Brent Geese spent a good while loafing on the sea off Poole Place, before eventually flying inland.

The were plenty of the commoner gulls along the shoreline and on the sea, including c.40 Mediterranean and six Common Gulls, then as the tide was rising a loose flock of 21 Oystercatchers flew in to rest on the rock islands for a while.

Away from the sea, Song Thrushes were the most conspicuous birds of the morning and on my circuit around the fields and woods behind the beach I logged six birds, four of which were singing stridently as they sense the lengthening daylight hours. Two rival birds in particular were giving it some volume around the set-aside and hedges near Poole Place, prompting a couple of local folks to enquire of me what birds they were, and a couple of Chaffinches there were also making their presence felt. A small flock of Long-tailed Tits were also present in the area and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker was again in the woods.

Song Thrush at its singing post in Elmer woods behind the beach - one of at least half a dozen present this morning - perhaps spring is not too far away!