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.
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