Monday, 17th March: A chilly and overcast sort of day, with a brisk NE 4-5 wind still prevailing and periods of heavy grey cloud in the morning producing a few brief showers. Still cloudy in the afternoon but with a few brief glimpses of sun.
Elmer Rocks: Another very slow morning with the only hint of migration being a flock of 35 Brent Geese heading east offshore and four Meadow Pipits arriving from the sea. A single Common Gull also went east whilst seven Red-breasted Mergansers remained offshore. A small number of Oystercatchers, Sanderlings and Turnstones were also noted though no count was made today.
Brent Geese passing Elmer Rocks this morning
Lidsey area: Around the WTW and reservoir there were 45 Gadwall, 25 Teal, eight Tufted Ducks and three Little Grebes. Around c.60 Starlings were gathered in tree tops around the fields - albeit a bit distant - but on checking I noticed two Redwings were amongst them. A pair of Buzzards was also displaying nearby.
Moving to another site nearby where a small flood remains, there were still a few wildfowl to be found and I logged c.160 Teal, six Wigeon, two Shoveler and six Gadwall, plus a couple of pairs of Mallard. Three Grey Herons, two Little Egrets and 20 Lapwings were also present.
A heavily-cropped image of a Redwing in tree-tops at Lidsey (with Starling above)
Sunday, 16th March: More of the same really; cold again with a touch of frost, becoming bright and sunny through the day with some scattered white cloud, but still with a naggingly cold NE wind force 4-5.
Elmer & Ancton: Last evening, at about 20:45hrs, a Tawny Owl was clearly active for some while, repeatedly hooting from the local woods and easily audible from quite a distance, but especially from Ancton Way.
Elmer Rocks: The weather and the birding were much the same as yesterday, with nothing moving through offshore except for a single Gannet and no obvious migration going on, whilst there were just seven Red-breasted Mergansers and a couple of Great Crested Grebes on the sea. The tide was low, but eventually c.40 Oystercatchers put in an appearance, together with just a few Sanderlings, c.50 Turnstones and a single Little Egret.
A check of the fields and hedgerows behind the beach and Poole Place found there to be little activity and little birdsong, although two Green Woodpeckers were calling occasionally, two Chiffchaffs were present with one giving a bit of weak song and two rival male Chaffinches were singing at each other around the Poole Place area.
Male Chaffinch at Poole Place; a rival male was not too far away and both were singing at each other for quite a while.
Saturday, 15th March: Another cold morning, with just a touch of frost and a chilly NE wind 4-5, though remaining dry; broken cloud and early brightness gradually giving way to longer periods of sunshine.
Elmer Rocks: An hour was enough this morning! Four Gannets (1E & 3W) were well offshore, whilst closer in were four Great Crested Grebes and eight Red-breasted Mergansers (2E & 6 o/s). The tide was fairly low, and some of the regular wader species were present, consisting of 40 Oystercatchers, the same of Turnstones and a handful of Sanderlings...but with little happening offshore and no obvious signs of any migration in the cold wind, it was time to move on.
Littlehampton Marina area: Time for a change of scenery today. I checked out some partly-flooded areas in a couple of fields that looked promising, but my search produced very little of any note. The day was saved for me when I checked the banks of the R. Arun and found a Common Sandpiper - presumably an over-wintering bird rather than an early migrant.
Common Sandpiper on the R.Arun by Littlehampton marina - most likely an over-wintering bird rather than an early migrant.
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