Friday, 21st March: A rather grey start but some brighter spells breaking through the cloud by mid-morning, though rather chilly again in a fresh E/SE wind force 5. Rain promised by late afternoon/early evening....
Elmer Rocks: A couple of hours or so spent looking at the sea and checking the beach, gardens and fields behind. There was a bit of eastward migration over the sea and I logged a Red-throated Diver, a Great Crested Grebe, four Gannets, 41 Common Scoter and ten Sandwich Terns, plus six Red-breasted Mergansers chasing each other back and forth. Waders were few today - with many having already migrated away - and I managed just a couple of Sanderlings and c.30 Turnstones.
In contrast to the sea, things were very quiet again on the land and my search failed to deliver any migrants again, the only interest being a few finches at Poole Place - 12 Goldfinch, two Greenfinch, a singing Chaffinch and a couple of Linnets.
Sandwich Terns at Elmer Rocks and (bottom) a small flock of Goldfinches at Poole Place
Thursday, 20th March: A lovely bright and sunny spring day, with the light to moderate breeze having eased round to the SE, and becoming quite warm as the day progressed.
The Local Patch (5Km) Birdlist: I have now updated the patch birdlist, which currently stands at 276 species, (with my own sightings total standing at 237), by the end of 2024. Full details can now be found by clicking the relevant link on the title bar above.
Ancton & Elmer: I'd spent all morning birding at Selsey Bill, so it was early afternoon before I returned to home territory and the local patch. As it was such a pleasant day I decided to stay out a while longer and visit the local woodland area, my main objective being to try and find a Treecreeper in the areas where the species has previously been present, up until the last couple years. Despite searching suitable areas I totally failed to find any trace of one again today; is it just me or are they beginning to disappear from coastal woodlands in this part of Sussex? Time will tell I guess.
There were a couple of small surprises though, the first being a Mistle Thrush (possibly two) near the horse paddocks and the second being a rather elusive Firecrest in the woods. Other records included a Buzzard, four Green Woodpeckers, three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Greenfinches, a Pied Wagtail, several Song Thrushes and three Chiffchaffs singing, amongst other commoner species.
The elusive Firecrest in Ancton woods
Wednesday, 19th March: Still cool early on, but becoming warmer in a mainly sunny day, with scattered cloud and a lighter wind, veering E/SE force 3.
Elmer Rocks: A two-hour visit (08:30-10:30hrs) this morning was all about Brent Geese on the move, but with very little else to raise the pulse. A couple of large flocks and a fair few smaller ones produced an overall total of 305 east, but apart from a single Curlew east and six Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea, there was precious little else to maintain the interest. Wader numbers were also low, with c.40 Turnstones and a couple of Grey Plover and Sanderling about the best on offer.
My watch was interspersed with checking out the beach and adjacent fields, in the hope of finding my first Wheatear of the year, but alas, it wasn't to be.... all very frustrating, with the only small birds of note being a Chiffchaff, two Pied Wagtails and two Greenfinch.
(top two) Brent Geese flocks heading east offshore and (below) two Grey Plovers on the beach
Bilsham farm: It was disappointing here too, with two singing Chiffchaffs the only sign of any spring migrants. The reservoir held just six Tufted Ducks, two Mallard, two Little Grebes and 20 Coots, plus a mixed flock of a couple of hundred Herring and Black-headed Gulls washing and preening, but also with 14 Mediterranean and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls amongst them.
(above) Little Grebe on Bilsham reservoir, (centre) Lesser Black-backed Gull with Mediterranean Gull and (bottom) Lesser Black-backed Gull with Herring Gulls and Mallard.
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