5th - 7th April 2025

Monday, 7th April: High pressure still firmly in control, giving another very dry and sunny day, with little or no cloud, but still with a chilly edge to the brisk E/SE wind along the coast, though warm again in sheltered spots.

Elmer Rocks: Just an hour or so here for me this morning. There were four Gannets fishing way offshore around some fishing boats, whilst a couple of Sandwich Terns went east and a Great Crested Grebe was offshore. A Swallow arrived N from the sea, as did a Chiffchaff, the latter quickly dropping into a bush, whilst four Linnets were in the long hedgerow.  On and around the beach were 32 Turnstones and two Sanderlings, with 14 Oystercatchers moving back and forth.

A couple of Chiffchaffs were singing from the area around Poole Place and two rival Skylarks were singing above the set-aside areas.

Gannet at distance passing a fishing boat and (below) Oystercatchers moving east; they were back and forth several times today

Sanderling (above) and a flock of feeding Turnstones (below) on the outfall pipe

Barnham Brooks - Shripney/Lidsey area: With the prolonged very dry conditions, the remaining areas of flood around the fields are rapidly drying up, but even so I managed to locate at least four Green Sandpipers and a Snipe today. A dozen or more Lapwings were on territory, with some displaying, and wildfowl consisted of c.80 Teal, four Wigeon, 20 Shoveler, four Shelduck and four Gadwall. At least three Chiffchaffs were singing, three Cetti's Warblers were loudly proclaiming their territory and a male Reed Bunting was singing occasionally.

Sunday, 6th April: Very similar to yesterday; very dry, with continued sunshine and a cool, brisk E/SE wind, but feeling warm when sheltered from the breeze.

Elmer Rocks: As I arrived a Willow Warbler flew up from the beach, and dived straight into a tamarisk bush just behind me at the Kiosk. A look at the sea produced nothing more than four Sandwich Terns going east, a Great Crested Grebe offshore and a party of 21 Sanderlings which dropped onto the beach for a brief feed before moving on. Two Swallows then arrived N from the sea, then a newly arrived Wheatear was located, followed by several  unidentified 'Willow/Chiffs'

With my spirits lifted I then opted to check the fields and hedgerows behind, but nothing more exciting could be found.  My Willow Warbler count increased to at least six, whilst Chiffchaffs were in the majority with at least 15 logged, plus four Blackcaps and the same of Linnets, but that was about it.

Sanderlings and a Wheatear on Elmer beach

Elmer & Ancton: I concentrated mainly on the area around the Lane End paddocks and adjoining wood, but it was somewhat disappointing here too. Certainly there were new arrivals of some commoner species, but nothing much beyond the norm. At least six Chiffchaffs and two Willow Warblers were present, together with no less than five Blackcaps - a singing male of which had attracted the attention of at least two females, which followed him from bush to bush. A pair of Pied Wagtails are now nesting in one of the wooden horse shelters and were seen collecting horse hair and carrying beakfulls off to the nest site.

Pied Wagtail collecting nest material (horse hair) at Ancton paddocks

Saturday, 5th April: High pressure continues, with unbroken sunshine through the day and just a little high cloud, but also with a fairly strong wind which had swung back to the NE; feeling cool along the coast but pleasantly warm in sheltered spots.

I spent the morning well and truly off the patch at Medmerry RSPB, eventually catching up with the Least Sandpiper - a very small wader species from America and only the third record for the county - that was found several days ago but had become somewhat elusive at times. However, it eventually gave itself up today, showing well for lengthy periods, allowing me enough time to get back for some birding on the local patch!

The Least Sandpiper at Medmerry RSPB this morning

Barnham Brooks - Shripney/Lidsey area: With many areas now very dry, I decided to make another visit to this area where some flood water still exists - though for how much longer is anyone's guess. I was pleased to find two Green Sandpipers still present, and they had been joined today by two Little Ringed Plovers. Nearby, a Great White Egret was a surprise, before it eventually flew off eastwards. Wildfowl present included c.100 Teal, four Wigeon, 18 Shoveler, six Gadwall and 26 Mute Swans.

On the remaining flood this afternoon: Green Sandpiper (above), two Little Ringed Plovers (below) and Great White Egret (bottom two) 

2nd - 4th April 2025

Friday, 4th April: A bit cloudy at first, but otherwise another very dry, sunny and bright day, and feeling a little warmer with the E/SE wind somewhat lighter than of late.

Well, it's beginning to happen now, as spring starts to unfold with some interesting species appearing....

Yesterday evening, a report was received of a Short-eared Owl at Barnham Brooks (with thanks to Oliver Handson), whilst another report was received of potential breeding activity of Barn Owls in M-o-S parish. This morning, at Selsey Bill, an Alpine Swift was seen heading generally east, so I headed immediately to the local beach, just in case, though predictably there was no sign of the Swift!

Elmer Rocks: So, scanning constantly in the forlorn hope that the above Swift might appear, when soon after my arrival an Avocet flew east offshore  - at least some small compensation. Also logged on my half-hour visit were a Shelduck and two Sandwich Terns going east and a small flock of six Brent Geese on the sea.

Avocet flying east off Elmer Rocks

Barnham Brooks - Shripney/Lidsey area: A look around some of the still wet patches of the area produced a surprise gathering of five Green Sandpipers - surely newly arrived migrants - and also two Snipe, six Little Egrets, 18 Shoveler, 90+ Teal and six Gadwall. Two Blackcaps and a few Chiffchaffs were singing from the hedgerows.

Shovelers on the still remaining flooded area at Barnham Brooks

Wednesday, 2nd April:  Another dry, bright and sunny day with blue skies and a bit of scattered cloud, but also with a cool and persistent E/NE wind, blustery at times with gusts reaching force 5-6 or even 7.

Elmer Rocks: There was very little going on in the hour or so I visited, not helped by the dead low tide or the rasping easterly wind. A couple of Great Crested Grebes were on the sea, whilst two Mediterranean Gulls were around, together with a gathering of immature Herring Gulls and two Common Gulls. A few Oystercatchers and Turnstones were coming and going, but as it was so quiet I checked out the fields behind the beach. There was little here either, except for at least three Chiffchaffs, a couple of Chaffinches and Greenfinches and a pair of Buzzards, so I decided to cut my losses. In the end I opted to just stay very local and out of the wind where possible.

Elmer & Ancton: I decided on another look around the Lane End paddocks at Ancton, and the adjoining woods. I was pleased to finally connect with a couple of Swallows on the local patch, having not had a sniff of any hirundines at all locally in March. In the paddocks were two Pied Wagtails, a Mistle Thrush, two Song Thrushes...then another thrush-like bird lurking in shadows all the time, which eventually turned out to be a rather late Redwing; it will surely depart our shores soon. A male Kestrel put in an appearance over the paddocks for a short while, then directly overhead, on the edge of the adjacent woods, a pair of Buzzards were displaying for a while, before drifting off. Three Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap in the woods rounded off my visit.

Buzzards displaying over Ancton woods and (below) Redwing in the paddocks. This bird insisted on keeping in the shadows, thus I have had to adjust the gloomy photo to get any sort of usable image. It surely won't be long before it departs these shores for its breeding grounds.