A report of 3 Whinchat in the rife by the old railway carriages and a Swift over today.

A brisk visit to the patch, found the Ring Ouzel still present in the back lawn of Kents Farm Cottage, viewed from the private road leading down towards the seafront. Favouring the western edge of the garden looking over the pond. A Little Owl around  Bailiffscourt, also 2 Treecreeper there and a White Wagtail on the back lawn. Quick look offshore produced a couple of Whimbrel and Sandwich Tern, and a single Shelduck west and Great-crested Grebe on the sea.

Ring Ouzel

Mistle Thrush

Treecreeper Bailiffscourt

Sandwich Tern Climping Beach

Fox

Very quiet in the patch this morning in a cold northerly wind, with just 5 Whimbrel on and around the golf course, 20 or so Med Gull calling overhead and the usual assortment of Warblers heard although present in smaller numbers. 5 Wheatear in the back fields, 2 Stonechat and a Coot still present. A smart looking male Ring Ouzel in the back garden of Kents Farm House, was the clear highlight of the morning. This is accessed from the private road east of Climping. Also 2 Mistle, 3 Song Thrush and 9 Blackbirds there.

A quick visit to the patch paid dividends with a singing Nightingale seen and heard from the back of the golf course.

Nightingale - 1 (RP)
Shelduck - 3w
Whimbrel - 4
Sandwich Tern - 8
Med Gull - 18e
Little Egret - 1
Swallow - 3
Wheatear - 2
Chiffchaff - 10
Willow Warbler - 4
Whitethroat - 10
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 8
Blackcap - 8

A couple of personal firsts of the year from Marsh Farm with 3 House Martin  over the big pool with several Swallow's, and a nice Whinchat. Good numbers of a variety of Warblers in full song, with at least 6 Cetti's present.

A seawatch from 06:45 didn't produce the required totals.

Mediterranean Gull - 27e
Whimbrel - 12e 6w
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1e
Brent Geese - c.33
Common Scoter - 65e
Sandwich Tern - 12e 7w
Gannet - c.60 following trawlers
Oystercatcher - 1e 3w
Cormorant - 11e 4w
Sanderling - 42w
Dunlin - 2w
Turnstone - 30w
Great-crested Grebe - 3 os
Swallow - 4
Wheatear - 1
Meadow Pipit - 1

Whitethroat present in good numbers

Linnet

Four Great Skua off Climping Beach late afternoon was the highlight of today, missing the other species of Skua seen at other locations. Med Gulls on the move throughout the day, small numbers of Whimbrel, a couple of Fulmar and distant Scoter. Gannets and Sandwich Tern in much smaller numbers.

A pair  Coal Tit seen again again around the hotel grounds this morning, the usual array of Warblers present with just a single Wheatear.

Stock Dove Kents Farm

Song Thrush Bailiffscourt

Another fine bright morning with a northerly breeze produced more than expected in terms of variety. The Golf Course turning up a few firsts for the year with good numbers of Wheatear present along with a single Whimbrel.

Ring Ouzel - 1 Golf Course
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 heard reeling GC
Yellow Wagtail - 1 GC
Wheatear - c.30
Siskin - 2 over head GC
Cetti's Warbler - 1 heard
Reed Warbler - 11
Sedge Warbler - 3
Whitethroat - 9
Blackcap - 25
Willow Warbler - 27
Chiffchaff - 11
Stonechat - 2
Reed Bunting - 2
Song Thrush - 3
Mistle Thrush - 1
Skylark - 7
Pied Wagtail - 2
Swallow - 3
Sand Martin - 1
Coal Tit - 1 BC
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
Green Woodpecker - 4
Raven - 1w Climping Beach
Buzzard - 4
Saprrowhawk - 2
Little Egret - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Med Gull - 10w
Sandwich Tern - 4e
Whimbrel - 11e 1 GC
Ringed Plover - 1
Coot - 1
Common Sandpiper - 1 River

Coot

Reed Bunting

A grey cloudy still morning with good coverage producing good numbers and some variety, highlights being Tawny Owl, Gropper, and Yellowhammer. Combined totals below.

Tawny Owl - 2 heard
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Back of Golf Course
Yellowhammer - 1 bottom of Long Wood
Redstart - 1
Whitethroat - 11
Willow Warbler - 23
Chiffchaff - 9
Reed Warbler - 12
Sedge Warbler - 3
Cetti's Warbler - 1 heard
Stonechat - 2
Wheatear - 1
Coal Tit - 1
Song Thrush - 5
Jay - 1
Buzzard - 1
Peregrine - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Green Woodpecker - 3
Swallow - 9
Skylark - 10
Pied Wagtail - 1
Grey Partridge - 4
Grey Heron - 1
Whimbrel - 11e 2w
Sandwich Tern - 19w 10e
Med Gull - 10w
Common Sandpiper - 1w
Sanderling - 20e

Wheatear Climping Beach

Yellowhammer bottom of Long Wood

A tad warmer than yesterday morning.

Peregrine - 2-3
Buzzard - 1
Kestrel - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1
Little Egret - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
Green Woodpecker - 2
Chiffchaff - 12
Willow Warbler - 8
Whitethroat - 8
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Sedge Warbler - 3
Reed Warbler - 3
Blackcap - 14
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Bunting - 3
Redstart - 1
Song Thrush - 2
Skylark - 8
Swallow - 1

A nice bright morning with a brisk northerly wind found me around the Golf Course, which provided a couple of first's for the year, combined total's below.

Cuckoo - 1
White Wagtail - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 7
Reed Warbler - 3
Sedge Warbler - 1
Goldcrest - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler - c.20
Chiffchaff - 8
Blackcap - 23
Stonechat - 1
Wheatear - 3
Reed Bunting - 1
Swallow - 12
Sand Martin - 2
Song Thrush - 4
Peregrine - 2
Sparrowhawk - 1
Buzzard - 3
Kestrel - 2
Great-spotted Wood - 1
Green Wood - 3
Common Sandpiper - 1
Curlew - 3w
Little Egret - 1
Grey Heron - 2
Stock Dove - 1
Med Gull - 28w
Sandwich Tern - 2w

Great Spot

Green Wood

Common Sand River

White Wagtail Bailiffscourt

This morning a Grasshopper Warbler seen and heard at the end of the Mill Path (PB) Double figures of  Wheatear, Whiethroat and good numbers of Willow Warbler in the area. The Cetti's Warbler heard again from the back of the golf course and a Sedge Warbler there along with 3 Sparrowhawk and 3 Grey Partridge. 2 Coal Tit showed well again around the Hotel grounds. Offshore very quite again although a few Med Gull moving through, singles of Whimbrel, Canada Goose and five Great-crested Grebe on the sea, and Ringed Plover along the beach.

Combined highlights's from this morning showing a little variety 

Sedge Warbler - 2
Reed Warbler - 2
Willow Warbler - c.20
Chiffcaff - 8
Wheatear - 12
Redstart - 1
Whitethroat - 5
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Blackcap - 11
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Swallow - 15
Red-legged Partridge - 1

My first Acro's of the year, other than that generally very quiet.

Whitethroat - 5
Blackcap - 20
Willow Warbler - 13
Chiffchaff - 15
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 2
Skylark - 7
Reed Bunting - 1
Meadow Pipit - 4
Linnet - 45
Swallow - 1
Green Woodpecker - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Grey Partridge - 4
Little Egret - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Med Gull - 4w
Sandwich Tern - 3w 1e
Sanderling - 11w
Turnstone - 27w

Whitethroat Atherington

Alpine Swift

Been having that feeling that Spring this year is passing me by, a conversation with (RP) mid morning seem to confirm that, his account below.

Well a dull chilly day suddenly brightened up just as I was looking forward to a cup of coffee. At just about ten this morning I was on the river footpath just opposite the entrance to Littlehampton golf club. Suddenly I became aware of a bird above me. For a tenth of a second I thought it might be a Hobby as it appeared largish, dark and with scythed shaped wings. I realised it was not because shape size and colour were all wrong. As it flew north up river I could see that it was a very large swift with long dark wings and a strikingly large white underside. It was too big to be an aberrant swift and looked nothing like a House Martin. Throat patch was in distinct. As it turned south above the golf club house I noticed another large bird appear from the north east. This bird was a peregrine that immediately began to harass the Alpine Swift. The swift moving fast headed south down river towards the sea. It geared towards the east as the peregrine per sued it. Sadly both were very quickly lost to sight as they were both moving at some speed. News tweeted as soon as birds disappeared.
Was it an Alpine Swift? Yes it was!


Combined totals from this morning;
Alpine Swift - 1
Swallow - 5
Sand Martin - 1
Redstart - 2
Whitethroat - 2
Blackcap - 18
Chiffchaff - 20
Willow Warbler - 40+
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Coal Tit - 1
Stonechat - 2
Wheatear - 8

Song Thrush - 5
Skylark - 10
Reed Bunting - 2
Linnet - 45
Kestrel - 1

Buzzard - 1
Peregrine - 1

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2

Green Woodpecker - 2

Grey Partridge - 3

Grey Heron - 1
Sandwich Tern - 3

Med Gull - 2

Great-crested Grebe - 2 os
Common Sandpiper  - 2

Coal Tit Bailiffscourt

Meadow Pipit West Beach

Wheatear West Beach

Starling Golf Course

A Chilly start to a bright day. Nothing special around, but a slight increase in migrant numbers.

Whitethroat - 1
Willow Warbler - 10
Chiffchaff - 13
Blackcap - 15
Wheatear - 5
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Bunting - 6
Sklylark - 5
Swallow - 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
jay - 3
Kestrel - 2
Sparrowhawk - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 3 
Great-crested Grebe - 2
Gannet - 2
Sanderling - 22
Turnstone - 18
Med Gull - 3
Sandwich Tern 2

A cracking male Redstart in the horse paddock this morning and Wheatear numbers into double figures for the first time this Spring.

Redstart - 1
Wheatear - 12
Willow Warbler - 12
Chiffchaff   - 6
Blackcap - 8
Stonechat - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Song Thrush - 4
Skylark - 2
Swallow - 1
Gannet - 5
Buzzard - 1
Common Sandpiper - 1

An hour sea watch from Climping Beach at 08-00 in a fine bright morning with a nice south easterly breeze. Combined total's below

Sandwich Tern - 22e 7w
Brent Geese - c.160e
Whimbrel - 1e
Shelduck - 2w
Fulmar - 1e
Gannet - 5e 3w
Meditteranean Gull - 14e
Oystercatcher - 11w 2e
Great-crested Grebe - 5 os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2 os
Wheatear - 7
Whitethroat - 1
Reed Warbler - 1
Linnet - c.75
Willow Warbler - 6
Chiffchaff - present
Blackcap -
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Stonechat - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Treecreeper - 1
Coot - 2
Swallow - 10
Stock Dove - 8
Kestrel - 1

Saturday 8th April - A Tawny Owl heard from the back of the golf course, the first Reed Warbler of the year in the area along with a Coot. 2 Red-throated Diver flying east close inshore and 6 Grey Plover, in a fairly disappointing day.

A Tawny Owl heard  and a Coot being the oddities in the patch this morning,  along with 10 Chiffchaff, 8 Blackcap, 6 Willow Warbler, also singles of Cetti's Warbler, Swallow, and Stonechat. Offshore Sandwich Tern and Med Gull's on the move. Yesterday Thursday the 6th, the first Whitethroat seen around the golf course and a grey goose flew west.

A bit more lively in the patch this morning with good numbers of Willow Warbler in song and a couple of species of Hirundine putting in an appearance. Combined totals below.

Willow Warbler - 11
Chiffchaff - 10
Blackcap - 9
Cetti's Warbler - 2
Fieldfare - 1
Bullfinch - 2
Reed Bunting - 4
Swallow - 3
Sand Martin - 1
Grey Heron - 2
Little Egret - 1
Grey Partridge - 4
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
Green Woodpecker - 3
Peregrine - 1
Buzzard - 2
Sandwich Tern - 7e 3w
Great-crested Grebe - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 4
Common Scoter - 3
Gannet - 4w
Ringed Plover - 2e
Oystercatcher - 3e
Turnstone - c.40 beach

A fine bright morning before the sea mist moved through produced the first Sedge Warbler from the back of the golf course, and a Swallow through. Proceedings took a turn for the worst despite good coverage producing just 4 Reed Bunting, several of both Chiffchaff and Blackcap in each wooded area, 2 Grey Partridge and a Little Egret. Offshore, 2 Great-crested Grebe, 7 Sandwich Tern east and 11 Oystercatcher.

Sandwich Tern Climping Beach

A Jack Snipe flushed from the golf course this morning, also 3 Wheatear in the area and the first Swallow through.

Not a great deal happening again in promising conditions. A Red Kite drifted over the patch,  supported singletons included Peregrine, Firecrest, Cetti's Warbler, and Wheatear, along with  9  Chiffchaff and 6 Blackcap.