Warblers present in good numbers around the golf course this morning with a Green Sandpiper also around, and Canada Geese heard moving offshore.

Little Egret - 10

Med Gull - 20

Swallow - 70

House Martin - 3

Sand Martin - 4

Swift - 1

Green Woodpecker - 4

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2

Kestrel - 3

Willow Warbler

Sedge Warbler 

Stonechat 

Plenty of variety and numbers around the patch this morning, nothing scarce but plenty to scan though. Always nice to see fresh Lesser Whitethroat with 2 around the back of the golf course, and at least 5 Willow warbler in the area and plenty of Linnet, Greenfinch and Goldfinch. Several of Reed & Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the Reed & bushes. Half a dozen Swift, 3 House Martin back of Long wood amongst the Swallows. 

Juv Willow Warbler Golf course

Yellowhammer camp site

 A fine bright sunny morning with a slight wind coming from the north. No sign of any LRP in the area, but good numbers of Greenfinch, Whitethroat, Linnet and Goldfinch. 

Lesser Whitethroat - 2

Yellow Wagtail - 2

Sand Martin - 25

Swallow - c75

Swift - 10

Med Gull - 

Sandwich Tern

Shelduck - 1w

Little Egret - 10

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1

Green Woodpecker - 5

Kestrel - 2

Buzzard - 1

Sand Martin 

Lesser Whitethroat

A surprising couple of hours this morning, not sleeping because of the heat, I took myself to Climping beach at 05:30. High tide was 07:30 and found several Med Gull, Sandwich Tern and Gannet feeding on a calm sea, also 4w Little Tern moving, 1e Whimbrel, 3w Sanderling and 5e Oystercatcher. 

The highlight of the morning being a Marsh Tit, which was rummaging around in bushes along the beach behind Atherington Pools. Rattled a couple of pictures before it moved into wood.

Marsh Tit

Along the beach 2 Little Ringed Plover with 2 chicks, 2 Ringed Plover, a Cuckoo flew into the setaside landing on a post and flew straight off into the horse paddock, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Yellow Wagtail 6 Sand Martin, 12 Swift 9 Little Egret and 1 Grey Heron. Two year ticks and in my reckoning not a bad return for a couple of hours.

Grey Seal

Coudy conditions with a nice cool south westerly wind, found  

Swift - c75 north of golf course

Swallow - 25

Reed Warbler - 3

Sedge Warbler - 3

Cetti's Warbler - 1

Whitethroat - 10

Blackcap - 2

Yellowhammer - 3

Stonechat - 1

Song Thrush - 2

Green Woodpecker - 3

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2

Kestrel - 4

Buzzard - 2

Med Gull - 10w

Sandwich Tern - 18w 5e

Ringed Plover - 2

Sedge Warbler north golf course

Yellowhammer camp site 

Swift north golf course

Several Sandwich Tern feeding along the tide line at Climping this morning with a single Common Tern west, along with 4 Med Gull.  Feeding parties of Swift around Bailiffscourt and 2 House Martin over the setaside. 2 Juv Stonechat around the Horse Paddock and 3-6 Little Egret.

Swift

 

Sandwich Tern 

Stonechat

 An hour or so along the beach at Climping mid-morning found a Fulmar, 6 Curlew, 4 Sandwich Tern 2 Med Gull, 4 Gannet and a single Oystercatcher all moving west and 4 Sanderling east. 

Fulmar west Climping Beach

A couple hours on the patch this morning with the highlight being Two Grey Partridge. A few swifts feeding offshore amongst the many distant Gulls.  Small numbers of Sandwich Tern east and west, a couple of Gannet and Med Gull west, five Common scoter east & four west and 3 Oystercatcher east with a couple of Ringed Plover along the beach.

Grey Partridge

Glorious weather, but very little around this morning with 2 Great-crested Grebe offshore, c40 Sandwich Tern east, and 2 Med Gull west. About a dozen Swift, mostly seen at the end of Climping Street, 25 Swallow tracking east with a single House Martin. Along a crowded beach 9 Ringed Plover with 3 Sanderling.

Sanderling Climping Beach

 

Stonechat West Beach

Yellowhammer Camp site

Southern Marsh Orchid

A Spotted Fly reported in first wood on the 20th by BS.

Not expecting that much during a mid-morning found the two LRP insitu, 3 Great-crested Grebe offshore, 12 Sanderling east and 2 Med Gull west and a couple of calling Cetti's Warbler around the beach, with still several each of calling Blackcap, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff.

 A mid-afternoon visit found no sign of the LRP in the set-aside with just a couple of House Martin over and a few Little Egret along the tide line, but the highlight being a Spotted Flycatcher around Atherington Pools my first of the year.

Spot Fly Atherington Pools

Jay Bailiffscourt

A fine bright morning until midday when the wind picked up and dark clouds started moving in from the west, found two scare birds possibly breeding in the patch with 2 Little-ringed Plover along the beach and a Dartford Warbler seen carrying nesting material.

Whimbrel - 1

Common Sandpiper - 1

Med Gull - 2

Common Scoter - 5E

Grey Heron - 1

Lesser Whitethroat - 2

Cetti's Warbler - 3 heard

Reed Warbler - 7

Sedge Warbler - 1

Swift - 5

Swallow - 15

Buzzard - 5

Kestrel - 1

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 3

Green Woodpecker - 1

Stock Dove - 5

 

Darford Warbler 

LRP

 A potentially breeding Dartford Warbler was a nice surprise this morning, so I will not release the location. Several Whitethroat, Linnet, Meadow Pipits and Goldfinch, a Redshank along the river, 2 Sandwich Tern offshore and 8 Swift.

Yet another fruitless seawatch with 5 Little Tern east close inshore the highlight.

Sandwich Tern - 25E 13W

Gannet - 40W 7E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 22E 

Whimbrel - 2E

Grey Plover - 1 

Oystercatcher - 6E 2W

Shelduck - 1E

Great-crested Grebe - 3-5

Diver sp - 1E

Swallow - 1

Dolphin - 4

Grey Seal - 1

Grey Plover Climping Beach

Sandwich Tern Climping Beach

Very quiet offshore but nice to see good numbers of Sandwich Tern moving. Nice to catch up with a couple of Grey Partridge, just about hanging on as a breeding species in the local area, and my first Whinchat in the setaside.

Sandwich Tern 70E 90W

Gannet - 2E

Med Gull - 7E

Great-crested Grebe - 1os

Little Egret - 4

Whimbrel - 8

Sanderling - 20W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Grey Partridge - 2

Red-legged Partridge - 1

Whinchat - 1

Lesser Whitethroat - 1

Swallow - 20

Yet another unrewarding attempt at a sea watch, with the highlight being a pod of Dolphin, some close inshore, moving slowly east.

Sandwich Tern - 87E 37W

Commic Tern - 2E

Gannet - 12E

Med Gull - 2W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 4E

Whimbrel - 33E

Oystercatcher - 5W

Turnstone - 3W

Common Scoter - 22E

Brent Geese - 13E

Swallow - 9 

Dolphin

Whimbrel

Brent Geese

I was just finishing a cup of tea at home, when Paul Bowley, who was at Selsey Bill, reported a flock of four Pomarine Skuas going east, at moderate range, via the WhatsApp group. Knowing that a good number of such Poms are too distant to see from the local patch, I hesitated for a minute or two, pondering my chances. It usually takes about 20 minutes for such birds to appear at Elmer Rocks, if they are going to, so it was up and away, onto my push bike, and I was in position with a good five minutes to spare. A few birds were moving offshore, but no sign on any Poms at the 'designated' time. A few minutes passed and I was thinking it was too late - but then at 0637hrs they appeared, a flock of 4 Poms in a line, close together and at a range allowing good views. Magic. Presumably the very strong headwind had slowed them somewhat. I immediately put the news out and the birds were subsequently reported off Worthing at fairly close range. A very productive half-hour's local birding.

Other stuff seen was:-
Arctic Skua – 1 l/p chasing terns then flew off east
Bar-Wit – 10E
Whimbrel – 5E
Fulmar – 1 o/s flew off west
Sand Tern – 4E
Gannet – 2E
Gt B-b Gull – 4E
 
In just over half-hour, cheers OM

Very warm in sheltered spots and cold and very windy out in the open, with the strong NE wind gusting to near gale-force at times.

Bit and pieces today, though nothing very startling. I did just 2 hrs on and off, list below….

Red-throated Diver 1W, dropped onto sea

Bar-tailed Godwit – 45E

Whimbrel – 5E

Sanderling – 22, most resting on rock islands before flying off

Dunlin – 1E

Oystercatcher – 2 on rocks

Turnstone -  4 on rocks

Gannet – 2E & 3W

Sandwich Tern – 4E & 10W

Little Tern – 1W, quite possibly 2

Great Black-backed Gull – 6

Swallow – 16 flew in N from sea

Whitethroat – 3 in hedges behind beach

Linnet - 4

Kestrel campsite

Out late morning in bright sunny windy conditions, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat present in good numbers, but nothing unexpected in areas out of the wind.

Lesser Whitethroat - 1 heard camp site

Red-legged Partridge - 1 south side longwood

Swift - 6

Sand Martin - 2

Swallow - 30+

Stonechat - 1

Cetti's Warbler - 3

Reed Warbler - 10

Sedge Warbler - 4

Yellowhammer - 3

Reed Bunting - 4

Whimbrel - 10 golf course

Bart-tailed Godwit - 3E

Great-crested Grebe - 3 os

Sandwich Tern - 5W

Med Gull - 2

Little Egret - 4

Grey Heron - 1

Not very much offshore today in the blustery conditions, the clear highlights being 2 Avocets east at 0843hrs, and a Great Skua heading west, half way out and upsetting the local gulls. Other sightings were:- (OM)

Great Black-backed Gull  - 9 (6E, 1W, 2os)
Whimbrel – 1E
Oystercatcher – 6 on rock islands
Gannet – 2W
Gt Crested Grebe – 2 o/s
Sandwich Tern – 23 (4E and 19W)
Swift – 3N from sea
Whitethroat – 3 in bushes behind beach
Linnet – 4

Avocet east off Poole Place

Another fine sunny morning with less wind, found Wheatears into double figures along the beach. Frustratingly I did miss the seven Pomarine Skua reported earlier from Selsey, moving just too far out for Climping, but found some consolation in the form of a Great Skua tracking east from Poole Place.

Whimbrel - 23E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E

Dunlin - 3E

Sanderling - 20E

Oystercatcher - 13E

Common Scoter 8E

Shelduck 3E 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Ringed Plover - 2

Little Egret - 7

Med Gull - 12

Sandwich Tern - 40E 30W

Gannet - 7E 4W

Swallow - c50+

Swift - 2E

Yellowhammer - 8

Cetti's Warbler - 4

Reed Warbler - 4

Sedge Warbler - 2

Willow Warbler - 3

Reed Bunting - 6

Whitethroat - nc

Blackcap - nc

Chiffchaff - nc

Mistle Thrush - 2

Green Woodpecker - 2

Wheatear 

Yellowhammer