Not much at all yesterday but here's one of the Hayling Red-Backed Shrike, still present:

Spent most of this week outside work time (and child care!) trying to get a shot of the Dartford
Warblers at Hayling and...failed. So here's some other stuff instead:


Spotted Redshank, Pagham:

House Martins, Oving:

Red Backed Shrike, Hayling:

Spotted Flycatcher, Church Norton:

I'll start with the star bird today which was a Wryneck in the horse paddocks at Warner Lane, Selsey. I saw something out of the corner of my eye fly up out of a bush and instantly thought "Wryneck"..and for a change it actually was, keeping close company with the Starling flock:

At North Walls, still the lovely Curlew Sandpipers and eight or so Spotted Redshanks, later on reports of a Little Stint and an Osprey too (I only saw the first two):


Curlew Sandpipers:

Snipe on the breach pool:

Video of one of yesterday's Curlew Sandpipers here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntbzmSoa-LU&feature=youtu.be

With the day to myself today I checked out a few venues near and far and ended up with some great birds some near and some far!

Starting at the breach Pool at Pagham North Wall and Snipe showed well:

Then a bonus Wryneck was spotted by the sharp eyed scope of Andrew House:

From the sluice, one of my targets for the day, a Curlew Sandpiper:

Time to twitch something! The Lesser Yellowlegs at Titchfield Haven:

Followed by the juvenile Red-Backed Shrike at Sandy Point NNR on Hayling Island:

And finally, distant Osprey in Langstone Harbour from Budd's Farm wall:

Another look around the Selsey area today didn't turn up anything amazing but there were a few things to look at. On the Ferry Pool was a Little Stint that spent most of its time in the air with a flock of Lapwing-never seen this behaviour before but I was impressed with aeronautical prowess on display...but for pictures I suppose Widewater at Lancing would have been a better bet with the Little Stint there showing down to a few feet!

At Warner Lane, a Whinchat (no pic as I cocked it up..), two Wheatears and two Redstarts:

Had a look for Little Stints at the Medmerry breach  but could only find Dunlin and Ringed Plover:

And at Flycatcher Corner, a few Spotted Flycatchers and a single Pied Flycatcher:

There was also a Red-Backed Shrike at Worthing which was a Wheatear, oh well...

A look around a few of the usual sites on the Selsey peninsula today was a moderate success. Thanks to George Heath for the three Pied Flycatchers at Northcommon Farm, I did manage to balls-up the photos though so back another day...Missed the four Little Stints at the Medmerry breach but plenty of Wheatears, Yellow Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit around. At Warner Lane, a Whinchat, thanks Sarah Russell, and a Sparrowhawk chasing hirundines and at Church Norton, two Redstarts and plenty of Spotted Flycatchers in the churchyard area. Medmerry Easton Lane was quite quiet except for masses of Goldfinches, Linnets and c.150 Yellow Wagtails:

Redstart, Church Norton:

Spotted Flycatcher, Church Norton:

Meadow Pipit, Medmerry:

Wheatear, Medmerry:

Whinchat, Warner Lane:

Yellow Wagtail, Easton Lane:

A nice easy one with the Great White Egret at WWT Arundel, just as well as I was working today, turned up, saw bird, took pictures, went back to work..would like a better look if it sticks though:

A link here to a short and slightly over exposed video: http://youtu.be/HFluhxrDfsQ

On Monday I decided to go for the two Pied Flycatchers again at "Flycatcher Corner" at Northcommon Farm Selsey after struggling to find the location on Sunday evening. After contacting the finder for the info, I'm pleased to say they were still present today:

Also there three Spotted Flycatchers. The grid reference for this site is SZ851941; park in the lay by just before the golf course at Selsey, turn left through the trees (where the Paddock Lane sign is), turn right at the elbow and walk to the end, the hedge is to your right: "Flycatcher Corner". I will compile a list of Selsey sites with their grid references as sometimes they can be hard to find if you don't know the area!

A Gyr Falcon reported at the Burgh on Sunday raised the blood pressure but sadly it came to nothing, we could only find the usual Common Buzzards, Red Kites, Kestrels and a Marsh Harrier when we checked it out (and a well known and somewhat curt veteran Sussex birder, God Bless him!)..had we known it we could have nipped into the WWT for the Great White Egret present for a couple of days...