Two plus Short Eared Owls at Barnham this evening. Previously, a Black Redstart at East Head, Wittering.

A trip to West Dean and it was the busiest I've ever seen it..not with birders unfortunately..there were, deep breath... at least three shooting parties including at least twelve 4x4s and three tractors and trailers with more dogs than I cared to count and a smattering of beaters, a mini tractor mowing a lawn, a log splitting machine, two boy racers, hordes of cyclists and Portsmouth Water digging up the track to Monkton Farm!! No wonder the Little Owl didn't show! Consolation was a flighty Hawfinch (or two?) in the trees on the sharp bend near Yew Tree Cottage but apart from that fairly quiet if you see what I mean...

The Franklin's Gull showed really well today from Tern, Goosander and Lapwing hides at Blashford HWT. Well picked up on from Tern hide in the far side of Gossander bay it gradually drifted shore-wards giving great scope and bins views depending on where you were (or whether you legged it round the hides as I did!!). Record shot below not great but I'm a happy birder tonight as it was a great improvement on views in dismal light!

Franklin's Gull:

Sunday didn't look too promising but turned out OK. At Medmerry (West Sands), the Great Northern Diver was still present on the far side with a few Pintail and in the rubble a pair of Stonechats, two Black Redstarts, a few Meadow Pipits and a Grey Wagtail. At Coastguards, a cracking male Black Redstart led me a merry dance but pinned it down eventually on the roof of the new houses. Not much on the east side of Pagham harbour but one of the Spoonbills was roosting on the back of Tern Island.



Grey Wagtail:

Stonechat:

Black Redstart:

Spoonbill:

A day at Blashford on Friday didn't get me the Franklin's Gull but I did find the Ferruginous Duck again, on Kingfisher Lake the same as last year. I couldn't get any pics of the duck but here's one of the fence you have to look through (!)  and a BNG on Ibsley Water where the Long-Tailed Duck was also present.


A fence on Friday!:

Black-Necked Grebe:

A visit to West Dean with the family and a few good birds, three Red Kites, a Grey Wagtail, six Bullfinches, plenty of Redwings and the Little Owl in his tree:


Little Owl:

At Barnham Brooks, the Short-Eared Owls were in full flow with at least three present (I was told there were four the previous night). The supporting cast was Stonechats a plenty, a few Reed Buntings and six Snipe:


Short-Eared Owl:

Chats & Buntings:

Reed Bunting:

A link to a video of the Short-Eared Owls here: https://t.co/zi733GcYma

Although the weather was terrible and the traffic on the way there worse, the Rough-Legged Buzzard showed very well at Jevington early on Friday morning:



Rough-Legged Buzzard:

A somewhat wind-swept video here:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0XMk7xJ2sM&feature=youtu.be

The Great Northern Diver was present again at West Sands in the pool today, a short video here:

http://youtu.be/1fbie1YifsY


Also a few Stonechats about, various waders and four  Common Scoters offshore. At Sidlesham Ferry Pool, the Ruddy Shelduck was in with the Shelducks and Shovelers and two Snipe were at the back:



Ruddy Shelduck:

Early evening was spent at Barnham Brooks where at least two Short-Eared Owls showed ridiculously well, a photographer with more skill than I (not difficult) could fill his or her boots here!



Short-Eared Owl:

A Great Northern Diver had been showing well from the viewpoint at West Beach, Selsey, this week and was still there today in fairly dire conditions:


Great Northern Diver:

A video of the Great Northern Diver here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fbie1YifsY


And by the sea defences was a Little Auk, which made up for the the Southwick one being a Guillemot! Too quick for pictures though!


At Church Norton in slightly more clement conditions, a Merlin chasing an unknown bird put on a find display albeit in the distance and the two Spoonbills looked good flying over to North Wall:

Nice to be slagged off on the Selsey Blog for reporting that SR, a local birder, had seen the Short Eared Owl at North Wall perched in a tree! (Presumably the same person who said to her that it was a Buzzard, to which the reply was: "I do know the difference!").

I prefer face-to-face "debate" if anyone cares..

The SEO did show by the way despite what you may read elsewhere, at the very back being mob driven from the tree to the ground and then later in almost darkness from the path to the reservoir. Funny how all the birders were gone by 4:20 (if you'll pardon the expression) and yet moaned they never saw it!...rant over and out from Oving. :-)) Two Bearded Tits from the Wall in the Breach Pool reeds was a bonus for standing there loafing!

So anyway, today no luck for me for the Snow Bunting on the ground but I might have had two flyover Pagham Spit, sounded and loked good but wouldn't like to be 100% certain. A Kingfisher at Norh Walls.

In the harbour, a Bar-Tailed Godwit having a preen and lots of great wildfowl, pity about the weather!



Bar-Tailed Godwit:

Kingfisher: