The Right Stuff

Monster Magnet-The Right Stuff

Capt.Lockheed & the Starfighters-The Right Stuff

Pictures from the last couple of days.

Wheatear, Medmerry:

Mediterranean Gull, Medmerry:

Peacock, Ivy Lake:

Little Ringed Plovers, Medmerry:

Fulmar, Selsey Bill:

& rear view of Fulmar!

Eider, Selsey Bill:

Sedge Warbler, Pagham:

Spotted Redshank, Pagham:

Whitethroat, Pagham:

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Ivy Lake:

Common Tern, Ivy Lake:

Whimbrel, Pagham:

Greenshank, Pagham:

Dartford Crossing

Had to do a delivery on Wednesday that was only five minutes from a "Sussex Common" so thought I'd have a quick look. First impressions were that it was dead quiet but then spotted these two from the upper path, just a couple of quick snaps and left them be.

Dartford Warblers:

Bits & Pieces

Little Tern, Selsey Bill:

Willow Warbler, like this despite the twig effect!:

White-fronted Goose, Ivy Lake (please leave!!):

Common Terns, Ivy Lake:

Black Swan, Ivy Lake:

Linnet, Warner Lane:

And a couple of seawatches to record:

Climping 24.4.16, 16:30-17:15

6 Gannet west
Kittiwake e

Auk sp w
2 Great Crested Grebe os

29 Oystercatcher east
93 turnstone e
20 Dunlin e

Selsey 25.4.16 12:20-13:05

Red-throated Diver e

Article Skua  d/p e 1225
Gannet 2 e 7 w
Auk sp 3 w 
4 Little Tern offshore fishing
2 auk w
Swallow n

gave up after that with nothing really moving though others saw a lot more than me!

Selsey Bill, a Skua's progress

On Thurday afternoon at Selsey Bill, from memory:

1? Serin, calling
6 Balearic Shearwater, close
4 Manx Shearwater
2 Arctic Skua
2 Great Skua
1 Pomarine Skua
Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, Sandwich Terns, Common Terns and lots more.


On Friday morning:

1 Arctic Tern
5 Yellow Wagtails
1 Manx Shearwater
1 Arctic Skua, close
Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, Swallows but not much else!


An Arctic Skua's progress:

On an Orange Tip

Orange Goblin-The Astral Project

No sign, unsurprisingly, of the Pied Flycatcher at Ivy Lake this morning though others were arriving so maybe it'll be seen later, last minute parental duties meant I couldn't go yesterday...cue gnashing of teeth, wailing etc. etc ;-)

Today at least a dozen Common Terns on the lake, plenty of Blackcaps, a few Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers, a Reed Bunting or two and that was it for me, considerably cheered up though by a) they'll be another one b) an Orange Tip on the farm today, my first of the year at home.

News tonight of a Large Tortoiseshell at RSPB Pulborough, hopefully something will come of it....


Orange Tip:

Nemesis

Well ended up back at North Wall today after seeing that the Cattle Egret was still there and after 2 1/2 hours still no joy! So I thought I might go and look for a Nuthatch someone had mentioned to me earlier on, a good bird for the Peninsula believe it or not and...found the Cattle Egret! It was high up on Owl Copse consorting with three Little Egrets  & viewable from further along the North Wall, so for once my tendency to wander off paid dividends! Another interesting bird was the Swallow on the left, maybe American Barn Swallow hirundo rustica erythrogaster ?

Interesting stuff on Swallows here, the complete neck band would suggest maybe not a ABS but a variant rustica: http://www.birdingetc.com

Swallows:

Cattle Egret:

Up the downs, up the field.

No sign of the Cattle Egret for me at North Wall gain (I hate this bird!!) but two Spoonbills flew over and there was a female Common Redstart by the stables. On the downs, plenty of Whitethroats, Wheatears & Skylarks, a cracking Lesser Whitethroat, two Red Kites, a Raven or two, and a Kestrel but hardly any butterflies. This year Spring seems slow to me, certainly on the farm blossom is slow to emerge and there are no leaves on our Ash & Willow trees as yet; hopefully what Plum & Quince blossom there is won't be too effected by any frosts. We've delayed planting Broad Beans as the ground is still cold but at least the Shallots & Garlic are in and away.


Spoonbills:

Red Kite:

Wheatear:

Cattle Egret twitch!:

Possible Osprey, definite Owl

Always good to see a boxing Hare, this one at Marsh Farm during a look for the Cattle Egret:

Sedge Warbler at the North Wall:

Swallows, House Martins & Sand Martins at Westhampnett:

A look at Drayton pits produced a Common Tern, two Reed Warblers and what was almost certainly a distant Osprey but a frantic drive round to the other end of the pits was in vain; big, hovering raptor with dangling legs which appeared to dive into the water, not much else it could be, gutted I couldn't get a better look :-((


Long-eared Owl at the North Wall:

Groppers

Grasshopper Warbler now on my 2016 Sussex list from an undisclosed site (that everyone seems knows about, hmm...). One heard and seen well and one heard, definitely two birds present as both singing at the same time for a while. Will return for pictures maybe...

At North Wall & Marsh Farm no sign of the Cattle Egret & Long-eared Owl today for me but the LEO was great to see on Thursday.

Serin-dip-ity!

Despite a dash to Selsey Bill I missed both the Serin and the Nightingale in the gardens. In truth, the Nightingale was probably still present tucked away but the Serin appeared to have gone completely.

At Warner Lane, two male Wheatears were the best of the trip:


Wheatear:

Something to Crow about!

Get in! Finally got Hooded Crow on my Life, Sussex & Selsey Peninsula list as one was on the bar at Selsey Bill this morning. Many thanks to all there today for their help with updates, scopes etc. A couple of poor record shots but I'll cope with that!

Hooded Crow:

Jack Frost & the Hooded Crow

Jethro Tull-Jack Frost & the Hooded Crow

Scraped a mild frost of the car this morning before driving to Selsey Bill where it was a little underwhelming with expectation exceeding results, though a good stream of Sandwich Terns & Common Scoters were good to see. Had a guided quest for the garden Red Legged Partridges but unfortunately they had gone missing after being seen earlier on so no Bill tick for me there.

Church Norton was very windy but I did conjure up a female Common Redstart on the beach; later on it was dip number two as the reported Hooded Crow had done a bunk (I slogged it all the way down to the end of the spit searching too!). Second Hooded Crow dip for me on the Selsey Peninsula for me after missing the one on the bar at the Bill a couple of years ago.

At Ivy Lake, a Sedge Warbler, nine Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, five Cetti's Warblers and four Blackcaps were good to see and hear. Two Green Woodpeckers were in the horse paddocks.


Common Redstart:

Linnet, one of a flock at CN:

Blackcap:

Green Woodpecker:

Chiffchaff: