Still no YB....
Monday, 12 October 2020
Saturday, 10 October 2020
Nighthawk!!!
Just a couple of additions to my Sussex list this week..Purple Heron & er...COMMON NIGHTHAWK!!
Monday, 21 September 2020
Lark
The Greater Short-toed Lark showed averagely well over the w/end; better views of a Hobby and a Merlin at the Bill.
Sunday, 20 September 2020
Not. A. Thing.
A remarkable walk this morning in that it yielded no birds at all apart from a single Black-headed Gull..similarly, nothing in the moth trap.
I’m done over and out.
Monday, 14 September 2020
Owl Point
A rebrand! Moving swiftly on... four Stonechats and a Whinchat in the southern hedges up from the quay and five or so Cattle Egrets at Owl Point were all I could muster in a quick look today.
Sunday, 13 September 2020
helice Clouded Yellow, Spotted Flycatcher
A helice Clouded Yellow was along Pagham beach front with five Clouded Yellows and a few other bits; yesterday's visit yielded a Long-tailed Blue. A few Spotted Flycatchers have been around north wall where I flushed an interesting large Pipit sp. which was in turn flushed by walkers..(bird responded initially to Richard's Pipit call but not twice)...oh well.
Saturday, 12 September 2020
Stonechat
The Peninsula was busy with birders today but not so much with birds! Best were a couple of Wheatears and a Stonechat (the first here for a good while) along the coast path; nothing of note at the Bill.
Friday, 11 September 2020
Blackcaps
A mobile flock of passerines around the north wall provided some entertainment today: 40 Blackcaps, 10 Chiffchaffs, 4 Spotted Flycatchers being the best. Still no Wryneck on the Peninsula though...
Monday, 7 September 2020
Whinchat, Wheatear, Warbler
Friday, 4 September 2020
Warblers or not
Well a day of frustration really: what was probably a hippolais or maybe a large sylvia warbler was near the hide at Church Norton but evaded further scrutiny and a Wood Warbler at Greenlease disappeared after a good showing to two observers. 😕
Yesterday, no sign of the Lapland Bunting which sadly joins the Hen Harrier and Red-rumped Swallow on this year’s impressive Peninsula dip-list!
Saturday, 29 August 2020
Redstarts 2
The south facing hedges from the Quay towards Owl Point were considerably more sheltered than those at the North Wall and consequently there were a few small birds around including four Redstarts, a male Lesser Whitethroat, a dozen Whitethroats, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and two Willow Warblers. A few Linnets were around the saltmarsh with c.200 hirundines, including a good number of House Martins overhead, whilst in the distance 25 Cattle Egrets flew towards Marsh Farm. Interesting raptor over the other day too...
Friday, 28 August 2020
Redstarts
Not much at the Bill today but Halsey’s was a little better with c.5 Redstarts, including a plush male, a few Willow Warblers and Whitethroats as well as the regular Cattle Egrets; also a few Yellow Wagtails with the cattle. A brief look at the Severals tuned up a Sedge Warbler and a few Wheatears but sadly no sign of a hoped-for Wryneck!
Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Little Stint
Thanks to BFF & DM today.. .a Little Stint found by them at Church Norton was my first for 18 months (!). A few days prior and a breakdown (the car not me..) at the Ferry Pool led to finding a smart Redstart and later on 41 Cattle Egrets at Halsey's Farm with IP.
Monday, 17 August 2020
Pied Flycatcher
A Pied Flycatcher (found by me for a change) was showing well at Northcommon Farm on the 16th.
A video of the Pied Flycatcher is here
Saturday, 15 August 2020
Reed Warbler
The highlight today was a juvenile Reed Warbler at Halsey’s Farm but other than that it remains deadly quiet!
Tuesday, 11 August 2020
Lesser Emperor
Surprise of the day was a Lesser Emperor dragonfly found by AB which showed very well this evening at Deep Lake. Also c.4 Common Terns and a Kingfisher around the area.
Sunday, 9 August 2020
Wood Sandpiper
A Wood Sandpiper on the Ferry was decent today but there wasn’t much else of note about bar a Garden Warbler and a few Willow Warblers at Halsey’s/Sidlesham Quay.
Saturday, 8 August 2020
Whinchat & Eider
Two Whinchats today: one was at Halsey’s where there was also a Wheatear, six Lesser Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler and c.6 Willow Warblers. Another Whinchat, two Lesser Whitethroats and a Willow Warbler were at Warner Lane but it was generally quiet here. At the Bill, c.11 Common Terns went east and a young Eider west west.
Friday, 7 August 2020
Whinchat
There was little of note at the Bill this morning and Northcommon Farm was similarly quiet. Coastguards, however, found an overdue year-tick of a Whinchat, two Stonechats and a few young Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits. At Sidlesham Quay there was a Wheatear but Halsey’s Farm didn’t produce the hoped for Redstart! Bill log below:
Sunday, 2 August 2020
More Cattle Egrets!
Saturday, 1 August 2020
Cattle Egrets at the Bill
Friday, 31 July 2020
Autumn Wheatear
Saturday, 6 June 2020
Sunday, 16 February 2020
Gulls
Cattle Egrets
Saturday, 8 February 2020
Long-tailed Duck
Friday, 7 February 2020
Red-throated Divers
Red-throated Divers:
Friday, 31 January 2020
Ivy Lake
Still lots of tree cutting and shrub clearance going on... hopefully it will settle down as it's been dire there for the past year...
A quick look at the Bill found it mist-bound with little to no visibility...
Sunday, 26 January 2020
Red-legged Partridges
Saturday, 25 January 2020
Chifchaffs etc. etc.
At Pagham SF there were c.20 Chiffchaffs & at first I thought there were two of "classic" tristis Siberian Chiffchaffs, which show no yellow in the upperparts.. but on this second bird..note the very pale underparts, brownish cheeks, long supercilium..but also the apparent hint of yellow at the eyebrow...this is interesting though...and both pale birds did respond to Siberian Chiffchaff call so...not sure!
"The problem is that tristis knows many variety, with most ‘aberrant’ birds showing green tones in mantle. Some even have some yellow at the eyebrow (especially in front of the eye). It’s not clear where the exact plumage boundaries lie between such birds and other taxa or hybrids between them"
...full article here: birdingnetherlands.com/blog/identification-of-siberian-chiffchaff
Friday, 24 January 2020
Toe End & Drayton
On the way back a walk at Drayton found the pair of Coal Tits but no nice surprises like Woodcock and Bittern!
Sunday, 19 January 2020
Mistle Thrushes
Saturday, 18 January 2020
Stonechat, RNP and Whimbrel
Earlier, a Ring-necked Parakeet was heard at Selsey Bill (though apparently it wasn't according to someone who didn't hear it..work that one out...)
The Whimbrel was still at Church Norton.
Whimbrel:
Saturday, 11 January 2020
Owls
Friday, 10 January 2020
Coal Tit & Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff:
Monday, 6 January 2020
Redwings & Kingfisher
Sunday, 5 January 2020
Barn Owl & Bittern
Friday, 3 January 2020
Firecrest & Nuthatch
Wednesday, 1 January 2020
Water Pipit & Northern Treecreeper
Moving off the Selsey Peninsula for a welcome change I went up to Patching for a second try at the Northern Treecreeper...this time success! The bird showed very well for c.10 minutes before apparently resuming its circuit of the undergrowth.
At home my son found a Robin and a Chiffchaff in the garden, good for him! We also have a number of Rook nests in the trees expertly spotted by Ives jnr..!
Water Pipit at Fishbourne:
Northern Treecreeper at Patching: