Up early today due to a hyperactive toddler...but managed to escape to the Selsey area for a while later!

Stopped at the Ferry pool at Sidlesham but not much other than forty Shovelers, a few Shelducks and some Redshanks though there was a brief Kingfisher on the Long Pool. JM stopped in his van to give news that a Barn Owl had been a regular early morning visitor too but not today alas.

A Church Norton, a Blackcap, Wheatear and Whimbrel were the highlights. Also a pair of Grey Partridges and a Great Spotted Woodpecker here. At Warner Paddocks, two Red-Legged Partridges.

Selsey Bill best bits were roughly 13 Wheatears and 14 (!) Great Northern Divers plus my first Swallows of the year.

Whimbrel:

Wheatears:

Great Northern Divers:

On Easter Saturday, a few Swallows & Sand Martins on Ivy Lake and also my first House Martin of the year. Dipped the Black Redstart at Climping but a nice bit of viz-mig with both Wheatears and Meadow Pipits arriving whilst I was there, also a few Sanderling on the beach.


Wheatear:

Sanderling:

As usual at the moment not a great deal on Westhampnett Pit, but a Grey Wagtail on one of the pontoons was something to look at for five minutes; will have to see if I can sneak a look at Shopwyke Pit some time. I couldn't find much at Ivy Lake in ten minutes there except a Cetti's Warbler, a pair of Long-Tailed Tits and half a dozen Chiffchaffs.



Long-Tailed Tit:

Cetti's Warbler: Shows the limitations of bridge cameras on auto and the person using it!

Seems appropriate at the moment:

Subhumans: From the Cradle to the Grave

Two Sand Martins over Tangmere Airfield lagoon this morning and now I hear of more and two Swallows at Ivy Lake! It's all go now!

At Lidsey SF, plenty of Pied Wagtails on the pans and Chiffchaffs in the hedge and not a lot else but over at Sack Lane by the railway crossing were the four-strong Whooper Swan family looking well:



Whooper Swans:

In the picture of the four Swans together some speckling on the neck appears to show on birds 1, 2 and 4 suggesting that these are the the youngsters, presumably coming up to being 2W birds. I would think they'll all be off to pastures new shortly.

An Alpine Swift was well found by Alistair Gray in Crawley on Saturday and was still present on Sunday. After a bit of the usual dilly-dallying around a few likely spots the bird eventually gave itself up back at the Virgin Atlantic building in Fleming Way; it had probably been here all along, should have listened to the security guard who said as much! The bird has roosted there this evening so should be on show tomorrow (Monday) again. Difficult to photograph in flight with a bridge camera so this was the best I could do. Also one of it having a quick roost for an hour under the eaves.


Alpine Swift:

Three year ticks for me on Friday, Fulmar at Selsey Bill, Little Ringed Plover at Medmerry and Blackcap at Church Norton, and although it does seem a bit quiet perhaps things will start going in the right direction after the forecasted storms this weekend; a few Manx Shearwaters too on the move at the Bill so who knows maybe it's all about to happen!


Little Ringed Plover at Medmerry, thanks to AH for info.:

Blackcap, Church Norton:

Five Firecrests, a Treecreeper, two Nuthatches, and a drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was not bad for an hour out in the woods with my son! Location withheld obviously. At Medmerry, plenty of quantity but not much of any quality, being picky. Most entertaining birds were probably the four Teal on the sea that had me thinking they must surely be Scoter, Wigeon, Eider or some such thing before I scoped them.


Sea Teal:

Linnet at Medmerry:

Hybrid Mallard-type (or Leucistic it has been suggested):