Birds of Interest...

 A look at Woolbeding for Honey-buzzard turned one up at 7am on Friday and it was the intermediate-type that was present last year-unfortunately I got called away annoyingly so I missed the two birds over the car park later on so will go back. The road is closed at Woolbeding so best way in is Holist Lane. Loads of other stuff up there too, Garden Warbler, Siskin, other raptors etc.

A Roseate Tern (which I still need for the year) was called by AW at Church Norton later in the day...but was it? MRe was on site and suggested it was a Common Tern...so I asked "with a black bill"? he mentioned eastern as an outside possibilty and to me this bird fits that bill-dark bill, dark legs, white cheeks and general Common Tern plumage. Eastern Common Tern? why not?

ECT info on Birding Frontiers

I don't care much for proper twitching (hypocrite caveat: Peninsula birds are ok!), too much "have you seen it?" NO; "did you say you saw it?" NO; "but you've seen it??" ad nauseum for me nowadays (grumpy old(er) man syndrome) but I did venture to no-man's land, East Sussex, for the Eastern Subalpine Warbler which did show quite well-darker than I expected compared to Western-not too bad a journey either at 4am and home by 9am so all good.

Eastern Common Tern?: my pic top (rubbish), AW's lower (excellent)

Woolbeding:

Eastern Subalpine Warbler:

So Sunday became even more interesting with two Roseate Terns at Church (later three!) and a Temminck's Stint at the Ferry, thanks to RHa for the latter. New camera is a bit of a nightmare to download from so pics later at some stage when the card reader arrives....

Sprng has sprung...clang...

Well that's a wrap for spring at the Bill...the poorest I can remember. The seabirds are out there, look at Dungeness' totals, but we don't seem to get them anymore. Kudos to Paul Bowley for sitting through the absolute dross this year and becoming the Pom King-elect. My highlights offshore a mere 17 Pomarine Skuas and  five Black Terns, a good flock (yes one good flock!) of Arctic Terns and a few Common Terns but nothing else. And. yes. I know two Bee-eaters came in-off and that was amazing but what else did? One Serin, one Short-eared Owl...hopeless! 

As ever the camaraderie was good among the regulars though, albeit through gritted teeth on occasion when it was another slow day. and I suppose that is the saving the grace at the Bill. 

And so will we be back again? well of course we will, tomorrow probably, but just maybe with the thought that for some of us it's only two hours drive to Dunge...🤣🤣

It's that Pom time of year! Sandpipers too!

Expertly picked up by CRJ today at the Bill, seven Pomarine Skuas east past the mile basket, much enjoyed! Also a fairly decent wader (Whimbrel/Bar-tailed Godwit/Sanderling) movement and a quite a few tern sp. early on. 

There were a few more Poms later in the week taking my total up to 14 with a few better views had (and some worse to be fair lol). 

A Wood Sandpiper was found on the Ferry by AH and later a Curlew Sandpiper, found by AS, was also there... so along with a Cuckoo at Mill Lane and JA's three Black Terns it hasn't been a bad few days for Peninsula year ticks.

Not a year tick but a frankly tremedous drake Garganey was also on the Ferry, ducks do not get any better than this, a great spot by MRB.

So now the question is this: second Pom wave yes or no? well your guess is as good as mine but I'm sure there are some more to come..and will we get that late Common Tern movement? No doubt the Selsey seawatchers will be out just in case...

Garganey, easily my bird of the year so far!:

Wood Sandpiper & Curlew Sandpiper:

Curlew Sandpiper:

Whinchat at Halsey's Farm from the previous week:

Nightingale

 A Nightingale was singing at Church Norton last afternoon, also a couple of Swifts and a Hobby in at the Bill. It was a tough day as I am missing my old dad a lot at the moment but this was a nice bit of solace.

Red-crested Pochards! Woodchat Shrike!

An unpromising day with a NW wind surpringly turned up five Peninsula year ticks: Yellow Wagtail at the Bill, Common Sandpiper on the Ferry Pool, two drake Red-crested Pochards on the south pit at Drayton House, the latter well found by OM on his WEBS survey.and, best of all, a Woodchat Shrike (Peninsula tick full stop!) found by JW at Pagham Rife!! Directions to the shrike were uncertain but a call from AH to JDW had me heading in the right direction,,,a quick zip round (and, ahem, overland) on the E-bike and I refound it in the southerly hedge. All have seen it now so a good result all round-such a cracking bird, chapeau JDW! Later on I dipped the Hoopoe heard at Halsey's Farm but did get the spring male Whinchat at Owl Point.

Red-crested Pochards:

Woodchat Shrike:

Ric Flair - Woo!!: 

Lesser Whitethroat

The dead fish list leaps on with Common Smoothhound now added (the other 'hound was a Starry), thanks to the Great Black-backed Gulls at the Bill for the heads up on this one!

In other news it was actually half-decent at the Bill for the first hour or so, ten Little Terns offshore and two east, a few Common Terns and a female-type Garganey with a male Common Scoter also heading off left. Pleased with the Garganey as it can be a tricky bird on the Manhood Peninsula. Also a Great Skua and an Arctic Skua (I missed the latter) and a lively political debate...sometimes it's quite handy to be somewhat taciturn...🤣🤣

Managed to dip the Spoonbill at Medmerry and the Ferry and there was also no sign of a Common Sandpiper on the Stilt Pool but blushes were spared by HR's lovely singing Lesser Whitethroat at Yeoman's Field. I've always though that Yeoman's could turn up a Ring Ouzel or a rarer thrush; I've never seen one in situ there myself although I believe the odd RO has graced its hedgerows...

Lesser Whitethroat at Yeoman's Field:

Marsh Harrier and Hares

After mentioning to my son that I hadn't seen a Brown Hare this year lucked into one at Honer while out delivering, also the cracking male Marsh Harrier low over the fields by Honer Farm. Not much else going on but I see there has been a somewhat liberal application of glyphosate in the fields...😞

Will try a few days of seawatching this weekend I expect (update tomorrow.) and we're taking a family trip to Ebernoe for the Nightingales at Furnace Meadow on Sunday.