Confusion is next and next after that is the Truth (maybe)

Sonic Youth-Confusion is Next

The Siberian Chiffchaff was still at Lidsey SF this morning along with 15-20 collybita Chiffchaffs and half a dozen Goldcrests. There are a few really pale collybitas but the tristis isn't particularly shy and does show pretty well; plenty of insect life so perhaps it will hang around a bit longer.


Siberian Chiffchaff:

An interesting bird this one as it has light brown legs:

...and two different colour but both pale birds...

..another pale bird:

I then had a walk around Pagham Harbour which was notable for not much in particular though there were 84 Great Black-backed Gulls on the mud. Also present these two, the first of which vaguely resembles a Caspian Gull (legs not long enough though, judging by the Blashford birds) but I presume is a juvenile GBBG and the second of which might be a Yellow-legged Gull or not...I need to refer to:

Gulls:

Gulls:

Edit: top one is indeed GBBG and bottom one is a Herring Gull ta GAH for the IDs.

Glonker

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan-Fasle Gul remix

After a bit of toing & froing I finally caught up with a Glaucous Gull after dipping the Goring one and the Icelandic-like Church Norton bird when the Goring when made a return appearance. Great bird!


Glaucous Gull video here

Glaucous Gull:

Like Yeast She Rises...

A Prologue to the Unborn, Like Yeast We Rise, The Oroonies

oh go on then:

 The Woods are Alive with the Smell of his Coming, The Oroonies

Cloven Foot, The Oroonies

Just a few last thoughts on the "Scaup".

1. A Lesser Scaup hybrid can't be ruled out and there are some interesting, although brief, thoughts on this in the recent Birds of Sussex compendium P.123 by J & D Cooper.

2. This happened in 1961, courtesy British Birds, but no shooting please!

 "British ornithologists became divided on the matter, many still believing that it was a Lesser Scaup, but some considering it to be probably a hybrid. As opinions differed so widely, it was eventually decided to obtain a permit to collect it. It was shot on 3rd March 1960, under a licence issued to Dr. I. C. T . Nisbet by the Nature Conservancy. Comparison with live specimens at Slimbridge and with museum material at Oxford then confirmed the belief that it was not a Lesser Scaup." 

"Scaup", the original version:

Long-eared Owl

I went to have a look for yesterday's Glaucous Gull along Church Norton spit and bumped into AH doing the same thing; no luck with the Gull but we flushed a Long-eared Owl from Church Norton spit! Initially, we both thought Short-eared Owl but we quickly realised from the bird's colour and rounded wings that it was its scarcer cousin.


Long-eared Owl, photo by Andrew House:

Mediterranean Gull off Church Norton:

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the water....

The possible Scaup today, I see the "two-bird" theory has raised its head, something I believe I mentioned a while ago regarding ARK's post on the SOS website. A good debate anyway with Lesser Scaup mentioned today so some way to go I guess. Picture from the Selseybirder blog: Selseybirder is this the original bird though?

"Scaup":

Aukward

On arival at Selsey Bill mid-morning I picked up an Auk sp. on the sea which I was 95% sure was a Little Auk but the chop made it difficult to nail it conclusively :-(   Goes down as a near miss I'm afraid!

The rest:

Razorbill w 1143

Auk sp. on sea (probably Little Auk, I immediately thought "Little Auk" when I saw it but lost it in the swell as I tried for a better look...)

Red-throated Diver 2 e 1150

Red-breasted Merganser 2 e 1155

Red-breasted Merganser e 1157

Slavonian Grebe on sea

Eider 1 winter on sea

Gannet 3 w 1201

Auk sp. w 1208

Red-throated Diver 4 e 1212

Diver sp. e 1218 (probably Black-throated Diver)

Red-throated Diver  e 1220

Red-breasted Merganser 2 e 1224

Red-throated Diver e 1229

Sn(R)IPe

A look at Fishbourne Creek and then the Long Pool today. The usual suspects at the Creek and three Snipe alive and one dead at the Long Pool.

Yellowhammer:

Reed Bunting:

Goldeneye:

Stonechat:

Pipit, a Rock by a Meadow in a Tree:

Redshank:

Snipe RIP;