Dullsville...no, not quite!

Spacemen 3 - Ecstasy Symphony/Transparent Radiation (Flashback)

So you say it's dull in West Sussex and what happens? A Cory's Shearwater goes past Selsey and ten Black-winged Stilts turn up at Pulborough!! Pass me the spoon for the humble pie!

A coldish, dank day at Selsey Bill but a few Arctic Skuas past and a bright Yellow Wagtail on the oval field were good to see.

In the Garden

Bauhaus-Rose Garden Funeral of Sores

Late news tonight of a Cory's Shearwater  past Selsey seen by three observers (not me!) bird was about 1 1/2 miles out at the end of a string of Manx Shearwaters and very obviously a much bigger Cory's-great bird for the English Channel!

I'm trying to stay positive but it's still really quiet and pretty dull in West Sussex. However, a few bonus birds this morning: two Garden Warblers near the hide at Church Norton and a Lesser Whitethroat along the beach scrub. Also I am sure that a Grasshopper Warbler was occasionally reeling not far from Reedy Marsh, impossible to pin down though due to its brevity & I didn't bother to out the news out as it probably would be greeted with scepticism as one viewer/listener birds usually are, especially as it wasn't exactly consistent in its reeling. Had a look for the adult Little Gull at Medmerry but no luck again, 100 Dunlin, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, the Avocets and a few Swallows over the pools was it. Six Little Terns went east & two Sandwich Terns west west offshore.

Gave up and went home and repaired the polytunnels and planted lettuce which was marginally more entertaining.


Lesser Whitethroat (I know, terrible picture!):

Little Ringed Plover:

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: