Saturday 30 May 2015

The Burgh/Amberley Wild Brooks (25/05/2015)




A quick walk at the Burgh and managed a couple of Corn Bunting including a singing male.  Also 3 Red-legged Partridges.

Later went with Dad to Amberley but couldn't get to the river so made do with the marshes where 4 or 5 small hawkers were probably Hairy Dragonflies.  There was a Broad-bodied Chaser and Four-spotted Chaser as well as large numbers of Variable Damselflies.

Monday 18 May 2015

Break from house clean (17/05/2015)

I took a break from house cleaning to nip over to Burnthouse Lane to see the female Red-backed Shrike.  Actually the bird wasn't easy to see well in the heat haze.

While I was in the area I popped over to Hosehill Lake and Theale Main pit where a found the male Red-crested Pochard but nothing much over the pit, just quite a few Red Kites and a couple of Buzzards.

Monday 11 May 2015

Selsey Bill (09/05/2015)

A 6.5 hour seawatch produced some decent birds including Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Razorbill, Manx Shearwater and Red-throated Diver.  A mis-timed bathroom break meant I didn't get a good look at the 2 Pomarine Skuas that flew past - I did see them heading off east.  I sat out a heavy rain shower but afterwards there was little or nothing to see.

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Selsey et al. (4th May 2015)

No repeat of last years excellent day, in fact it was pretty poor with only 2 Arctic Skuas and a trickle of other bits and bobs including a Hobby in off the sea.

At Medmerry couldn't find any Corn Buntings only saved by a male Yellowhammer.

No sign of the Black Tern at Chichester GP's but a 1s Little Gull there.

Mear Heath et al. (2nd May 2015)






After first walking the wrong direction to the twitch, I found out the place to go.  The female Hudsonian Godwit found almost immediately, but it was mostly asleep.  During the next few hours I had very good views and saw the diagnostic dark underwing.  When the flock took off it was very easy to pick out.

Also in the area were at least Great White Egrets which, because they were in breeding plumage (apart from one), I palmed off as Little Egrets!  I was soon put right.

Other good birds included Marsh Harrier, at least 20 Hobbies, fly over Bittern, lots of Swifts and a distant Raven.