Purple Patch!!!

   This morning started out with a lovely Sunrise as i was stood on the red bridge crossing the Arun over to Climping. Despite the tide dropping and there being ample habitat for a Common Sandpiper on the river (My patch bogie bird) I failed to find one.
  I took a walk along the wooded path that runs behind the golf course, but there was little on offer. Just 3 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffy and a few tits. Scanning the golf course I picked up a flock of at least 20 Pied Wagtail with 1 White Wag amongst them.
   Long Wood was completely dead with the only birds seen being a Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Great Tit. I Checked out the bushes around the old camp site and found a Chiffy, a Redwing, a Sparrow Hark (fem) and 2 adult Med Gulls. The field North of the horse paddock held 7 Grey Partridge and half a dozen or so Chiffys in its borders.
   Baillifscourt held both Green and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and another Sparrow Hawk (male). Atherington pools was dead with the only bird of note in the form f a Chiffy.
   I checked out the horse paddock in Atherington Cottages but found nothing other than the friendly horse who i gave some grass and a pat on the nose. I checked the Paddock next to the car park and found a juv male Stonechat.
   I was turning the corner on to Bread lane When a YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER perched briefly infront of me and then flew to the very back of the paddock. A patch first for me so i was        very pleased and even more pleased it was a self find! I got on the phone to the Booker's and they were with me in 5 minutes however we failed to relocate the bird. (it was later heard calling and seen briefly by someone else in the same area)
   We decided that it was time for breakfast and started a slow walk back past the old campsite and threw the fields. Just past the end of Long Wood Dan picked up on a beautify male RING OUZEL flying along the ditch and in to one of the bushes.
    We continued on a few steps when suddenly a Largish, sandy coloured wader took flight from the field about the 100 yard's infront of us. We all raised our bins expecting to for it to be a Curlew. We were right.... Sort of. We saw it had a very ridged flight and black wingtips with white patches.
    we looked at each other and said 'That cant be a STONE CURLEW?! Could it?!' the bird pitched down on the other side  of the field just out of view. Before we put the news out we wanted to be 100% certain it was and we hadn't made a huge mistake! we slowly walked threw the field scanning after every other step, but could not re-find it. We kept walking and scanning and it flew up again from about 80 yard's or so infront of us. We had great views seeing the wing pattern, big yellow eye and black and yellow bill!
   The bird flew over the hedge and in to the next field. We all got on the phone and let everyone we could know. It wasn't long before a few people arrived but we couldn't relocate it. after another half hour or so looking we decided it was definitely time for breakfast and we would resume the search when we had filled our belly's with a celebratory fry up and tea!
   When we came back after half hour or so there were at least 8 other birders but no one had seen a thing. we decided to walk threw the fields in the hope of seeing it again. We walked the whole of the field on the South side of the carriages with nothing so we tried our luck on the Northern field. We had walked almost the while field with nothing when out of nowhere the bird once again took flight only 70 yard's or so infront of the group of birders!! with everyone getting good(ish) flight views and Matt Eade getting a few record shots we where all happy.
   We were all very happy with such a productive morning and went home in very good modes! We will all be back down there Bashing the Bushes again in the Morning! Fingers crossed!

Patch Migrants

   Yesterday was a good day for the patch, I started with a sea watch but nothing much really out to sea. Although i did have the Bonxie first thing. There was also a beautiful Wheatear on the sea wall.

Wheatear

    I moved Inland and checked the horse paddocks, nothing apart from the resident Grey Partridge and a few singing Willow Warblers.
   I walked threw the field behind the paddocks on my way to Bailiffscourt, as I approached the tree line i saw a bird fly up. I raised my bins and was very pleased to see my first Redstart of the year! I watched it for a few minutes and then moved on. Bailiffs was quiet with just some nice Deer of note.

Redstart... Its there i promise...

   I walked down to Atherington for another quick look out to sea, on the way down having 2-3 of both Chiffy and Willow Warbler. Again first looking out to sea was very quiet but as i took my eye away from my scope i could see what i thought was a wader coming right at me. I got the bird in my bins and realised it was a smallish raptor coming in of the sea, HOBBY! It flew in and right over my head and i got a great view.  The new arrivals where defiantly coming in that day!
   Again i checked the horse paddock for maybe a Yellow Wagtail that might have just come in. Unfortunately not but i turned around and scanned the field behind and found 3 White Wagtail together feeding in the field.
   Walking Threw the fields was quiet apart from the Skylarks, Long Wood was filled with Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, and the reed bed behind the golf course still held the Sedge warbler.




Today: Wednesday 9th

    Very slow this morning but there was another BEAUTIFUL sunrise! Very little of note, although i did have a Razorbill past on the sea witch was a patch year tick, and 2 Gadwall west where a patch tick!

Sunrise with a slight Mist

   In the horse paddock the Grey Partridge where feeding away but that was it. The field on the west side of Long Wood held 2 male Wheatear and Long Wood its self still held good Numbers of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap.

Grey Partridge

    Scanning the golf course i saw a bird fly of one of the post on the far side that was probably another Wheatear but didn't get a good enough view for positive ID. The field behind the golf course held another Male Wheatear and the Sedge Warbler was still in the reed bed.

Patch Seawatching

   It was a rainy start this morning at around 6:30 when i arrived down the patch, Rain is never good for  me as i don't have a case for my scope nor do i have windscreen wipers. . . It wasn't to bad though so i persevered and braved the weather.
   I hunkered down behind the sea wall next to a bag of dog poo and started seawatching. At first nothing of major note was moving but a Great Skua, East then West was a Nice Highlight. Also 4 Common Tern where a nice year tick and bought me to 111 species and 139 point for my Patchwork Challenge this year.

Totals:

Sandwich Tern: 26E 10W
Gannet: 21E 6W
Shellduck: 3OS
Common Scoter: 20+E
Fulmar: 1W 1E
Shovler: 3W
Common Tern: 4E
Red Breasted Merganser: 2E
Bonxie: 1E then W
Diver SP: 1E probably Red Throated

Great Skua

    After about 2 hours the rain set in and got harder so i gave up wiping my lenses down every 2 seconds and headed home.
   I went back out again at about 3 to the shelter under the lifeguard station on Littlehampton Beach, I Spent just over 3 hours seawatching from here. Highlights being the same? Bonxie milling around of shore. Going east and west and sitting on the sea and even going up and down the beach! Also the Kumliens Gull was still at the river mouth.

Totals:

Sandwich Tern: 44E 10W
Tern SP: 4E  wasn't sure if i could make out tail streamers or not as they were distant.
Gannet: 26E 14W
Mallard: 1E
Kittewake: 2E
Red Throated Diver: 3E 1OS
Bonxie: 1 all over the place
Kumliens Gull: 1st winter still milling around but for how much longer?
Ringed Plover: 1W
Red Breasted Merganser: 4OS 2W
Fulmar: 2W 1E
Common Scoter: 1E

Kumliens Gull

Great Skua (circled) over Littlehampton Beach

White Winged Scoters. . Sort of

  Yesterday was rather quiet down the patch with the highlights being my first Sedge Warbler of the year behind the golf course (still there today) and a HUGE flock of 15! yes 15 Eider East! My largest ever flock! There was Also a Wheatear in the Paddock, dotted around else where, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Swallow and 10+ Chiffy.

Wheatear

Seawatch totals from yesterday:

Sandwich Tern: 8E 3W
Gannet: 6E 3w
Brent Geese: 12E
Common Scoter: 26+E 1W 8OS
Fulmar: 1W
Red Breasted Merganser: 1E 4OS
Eider: 15E
Mallard: 3N
Great Crested Grebe: 2OS

 

I never tier of this view down the patch!

   Today started with another beautiful sunrise and a seawatch from the car park whilst Dan and Mike went and checked the horse paddock out. Things started out a little slow but after about 20 minutes I picked up a flock of about 7 Common Scoter going East and in that Flock was 3 brilliant Velvet Scoter! a Very welcome year tick and 2 points on my Patchwork Challenge i think? The only other thing of major note was 3 Eider going east.

Totals:

Gannet: 8W 9E
Fulmar: 2E
Diver SP: 1E
Common Scoter: 1W 58E 4OS
Med Gull: 2W
Sandwich Tern: 6E 2W
Red Throated Diver: 2E
Red Breasted Merganser: 5OS 1W
Eider: 3E
Mute Swan: 2OS
Shellduck: 3E
Little Egret: 3W

'Close'  Eider

   After this we walked the back of the fields and along the back of golf course, There wasn't really anything of much note apart from a few Chiffys and the Sedge Warbler Heard. Mike had one in Bailiffscourt this morning as-well.  After this we went for our traditional Climping breakfast break...

   After Breakfast we Headed over to Pagham Northwall to have a look for the Water Pipits that had been knocking about. We where unsuccessful but did see a few Cetti's Warblers, and a lot of Black Tailed Godwits. The Godwits did this strange behaviour of hovering for about a minute. Iv never seen this behaviour before and was quite amazed how good they where at it!

Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits

Hovering!

Hovering!

   

West Sussex MEGA!

  So the last three days down the patch have been relatively quiet. Highlights being my first House Martin in of the sea on Tuesday with the Hoopoe still in the horse paddock and my First 2 Swallows of the year yesterday. Apart from that it was quiet.
   Today looked like it was going to go the same way with only a Swallow over north and a few Sandwich Terns a Red throated Diver East and 2 Grey partridge in the Horse Paddock. However the sunrise was beautiful!  I decided to check the fields and stream out the back of the patch for maybe a Dotterel (yes i like to dream) or more realistically, a Reed or Sedge Warbler in the reeds and Bushes.

Sunrise

   Walking threw the fields i flushed at least 20 Skylarks and 3 Mipits. I reached the stream to find a few warblers flitting around in one of the bushes. Not the hoped for Reed or Sedge but 2 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler, the latter a year tick.
   I was pleased with this and watched it for about 5 minutes. I then noticed a "House Sparrow" calling from in the same bush. Out of curiosity i had a little look for it. I found it sat near the top of the bush and noticed a nice brown cap and black check spot. Oo Tree Sparrow i said to my self not really thinking much of it... TREE SPARROW! It took a second to sink in till i released how rare Tree Sparrow is in West Sussex!

TREE SPARROW!

     I made some calls and sent some texts and whilst I was on the phone it disappeared! I never even saw it leave the bush! where did it go?! Bola arrived and we split up to try and re-locate it... Damn... to cut a long story short we never re-located it and no one else turned up.
   I got a call from Nick Bond informing me of a Red Breasted Goose past selsey at 9:30. Unfortunately i was a bit late in getting to the beach and i missed it! Damn! that would have been a bloody good patch tick! Oh well i was and am very happy with my Tree Sparrow. Whilst seawatching i did have,
Sandwitch Tern: 1E
Gannet: 1W
Mipit: 13N
Swallow: 1N
Brent Geese: 11E
Shovler: 4W 2E

Larry as i call him looking FABULOUS!

Tree Sparrow

Wildfowl Wonders

   Today started at 4:30 this morning, I got ready and was out the door at 5. Dad drove me to Mick Davis's House and we where there by 6. We picked up John Stanton and where then on route to our target bird, BAIKAL TEAL!
   I cant remember exactly how long it took as I was asleep, laying flat across Mick's back seat. Now thats how twitching is done! I think it was around 2 and a half hours and then we where there. We checked a few maps and spoke to the locals and it wasn't long till we knew wear we where going. We also had positive news that it was there, but asleep and almost out of view.
   We got to the hide after about a mile walk seeing Goldeneye, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting on the way. The bird was on view straight away! Swimming about not sleeping! BOOM! Baikal Teal! what a bird it was! Amazing looking and fairly active. Not "boring" as i know a few birders would call it! The bird was rather distant witch gave me a bit of confidence towards it being genuine. Also i could see no sign of any missing primaries. the bird looked in good fit condition over all. It was nervous, and Hung about with Wigeon and Tufted Ducks. My personal opinion on this bird is it does look good for the real deal and will hopefully be accepted. Also on this lake was a cracking Little Ringed Plover!

BAIKAL TEAL!

    After the success of the Baikal, We started walking back to the car. We where informed of a drake Smew and some Garganey on the reserve. John and I scanned a huge gravel pit while Mick went and got the car. After a few minutes of scanning, picking out some Pochard, Tufted Duck and a least 15 Goldeneye, I picked out a drake and female Garganey on the far side. Great birds but way to distant for the camera! After Watching them for a few minutes, i started scanning again picking up yet more Goldeneye, then as if my magic the DRAKE SMEW! Just popped up in the middle of my scope! WOW! Is what i have to say to this bird! My first wild drake and what a beauty!
    So after This we Decided to try for the nearby Ring-necked Duck, it took us a while to find the right location but we did find it eventually. However on the way as i was staring out the window, daydreaming away.. and then.. LITTLE OWLS! We where just driving alone and suddenly i see 2 Little Owls sat in a tree literally on the road side! We stopped the car to try get some picks but they didn't play ball and where a little wary. I did however manage a record shot.

Little Owl

    To cut a long story short the flood the Ring-necked Duck was supposedly on was miles away and there was wildfowl in there hundreds out there! Others had been there longer and had not seen it. After about 15 minutes we gave up and decided to try for the American Wigeon.
    A little further down the road we stopped for the American Wigeon, thanks to the help of a few other birders, we got on the bird pretty quickly. It was rather distant to say the least! It made the Baikal Look like it close! This was our last bird of what had been a great day! on the way home, (the 10 minutes i was awake) we had a few Red-legged partridge witch were on the road side.

Spot the yank Wigeon...

I would just like to thanks Mick for doing the driving and John for his company on a great day.

Baikal Teal

Baikal Teal

Baikal Teal

Purple patch!

  So today started out with a promise of spring,  weather forecast saying that it was going to be warm with a south-easterly wind. Seawatching was the most obvious chose and so this is how Dan and i started.
  We met up with Bola on the beach and started scanning, there were birds moving but not in the numbers we had hoped for. A few Sandwich Terns, Med Gulls, 5 Shovler, 2-3 Curlew and 7 Ringed plover.

White Wagtail

  After this Seawatch Dan and I Decided to go up to Bailiffscourt, on the way we Checked out the horse paddock where the White Wagtail was still present. We also met Ian here who tagged along with us.
   We walked across the field behind the paddock in hope of a Wheatear, we didn't see one. Not even a Skylark or Mipit!
   However, as i was taking a wee in a bush my phone started to ring... (this is where my day started to get a little bit shit) Still having a wee i answered the phone to just hear "hfsfgueg ewgfwug" from the buffeting of the wind and then the words "SPOONBILL! SPOONBILL FLYING WEST!!' I hung up immediately and  without even doing my trousers up start springing. Well when i say sprinting, and by sprinting I mean that odd penguin like run birders do where there juggling all there gear about!
    I got to the beach and Started scanning west! nothing.... I had missed it... or had I ?!

Yes.. I had...

   I walked up to where i could see Bola, Eric and Richard standing, as i was approaching them i saw a white bird fly behind them! COULD IT BE?! No.. Little Egret. Anyway when i got speaking to them it turned out i miss heard Bola on the phone threw the wind as the bird had flown East / North East.
   So after this kick in the teeth with all my efforts down the patch and stayed and seawatched. We had Some good birds the Highlights being, 100+ Common Scoter, 2 Little Gull, 4ish Sandwich Tern, Drake Eider and a few Mergs.

   Dan, Ian and I then decided it was time to make the 2 or so mile walk to the cafe for a late breakfast. We took the Route Threw all the fields and in the reeds we had a male Reed Bunting, and What was very probably a Reed Warbler but the views where very brief and despite searching, we never re-found it.
   When we got to cafe i checked my phone and i had a missed call... from Bola.. What had i missed now?! I gave him a call back and he told me of a HOOPOE in the horse paddock, Bollocks was my first reaction, but it soon became a apparent he was not joking!
  Ian kindly lent me his bike and i bombed it Back over to the horse paddock, I bumped in to Eric, Bola and Garry, but I could tell from there faces that the news wasn't good. The bird had flown over the other side of the hedge and not been seen since.

HOOPOE

   We all split up and checked different areas and thankfully Bola re-found the bird the bird at the back of Bailiffscourt. I got over there ASAP and thankful was on the bird rather quickly! WHAT A RELIFE! at least i had not dipped this! as i was feeling pretty damn annoyed before i saw it! I obtained good and prolonged views although it was a little distant!
   We spent a good hour with the bird with a lot of people turning up, To many to list. i think about 30 people connected with the bird today.


    After the Hoopoe Ian headed home and Dan and I walked back along the beach from Climping to the river. Nothing of any great note was seen on the walk apart from a a few linnets, a Kestrel  and some Sanderling.
   The Kumliens Gull was just "having fun" by flying up and down the river give close views, and alowing so nice shots.

Kumliens Gull

Kumliens Gull

Kumliens Gull

Kumliens Gull

Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Hoope

Hoopoe