More Seawatching, some distant Poms and an early Spotted Flycatcher (24 April-04 May)

Thursday 24 April. Widewater 06:05-08:05, light NE, moderate visibility, with RP: Shelduck 2E, Common Scoter 3E, Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea, Oystercatcher 3E, Whimbrel 27E, Curlew 4E, Bar-tailed Godwit 1E, Black-tailed Godwit 2E (with Bar-tailed and 7 Whimbrel), Kittiwake 8E, Mediterranean Gull 1E (second-summer), Sandwich Tern 5E:3W, Arctic Skua 2E (pale morphs @ 07:10 & 07:28), Red-throated Diver 1W, Gannet 33E, Swallow 1 in. Mill Hill with Megan and Otis: Green Woodpecker, Skylark, 2 Swallows, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Whitethroats. Buckingham Park with Otis: 2 Buzzards and 2 Goldcrests.

Friday 25 April. Widewater 06:00-08:00, light NE, clear, with RP: Brent Goose 1E, small duck sp. 1E, Common Scoter 46E, Whimbrel 36E, Bar-tailed Godwit 200E, Sandwich Tern 6E, Red-throated Diver 1E, Fulmar 2W, Gannet 3E, Linnet 2. West Mill/Downslink with Otis: Black Swan with 14 Mutes, 6 Lapwing, Red Kite, 2 Green Woodpeckers (heard), Skylark, 6 Cetti's Warblers (heard), 2 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, a Lesser (heard) and 2 Common Whitethroats, 4 Nightingales (2 seen, 2 heard only), male Whinchat, female Bullfinch, Linnet and 2 Goldfinches. Beeding Brooks: Single Barn and Short-eared Owls (the latter distant perched before vanishing), 5 Swallows, several Cetti,s and Reed Warblers (heard) and 2 Reed Buntings.

female Bullfinch along the Mill Stream

Lapwing near the Downslink

Whinchat near the Mill Stream

Short-eared Owl on Beeding Brooks

Saturday 26 April. Widewater 06:10-14:10, light NE, hazy, initially with RP, I stayed on in the hope that two Poms seen from Hampshire to Climping would go by but I missed them. Shelduck 10E, Teal 4E, Common Scoter 68E, Goosander 3 females W, Oystercatcher 16E:3W, Whimbrel 68E, Bar-tailed Godwit 615E, Dunlin 2E, Kittiwake 17E, Mediterranean Gull heard, Sandwich Tern 38E:3W, Razorbill 1 on sea, Fulmar 1W, Gannet 79E, Little Egret 1E, Hobby 1 in (06:38), Swallow 45 E/in, House Martin 1 in, Wheatear 1-2 females on beach, Linnet 2. Beeding Brooks: Cuckoo (heard), 4 Stock Doves, Short-eared Owl (again distantly perched before vanishing), several Cetti,s and Reed Warblers (heard), Lesser Whitethroat, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting.

Whimbrel and 2 Oystercatchers passing Widewater

Bar-tailed Godwits a bit further out

Wheatear on a Beach Hut Roof at Widewater

probably the same Wheatear on the beach

Razorbill on the sea off Widewater

Sunday 27 April. Widewater 06:10-10:00, very light NE, hazy, with RP: Brent Goose 13E, Common Scoter 9E, Whimbrel 33E, Bar-tailed Godwit 1E, Kittiwake 7E, Black-headed Gull 79E, Mediterranean Gull 2 adults E, Sandwich Tern 35E, Fulmar 2, Gannet 3, Little Egret 1E, Swallow 10 in, Wheatear 3 females on the beach. Happy Valley with Otis: 5 Swallows, Whitethroat, 5 Linnets and 4 Goldfinches.

Monday 28 April. Widewater 06:10-08:10, very light NE, hazy, with RP. Shelduck 2E, Whimbrel 7E, Common Sandpiper 6 on beach then E, Fulmar 1E, Gannet 1W. Knepp with RP: 4 Cuckoos, 5 Stock Doves, no Turtle Doves, Kingfisher, a pair of Great Crested Grebes, 3 Red Kites, Buzzard, Barn Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard), Green Woodpecker, Jay, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 3 Garden Warblers, a Lesser and 3 Common Whitethroats, 2 Treecreepers, Nuthatch and Nightingale. 

Nightingale at Knepp

Greylag Goose family on Knepp Mill Pond

Tuesday 29 April. Widewater 06:00-09:00, light/moderate NE, moderate visibility, with RP. Shelduck 2E:1W, Shoveler 1 male W then E, Tufted Duck 1 male E, Common Scoter 20E, Oystercatcher 2E, Whimbrel 75E, Bar-tailed Godwit 30E, Sanderling 7E, Black-headed Gull 53E:13W, Sandwich Tern 16E, Fulmar 1E, Gannet 4E, Swallow 2 in. Southwick Hill/Mile Oak with Otis: 2 Red Kites, 2 Buzzards, Kestrel, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 4 Lesser and 11+ Common Whitethroats, Chaffinch and 2 Linnets. Widewater 19:00-20:00, moderate SE with RP. Brent Goose 1E, Common Scoter 1E, Whimbrel 8E, Mediterranean Gull 2 second-summers on the sea, Sandwich Tern 7E, Pomarine Skua 14E (very distant pale morphs tracked from Selsey Bill to Birling Gap), Arctic Skua 1E (pale).

Wednesday 30 April. Widewater 06:00-09:40, light/moderate ENE, hazy, with RP. Shelduck 11E, Gadwall 2W, Swift 1E, Oystercatcher 2E:1W, Avocet 2E (07:38), Whimbrel 31E, Curlew (heard), Bar-tailed Godwit 1E+4 probables, Knot 3 probables E, Sanderling 6E, Black-headed Gull 50+E, Sandwich Tern 8E, Common Tern 1W, Mediteranean Gull 10E (5 adults and 5 first-summers), I missed a very distant flock of 5 Pomarine Skuas in the haze, Arctic Skua 1W (pale), diver sp. 2E, Gannet 3E, Wheatear 1 female on the beach. Mill Hill with Megan and Otis: Red Kite, Buzzard, Kestrel, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Lesser and 9 Common Whitethroats and a Spotted Flycatcher. The latter was only my third in April (all on 30th) and the first for over 30 years!

Thursday 01 May. Marine Gardens 06:10-with RP, N&CO, light NE & hazy, 06:10-08:40. Shelduck 2E, small duck sp. 2E, Common Scoter 34E, Oystercatcher 10E, Avocet 1E (06:20), Grey Plover 1E, Whimbrel 28E, Bar-tailed Godwit 8E, Sanderling 17E, Black-headed Gull many offshore, Sandwich Tern 24E, Pomarine Skua 3E (2 pale and 1 dark @ 06:46, reasonable close, a pale and the dark with good spoons), Fulmar 1W, Gannet 2E, Swallow 2E.

Friday 02 May. Widewater 06:00-08:40, light NW, poor visibility, with RP. Common Scoter 2E, Oystercatcher 4E:1W, Whimbrel 1W, Curlew 1E, Sanderling 8E, Mediterranean Gull heard, Sandwich Tern 2E, Little Egret 1W. West Mill: Cuckoo, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Nightingales heard. Red Kite, 2 Long-tailed Tits, Reed Warbler (& 2 heard), Whitethroat, 2 Bullfinches and 2 Reed Buntings seen.

Long-tailed Tit at West Mill

Saturday 03 May. Widewater 06:00-08:40, light NW, poor visibility, with RP. Wigeon, Swift 2E, Oystercatcher 11E:3W, Whimbrel 8E, Mediterranean Gull 1 adult W, Sandwich Tern 6E:2W, Fulmar 1W, Gannet 1E, Sand Martin 1E, Swallow 2E, Wheatear 1 female on the beach. Adur with Megan and Otis: 2 Whimbrel, Red Kite, Skylark and 2 Linnets.

Wheatear at Widewater

Whimbrel on the Adur

Sunday 04 May. Widewater 06:15-08:15, light N with RP. Wigeon 2 offshore, Whimbrel 15E, Black-headed Gull 35E, Mediterranean Gull 1 adult E, Sandwich Tern 10E, Gannet 5E, Swallow 3E, Wheatear 1 female on the beach.

the same or another Wheatear at Widewater