Friday.
After protracted viewing from east end of chalets just a single flyby Common Scoter (130) to add to four Eiders and a minimum of 105 Great Crested Grebes.
Probably 600 Brent with most being flushed off the yacht club foreshore by a drone!! No divers or better grebes despite MFs best efforts.
Along the (muddy and slippery) canal path the Barn Owl(131) was 'zzz'ing in its usual hollow but despite 45-ish pipits flushing up no Waters seen nor heard.
A Yaffle was poking about on the ground and a Curlew was feeding in an adjacent field; just one Stonechat and a couple of Goldcrests. These Roe Deer were part of a group of six out feeding in the field.
PS The following day a dozen Water Pipits were perched up before dropping into fields.
Thursday.
Non-birding day with just a local ringed Black-headed Gull of interest. With just a metal ring, no camera and the ring upside down no chance of any details.
Wednesday.
A slow, quiet and overcast day with a sharp northerly making the north brooks an eye-watering experience. At Westmead two Peregrines, one of which went on a spirited chase after a corvid which had been mobbing it; the crow was lucky to get away. Much closer in, a few Snipe and Black-tailed Godwits were giving great views along with a good number of the usual wildfowl. Nice to catch up with JAN and friends. A couple of Stonechats were distant but one along the new path was much closer; a handful of M'ipits were flushed up onto the fence wires.
A chat with new local birder RB whilst getting distant flight views of a single Ruff.
The heathland was birdless and if there were any Woodlarks in Upperton's Field they weren't showing.
With RS promptly posting Siberian Chiffchaff at Coldwaltham in his SDOS report it seemed worth dropping in on the way home. Luckily, some glorious late-afternoon sun had popped up under the clouds and made it easy to pick up one possible and one definite Sibe, the latter posing very close and well lit whilst it preened; as good as the Steyning bird from eight years back but sadly not vocal. Always the way when the camera is at home!! Also a nice Grey Wagtail.
Tuesday
A short visit to TH with high water levels on the scrapes in an attempt to clear the islands of vegetation prior to spring gull and Avocet breeding.
Male Marsh Harrier and two each of Stonechat and Raven.
