And they're off....

A quick dash over to Blashford was not quite quick enough as I missed an Ibsley Water Otter, possibly disturbed by Bob's Tuesday work party, by just minutes!! Very little on offer barring a distant Black-necked Grebe although the P-fG and R-bG were both seen by PDW later. Brambling and Walter plus a couple more Goosanders on Ivy Lake were the only note-bookable birds.

A brief stop on the way home was rewarded with a nice adult Gos displaying in the bright and breezy conditions at 1:15; my earliest new year displaying record although that may be more to do with unsuitable days in January typically. Not a single other species seen nor heard.

Back at Broadmarsh, just the still-distant Great Northern Diver and a bit of digiscoping practice; think a new battery in the V1 may be a better option than the SLR and 'fast fifty'; time will tell.

Roadside Redshank amongst boats

Logpile - insect habitat

Ivy

On arrival the sea was too grey and choppy for much; a dozen or so Eiders were flying around, disturbed off the water by three jetskiers. The roosting waders, watched from the restaurant, were disturbed by a drone being used to film boating action. The Ruff was in amongst 100+ godwits from Meadow Hide and the male harrier was distant along with three Buzzards and a Kestrel. A Water Rail was squealing in the same place as lsst visit.
Surprise find of a new book about Keyhaven area by Eddie Wiseman which I purchased and which reminded me he'd shown me my first Razorbill at Farlington off the point in December '67.

Last of the gang

A few pixels on a Cettis

If only they were rare....

One of a gazillion tree rats..

New pancake

After yesterday, back to grey. No sign of Black Redstart at Fort Cumberland altough police dog units were on site - presumably they use this sh#t hole for training! From the ferry a single Shag.

Further round at Broadmarsh the Long-tailed Duck took a short flight before landing and bathing and the Great Northern Diver came up with a crab or somesuch. Most grebes and mergs etc were just too far away to pick out much. A group of ten Goldeneyes featured three displaying males tossing their heads back. Passerine-wise just singles of Rock Pipit and Grey Wagtail.

Back home the 50mm Canon pancake lens was on the doormat. Looks pretty sharp so far.

Well I wasn't expecting those..

An uneventful drive into Pulborough via Waltham today, the first nice, still, sunny day for a while - gorgeous visibility.
With none in Hants this winter and so very few in Sussex I mused that I may not see Bewick's Swan this winter. On arrival at the tearoom for a reviving coffee and - low and behold - 10 sleeping white blobs out on the south brooks could only be Bewicks!!
A pair of local, and territorial, Mute Swans sailed in and the Bewick's woke up but 10v2 dissuaded the Mute's from kicking off!!

The odd flyover Siskin call and a few Redwings but sadly no Hawfinches on the way to Westmead with Ann. In the hide Graham and Alan pointed me to the ridiculously distant Little Owl; five Golden Plovers called and wheeled around with a single Ruff amongst 1000+ Lapwing when disturbed by the four post-sitting Buzzards and single Peregrine doing the same. A handful of Skylarks were silent but obvious.

Three Reed Buntings after Redstart Corner were also NfY.

Mike Tucker told me the Temminck's was on view from the hanger but just as distant as usual but with good light you could just imagine yellow legs!! A Treecreeper was on the big tree behind the seat and another 1000 Lapwing were nervous with the (or another) Peregrine circling and stooping off out to the east.

Nothing on the way back via the church barring a group of four Jays.

Lunch (Pork Casserole) while chatting to Gary about Argentina, Falklands cruise - Penguins and Albatrosses😀😀

Later at WWT the usual Firecrest with three Goldcrests , a couple more flyover Siskins and two very noisy Peregrines - not the usual pair but one of the pair chasing off an intruder with lots of 'kekking' sounding really 'wild country' with no wind nor background noise. Caught up with Janet and David and his daughter as the first of two Marsh Harriers came into roost from Scrape Hide and finally, from the wicker view screen, two pairs of Mandarins. No passerines roosting in the reeds other than the odd Reed Bunting.

Pesky Purps

Another flat, grey, soulless day spent close to home with just one calling Chiffchaff locally and fourteen Purple Sandpipers playing hard to get by roosting on the green Castle buoy. Luckily for me they were flushed by a gull and eventually settled nervously on the rocks before flying again, re-settling further along and then getting on with feeding. Another Shag, younger and different from Saturday's bird plus two Rock Pipits, one being particularly confiding and sporting a noticeable white flash on its head.
No camera today.

Sh#t birding weather

Dry but horribly grey and cold in the wind. Car headlamps on all through the day and impossible to read/write at home without lights on. Really depressing.
Twelve Common Scoter and just two Eiders offshore and managed to miss out on a GND heading into Southampton Water earlier. Nothing on the east side except a close, flushed Water Rail, one harrier,  two very noisy Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a few Redwings.

Tried north end of Billy Line which produced just a single Black-necked Grebe and seven Goldeneyes. From the Broadmarsh boatramp plenty of common birds little out in the harbour  - the shellfish dredger was up and down so may have disturbed the divers/LTD etc.

About 50 very confiding Wigeon were trying to feed up against the base of the channel wall just inland of the boatramp.

Needless to say no new-for-year species today.