Migration mysteries

The anticyclonic conditions with a persistent north east to east wind, up to F6 some days, appears to have become a permanent weather fixture and set to continue for the forseeable. Interestingly at first it appeared to put the breaks on migration but it seems now that birds are increasingly pushing into it which has a resulted in another pulse of overshoots and drift migrants, again in the West and Ireland. For example yesterday in a short distance on Bryher, Scillies there was a huge fall of migrants including 2 Hoopoes, 100 Wheatears, 85 Black Redstarts, 180+ Phylloscs, 3 Ring Ouzel, 17 Tree Pipit, 250 Song Thrush and more. Megas have included 2 Alpine Accentors, one yesterday in Cornwall and one today not far away on the Isle of Wight. Hoopoes continue to have a record breaking Spring with birds getting closer now with one at Bough Beech and another on the Isle of Wight today. The Alpine Swift at the Bill yesterday fits in with everything that's going on- presumably an overshoot that arrived in the West and was re-orientating back to the continent (it was heading east). 

Presumably this is all helps to explain why there have been so few common summer migrants round here. They have been pushed much further west? There have been large numbers of hirundines moving up the west coast and at sites in Lancashire too and Portland's flyway seems to be pretty busy too over the last few days and there were large movements up the Severn Estuary also. Little Gulls are all over inland reservoirs (mainly yesterday), only a few off the coast here so presumably moving up from further west so it all points towards a huge westerly displacement of the main flightlines with birds increasing desperate to move north despite the very significant drift and displacing wind.   

Presumably the volume of birds involved is increasing because today there were actually quite a few summer migrants around here. At the Selsey Bill Seawatch this morning we had 4 Yellow Wagtails going over,  an arrival of Chiffchaffs/Willow Warblers (I counted 10 along the frontage), 5 Common Tern east, a steady drip of Swallows and Sand Martin and a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Goldfinches (my vis mig counts HERE, full log HERE). I popped into Chichester Gravel Pits looking for Little Gulls but nothing except a Swallow, some Chiffs and a Blackcap. In the evening I did East Side where additional summer migrants included a cracking male Redstart (found this morning) in the Horse Paddocks, another Swallow, four House Martins over Pagham Lagoon, Blackcap and more Chiffchaffs. Ebird list HERE, 58 species of about 800 individuals including 2 Pintail still, 12 Barwits, 1 Knot and 1 Cattle Egret.

Certainly feeling like summer migrants are finally breaking in round here,  Yellow Wagtail, Common Tern, Redstart and House Martin were all local patch year ticks - now on 143 for the year. 

Willow/Chiff- looks like a Willow Warbler with those pale legs and white underparts

Male Redstart at the Horse Paddocks

Meadow Pipit- a steady trickle overhead today but this one came down on the Oval Field 

Sandwich Tern battling into the wind- surprisingly it was more about passerines this morning fighting the wind than waterbirds

The Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel is coming along nicely

Barwits, Grey Plovers and Dunlins- everything looks pretty drab in this group, not much moulting into breeding plumage- maybe a group of non-breeding birds left over from the winter population

Selsey Bill Seawatch this morning

The moth trap was less busy last night. Muslin moth was a NFY and Derek and Mike assisted in identifing these two micros- probably a Mompha divisella (above) but prefereably a gen dent job and a Common Slender, Gracillaria syringella (below)

Recent moths at Little Oak Lodge

I've been stuck at the Homestead working and on family duty for the last couple of days (which cost me the Alpine Swift over The Bill this morning). However the moth trap has been getting more interesting with 25 species of nearly 60 individuals this morning- the best single night return this year so far. Now on 438 species for the garden as we pick off the classic Spring collection and 47 species for the year. 

After dropping Jacob off at school I popped into Birdham Pool- just a couple of Sand Martins and a Willow Warbler. Had a couple of Swallow over the garden yesterday while working with Matt - now on 139 for the local patch year list. 

I took a walk yesterday evening from here to the Ferry and then along the tram line to Mill Pond and back- still shocked by how few summer migrants. There was a gathering of about 150 Sandwich Tern at Church Norton which I could see distantly but that was it in the way of summer migrants- Ebird list HERE. I could only see a single Wigeon in the harbour and haven't seen a Pintail in a few days. The only Brents have had recently were two at Medmerry - looks like most winter birds now gone with the harbour looking pretty empty overall. 

This evening I took Isaac out with the stroller and we walked to Mill Lane Marsh and then back via Ferry. Highlights including 1 Willow Warbler singing at Mill Lane duck pond, 2 Swallow over the Marsh and 2 Green Sandpiper and a Spotted Redshank in the Ferry Channel. 

The first Chocolate-tip of the year is always a welcome sight

The first Frosted Green for the year- a sure sign that Spring is advancing. Also Lunar Marbled Browns yesterday- another sign that we are getting there. 

Quite a subtle marked Powdered Quaker

What looks like an unseasonal Mottled Rustic

Blossom Underwing- the most delicate of the Spring Orthosias

Getting quite a few Agonopoterix. Amongst the Alstromeriana and heracliana there seems to be some yeatiana (below) and maybe subpropinquella (above) and also a single arenella (below that) and also what might be a propinquella (below that). I guess some of these could do with gen dent. 

Least Sandpiper, Stilt Pool, Medmerry

A bit of excitement today. I was doing my paperwork when a message came in regarding a Little Stint on Stilt Pool found by Paul Bowley. As I spent last week hoping for a long shot and looking for the Least Sandpiper from Hampshire that might head this way (especially if its the same as the wintering Somerset bird that headed in this direction- see non-overlapping but widely spaced out dates HERE- thanks for the tip-off Simon! ) my initial response was asking Paul if he had seen it well to make sure it wasn't the Least. A few photos circulated and Ian Pitts noticed the yellow legs and suggested it was indeed a Least or Temmincks and then a close up photo was shared that was conclusive that it was indeed a Least Sand- only the second record for the Peninsula, the last one a real blocker from July 1995. 

I stopped doing my paperwork and rushed over there. What a little cracker .

I had to get back for 3pm for the school run and on the way a Red Kite flew over the Easton road and then as I approached our house a Spoonbill flew over! After what has been a rather slow start to Spring today was very much appreciated.  

The yellow-green legs are the main identification feature but other features include a barely visible primary projection (actually quite a visible projection on this particular bird which could be due to tertial wear), a wing-tip that falls short of the tail , relatively large dark centres to the scapulars and an overall greyish brown colouration, a very compact structure and small size with very slightly down-curved bill with a proportionally fine tip. The wavey fringes to the coverts are a distinctive feature (this bird seems to show a wavey fringe to the visible middle tertial). The only other stint that shares these feaures is Long-toed Stint but diagnostically Long-toed has a broken supercilium that does not reach the bill base and structurally it's longer necked and reminiscent of a small Wood Sandpiper which is accentuated by it's even broader dark centred scapulars and in flight the legs typically trail beyond the legs (pics HERE of the St.Aidan's bird). 

Least Sandpiper with Dunlins- the world's smallest wader

The bird can be aged as a second-calender year/first-winter due to contrast between the scapulars and mantle and the coverts. The wavey edges to the greater coverts are visible in this spread wing image. The contrast between the juvenile wing and the moulted mantle scapulars is not so great on this bird and actually quite subtle to my eye. See the image below (bottom imgae) of what I presume is an adult winter Least Sandpiper from Terceira island, the Azores where the feathers between the upperpart plumage tracts appear less contrasting and more uniform in shape too- the coverts look broader in the presumed adult (bottom Least Sand image below) 

Mating Avocets and Least Sandpiper 

The unbroken supercilium is shown in this image and those large dark centre scapulars. That primary projection which isn't supposed to be there is also showing. It could be down to wear of the overlying tertials or just a bit of individual variation. 

First-winter Least Sandpiper, Medmerry 

A juvenile/first-winter Least Sandpiper from September, Terceira, the Azores. These birds start off pretty rusty looking when younger which seemingly wears off over the winter. 

What I presume is an adult winter Least Sandpiper (Terceira, the Azores, February ) showing much less contrast between scapular/mantle and the coverts than the bird today. The shape of these coverts look more rounded too. 

I can't find a decent photo of a first-winter Little Stint that I've taken but here's an adult winter from Terciera showing the longer visible primary projection reaching slightly beyond the tail and the overail more pale grey upperparts and less extensively dark scapulars- and of course- the black legs. 

Finally Temminck's Stint (a first-winter from Terceira) - also has greenish legs but Temminck's is quite a unique stint, with a rather crouched posture, noticeable primary projection and overall really quite plain with generally quite a solid breast band, an overall brownish plumage colouration, a weak supercilium mainly before the eye and lacks the dark centred scapulars of Least Sand/Long-toed Stint. The scauplars internal markings are fine streaks in winter/younger plumages and in summer develops thick blotchy black centres in scattered feathers. 

Red Sword-grass

Been on the top of the wish list for a while now so really quite pleased to find this by the trap yesterday morning. A lifer. 

A bit of a south-west Sussex speciality by the looks of it: HERE. According to the Sussex Moth Group site there have been 41 previous records in the county.

Quiet few days

A period of anticyclonic conditions and north east winds has become established over the last few days and is forecasted to continue for the rest of the week. Barely anything is moving off the coast and there are very small number of migrants around too. 

The theme of there being more migrants (e.g. Sand Martins, Swallows and Willow Warblers) at the old patch of Beddington Farmlands than here continues which still surprises me but probably explained by the oasis effect of the farmlands in an urban setting, the broad drop zone round here (and in the shadow of the Isle of Wight) and the overall low number of migrants on the move. After chatting with Ian this morning as I get my head around how things work round here, it is the coast line and particularly at the bill that offers the main migration flyway (waterbirds and other migrants that folllow the coast) and migrants (that cross over land)  are more likely to overshoot the Peninsula and stop off on e.g. The South Downs than drop on the Peninsula particualarly in finer weather. As March draws to end, so far, this has been my worst March for summer migrants in my entire birding life (despite 38 Ebird checklists submitted this month)- only one Wheatear, one Sand Martin, a couple of LRPs, one Sedge Warbler, two Willow Warblers and a few Blackcaps. Not what I was expecting by finally moving to the south coast and 'escaping' inland birding at last. The grass, for spring summer migrants anyway, is yet to be greener and I've been here for nearly nine full months and despite seeing a good bag of them found by other people I still haven't found a nationally scarce or rare bird. Proving to be a tougher nut to crack than I dreamed up but really enjoying working it all out and will be good to actually size up the scale of the mission and the best way to deal with it. 

With enthusiasm for birding quite low it was a good opportunity to get some work done and Matt came over on Sunday and we planted up the car park beds. This morning I joined the Selsey Seawatch but it was very slow HERE so after a tip off from the Hiunters, I picked up Holly and Isaac and we went for a walk on the South Downs at Westdean Woods where in just over an hour we had Goshawk, Hawfinch, Siskins, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Coal Tits and Red Kites. I'm planning on returning here to have a proper look round later in the week while the clear sunny conditions persist.

There's been a few butterflies in the garden including Peacock, Red Admiral, Brimstone and Small White but the moth trap has been pretty quiet as these anticyclonic conditions create cool nights. 

A classic March sight- Adult summer Med Gulls flying over calling. Had about 45 go over the garden on Saturday. Apparantely good numbers are building up on the harbour around Tern Island so hopefully the local colony is re-established this year after a makeover this winter by the RSPB team.

A dribble of migration off the Bill this morning included 4 Shoveler (above), 6 Brents, 5 Common Scoter, 4 Red-throated Diver and a few Mips and Woodpigeons. There were still three Great Northern Divers around , a load of Sandwich Terns and some Mergs too.

Unfortunately the Gos was distant at Westdean so this post will have to make do with this Sparrowhawk that flew past me today.

Raven at Westdean

We had a bit of time to kill on the way back from the South Downs so we stopped off at Chichester Gravel Pits and Birdham Pool. Three Pochard at the Chi Pits was the best there and this close Cormorant at Birdham.

A different type of new arrival did arrive this weekend- our new ducks, Pancake and Crumpet and after a bit of chick ICU a third one arrived yesterday- Muffin.

Another new arrival round here this weekend was Kyle's (our neighbour) first Emu chick. 

It might not be good birding weather but it was nice walking weather- Holly and Isaac

and some evidence that we did do some work too- a new butterfly border. No birds is good news for getting stuff done. 

A few arrivals

Simon let me know that there was a Least Sandpiper on private land in Hampshire on the weekend so I thought I would take a long shot and check out a few wader spots. First plan was to check out Snowshill Marsh but when I arrived there was thick fog so I turned round rather than pay the parking charges there. Instead I checked out Ferry and soon after the fog cleared so I had a walk round the Long Pool and visitors centre to Mill lane and back. 61 species HERE including the first Sedge Warbler and two Willow Warblers for the Peninsula for the year and there was also a Blackcap singing and about 10 Chiffchaffs. Furthermore small flocks of Mips were going over- had about 35 in a couple of hours,. Additionally a second-calender year Red Kite was flying around which basically followed me home as was circling over our lane, a quick message to Andrew and he picked it up over his garden too. A garden tick for me. 

No Least Sand on Ferry, just one LRP, a Spotted Redshank, 6 Avocet, 57 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Snipe and 78 Shoveler. Seems like most of the Wigeon have gone now.

Elsewhere on the Peninsula today a Little Gull was on Chichester Gravel Pits and a Red-crested Pochard was found there too- so all in all a little bit of an arrival of new birds today.

The wind was a light north-westerly so clearly birds are still moving into the light head wind.  

A few butterflies were on the wing including the first Small Whites and also Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Peacocks, Comma and Red Admiral. A Large Tortoiseshell was in Church Norton car park yesterday.  

Second-calender year Red Kite aged by the presence of white streaks on the underparts.

Peacock

Garden Hawfinch

It was a paperwork and earning brownie points day today but despite technically not actually getting out in the field I managed to bag a couple of local year ticks. Before the gang woke up I did the moths and after the school run I did an hour in the garden skywatching. 41 species of 218 indiviudals which isn't bad for the garden HERE The highlight was a cracking Hawfinch going over low calling , a nice movement of Med Gulls and a garden tick, 4 Gadwalls going over. There was also 3 Chiffchaff singing, a Redwing over at first light and Skylark singing overhead too. 

I took Holly out for lunch after picking up Isaac from Forest School and scored a Red Kite from the van over Itchenor. Now on 133 for the Peninsula year list HERE and Gadwall was the 100th species for the garden HERE. Later in the day I was going through some noc-mig recordings and found a calling Coot which was also a garden tick. I'm a bit stuck on noc-mig at the moment because I can't seem to reduce the files small enough to go through quickly. Hopefully will work that out as would be good to do the odd bit especially during big migration periods. 

Hawfinch - nice to actually get a photo of one. This is my 6th record for the garden now although five records presumably relate to a small flock (upto 8 birds) in the area between 23rd October and 1st November last year that kept going over. All records HERE

Med and Black-headed Gulls on the move

Grey Shoulder Knot- the 34th moth species for the year (moth garden list now on 428 after a few early spring ticks).  There were over 60 individual moths in the trap last night. Most of them have been the usual March fare- Common and Small Quaker, Twin-spotted Quaker, Chestnut, Red Chestnut, Clouded Drab, Early Grey, Early Thorn, Hebrew Character, March Moth, Early Reveller, Dotted Border, Oak Beauty, Double-striped Pug,  Common Plume and a few other micros (the two Lichen buttons were nice and nailing the Depressaria daucella and Agnonopterix yeatiana were both lifers). Another Herald this morning which was nice again to see and there has been the odd Satellite and Angle Shades. 

Presumably a Metzneria sp. One for Mike to have a look at. 280325- Redetermined as Brambe False-feather Schreckensteinia festaliella (thanks Colin)  Lifer. Has a distinctive resting pose with its hind legs held obliquely. The only species in its family Schreckensteiniidae, aka Blackberry Skeletoniser as the larvae skeletonise the leaves of Bramble but also Raspberries and ocassionally Hazel and Rose.