It's always a bit odd being away from home at this time of year, especially a totally different country. After eight days in Türkiye with Ed Stubbs and Dave Brassington (my first overseas trip for four years - blog post on that coming soon, once I've sorted through the hundreds of photos!), it was a bit of a shock to the system to return to England just as spring is about done and dusted here. Indeed, as I'm writing this we are now just a few hours away from the start of meteorological summer, though you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise if you've spent more than a few minutes in the north-easterly wind in the past few days!
This year, perhaps more than ever, I've felt on a number of occasions as though I've wished it possible to press pause on spring, just for a few days. As ever, it's been a frenetic rollercoaster ride of a season from a birding perspective and, in many ways, felt more 'normal' weather-wise too. Perhaps that's why I feel a little bit robbed having reached summer already when it feels like spring only really properly got going a few weeks ago.
Still, May has delivered some great surprises locally, not least the Golden Oriole I found at Knepp last week, combined with the added excitement of seeing what scarce species are settling down to breed in the area. And all to a backdrop of blissful Hawthorn fragrance, in what must be one of the most spectacular displays for this species in recent years. I'm not sure about casting the clouts just yet though...
20th May
My first full day back in England saw me heading down to Dorset with Kate and B for a family wedding. Not much to report on the bird front really aside from a few Mediterranean Gulls low over the A27 and a Firecrest calling by the petrol station near Stoney Cross.
At the wedding venue near Dorchester highlights included several flyover Ravens along with a Peregrine.
21st May
An impressive dawn chorus at the Winyard's Gap inn near Beaminster included Cuckoo and a rather out of context flyover Siskin.
Back in Sussex later in the day and the first local walk for over a week produced a few Swifts, the first local Starling fledglings of the year and a Pied Wagtail carrying food.
22nd May
WeBS count a day late this morning, and the private site near Petworth produced just a Common Sandpiper, a couple of Gadwall and a singing Cuckoo of note. Later in the morning, a walk round woodland near Fittleworth produced three Cuckoos (two singing males and a bubbling female) as well as a Spotted Flycatcher investigating nest holes.
En route back from a Knepp Nightingale Safari later, I stopped off briefly by the heath at Pulborough to hear my first UK churring Nightjar of the year.
23rd May
Highlights from a Knepp safari this morning included a Knepp tick Common Sandpiper in flight over the Hammer Pond along with a Kingfisher and active Great Crested Grebe nest here.
On the way home I again stopped off for a lunchtime session at Pulborough - my first proper daytime visit for a couple of weeks. My main target was the Turnstone found earlier in the day by Gary T. I'm pleased to say I quickly connected with this at Winpenny (only my second on the reserve), from where I also enjoyed good views of at least 15 Ringed Plover, two Black-tailed Godwits and a single Greenshank, while Whimbrel and Little Ringed Plover were heard here but not seen. Non-wader highlights included singing Cuckoo, at least 5 Nightingales and a late female Pintail on the North Brooks.
 |
| Turnstone and Ringed Plover (typically distant!) |
 |
| Black-tailed Godwit |
24th May
Back at Knepp this morning for another White Stork Safari, which turned into a really memorable one! It had been good anyway, with great views of the various chicks on the stork nests, plus at least three Turtle Doves. Just as I was preparing to wrap up and take the group back to base, a familiar but somewhat out of context song caught my attention and I suddenly realised I was listening to a Golden Oriole - in Sussex! A first for me round these parts and a lifer for many of my group, we followed the sound of its whistling and screeching, managing to get pretty close to it, but sadly never managed to clap eyes on it. It was heard again by others later in the day but seemingly gone by the following morning.
Later in the day I swung past the private reservoir near Petworth, on my way up to Aldershot. The clear highlight here was my first view of a Ringed Plover on the deck at this site (previously only a heard only record last year). It was good to hear the Willow Warbler still singing nearby, which surely must be paired up by now. Quite an unusual breeding site if so.
25th May
Another busy day of safaris at Knepp, first in the Walled Garden in the morning, where the main highlights were moths and other inverts, although flyover Raven and Red Kite added some avian interest. I was back in the Southern Block in the afternoon for my first vehicle safari of the season, the best bit of which was a Kingfisher carrying a fish in flight across the Hammer Pond.
26th May
After dropping B at nursery this morning I dropped in at Waltham Brooks for my first proper walk there in over two weeks. It turned out to be a good little session, with 50 species recorded in 50 minutes, including a Curlew low over the river and main lake, heading towards Coldwaltham village, 2 Little Egrets, a drake Shoveler and a few Gadwall on the main lake and at least 40 Sand Martins hawking overhead.
 |
| Curlew |
 |
| Sedge Warbler |
 |
| White-tailed Eagle |
27th May
A full-on day of safari-ing at Knepp didn't leave any time for my own birding. Nonetheless, it was a great day on the estate, including Turtle Dove, Cuckoo and Nightingale singing simultaneously near Tory Copse (the same area the Golden Oriole was in on Wednesday).
28th May
A dawn start this morning saw me heading over to Pulborough to enjoy some more of the protracted wader fest the reserve is hosting this spring. Sadly, the Sanderling (which would have been a site tick for me) from the previous day was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the Turnstone. Still, a decent selection of waders were on offer including 32 Ringed Plover, 5 Greenshank, a single Dunlin and 6 Avocet chicks from Winpenny and 2 Common Sandpipers and singles of Black-tailed Godwit and an unexpected breeding plumage Golden Plover on the North Brooks. Other highlights from 2.5 hours on the reserve included singing Cuckoo, and a pair of Shoveler on the Mid Brooks along with an unusually high count of 22 Gadwall.
 |
| Recently fledged Rooks |
29th May
Not much birding today aside from a couple of short-ish walks round the local fields and lanes, the highlights of which were the noisy post-breeding flock of Starlings (60-70 at least now) and a presumed family group of 4 Ravens, circling and tumbling high overhead. Nightingales were heard still singing briefly near Besley Farm and Thorndale Bridge.
30th May
After dropping B at nursery this morning I stopped at Waltham Brooks for another loop down the river and round the main lake. The blustery north-easterly was an unwelcome addition but there were still plenty of birds about: 44 species in less than an hour wasn't too bad. Highlights included two Cuckoos (a singing male over towards Amberley and a female in flight up the river) and an unusually high count of 14 Mute Swans (2 on the main lake and 12 on the river). A drake Shoveler was still loitering on the main lake among the Mallards and Gadwall too, which is one I'm keeping an eye on.
In the evening I headed over to the private site near Petworth again which produced a hundred-strong mixed flock of Swifts and Sand Martins feeding over the reservoir, with a few Swallows mixed in. No terns or waders of note though, sadly, though 4 Little Ringed Plovers were on the shoreline.
31st May
Not loads of birding today, aside from leading a White Stork Safari at Knepp in the morning, highlights of which (aside from the many active stork nests) included great views of a Turtle Dove (and another heard only), Cuckoo and still a couple of Nightingales singing too.
In passing, I checked out the pool at Southlands Farm in West Chiltington which proved to be pretty productive for waders last year. At the moment, the water level is still too high so Coots, Egyptian and Canada Geese and Mallards were the order of the day. One I'll certainly be keeping an eye on in the coming weeks though.
 |
| Until May is out! |
No comments:
Post a Comment