Beachy Head & River Adur (1 September 2012)

28-31 August.  A few bits during the week included single Wheatears on Hove Lagoon Pitch & Putt on 28th and Southwick Beach on 31st, 4 Sandwich Terns in Shoreham Harbour on 28th and 1-2 Peregrines on Southwick Power Station chimney most days.

1 September.  John King & I birded the usual areas at Beachy (except Cow Gap and Whitbred Hollow) from 06:30-14:30 with a side trip round Cornish Farm & Long Down with Simon Linington & Geoff Gowlett.  I saw 2-3 Hobbys, 2 Peregrines, 2 Sparowhawks, 22 Oystercatchers, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10+ Sand Martins, 300+ Swallows, 25+ House Martins, 3 Tree Pipits, 100+ Yellow Wagtails (including a flock of 80-90 at Cornish Farm), 4 Redstarts, 17 Whinchats, 5 Wheatears, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 16 Common Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps, 16 Chiffchaffs, 14 Willow Warblers and 7 Spotted Flycatchers.

I then tried for the Osprey on the Adur again feeling the Passies Pond/Dacre Gardens area might offer the best chance as the lower Adur was likely to be more disturbed due to the Shoreham Airshow. I was there at 15:30 and was starting to walk back at 16:38 when the Osprey flew over from the north.  It flew around Passies Pond for 5-6 minutes before flying back north.  Also in the area were 6 Little Egrets, a Dunlin, 11 Common Sandpipers, a Swift and 50+ Swallows.

Peregrines on the cliff at Beachy

Spotted Flycatcher at Beachy

Osprey heading south down the Adur at Dacre Gardens

it flew right over my head

it wasn't the biggest thing in the sky though

Vulcan visiting the Shoreham Airshow

over beeding Quarry