Beachy/Cissbury/Pulborough (23-25 August 2014)

Monday 25 August.  A wet bank holiday so I went to Pulborough and stood at the Hanger for a couple of hours.  During that time I saw Wood, Green (6) and Common Sandpipers, Ruff (4), Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit (4), Snipe and Dunlin - a nice selection of waders.  Also 20 Sand Martins and 40 Swallows.

Sunday 24 August.  We took advantage of nice weather and Megan and I had a pleasant walk around Cissbury seeing 3 Spotted Flycatchers, Redstart, 4 Whinchats, 19 Whitethroats, 9 Blackcaps, 7 Willow Warblers, 4 Yellowhammers, a Buzzard and 2 Grey Partridges.  I also heard a Tree Pipit flying over but could not locate it.  Surprisingly the only hirundines seen were 3 Swallows.  An evening low tide visit to the Adur produced nothing amongst the 250+ Herring Gulls but 41 Ringed Plover, 14 Dunlin and a Whimbrel made the visit worthwhile while a pre-roost flock of 70 House Sparrows was notable.

view from Cissbury Ring looking east to Southwick Power Station, one and a half piers, Brighton Marina & Newhaven Harbour west arms, Seaford Head and  Birling,

view from Cissbury Ring looking west to Littlehampton Gas Works, Bognor Butlins, Selsey peninsular and the Isle of Wight.  Pity the breeding Bee-eaters weren't a bit further east.

Saturday 23 August.  A morning at Beachy with the usual suspects turned out to be better than I was expecting with a juvenile Cuckoo, a Swift, a steady but unspectacular passage of Sand Martins and Swallows (62 and 100 respectively), 9 House Martins, two Buzzards directly overhead and a Turnstone with a flock of feral Rock Doves.  Other migrants were 6 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Tree Pipits flying over, 4 Whinchats, 3 Wheatears, 2 Sedge and a Garden Warbler, a Lesser and 32 Common Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps and 16 Willow Warblers.

juvenile Cuckoo at Birling Gap

it has a long dangerous journey ahead of it and we hope it makes it back in 8 months time

Thursday 21 August.  A Peregrine on Southwick Power Station chimney and a pair of Mute Swans with 2 small cygnets near the lock-gates.

Wednesday 20 August.  2 Wheatears on Southwick Beach on my way to work with 2 on Hove pitch & putt and 4 on the beach on my way home.

Tuesday 19 August.  2 Wheatears on Southwick Beach on my way home.

Monday 18 August.  A Peregrine on Southwick Power Station chimney.

Thursday 14 August.  This spring a Savannah Sparrow allegedly photographed at Lancing Ring was shown to have been taken in the USA because of the type of barbed wire it was sitting on (excellent detective work).  Unfortunately the perpetrator is not the only Ornithological Fraudster who has tried to pass off foreign holiday snaps as having been taken in Sussex. Should it be tried on again an example of the barbed wire used in northern Colombia might be a helpful reference.

barbed wire, Los Flamencos Sanctuary, Guajira.