a quiet early August in Sussex

Saturday 13 August. I spent four hours along the eastern side of Pagham Harbour, mainly on the North Wall. A good selection of waders of which Little Stint, Ruff, 6 Greenshank and 5 Spotted Redshank were the best. There were few birds in the harbour with, very surprisingly no Mediterranean Gulls at all and I was unable to locate a Yellow-legged Gull seen by others. 2 Whimbrel and a Peregrine on a kill were some compensation while I counted 17 Little Grebes on Pagham Lagoon and 17 Long-tailed Tits in a mixed flock. an afternoon walk around the Adur with Megan was notable for some WW1 vintage aeroplanes coming in to 'roost' from Eastbourne Airbourne airshow and North Thames Herring Gull Z9HT.

Little Stint on the breech Pool at Pagham

waders on the Breech Pool

juvenile Peregrine with one of its first kills, a pigeon

Herring Gull Z9HT, I'd previously seen it on the Adur in early April

approaching Shoreham Airport 

Friday 12 August. Megan and I walked around Wolstenbury and Newtimber Hills. Superb views from the former but few birds with 4 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers and 2 Spotted Flycatchers the only migrants.

view west from Wolstenbury

Truleigh Hill and Chanctonbury distant left and right respectively

view NNW from Newtimber Hill

Wednesday 10 August. A walk around Mill Hill with Megan produced more warblers than my visit to Beachy had, just, with 16 Common and 2 Lesser Whitethroats and 6 Willow Warblers.  Also single Sand and house Martins and 2 Swallows flew west. I cycled to Worthing to have my eyes tested seeing a Ringed Plover and 11 Dunlin on the Adur on the way back. No Swifts over our road but about 50 House Sparrows in the back garden.

view SW from Mill Hill

Chalkhill Blue

Common Blue

Painted Lady

Wall

House Sparrows in our garden

Monday/Tuesday 8/9 August. No sign of any Swifts over our road.

Sunday 7 August. I met JK at Birling at 06:30 and we walked around for five hours. hampered by very low cloud (down to the Old Trapping Area) and a freshening wind we saw little. A brief Hobby was the only bird of note with just 9 Common and a Lesser Whitethroat and 4 Willow Warblers the only warblers seen. We also saw single Rock Pipit, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer while 7 Sand Martins and 5 Swallows flew west. 12 Swifts over our house in the evening but they look to have been my last sightings.

Saturday 6 August. Megan and I walked around Arundel Park seeing a Red Kite, Gadwall and 4 Mediterranean Gulls. Still 11 Swifts over our house in the evening.

looking up the Arun Valley from Arundel Park

Arundel Park trig point, Megan and an unusual view of the Burgh

Friday 5 August. With Megan retired from her work job I've switched my days to have Wednesday and Friday off rather than Wednesday and Thursday. taking advantage of a nice day we went to Pulborough where we saw Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Marsh Harrier, 9 Mandarins, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Treecreepers and a nice selection of commoner butterflies. Still 9 Swifts over our house in the evening.

Little Ringed Plover from West Mead Hide

look, no wing bar

Meadow Brown

Peacock

Thursday 4 August. A dusk 14 Swifts were zooming over our house like the Red Arrows.