Great Black-backed Gulls

Wednesday 5 July. A pair of Mute Swans with 4 cygnets were by the lock-gates as I cycled to the dentist. Later Megan and I took Cookie for a walk on Mill Hill seeing Kestrel, 3 Swallows, Sky Lark and Whitethroat. In the evening the Great Black-backed Gull family were on the roof opposite. 

Tuesday 4 July.  Three Swifts over the house and a Peregrine was sitting on the Power Station when I cycled to work. In the evening one of the Great Black-backed Gull parents regurgitated what looked like a squid although BWP doesn't appear to list squid amongst a large list of prey items. I'd guess it was a reject from a fishing boat?

dinner time

its coming

lovely bit of squid

it appeared to be too much for the youngsters to manage so the adult attempted to swallow it again

and succeeded

Monday 3 July. A Peregrine was sitting on the Power Station when I cycled to work. In the evening Stock Dove, Swift and the three large Great Black-backed Gull young were seen from the garden.

juvenile Great Black-backed Gull and nest

this one was a bit more alert

Sunday 2 July. A morning walk around Beeding Hill with Cookie was expectedly quiet, apart from 10 noisy Sky Larks. Later we went to Pulborough seeing a Marsh Harrier (from Hale's Viewpoint )and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Goats on Beeding Hill

these must be the cleanest goats I've ever seen

 


Saturday 1 July. Megan and I took Cookie from Cuckoo's Corner almost to Dacre Gardens seeing 12 Little Egrets, 6 Grey Herons, a Reed Warbler and 2 Reed Buntings.

very juvenile Black-headed Gull by the Adur

Reed Bunting singing near Coombes

Friday 30 June. Megan and I took Cookie to Shoreham Fort and Widewater seeing 3 Little Egrets, 4 Turnstones and the Mute Swan family with 4 cygnets. In the evening Stock Dove, 10 Swifts and an adult and three large Great Black-backed Gull young were seen from the garden.

Great Black-backed Gulls at Glebe Close

large enough to be left on their own, safe from marauding crows

Wednesday 28 June. I took Cookie for a walk around Mill Hill seeing single Sky Lark, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff and 5 Greenfinches. Later one of the pair of Great Black-backed Gulls which had been hanging around Glebe Close for some weeks that I had basically forgotten about was on the roof there with at least two large chicks. It is just over a km from the entrance to Shoreham Harbour and the Howard Kent warehouse where they have been breeding for a few years so no great surprise, other than there doubtless being plenty of as/more suitable roofs nearer the sea.

Monday 26 June. A Peregrine was sitting on the Power Station when I cycled to work and 5 Swifts were over the house in the evening. 

Sunday 25 June. Megan and I took Cookie to Cissbury seeing 3 Kestrels, 70 Swifts moving NE, Green Woodpecker, Sky Lark, male Stonechat, Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Yellowhammers.

Yellowhammer at Cissbury