Mid May in mid Sussex (12-18 May)

Friday 18 May. An enjoyable walk with Cookie from Woods Mill to Streatham Manor and back looked to be more about what I'd seen than heard although Turtle Dove going from heard to seen towards the end just about tipped the balance in favour of seen. Seen were 2 Egyptian Geese, 10 Lapwings (and 2 half-sized chicks), Turtle Dove, Barn Owl, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 8 Sky Larks, 4 Swallows, a female Stonechat, 2 Reed Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Bullfinches and 4 Yellowhammers. I only heard Cuckoo, Nightingale and Cetti's Warbler. Later just 2 Oystercatchers on the Adur but it was high tide.

day flying Barn Owl near Streatham Manor

it was on view from at least 08:40-08:50 and again around 10:15

juvenile Long-tailed Tit

half-grown Lapwing chick

Reed Bunting

Egyptian Geese near Streatham Manor

Wednesday 16 May. I took Cookie to the southern section of the Knepp Estate seeing 3 Tufted Duck, Red Kite, Lapwing, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Cuckoos, 3 Swifts, a Green & 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nightingale, Lessert Whitethroat (3 heard), 4 Garden Warblers and a Bullfinch.

Garden Warbler on the Knepp Estate

Turtle Dove

Cookie wanting to be friendly

Tuesday 15 May. A lovely warm, still cloudless evening seemed ideal to do my first Woodcock Survey of the year at Lavington. If it was then they are in serious trouble as I only had one sighting, of two birds. 3 Nightjar sightings and a Cuckoo did little to mitigate my disappointment.

Lavington Common

Monday 14 May. In the evening five Swifts were flying high over the garden.

Sunday 13 May. Megan and I took Cookie to Chantry Hill and walked along the South Downs to Rackham Hill seeing 3 Red Kites, 5 Buzzards, 2 Grey Partridges, 9 Sky Larks, 2 Meadow Pipits, 9 Yellowhammers and a Corn Bunting. Yesterday's Whimbrel was still on the Adur at low tide as well as a North Thames Herring Gull I had seen there in March. 

dead mole on the Downs, I've never seen a live one

Yellowhammer in full song

a very under-rated species

Mr and Mrs

Herring Gull A9XT on the Adur

Saturday 12 May. I took Cookie up to Truleigh Hill where we saw 2 Peregrines, 10 Sky Larks, a female Wheatear, Yellowhammer and 4 Corn Buntings. Early evening's low tide on the Adur produced a Whimbrel and 2 North Thames colour-ringed Herring Gulls (one I'd seen there before and a new one). 

Whimbrel on the Adur

Herring Gull X6NT (also seen on the Adur in November 2015)