Little of note in West Sussex (11-17 June)

Sunday 17 June. A three hour circuit on the Downs above Lancing with Cookie produced only my third sighting of a House Martin this year (!!), a Grey and 2 Red-legged Partridges, a Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, 19 Swifts, a Swallow, 17 very noisy Sky Larks, 3 Meadow Pipits and 13 Corn Buntings. The two Great Black-backed Gull chicks on the roof behind our garden continue to grow with one or both adults always in attendance. In the evening 4 Swifts were seen over the garden.

Corn Bunting

Steepdown

Red-legged Partridge near Cow Bottom

Kestrel

Saturday 16 June. We tried a seawatch from Shoreham Fort in the morning but 5 Sandwich Terns and a flock of about 10 distant presumed Common Scoter were all that was seen moving. Very little was on the Adur and later at Mill Hill Megan and I saw a Buzzard, a Swallow and some Pyramidal Orchids and heard Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Five Swifts over the garden in the evening and the Great Black-backed Gull family opposite.

Great Black-backed Gull chicks

gulls on Shoreham Beach. Nothing picked out amongst them although with most sitting down they could have been wearing a selection of colour-rings 

Pyramid Orchid at Mill Hill

Friday 15 June. Megan and I took Cookie up onto the Downs above Southwick seeing 3 Buzzards, 4 Swifts, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Yellowhammers and a Corn Bunting. Just one Swift over the garden in the evening and the Great Black-backed Gull family opposite.

Thursday 14 June. Seven Swifts over the garden in the evening and the Great Black-backed Gull family opposite.

Wednesday 13 June. Megan and I took Cookie along the beach from Widewater to Lancing Beach Green and back. We saw 6 Little Egrets, a Kestrel and just one Mute Swan cygnet. Four Swifts over the garden in the evening and the Great Black-backed Gull family opposite.

feeding time for Great Black-backed Gull chicks

it didn't look very appetising

yarn-bombed beach hut at Widewater

flowers on the beach were just as colourful

as was this Yellowhammer on Southwick Hill

Monday/Tuesday 11/12 June. At least 10 Swifts over the garden in the evening and the Great Black-backed Gull family opposite.