West Sussex (25-30 June)

Sunday 30 June. Megan and I took Cookie to Lancing Ring and walked around Steepdown. Great views as usual, a welcome breeze and the usual Sky Larks, Whitethroats (9) and Corn Buntings (14). Back home one or other or both Great Black-backed Gulls were with their chick on the roof behind and a Swift flew over.

Great Black-backed Gull chick wanting breakfast

Ringlet at Lancing Ring

Cissbury Ring

Steepdown

Corn Bunting in poppies

Corn Bunting in Linseed

looking back to Lancing Ring

Saturday 29 June. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill. The hottest day of the year so far with just 3 Whitethroats seen. Back home the Great Black-backed Gulls were on the roof with their chick and 5 Swifts overhead.

Bird's-foot Trefoil on our front lawn (my excuse for not cutting it this week)

Cookie appreciating the shade on Mill Hill

Broomrape at Mill Hill

Great Black-backed Gull family

only one chick seen so far

Magnolia grandiflora in our garden

Friday 28 June. I took Cookie to the Knepp Estate where the shade was much appreciated on a generally birdless hot morning. We saw 2 Turtle Doves, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, a Lesser and 2 Common Whitethroats, Mistle Thrush and 2 Bullfinches.

Painted Lady at Knepp

purring Turtle Dove at Knepp

Great Black-backed Gull with chick from our garden

Thursday 27 June. Megan and I took Cookie up to Kithurst Hill and walked to Blackpatch Hill and Lee Farm. We saw a Buzzard, 30 Swifts, 9 Sky Larks, 5 Whitethroats, 20 Linnets and 14 Corn Buntings. 

Megan heading towards Blackpatch Hill

Cookie keen to get away from Blackpatch Hill and what sounded like sustained Clay Pigeon shooting

approaching Lee Farm

back on the roof 

Wednesday 26 June. At last the Great Black-backed Gulls at Glebelands have a chick.

Great Black-backed Gull at Glebelands

first views of the chick

Tuesday 25 June. I took Cookie to Cuckoo's Corner and we walked up the Adur seeing 2 Grey Herons, 6 Little Egrets, 3 Sky Larks, 12 House Martins (collecting mud and flying up to Lancing College), 11 Reed but no Sedge Warblers, 3 Whitethroats and 11 Reed Buntings. Back in Shoreham the Great Black-backed Gulls were sitting at Glebelands (for the 34th day) and 5 Swifts were feeding overhead.

Reed Bunting singing from a Broad Bean crop

another male Reed Bunting

female Reed Bunting

another singing Reed Bunting

and another

Common Sheep-pecker family at Coombes

Great Black-backed Gull at Glebelands, sitting for the 34th day ...

West Sussex (18-24 June)

Monday 24 June. I took Cookie to West Mill where we walked to the old railway line and back. A Green Sandpiper on the wet area was a pleasant surprise and the Turtle Dove was still present along was not purring. Also seen were a Lapwing, a Buzzard, 3 Swifts, 4 Sky Larks, a Chiffchaff, 2 Reed Warblers, 3 Blackcap, 2 Lesser and 6 Common Whitethroats, 2 Bullfinches, 4 Yellowhammers and 4 Reed Buntings. A Great Black-backed Gull continues to sit on its nest at Glebelands, presumably still on eggs. Both adults incubate and incubation takes 27-28 days beginning with the first or second egg (BWP Vol III p857). I first saw one sitting on the nest on 23 May which makes this day 33 so any day now ...

Turtle Dove at West Mill

still hanging on although this year I've found them easier to see here than at Knepp 

male Beautiful Demoiselle at West Mill

female Beautiful Demoiselle at West Mill

singing Reed Warbler on the levels 

quite a pale looking individual

juvenile Reed Bunting on the levels

it appears to be ringed, hopefully unconnected to its missing tail (which makes it look rather exciting)

singing Reed Bunting

another male Reed Bunting

Scarce Chaser

Yellowhammer at West Mill

Great Black-backed Gull still on its nest

Sunday 23 June. Cookie and I walked a circuit from Lancing Ring to Cowbottom Hovel, Coombe Head and Steep Down. A Cuckoo and a Hobby were nice and we also saw a Buzzard, 2 Grey Partridges, a Swift, a Raven, 18 Sky Larks, 5 House Martins, 6 Whitethroats, a Meadow Pipit, a flock of 90 Linnets and 6 Corn Buntings. A Great Black-backed Gull continues to sit on its nest at Glebelands with 2 Buzzards seen distantly from the garden while looking for Swifts, successfully on this occasion with about 10 high over the garden for 10-15 minutes.

looking East from Lancing Hill

Corn Bunting at Steep Down

Painted Lady

Sky Lark near Steep Down

one of 18 seen on our circuit

poppy field and Steep Down with Cissbury and Chanctonbury in the distance

Cookie, poppy field and Lancing Ring

Saturday 22 June. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill. We saw 2 Sky Larks, a Blackcap, 2 Lesser and 4 Common Whitethroats and a Yellowhammer was heard.

Megan and Cookie on the lower path at Mill Hill

Marbled White on Mill Hill, one of about 15 seen

Harlequin Ladybird larva looking rather sinister

Friday 21 June. Cookie and I walked along the Adur up to Cuckoo's Corner seeing a Cuckoo, single Swift and Swallow, 15 House Martins, 3 Reed Warblers and 3 Whitethroats. Both Great Black-backed Gulls were seen on the roof at Glebelands.

Robin by the Adur

Thursday 20 June. John Cooper kindly offered to taker Megan and me to look for Black Hairstreaks on Ditchling Common. I'd seen his excellent photographs earlier in the week (see http://jfcbirding.blogspot.com/2019/06/17th-june-2019-ditchling-common.html) and felt I ought to make an effort to see them. We were successful seeing at least 3 although views could have been better with none coming down to settle while we were there. Settling with wings closed and flying fast and erratically made them 'underside only' views for me. We later had an enjoyable chat with John and Doreen.

Black Hairstreak on Ditchling Common

this was about as low as one settled for any length of time

unwanted Red-eared Slider on Ditchling Common

Wednesday 19 June. I took Cookie up to Mill Hill where we saw 2 Buzzards, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Whitethoats and a Yellowhammer. Also my first Marbled White of the year, one of the few butterflies I have no trouble identifying.

Buzzard over Mill Hill

Goldfinch on Mill Hill

the commonest finch locally

Greater Black-backed Gull still sitting, as one or other was all week

Tuesday 18 June. A Swift flew over the garden a couple of times in the morning and a Great Black-backed Gull was still sitting on its nest nearby. An enjoyable, although wet, afternoon visit to Pulborough RSPB where I recorded 2 adult and 4 young Egyptian Geese, a Mandarin, 4 Gadwall, 9 Teal, a Marsh Harrier, the Wood Sandpiper (distant as most waders are at Pulborough although better views than I was expecting/feared), 3 Redshank, a Cuckoo (heard several times), a Swift, 19 Stock Doves, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Greenfinch and a Bullfinch. 

wet Kestrel at the Hanger

Marsh Harrier drying out on the South Brooks

Bullfinch at Pulborough