Red-footed Falcon on Beeding Hill (10 June)

Wednesday 10 June. I took Cookie for a walk on the Downs. We intended walking a triangle from Beeding Hill car park to Thundersbarrow and back via Truleigh Hill as we sometimes do but half-way along the first leg I noticed a slim dark bird sat on a post at 150m range. A Red-footed Falcon and back on I assumed it the Portslade bird that hadn't been seen the previous evening. As I was putting it on the WhatsApp group I saw that Dave Sadler had posted the Portslade bird as still being present. A quick conversation confirmed we were both watching different plumaged Red-footed Falcons, his about 2km east of mine. I watched the bird for 90 minutes, although it went missing for 10-15 during this period. Several others arrived in time and sadly more after it had flown off, although later it did return. I also saw Swift, Cuckoo, Stock Dove, 2 Kestrels, 10 Sky Larks, 3 Meadow Pipits and 3 Corn Buntings. In the afternoon I left a rather tired Cookie at home and went to Portslade but there was no sign of the other/original Red-foot with 2 Corn Buntings best. Three Swifts were over the house at dusk.

Red-footed Falcon near Beeding Hill

I assumed it was a first-summer male due to dark head and mantle although the collar and underparts look more like a female's.

not very good flight shots

not very good flight shots - with prey item

easily avoiding a crow

and telling it to watch out

Red-footed Falcon and Kestrel - Mexican standoff

maybe best to ignore each other?

Cuckoo are best ignored too

Meadow Pipit on Beeding Hill

Linnet at Mount Zion

Tuesday 09 June. I took Cookie for a walk up the Adur from Cuckoos Corner. We saw 5 Little Egrets, 8 House Martins, a Reed and 11 Sedge Warblers, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Stonechats, 2 Meadow Pipits and 7 Reed Buntings. Learning the Pett Snow Bunting was still present I drove over there arriving early afternoon to find it hadn't been seen for several hours. After looking along the beach for it I walked to the Ternery Pool at Rye and then seeing some small waders on the flat beach around there (they were Dunlin). I walked back past the Long Pits to Castle Water where the Black-wined Stilt was on view. While watching it news came through about a Red-footed Falcon on the Downs near Shoreham which didn't impress me. Later Another unsuccessful look for the Snow Bunting when back at Pett. Other than missing it an enjoyable if tiring day and the first time I've walked around Rye from Pett. The SOS website that evening had an excellent photo of a Red-footed Falcon north of Portslade although it wasn't seen early evening. Other birds seen at Rye/Pett were 5 Egyptian Geese, 25 Teal, male Pochard, 25 Tufted Duck, 5 Stock Doves, 15 Swifts (and 2 over the house in the evening), 28 Avocets, 50 Lapwings, 20 Ringed Plover, 8 Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 10 Mediterranean Gulls, 25 Sandwich, 30 Common and 2 Little Terns, male Marsh Harrier, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, male Wheatear and 2 Reed Buntings. 

Sedge Warbler at Cuckoos Corner

being carefully watched by a juvenile

another Sedge Warbler at Cuckoos Corner

another Sedge Warbler at Cuckoos Corner

and another

Grey Heron at Cuckoos Corner

Reed Bunting at Cuckoos Corner

another Reed Bunting at Cuckoos Corner

and another

Stonechat at Cuckoos Corner

the same bird

and a nearby juvenile

Whitethroat at Cuckoos Corner

playing hide and seek

Black-winged Stilt at Rye

its right eye looked rather inflamed

Monday 08 June. I made a very early start and headed to Blackdown for what was probably only my sixth ever visit. A enjoyable day seeing a lot of nice birds without anything to really make the visit worthwhile and nothing was close enough to photograph. I saw the back end of what was probably a Goshawk , 2 Buzzards, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Jays, 9 Coal Tits, 5 Wood Larks, 2 Chiffchaffs, a male Blackcap, 4 Whitethroats, 2 Dartford Warblers, 6 Nuthatches, 2 Treecreepers, my first Spotted Flycatcher this year, 3 Stonechats, Tree Pipit, juvenile Redstart, Bullfinch, 40+ Crossbills and a Siskin (with 3 more heard). Also heard were Cuckoo, 3 Willow Warblers and a couple of crests which my ears are no longer much good for. On the way home I called in at Pulborough Brooks RSPB for an hour before it closed seeing from the Hanger a pair of Egyptian Geese with 5 young, a female Mandarin, a male Wigeon, a pair of Avocets with 2 young, 4 Lapwings, my first Little Ringed Plover of the year, 8 Redshank, 3 Sand Martins (also new for the year!) and 2 Reed Warblers.

Devil's Dyke and Truleigh Hill very distantly from Blackdown

Chanctonbury Ring distantly from Blackdown

Petworth House roof and Bignor Hill from Blackdown

juvenile Redstart on Blackdown

Sunday 07 June. Megan and I took Cookie to Cissbury where we saw 2 Great Spotted and a Green Woodpecker, Jay, Sky Lark, 2 Whitethroats, Greenfinch and 2 Yellowhammers. In the evening 5 Swifts were over the house.

Truleigh Hill from Cissbury

Chanctonbury Ring from Cissbury

Eastern panorama from Cissbury

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Cissbury

Yellowhammer at Cissbury

Herring Gull on the roof

Saturday 06 June. Megan, Nessa and I took Cookie to Southwick Hill and Thundersbarrow where we saw 6 Swifts, 3 Sky Larks, 4 Whitethroats and 2 Yellowhammers. In the evening I went down to the Adur in the hope there might be something interesting. Four bait diggers immediately put paid to that with a Grey Heron and a Kestrel the most notable sightings.

Nessa, Megan and Cookie at Thundersbarrow

Grey Heron on the Adur

Kestrel over the Adur

Friday 05 June. Megan and I took Cookie to Steepdown where we saw 14 Swifts, 20 Sky Larks, Swallow, Whitethroat, male Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, 4 Linnets and 15 Corn Buntings. In the evening 3 Swifts were over the house.

Corn Bunting on Steepdown

another Corn Bunting on Steepdown

and another

Sky Lark on Steepdown

Isle of Wight from Steepdown on a very clear day

Cissbury from Steepdown

Truleigh Hill from Steepdown

Brighton and Shoreham from Steepdown

Eastern panorama from Steepdown

Thursday 04 June. Megan and I took Cookie to Shoreham Fort, walking a circuit from Harbour Way, along the river and back on the boardwalk. None of it troubled my notebook with 4 Swifts over the house in the evening the day's only entry.