mid July in Sussex and Yorkshire (10-15 July)

Wednesday 15 July. Megan, Josh and I took Cookie to Petworth Pleasure Gardens and Park. Walking around the lake we saw 28 Egyptian Geese, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Swifts and a Sand and 8 House Martins. The two young Herring Gulls were on the roof behind us and a Swift was seen over the garden.

Petworth House, Lake and Egyptian Geese

Egyptian Goose, how long before they are as common in Sussex as Canadas and Greylgs?

our Herring Gulls , growing by the day

Tuesday 14 July. Megan and I took Cookie to Widewater and walked along to Lancing without seeing much. Four Little Egrets matched the UK total in 1980, how things have changed, and the almost fully grown Great Black-backed Gulls were still on the roof opposite the Saltings. Mid afternoon I went to Church Norton spending an enjoyable couple of hours watching the gulls and terns before walking along the North Wall. Birds seen at Pagham included 2 Whimbrel, 80 Black-tailed Godwits, 90 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers, an almost full summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank, 140+ Mediterranean and thanks to Matt Palmer an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 150+ Sandwich, 36 Little, a very smart Roseate and 15 Common Terns, 20 Little Egrets and a Sparrowhawk. The two young Herring Gulls were on the roof behind us and 3 Swifts were seen over the garden.

Little Egrets at Widewater

Roseate Tern at Church Norton

Mediterranean Gull and Roseate Tern at Church Norton

 

both birds appeared to have metal but not colour-rings

Common Terns at Church Norton

the right hand bird or a similar looking one with a predominantly red bill was considered by some to be an Arctic but to me the bill and legs were too long although it wasn't seen well

Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton

Mediterranean Gull 2N22, ringed as a chick at Pagham on 24 June 2019 - my most disappointing colour-ring sighting to date

Mediterranean Gull 33EJ at Church Norton. Ringed as an adult at Total Antwerpen on 12 May 2020

not an easy one to read

only just gave itself up

colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull, not quite read, most likely from Belgium

green colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull, not read but most likely French

... and then all the gulls and terns were gone

Monday 13 July. After a troubled night wondering whether and if so when to go to Sheffield for the Lammergeier I put indecision to one side and left home at 09:00, first having seen 'our' two young Herring Gulls from the garden. Traffic was light although 40 mph limits along virtually all the M23 were excruciating. At least a similar section of smart motorway works on the M1 were mostly 60. I saw 2 Red Kites from the M1, turned off north of Sheffield and left the A616 and arrived on the edge of Broomhead Moor at 13:20, parked and headed out for an hour along a decent track to Howden Moor. So far so good but leaving the track and heading along a very thin trail across boggy moorland to the north side of Abbey Brook was another matter. Walking along the main track I'd wondered if I really needed to have worn short wellingtons rather than sturdy trainers as it was firm and dry. Being more concerned with where I was heading I was twice in quick succession up to above my knee into a sink hole - I should have gone for full length wellingtons. Half an hour later I arrived exhausted at the view point where happily the Lammergeier was in view sat on its roosting spot. It had been sat there since about the time I'd left Sussex, I'd not checked for updates on my journey and had no signal where I'd parked the car. I watched it for two hours during which time the weather deteriorated, at times raining quite heavily, making the chance of it flying very remote. Although I was prepared to stay overnight I'd seen the bird well and decided to leave. Flight views would have been nice, but I'd seen a lot abroad and it had missing central tail feathers. It was another 90 minute walk back to the car where a male Redpoll was the only other notable bird seen on the moors. It was then five hours drive home, partly as I rarely exceeded 65 mph which seemed the most economical speed, and not helped by the M23 being closed and I had to come home via Guildford (just avoiding another road closure) and Horsham. I was home at 23:20, a long but rewarding day seeing what is likely to be my second uncountable vulture in Britain.

'our' Herring Gulls, I'd like to think they were wishing me a good journey

Lammergeier on its roosting rock

  

Howden Dean and distant observers

the moorland appeared almost completely birdless

view east from Howden Moor

looking south to Back Tor

looking north

Emley Tower, 19km away

Sunday 12 July. Megan and I walked around the Adur ahead of another closure of the west bank footpath bu the airfield, this one for approximately 12 months. I saw 3 Oystercatchers, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 3 Little Egrets and 5 Meadow Pipits. The two young Herring Gulls were on the roof behind us and later 3 Swifts were seen over the garden. Some tempting photos of the Lammergeier caught my eye on twitter even though it seemed very unlikely it would end up in a countable category British list-wise. Was it worth considering going?

adult Mediterranean Gull on the Adur

our local hooligans

Saturday 11 July. Megan and I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw 8 Swifts, Kestrel, Sky Lark, 6 Sand Martins, 2 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap, a Lesser and 3 Common Whitethroats and 2 Yellowhammers. The two young Herring Gulls were on the roof behind us and later 3 Swifts were seen over the garden. 

Devils' Dyke from Mill Hill

Small Skipper at Mill Hill

Small White at Mill Hill

Yellowhammer at Mill Hill

 Friday 10 July. Megan and I took Cookie to Devils Dyke where the views were wonderful, thanks to lovely clouds. We saw 4 Swifts, Buzzard, 4 Sky Larks, House Martin, Whitethroat, 2 Meadow Pipits and 5 Linnets. The two young Herring Gulls were on the roof behind us and later 3 Swifts were seen over the garden. 

looking west from Devil's Dyke

panorama north from Devil's Dyke

Isle of Wight from Devil's Dyke