birding never sleeps: Mostly Mill Hill (31 July to 09 August)

Sunday 09 August. Another early visit to Mill Hill with Cookie where we saw 3 Stock Doves, Buzzard, 11 Swallows, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps and 5 Whitethroats. Megan, Nessa and I then took Cookie to Cissbury seeing Stock Dove, Green Woodpecker, Swallow, 3 Whitethroats, Redstart and Meadow Pipit. At home one of the young and both juvenile Herring Gulls were seen from the garden. An early evening trip to Brooklands in the hope that one of the morning's Pied Flycatchers might still be about was unsuccessful with 20 Goldfinches my best sighting. Cookie wasn't impressed either but that was more to do with the heat, still 30C at 19:00hrs.

juvenile Herring Gull on our roof

it or the other one

one of the young Herring Gulls

Common Gull on Brooklands

Saturday 08 August. I took Cookie to Mill Hill before it hotted up. We saw 2 Stock Doves, 3 Sparrowhawks, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Jays, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap, 12 Whitethroats and a Tree Pipit. At home the two young and one of the juvenile Herring Gulls were seen from the garden while later a Sparrowhawk flew over Middle Road while I was walking Cookie.

Tree Pipit at Mill Hill

a silent bird identified by clean flanks and short claws

latest flood defence work from Mill Hill

Sparrowhawk at Mill Hill

Willow Warbler at Mill Hill

Jay at Mill Hill

Mint Moth again on our greenhouse

Friday 07 August. Megan and I took Cookie to Mill Hill before it hotted up too much. Around Mill Hill were 2 Stock Doves, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Lesser and 8 Common Whitethroats and 2 Bullfinches. About 30 Swifts were seen distantly over New Erringham. At home the two young and two juveniles Herring Gulls were seen from the garden.

young Herring Gulls, almost full sized but still with some downy feathers and some way off flying

Thursday 06 August. I took Cookie up to a quiet, warm Mill Hill. We saw a Swift, 3 Stock Doves, male and female Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards, Chiffchaff, a Lesser and 2 Common Whitethroats and 550 Starlings. At high tide I cycled down to the Adur Saltings where visibly roosting were 21 Lapwings, 9 Whimbrel, 36 Redshanks and 2 Greenshank with 22 Turnstones on boats on the river. At home the two young Herring Gulls were seen from the garden and the two juveniles back on our roof. In the evening Megan found a tiny moth near the greenhouse, identified by folk on twitter as a Mint Moth, but again no Swifts.

Mint Moth, also know as Small Purple and Gold

Wednesday 05 August. I took Cookie up to Mill Hill where we saw Peregrine, 19 Magpies, Chffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Wheatears and a Yellowhammer. At home the two young Herring Gulls were seen from the garden.

Peregrine with heavy tail moult over Mill Hill

Magpie hitching a ride on Mill Hill

Wheatear on Mill Hill

Willow Warbler on Mill Hill

Chiffchaff on Mill Hill

Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler on Mill Hill

Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers are not always as different as these two

Tuesday 04 August. Megan and I took Cookie to the Adur walking down the east side, by the Saltings and back across the Rec and up the west side. We saw 5 Swifts, 4 Oystercatchers, 16 Turnstones, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and 5 Pied Wagtails. Later I cycled to Hove for a dental appointment postponed from mid April to have a filling replaced. Since then the filing had fallen out, part of the tooth broke and it had become painful intermittently. It was no great surprise that it needed root canal treatment and crown preparation. Back home one of the juvenile and the two young Herring Gulls were seen from the garden but again no local Swifts which have presumably departed.

one of the almost fully grown young Herring Gulls

Monday 03 August. Megan and I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw Red Kite, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Whitethroats and 2 Yellowhammers. Acting on a text from Matt Palmer I joined him at the Adur Saltings where I saw 15+ Lapwings, 5 Whimbrel, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 16 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 4 Mediterranean Gulls (2 adults, a second-summer and a juvenile), 3 Sandwich Terns (one a juvenile), 9 Little Egrets and a Kingfisher. Matt had also seen 3 Mandarins at Widewater but I failed to find them. Back at home the 2 young and 2 juvenile Herring Gulls were seen from the garden.

Red Kite over Mill Hill

Yellowhammer at Mill Hill

Sunday 02 August. Megan and I took Cookie to Pulborough where we walked around the heath seeing little (Mistle Thursh best). Back at the car park sustained distant shooting prevented us from walking down to the river as Cookie dived for the car. Back at home the 2 young and 2 juvenile Herring Gulls were seen from the garden. No Swifts despite it being a nice evening - I suspect that the local breeders may have gone.

Saturday 01 August. David Buckingham and I spent the morning at Pulborough looking at waders and for butterflies. We saw 3 Egyptian Geese, Shoveler, 3 Stock Doves, 4 Avocets (including one appearing injured), 15 Lapwings, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 52 Black-tailed Godwits, 3-5 Green Sandpipers, 4 Redshank, Buzzard, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, 9 Sand Martins , 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Nuthatches, Treecreeper, 2 Whinchats, Stonechat and a Bullfinch. A nice selection of birds making up for a lack of interesting butterflies. Back at home the 2 young and 2 juvenile Herring Gulls were seen from the garden but no Swifts despite it being a nice evening.

one of the young Herring Gulls, yet to leave the roof they were born on

the other young Herring Gull

Friday 31 July. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands. We saw the pair of Mute Swans with their 6 juveniles, a Swift, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, 3 Sand Martins and a Reed Warbler. Later the 2 young and 2 juvenile Herring Gulls and 3 Swifts were seen from the garden.