Mostly Widewater and Mill Hill (09-12 May)

Wednesday 12 May. I took Cookie to West Mill and we walked out to the Downslink and back. I'd hoped to see Turtle Dove but didn't even hear one although I met others who had been successful just before I arrived and returned. I did see a Nightingale (briefly and heard 3 others), 2 Cetti's Warblers (and heard a third), 13 Swifts, 7 Lapwings, 3 Swallows, Reed Warbler, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting. As it was a warm sunny afternoon and having been told about Green Hairstreaks on Mill Hill Megan and I decided to have a look and took Cookie. We failed despite meeting a couple who had seen one. Grizzled and Dingy Skippers were some compensation and I saw Lesser Whitethroat after three visits of only hearing one. Also seen were 2 House Martins, 6 Whitethroats, a Mistle Thrush, a pair of Bullfinches and the singing male Yellowhammers seems to have a mate. In the evening I went to Lavington Common for the first of my Woodcock Surveys. I saw one Woodcock poorly and hear it/another, saw two Nightjars and heard another and heard two Tawny Owls. 

one of many Painted Ladies seen at West Mill

Reed Bunting near the Downslink

Yellowhammer on Mill Hill. This bird has been singing almost continually on most visits this spring so it was very pleasing to finally see a female nearby

Grizzled Skipper on Mill Hill

Dingy Skipper on Mill Hill

Lesser Whitethroat on Mill Hill, not the best view but most welcome after three visits of only hearing one

Mistle Thrush in the wood on Mill Hill. Fortunately it stayed long enough for me to manually focus on it

male Nightjar at Lavington

Tuesday 11 May. I joined Steve at Widewater and seawatched from 06:55-09:20 in a moderate SSE backing SSW wind. I saw a Brent Goose, 81 Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, 8 Sanderling, 2 first-summer Mediterranean Gulls, 16 Sandwich Terns, 2 pale-morph Arctic Skuas (together), an unidentified diver and 115 Gannets. All were flying east. I met Megan and Cookie at Harbour Way and we walked to the Adur Ferry Bridge and back along the boardwalk to the Fort seeing 3 Oystercatchers, Peregrine and 3 Linnets. Both Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls appeared to be nesting amongst the Herrings on the factory rooves opposite Harbour Way.

Monday 10 May. I seawatched at Widewater from 06:40-08:40 in a moderate southerly wind. It was quiet until a distant pale-morph skua flew east. Frustratingly it looked quite bulky and was almost certainly the Pomarine I later discovered had been seen passing Selsey then Goring at times one would expect were it the same. Otherwise my two hours produced 6 Common Scoter, 22 Sandwich Terns, 4 distant auks, a Fulmar, 42 Gannets and a Swallow passing east. Four Kittiwakes, 4 Common Gulls and 6 Sandwich Terns also flew west. Returning home Megan and I took Cookie to a dull, breezy Mill Hill which was very quiet, in contrast to the previous day (see below). I heard a Lesser and saw a Common Whitethroat. In the afternoon I spent a pleasant afternoon at Frank and Lia's wedding reception. Great to catch up with Colin and Cordelia too.

Sunday 09 May. I seawatched at Widewater from 05:50-08:20 in a moderate southerly wind seeing 101 Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, an immature Kittiwake, 2 first-summer Mediterranean Gulls, 40 Sandwich Terns, 3 Arctic Skuas ( a pale and two dark morphs), a Razorbill, 2 Fulmars and 39 Gannets, mostly passing east. I returned home and took Cookie to Mill Hill (Megan had gone up to London). There I recorded 2 Swifts, Buzzard, Kestrel, Sky Lark, Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcaps, a Lesser (heard) and 8 Common Whitethroats, Greenfinch, 3 Linnets, 3 Goldfinches and a Yellowhammer. At low tide I took Cookie to the Adur where we saw Oystercatcher, 4 Ringed Plover, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Dunlin, Redshank and Little Egret. Scoping Lancing College I just about made out several House Martins flying low over the buildings

Blackcap at Mill Hill

Common Blue

Dingy Skipper

Yellowhammer at Mill Hill

Whimbrel on the Adur