Shoreham, nearby Downs and a return to Knepp (13-18 May)

Tuesday 18 May. Megan and I took Cookie to Lancing Ring and walked around Steepdown seeing Red Kite, Kestrel, 16 Sky Larks, 6 Whitethroats, 2 Meadow Pipits, 13 Linnets and 13 Corn Buntings.

Corn Bunting at Steepdown

a very bright Wall

a very worn Wall

Monday 17 May. I took Cookie up to Beeding Hill car park and we walked SE along the Monarch's Way, up to Truleigh Hill and back skirting Room Bottom. In almost 3.5 hours we saw 5 Swifts, 5 Stock Doves, 2 Red Kites, 2 Buzzards, a Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, juvenile Peregrine, 60+ Jackdaws, 155 Rooks, 10 Sky Larks, 4 Swallows, a Blackcap, 9 Whitethroats, 6 Meadow Pipits, 11 Linnets, 3 Corn Buntings and a Yellowhammer.

Cookie on the Monarch's Way

Whitethroat near Beeding Hill

looking east from behind Truleigh Hill, Wolstenbury in the distance 

Red Kite over Truleigh Hill

Wood Pigeon near Truleigh Hill

Sunday 16 May. Megan, Nessa and I took Cookie to Worthing where I saw absolutely nothing. Later 3 Stock Doves appeared in our garden. Still no Swifts despite looking most evenings, although the weather hasn't been ideal.

Stock Dove in the garden

Saturday 15 May. I seawatched at Widewater from 06:50-08:50. Despite a moderate SE wind it was quiet with a flock of 4 Whimbrel and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Kittiwakes, a Common Gull, 29 Sandwich Terns, a Fulmar and 41 Gannets passing. I'd hoped for better. Later Megan and I took Cookie across the lock-gates to the east arm of Shoreham Harbour. There we saw 2 Rock Pipits.

Cemex Co Innovation, perhaps the biggest ship I've seen in Southwick Canal

Friday 14 May. Hoping to improve on my previous week's views of Cuckoo and Turtle Dove I returned to Knepp. Despite spending six hours there I'm not convinced I was overly successful. Highlights seen were 5 Swifts, 2 Cuckoos, 9 Stock and 2 Turtle Doves, 4 Buzzards, a Hobby, Jay, Garden Warbler, 4 Lesser and 6 Common Whitethroats, 2 Treecreepers, 3 Nightingales and a Yellowhammer. 

Turtle Dove at Knepp, this one was by the main footpath and stayed long enough for me to engage manual focus

a second Turtle Dove was happy to sit in full view but well away from the footpaths, I also heard rather distantly what I assumed were two others

Treecreeper returning to its nest cavity, one of two birds also seen the previous week

distant Cuckoo at Knepp

a slightly closer Cuckoo

with full digital zoom, two others were heard

Fallow Deer at Knepp

Nightingale at Knepp

one of three seen, another three were heard

Jay at Knepp

Thursday 13 May. I seawatched at Widewater from 06:00 in a moderate SE with light drizzle and poor visibility. By 08:00 I'd seen just 5 Common Scoter, 3 Oystercatchers, single Kittiwake and first-summer Mediterranean Gull, 7 Sandwich Terns and 6 Gannets. Disappointingly I gave up and returned home before Megan and I took Cookie down to the Adur. There we saw Little Grebe, 3 Oystercatchers, Whimbrel, Little Egret, 3 Whitethroats, 4 Linnets and 4 Goldfinches.

local Sparrowhawk