Lavington and Knepp: Woodcock 0 Turtle Dove 2 (22-27 June)

Sunday 27 June. Cookie and I wandered along the Adur from the Railway Bridge up to Cuckoos Corner seeing 4 Oystercatchers, 6 Little Egrets, a Buzzard, 12 House Martins, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Whitethroats, a Mistle Thrush and 3 Reed Buntings.

Reed Bunting near Cuckoos Corner

Saturday 26 June. An enjoyable morning out with Frank Lambert. We visited the southern section of the Knepp Estate, Frank for the first time. Between 07:00-11:30 we saw 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Buzzards, Great Spotted and 2 Green Woodpeckers, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Mistle Thrushes and a Yellowhammer. Not a peep from any Nightingales and any lingering Cuckoos were also silent. A Stock Dove visited our garden in the afternoon and 5 Swifts were overhead in the evening.

Turtle Dove just outside the Knepp Estate

Fallow Deer at Knepp

Turtle Dove comfortably inside the Knepp Estate

giving it his all

introduced White Stork at Knepp

two of its three chicks

other White Storks

these didn't appear to have any chicks

Banded Demoiselle at Knepp

Friday 25 June. The day started wet to I took Cookie to the Adur and walked up to Cuckoos Corner. It was predictably quiet with just 4 Oystercatchers, 11 Little Egrets, a Whitethroat and 3 Reed Buntings. At juvenile Black-headed Gull was my first of the year. After tea as the weather had improved I drove over to Lavington Common for the year's third and final Woodcock Survey. For the first time here I drew a blank, something I would have thought unheard of when I started surveying in 2013 but as numbers reduce it was inevitable it would happen. My two previous visits only produced one bird each time so all very worrying and I'll embark on next year's survey with some trepidation. Three Nightjars seen and another heard made the visit worthwhile and I also saw 3 Coal Tits, a Wood Lark and 4 Stonechats and heard Tawny Owl and Dartford Warbler.

juvenile Black-headed Gull on the Adur

Grey Heron on the Adur

Wood Lark over Lavington Common

sunset at Lavington Common 

Nightjar sat on horizontal trunk at Lavington

Thursday 24 June. Megan and I took Cookie to the Lancing Ring car park and walked around Steepdown. I recorded Quail (heard distantly), 2 Buzzards, 18 Sky Larks, 21 Whitethroats, 3 Stonechats, 19 Linnets, 4 Goldfinches, 24 Corn Buntings (most were very vocal) and 2 Yellowhammers. 

Whitethroat on Steepdown

Corn Bunting on Steepdown

another Corn Bunting

Stonechat on Steepdown

Wednesday 23 June. I walked the Beeding Hill triangle with Cookie taking a little over three hours. The highlight was a Cuckoo seen from the Monarch's Way, in the same valley I'd seen one on 10-12 June 2020. Otherwise it was much as expected with 3 Buzzards, 2 Peregrines, 15 Sky Larks, 2 Swallows, 16 Whitethroats, 11 Meadow Pipits, 5 Linnets and single Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer. In the evening 3 Stock Doves were feeding on our lawn and 6 Swifts were seen overhead.

Sky Lark from the Monarch's Way

Meadow Pipit on Truleigh Hill

another Meadow Pipit

Tuesday 22 June. In poor weather Megan and I took Cookie around the Adur seeing 15 Swifts hunting low over the airport, Oystercatcher, 4 Little Egrets, 3 Buzzards, Sky Lark and 4 Goldfinches.