Mostly Mill Hill (24-27 September)

Tuesday 27 September. Mill Hill 07:45-09:15: Kestrel 2, Peregrine, 2 Swallows, 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap and 2 Meadow Pipits. A quick look from Town Quay produced 9 roosting Little Egrets. Heading north tomorrow ...

Kestrel on Mill Hill

Monday 26 September. Adur on rising tide: the pair of Mute Swans with 8 fully grown youngsters, 14 Oystercatchers, 25 Swallows, a House Martin, several Chiffchaffs, and 8 Meadow Pipits.

Sunday 25 September. A female Merlin and a Whinchat where the highlights along the Beeding Hill triangle with Cookie this morning which also produced a Sparrowhawk, 3 Ravens, 20 Swallows, 5 House Martins, 18 Stonechats, 75 Meadow Pipits and 3 Corn Buntings. A Spotted Flycatcher was seen on the edge of the wood at Mill Hill during short stop on our return. 

Whinchat along the Monarch's Way

Stonechat near Truleigh Hill

Corn Bunting on Truleigh Hill

Saturday 24 September. Mill Hill 07:30-10:55 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Peregrines (very distantly on Beeding Quarry chimney), 15 Swallows, 30 House Martins, 18 Chiffchaffs, 10 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats, 3 Stonechats, 18 Meadow Pipits and 11 Goldfinches. Later a quick look from Town Quay produced 18 Redshank and a Greenshank on a falling tide.

Redshank and Greenshank from Town Quay

Mill Hill and Beachy (19-22 September)

Thursday 22 September. Beachy Head (Shooter's Bottom, Hotel Garden-Old Trapping Area-Cliff Path-Francs Bottom-Cow Gap-Whitbred Hollow-Rides-raptor watch & Birling-Michel Dene) 06:50-15:00. 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Great Spotted and 3 Green Woodpeckers, 7 Kestrels, Hobby (thanks to LP), Peregrine, 2 Jays, 3 Ravens, Skylark, 4+ Sand Martins, 900 Swallows, 500 House Martins, 24 Chiffchaffs, Grasshopper Warbler (flushed almost from underfoot near Hotel Garden), 26 Blackcaps (some in hand courtesy of RDME), 6 Whitethroats, juvenile Dartford Warbler (Old Trapping Area), 39 Stonechats, 3 Wheatears, Yellow Wagtail, 16 Meadow and 2 Rock Pipits, 9 Linnets and 80 Goldfinches. I'd hoped for better and it was rather telling that none of the few photos I took were of birds.

one of three presumed Grey Seals 'standing' off Cow Gap

Fox at Michel Dene

Wednesday 21 September. Mill Hill 07:15-08:55. 6 Swallows, 150 House Martins, 9 Chiffchaffs, Reed Warbler, 4 Blackcaps, Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Meadow Pipits and a Linnets. Megan and I then took Cookie to Widewater where we saw 2 Kingfishers, 60 Swallows, 70 House Martins, a Wheatear and 4 Meadow Pipits, 9 Linnets and 80 Goldfinches. Later a Sparrowhawk circled over our road.

Tuesday 20 September. Mill Hill 08:15-10:40. Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, 2 Kestrels, Peregrine, Skylark, 6 Swallows, 35 House Martins, 12 Chiffchaffs, 21 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Firecrests and 2 Meadow Pipits.

Kestrel on Mill Hill

Spotted Flycatcher on Mill Hill

the floral end of our allotment

Monday 19 September. Lancing Ring and Steepdown with Megan and Cookie. Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzards, Skylark, 10 Swallows, 6 Chiffchaffs, male Stonechat , 4 Wheatears, 20 Linnets and 80 Corn Buntings.. 

Wheatear on Steepdown

Mill Hill and Climping Little Stints (11-18 September)

Sunday 18 September. Mill Hill 07:30-11:15, the last part with Megan and Cookie. Highlights were 2 Firecrests and 3 Spotted Flycatchers in and around the wood. Also a Sparrowhawk and 3 Buzzards,12 Chiffchaffs, 16 Blackcaps and 3 Whitethroats in the bushes and 45 Swallows, 13 House Martins and an unseen Redpoll overhead. Later I drove down to Climping where I saw the 2 Little Stints. they were my best views for a long time and well worth leaving the local area for.

Spotted Flycatcher on Mill Hill

Dunlin at Climping

with Little Stint

Little Stints at Climping

Saturday 17 September. Mill Hill 07:25-09:05. Highlights were 4 Spotted Flycatchers and a Lesser Whitethroat. Also 17 Swallows, 20 House Martins, 24 Chiffchaffs, 26 Blackcaps and 2 Whitethroats and a flyover Tree Pipit. I met Megan and Cookie at St Nicolas' Church and we walked around the Adur seeing 2 Mute Swan families (with 8 and 4 fully grown cygnets), 26 Ringed Plover, 5 Dunlin, 74 roosting Great Black-backed Gulls, Kingfisher, 7 Long-tailed Tits and a Wheatear. 

Peregrines viewed from Mill Hill on Beeding chimney clearly showing the size difference between tiercel (left) and falcon

Friday 16 September. Beeding Hill Triangle with Cookie 08:35-12L20. The highlight was an unexpected Grasshopper Warbler along the Monarch's Way. Also seen were 3 Sparrowhawks and 3 Buzzards, single Peregrine and Raven, 130 Swallows, 6 House Martins, 8 Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, 4 Stonechats, 6 Wheatears, 14 Meadow Pipits, 35 Goldfinches and a Corn Bunting. The lack of Yellow Wagtails was disappointing despite several suitable looking cow fields.

Peregrine on Beeding Hill

Wheatear on Beeding Hill

Thursday 15 September. Mill Hill 07:30-11:30, the last part with Megan and Cookie. Highlights were single Firecrest and Spotted Flycatcher in the wood. Flying NE were  90+ Swallows, a Sand and 900+ House Martins and 75 Meadow Pipits. In contrast the bushes were quiet with just 6 Chiffchaffs, a single Blackcap, 2 Whitethroats and a Stonechat seen. 

Kestrel on Mill Hill

Wednesday 14 September. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands seeing Little Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff and 2 Blackcaps before going on to a garden centre in Angmering. Later on Mill Hill from 16:35-17:35 were 6 Spotted Flycatchers and an impressive easterly passage of hirundines with an estimated 900 Swallows, 4 Sand and 300 House Martins.

Spotted Flycatchers on Mill Hill

Tuesday 13 September. Megan and I took Cookie around the Adur seeing 9 Ringed Plover, 11 Dunlin, 33 Great Black-backed Gulls, an estimated 100 Swallows, 3 Sand and 50 House Martins. flying east and 8 Meadow Pipits west.

Monday 12 September. Mill Hill 06:35-10:40, the last part with Megan and Cookie. Highlights were 3 Spotted Flycatchers and a juvenile Honey Buzzard which flew overhead but was going away and somewhat into the light by the time I focused on it making it little better than a silhouette. Also 2 Egyptian Geese flew E over the town, 2 Buzzards, 2 Jays, Cetti's Warbler (heard), 30 Swallows, 25 House Martins, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 18 Blackcaps, 8 Whitethroats and an unseen Tree Pipit overhead. 

Sunday 11 September. Not for the first time a few nice birds were seen locally while I was in France but only a Wryneck at Cissbury might still be about so I was there at dawn. Sadly it wasn't but in about 4 hours I did record Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl (heard), Great Spotted and 2 Green Woodpeckers, an adult Hobby (flying N), 2 Ravens, 10+ Swallows, House Martin, 4 Chiffchaffs, Willow Warbler, 12 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats, Dartford Warbler, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Redstarts, 4+ Whinchats, Wheatear, 20 Linnets and 6 Yellowhammers.

Wheatear at Cissbury