Too much hearing birds and not seeing them (13-19 May)

Saturday 13 May. A Sparrowhawk flew over while we were at the allotment. In the evening I went to West Mill where I saw Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Swallows and heard Cetti's Warbler and 2 Nightingales. At nearby Woods Mill I saw another Great Spotted Woodpecker but very frustratingly only heard Cuckoo (distantly), Turtle Dove (briefly), Water Rail (once), Reed Warbler and Nightingale. 

Sunday 14 May. I took Cookie to Knepp where we concentrated on the Green Lane and western part of the Blue Walk. We saw 2 Stock Doves, an introduced White Stork, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Swallows, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Whitethroats while only hearing Cuckoo (distantly), Turtle Dove (briefly), 3 Lesser Whitethroats and a Nightingale. 

Monday 15 May. A morning at West Mill and out to the Downslink with Cookie in a cold north wind produced a Cuckoo (heard), 15 Swifts, 4 Stock Doves, 4 Lapwings with a half grown chick, 2 Little Egrets on nests, Red Kite, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Skylarks, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Chiffchaff, a Lesser and 2 Common Whitethroats, Nightingale (heard), a pair of Stonechats, 2 Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer. Before returning home I left Cookie in the car at Woods Mill for 15 minutes while I quickly visited the area where I'd heard Turtle Dove the previous evening - nothing doing.

Tuesday 16 May. I visited West Mill and Woods Mill before breakfast recording a Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Cetti's (heard) and Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat and 2 Nightingales (one at each place and another heard at West Mill). No Turtle Dove although I should have stayed another half an hour or so to see one performing in the area I had been looking. Back home I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw 2 Buzzards, Jay, Swallow, 2 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap and Whitethroat.

Nightingale singing its heart out at West Mill

                                         

some of the 37 paragliders seen over the South Downs Way as viewed from Mill Hill

Wednesday 17 May. Another visit to West Mill and Woods Mill hoping for a view of a Turtle Dove and this time I was successful, after a fashion, as I heard and briefly saw one in the favoured area before it flew off west and couldn't be relocated. Also seen were 2 Stock Doves, Jay, Chiffchaff, 2 Reed Warblers, male Stonechat carrying food, 4 Linnets and Yellowhammer while Cuckoo, Cetti's Warbler and 2 Nightingales were heard.

Thursday 18 May. Megan and I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw Buzzard, Swallow, and 2 Whitethroats and heard Skylark, Chiffchaffs, Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat. Also our first Wall butterfly of the year as well as Dingy Skipper and Common Blue. Early evening I cycled down to Widewater where a Ringed Plover was being quite aggressive to one of the two Little Ringed Plovers present. Oystercatchers were the only waders seen on returning home via Town Quay and the Adur with 7 Great and 6 Lesser Black-backed and 270 Herring Gulls roosting south of the Old Toll Bridge.

Common Blue on Mill Hill

Dingy Skipper on Mill Hill, we also saw a Wall butterfly

aggressive Ringed Plover at Widewater

Little Ringed Plover at Widewater

                             

Friday 19 May. I took Cookie to Knepp and we spent a pleasant morning on the White Walk. We only heard Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat, Nightingale and Bullfinch and I barely got my binoculars onto a singing Garden Warbler another 'hearing not seeing day' was on the cards.  However a distant display flight behind trees had me thinking of Turtle Dove and a couple of minutes later a slightly better repeat enabled me to see some plumage and confirm my suspicions. Shortly after, as I was approaching the campsite, a Turtle Dove called for several minutes but I could not locate it. I continued anticlockwise around the White Walk and looking towards the same general area from the northern section spotted a distant Turtle Dove in a dead tree. It didn't stay long but I managed just about recognisable photos. Other birds seen included 3 Stock Doves, Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, 2 Great Spotted woodpeckers, 2 Jays, Swallow, 5 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap, 3 Whitethroats and 2 Nuthatches.

distant Turtle Dove at Knepp

White Stork nests from the White Walk at Knepp