birding never sleeps: Sussex and an eventful trip to Norfolk (17-21 July)

Monday 17 July. Two visits to the Adur, with Megan and Cookie as the tide was coming in and after tea at low tide. Birds seen included 3 Swifts, Great Crested Grebe, an Avocet, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, 10 Mediterranean and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Kestrels and a 2 Reed Warblers. Late news of a Black-winged Kite being seen at Hickling at dusk had Matt Palmer picking me up on the edge of Hove at midnight.

spot the juvenile Mediterranean Gull by the Adur

juvenile Yellow-legged Gull by the Adur

Tuesday 18 July. Our trip to Norfolk started to unwind as we were diverted off the M25 (closed for road works) and on a zig-zag route through Dartford. There were more road closures on the A12 in Essex, unhelpfully not sign posted until just before the M25 junction. Google suggested closures on the M11/A11 too so options were limited. We were warned to follow diversion signs not Sat-Nav which was fine until the signs ran out and we started heading back towards London. We eventually rejoined the A12 and continued north on A14 and A140 but a few miles short of Norwich with not a building in sight we had a puncture. It was almost certainly caused by a cats-eye, driven over when Matt was easing out from behind a slow lorry to see if anything was coming the other way. Matt drove the car off the road although not in a place where it would be possible to change the driver's tyre. It was academic as his spare, a space saver, was completely perished. It was 03:20, we considered a range of unpalatable options and called the AA. Matt explained our situation and was told to expect someone between 04:30-08:30 which had us considering some of less unpalatable options, at least until the AA arrived at about 04:00. As we'd guessed the tyre was unrepairable and required a recovery vehicle to take us to a garage. The helpful AA mechanic arranged a recovery to Stalham where there was a garage which opened at 08:30. We could leave the car there and, if the recovery driver didn't have another job to go to would take us on to Hickling. Otherwise it was a four mile walk. Happily we arrived at Hickling in the recovery vehicle at 06:10, something that didn't seem possible a couple of hours earlier. We walked quickly to the Stubb Mill viewpoint seeing Bittern, Spoonbill and 2 Great Egrets on the way. We joined over 100 birders waiting hopefully at Stubb Mill. Just before 07:00 the Black-winged Kite was picked up roosting in a tree about 1.5km away and somewhat against the light. It was partly obscured and took me a while to get onto. Fortunately it is not a difficult species to identify even at range and views improved as it flew several times, did some high-hovering, and landed a couple of times where it was easier to see (and a couple where it was out of view). While watching/waiting for the kite hoping it would come closer I saw Ruff, Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Cranes and 4 Marsh Harriers. A nice area. Matt phoned the garage and was told they didn't have a tyre in stock but would get one in early afternoon so we decided to stick around and if we couldn't get a lift walk back to Stalham. News came through that the kite was giving better views from the Horsey side and Ewan and Mark, who we'd shared out morning's misfortune with, were happy to take us around and back to Stalham if we wanted. Very kind of them. We squeezed into the Horsey Mill car park and were walking to where the kite was being seen when a vocal flock of 9 Common Cranes flew over. They seemed a good omen but the news from the few birders walking back soon nosedived. First birder 'it is showing well', second birder 'it is only visible from a couple of places to those in the know', third birder 'it flew high north and was lost to view'. We hung around for a while watching a single Common Crane partly obscured on the edge of the reeds, as a stream of birders who had seen it headed back. Some it seemed had only just arrived before it was lost to view. We returned to the car and found a café a little further up the coast. While there news came through that the kite had been seen flying over the RSPB Bee-eater watchpoint at Trimingham, 15 miles to the NE. With the 3 Bee-eaters still around Mark was keen to go and look for them and we were quite happy to tag along. We saw them well although they were more distant than I'd hoped. It was also disappointing that being an RSPB member didn't entitle us to a discount for visiting. While at the Bee-eaters Matt phoned the garage and was told his car was ready. Mark and Ewan kindly drove us back to Stalham to collect it. They headed back to Bedford/Oxford and us to Sussex. With no delays on the A11/M11 and few on the M25 we were home by 19:00. A long but successful day.

Common Cranes at Horsey

Bee-eaters at Trimingham

Wednesday 19 July. Megan and I took Cookie for our usual walk around the Adur. The tide was coming in and we saw Whimbrel, 5 Mediterranean and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Kestrels, Skylark and a Meadow Pipit.

Comma by the Adur

Painted Lady by the Adur

Red Admiral by the Adur

Herring and Yellow-legged Gulls on the Adur

Thursday 20 July. A successful morning visit to the weald followed by an evening low tide visit to the Adur which produced 2 Whimbrel, 4 Mediterranean, 20 Great Black-backed and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Little Egrets and 2 Kestrels.

colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull on the Adur at dusk

a chick ringed at Portland Harbour on 15 June 2022, P:57F has not been reported since

Mediterranean Gulls on the Adur

Sussex sky

Friday 21 July. Cookie and I walked the Beeding Hill triangle. It was expectedly quiet with 28 species recorded. They included 2 Stock Doves, Raven, 11 Skylarks, 4 Swallows, 6 Whitethroats, 8 Meadow Pipits, 48 Linnets, 5 Corn Buntings and 2 singing Yellowhammers. An evening low tide visit to the Adur produced a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Little Egrets and a Kestrel.