Fooled by a gull and delighted by a flycatcher (17-24 August)

Thursday 17 August. Four hours at Mill Hill, the second half with Megan and Cookie: Grey Heron 1W, Buzzard 2, Swallow 25E, Willow Warbler 3, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap 3, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat 3, Whitethroat 19, Redstart 2, Whinchat 1, Linnet 6, Goldfinch 20. A post vet late afternoon visit to Mile Oak with Cookie: Hobby 1, Swallow 3, Spotted Flycatcher 1.

Whinchat on Mill Hill

Comma near Mile Oak Farm

                          

Spotted Flycatcher near Mile Oak Farm

Friday 18 August. Widewater 06:45-08:15 in moderate E wind but poor visibility: Teal 7W, Oystercatcher heard, Common Gull 2E, Sandwich Tern 1E, Gannet 16E. Shoreham Harbour: Yellow-legged Gull 1 juvenile. Adur opposite the airport 09:30-11:15: Ringed Plover 50, Whimbrel 1, Dunlin 7, Common Sandpiper 1, Redshank 10, Great Black-backed Gull 81 including Le Havre colour-ringed 50H, Grey Heron 1, Little Egret 3, Skylark 1, Swallow 3, Meadow Pipit 1.

Meadow Pipit by Shoreham Airfield

Raven display team between Eastbourne airshows

Saturday 19 August. Mill Hill 07:15-08:45 in moderate/strong SW winds: Kestrel 2, Willow Warbler heard, Whitethroat 4, Goldfinch 2. Wolstenbury with Anna, Ian, Megan & Cookie: Red Kite 2, Buzzard 3, Kestrel 4, Swallow 5, Meadow Pipit 3. Adur at dusk: Common Sandpiper 2, Grey Heron 2.

Whitethroat on Mill Hill

the Ravens were back on the airfield

Sunday 20 August. Shoreham Beach: Ringed Plover 15W, Redshank 1W, Swallow 2W. Adur (Town Quay and Airport) 19:20-20:20: Ringed Plover 41, Whimbrel 2, Turnstone 4, Dunlin 10, Redshank 21, Yellow-legged Gull 1 juvenile (I confused myself into thinking it was a Caspian, thanks to David Campbell for putting me right).

Southern Hawker in Buckingham Park

checking the roosting gulls from the east bank meant looking into the sun but on a quick scan this bird's contrasting white head and longish black bill caught my attention. I also convinced myself it had a pear-shaped head and the eye looked large due to shadowing

a wing stretch showed pale inner webs to the inner primaries which seemed to fit Caspian quite well and I thought ruled out Yellow-legged Gull

thumb-nail pale tertial tips seemed to fit

as did the long, thin looking legs in comparison to the Herring Gull beside it and I was becoming convinced of it being Caspian Gull although I wanted to see a pale underwing to be sure. If I'd paid more attention i might have noticed that the eye still looked rather more than a bullet hole and the bill rather more chunky than explained by foreshortening 

I  quickly walked around to the Old Toll Bridge. The bird was more distant but the angle was much better, for me to see a raised underwing and in relation to the light.

concentrating hard on a hoped for wing stretch I failed to notice the contrast between the barred inner (nearest the tail) greater coverts, a strong indicator for Yellow-legged Gull and a feature I'd rather overlooked

nor it looking rather large headed and rather dark mantled

eventually it did a vertical wing stretch, too quick for an image but showed a very pale underwing. Job done I thought, but no as Yellow-legged Gull's can be too. Most of the literature concentrates on telling Caspian from Herring, rather assuming that the differences from Yellow-legged are more straight forward. Some are but I often find Yellow-legged a joker of a bird and it's caught me out again. 

I left feeling quite happy that I'd seen a juvenile Caspian Gull and didn't look at my images critically enough when back home

Monday 21 August. Mill Hill 07:00-08:45: Sparrowhawk 1, Buzzard 3, Willow Warbler 1, Blackcap 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Whitethroat 12, Linnet 8, Goldfinch 6. Adur 08:50-11:00 mostly with Megan and Cookie: Ringed Plover 31, Bar-tailed Godwit 1, Dunlin 2, Common Sandpiper 4, Redshank 8, Sparrowhawk 1, Great Black-backed Gull 43, Kestrel 2, Swallow 3, Whitethroat 3.

Autumn Lady's Tresses on Mill Hill

Bar-tailed Godwit on the Adur

Tuesday 22 August. Mill Hill 08:30-10:30 with Cookie: Kestrel 1, Jay 1, Swallow 6, Long-tailed Tit 2, Willow Warbler 2, Chiffchaff 2, Blackcap 3, Whitethroat 10, Spotted Flycatcher 1 very distant, Redstart 1, Tree Pipit 1, Goldfinch 3. Adur 10:35-11:15: Ringed Plover 24, Dunlin 5, Common Sandpiper 1, Redshank 12, Great Black-backed Gull 82 including 50H, Sparrowhawk 1.

Tree Pipit and passing Chiffchaff on Mill Hill

Autumn Lady's Tresses on Mill Hill

Spotted Flycatcher on Mill Hill

Wednesday 23 August. Adur and the Rec with Megan and Cookie: Ringed Plover 23, Turnstone 25, Dunlin 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Swallow c100 appearing as a cloud over Lancing College roof, Cetti's Warbler 1 heard at Dog's Trust, Garden Warbler 1, Whitethroat 1. Mill Hill 19:00-19:50: Chiffchaff 3, Blackcap 2 Whitethroat 1, Pied Flycatcher 1, Goldfinch 2.

 

Pied Flycatcher on Mill Hill

Thursday 24 August. Mill Hill 08:00-11:20 latterly with Megan and Cookie: Great Spotted Woodpecker heard, Kestrel 1, Willow Warbler 2, Chiffchaff 1, Blackcap 4, Garden Warbler 2, Whitethroat 45, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Redstart 2, Tree Pipit 2, Linnet 6, Goldfinch 15.

Garden Warbler on Mill Hill