Staying local (16-30 August)

Friday 16 August. Beeding Hill triangle with Otis, 08:45-12:45: 6 Buzzards, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Kestrels, 2 Ravens, 20 Swallows, 5 Whitethroats, Redstart, 10 Wheatears, 12 Meadow Pipits, 60 Linnets, 17 Goldfinches and 4 Corn Buntings. Town Quay mid afternoon: Redshank, juvenile Sandwich Tern and first-summer Great Norther Diver. Megan and I took Otis to the Adur early evening: 2 Whimbrel.

Raven above Room Bottom

Great Northern Diver at Town Quay

my first anywhere in August, no longer the only month I'd not seen one

under the Norfolk Bridge but light still unhelpful

a restored ex-Luftwaffe North American Rockwell OV-18 Bronco

designed as a light attack and observation aircraft the Bronco served from Vietnam to Desert Storm

Saturday 17 August. Lancing Ring with Megan and Otis: Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Swallow, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Whitethroats, Chaffinch, 40 Linnets, 3 Goldfinches and 15 House Sparrows. Megan and I took Otis to the Adur early evening to see if any more Eastbourne Airbourne planes were overnighting: Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit.

Black-tailed Godwit on the Adur

photo reconnaissance Supermarine Spitfire XI PL963 saw action in 1945

two-seater Supermarine Spitfire IX PV202 started life in 1944 as a single seater but was converted to a two-seat trainer and served in Irish Airforce from 1951-60

Bristol Blenheim YPQ (L6739) entered service in September 1939 as a night-fighter for a year before being scrapped. After an eleven year restoration involving 25,000 man hours work it flew again in 2014. It is the only Blenheim out of 1089 made that still flies.

Sunday 18 August. Beeding Hill triangle with Otis, 08:50-12:30: 2 Stock Doves, Red Kite, 3 Buzzards, 4 Kestrels, Peregrine, 2 Ravens, Skylark, 35 Swallows, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Lesser and 5 Common Whitethroats, 4 Wheatears, 40 Linnets, 6 Goldfinches and 4 Corn Buntings. New Monks Park early evening: Water Rail (heard), 2 Barn Owls, Kestrel and Swift. 

Wheatear along the Monarch's Way

sunset from New Monks Park

Barn Owl at New Monks Park

Monday 19 August. Mill Hill 06:25-11:00 (with Megan and Otis from 09:30): Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards, 2 Green Woodpeckers, Kestrel, adult Hobby, 8 Swallows, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers, Blackcap, 12 Whitethroats, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, Tree Pipit, 2 Linnets and 4 Goldfinches.

Spotted Flycatcher on Mill Hill

Wednesday 21 August. Mile Oak-Perching Hill-Truleigh Hill-Southwick Hill: Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, 3 Kestrels, 15 Swallows, 4 House Martins, Whitethroat, 3 Stonechats, 2 Wheatears, 70 Linnets and 2 Goldfinches. No sign of the Cirl Bunting but I only gave it 15 minutes.

Wheatear at Perching Hill

Friday 23 August. Beeding Hill triangle with Otis, 09:30-13:05: 3 Stock Doves, 2 Buzzards, 5 Kestrels, Chiffchaff, Redstart (heard), 3 Wheatears, 40 Meadow Pipits, Yellow Wagtail, 20 Linnets, 65 Goldfinches and a Corn Bunting. 

Wiston Wildfires festival from Beeding Hill

Saturday 24 August. Adur with Meegan and Otis: 42 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 20 Redshank and a Greenshank (Town Quay).

Monday 26 August. Mill Hill: Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Chiffchaffs, 5 Willow Warblers, Blackcap, 5 Whitethroats and 8 Goldfinches.

Long-tailed Tits on Mill Hill

Tuesday 27 August. Beeding Hill triangle with David Buckingham and Otis, 08:00-12:15: 2 Sparrowhawks, Red Kite, 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrel, Skylark, 11 Swallows, 11 Long-tailed Tits, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, 3 Whitethroats, 17 Whinchats, Stonechat, 3 Wheatears, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 9 Meadow Pipits, 30 Goldfinches and 2 Corn Buntings.

Wheatear along the Monarch's Way

Brown Argus near Truleigh Hill

Sparrowhawk near Truleigh Hill

Whinchat near Room Bottom

Wednesday 28 August. Mile Oak/Southwick Hill/Thundersbarrow/Monarch's Way Valley with Otis, 09:00-12:45: 2 Sparrowhawks, 3 Buzzards, 3 Kestrels, 50 Swallows, 3 House Martins, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, 20 Whitethroats, 6 Whinchats, 2 Stonechats, Wheatear, Chaffinch, 40 Linnets, 14 Goldfinches and a Corn Bunting.

Thursday 29 August. Mill Hill with Megan and Otis: 4 Buzzards, Kestrel, 8 Swallows, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Chiffchaffs, 6 Willow Warblers, Blackcap, 2 Whitethroats, Linnet and 4 Goldfinches.

Friday 30 August. Mill Hill with Otis, 08:30-11:20: 2 Buzzards, Kestrel, Jay heard, 20+ Swallows, 4 House Martins, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Chiffchaffs, 10+ Willow Warblers, 10+ Blackcaps, 2 Lesser and 18 Common Whitethroats, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, Wheatear, Greenfinch and 5 Goldfinches.

Spotted Flycatcher on Mill Hill

Willow Warblers on Mill Hill

Mostly Shoreham (16July to 15 August)

Birding is still taking a bit of a back seat with Otis is settling in. He is not used to being left on his own even for short periods so it was fortunate that Josh was around as I had been called up for Jury Service in Hove. In the event I wasn't selected for either of the two trials that came up (a less than 1 in 11 chance) and was released on a daily basis after four days of hanging around.

Local sightings, most with Otis or Megan and Otis have included Whimbrel on the Adur on Tuesday 16 July; Whimbrel, Curlew, adult Mediterranean Gull and 2 Sandwich Terns on the Adur on 17th; Great Spotted Woodpecker on Mill Hill on Friday 19 July; Sandwich Tern in Shoreham Harbour and at dusk a Rainbow Cloud from our garden on 20th; Red Kite, 6 Buzzards, 2 Ravens and 3 Corn Buntings around the Beeding Hill triangle on Sunday 21 July (Otis's first visit to the area where I had most success with Cookie); Sparrowhawk over Southwick Canal on 22nd; 29 Mute Swans, 20 Swifts south, 14 Common Sandpipers, 10 Swallows and single Sedge and Reed Warblers along the Adur near Dacres Gardens on Tuesday 23 July; 3 Swifts and a Whimbrel by the Adur on 24th; a Swift over Mill Hill on Saturday 27 July; 10 Swifts over our road on 29th.

a very faded gull on the Adur on 17 July

Rainbow Cloud or rainbow in a cloud? From our garden, sunset on 20 July

like a section of rainbow, either way quite spectacular with the setting sun on the nearer clouds 

somewhat unexpected as no rain at ground level though appeared to be much higher than a normal rainbow so possibly caused by ice crystals

Common Sandpipers roosting at Dacre Gardens at high tide on 23 July

Otis settling in on 30 July

A potential juvenile Yellow-legged Gull remained on the water at Brooklands on Thursday 01 August; Reed Warbler on Mill Hill on 2nd and Raven there on 3rd; Reed Warbler by the Adur on Sunday 04 August; Swift, Green Woodpecker and 3 Chiffchaffs on Mill Hill on 5th, 2 Lapwings, 2 Whimbrel, 9 Ringed Plover, 2 Greenshank, 9+ Redshank, Sandwich Tern and Great Spotted Woodpecker between Ricardos and the Houseboats on Tuesday 06 August with Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, 27 Turnstones and a juvenile Sparrowhawk there and 19 Stock Doves, Wood Sandpiper, adult Hobby and 2 Reed Buntings at New Monks Pool on 7th; 2 Willow Warblers on Mill Hill on Thursday 08 August; Swift, 3 Buzzards, 8 Kestrels, 3 Willow Warblers, Redstart (heard), Wheatear and Corn Bunting along the Beeding Hill triangle on 9th; eclipse Eider and Kingfisher at Shoreham Fort on Saturday 10 August; Jay, Coal Tit and Nuthatch at Rackham and 2 Mandarins at Parham on 11th (Nessa was home for weekend); Green Woodpecker heard from our road and another seen and 3 Willow Warblers on Mill Hill on Monday 12 August. Otis limping on 13th, two visits to vets in Worthing where thought to be a sprain. Much better overnight and after a couple of visits to the park and one around town he seems pretty much back to his usual cheeky self, much to our relief. A morning out with David Buckingham seeing Honey Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, 3 Red Kites, 3 Buzzards, 2 Hobbys, Raven and Goldcrest on 15 August.

Otis keeping an eye open on 1 August

Whimbrel on the Adur on 6 August

Greenshank in the Houseboat Channel on 6 August

Wood Sandpiper on New Monks Pond on 7 August

an excellent bird locally and a very nice find for Jen Holter

Otis on guard duty on 8 August

Linnets in Room Bottom on 9 August

an under-rated bird

male Honey Buzzard on 15th, the closest we saw but still heavily cropped