Mill Hill and Pulborough (10 October 2016)

Monday 10th October. An early visit to Mill Hill found at least 3 Ring Ouzels still present. Also 3 Swallows, 11 Song Thrushes, Stonechat, 2 Blackcaps and 13 Chiffchaffs. I then headed for Pulborough arriving just as the Visitor Centre opened at 09:30. Soon after my arrival the/a Yellow-browed Warbler called a couple of times as it flew into the large sallow at Fattengates. It showed well for 2-3 minutes but I then lost it while trying to find it in my camera. It then called from further away but I wasn't sure from where and after 10-15 minutes left. A Marsh Harrier was the only notable bird on the North Brooks with no interesting geese amongst the numerous Canadas and Grey Lags. I then joined ARK in walking to Hale's Viewpoint where we saw the 4 White-fronted Geese, then the 3 Beans, except there were 11, and a Red Kite. A very pleasant morning as it turned out even if I would much rather have been on Shetland. An afternoon dental appointment and the three days in a row at work would have made it difficult although without DC's encouragement (and some epic driving) my appetite for long distance twitching has definitely waned.

Ring Ouzel at Mill Hill

Blackcap at Mill Hill

White-fronted Geese at Pulborough

my earliest in autumn

most of the Bean Geese at Pulborough, my biggest flock since 2006

and my earliest in autumn

 Sunday 9th October. I met JK at the Beachy Head Hotel just after 07:00 and we walked down to the Old Trapping Area before taking the Cliff Path and dropping into Whitbread Hollow. As expected there was no sign of yesterday's bluetail although hearing details of it and some hard luck stories I was pleased to have been at the other end of the county rather than in ignorance at Birling. We returned around France's Bottom and ended up having seen at least 30 Ring Ousels, Merlin, a calling Golden Plover, 50 Swallows, 20 House Martins, Wheatear, a single Redwing, 8 Blackcaps, 32 Chiffchaffs, Goldcrest and 2 Ravens. I also heard a Siskin. Back at the cars JK noticed that I had a puncture, I'd run over a screw. I jacked the car, removed the wheel nuts all read to fit my 'space-saver' but the wheel remained firmly fixed. A call to the AA produced a man with a hammer and a quick few bashes soon had it off.

Beachy Head trip point, I had plenty of time to admire the view while waiting for the AA, who arrived exactly when they told me. JK offered to stay, and would have been better company ...

Saturday 8th October. An early visit to Mill Hill where I saw 95 Swallows, a Stonechat, 8 Ring Ouzels, 27 Blackbirds, 16 Song Thrushes, 10 Blackcaps, 11 Chiffchaffs and 40 Linnets. Megan and I then went to Harting Down and walked along the South Downs Way to Pen Hill. I had hoped for more ring ouzels but saw very little, the highlight being a high flying Mistle Thrush very reminiscent of a pic of DC's from Skaw that I'd seen the previous evening - except for the underwing pattern. I dropped Megan off in Chichester, where she was going to the theatre, and returned to West Dean Woods seeing, after some scrutiny, the Little Owl in its usual tree at Staple Ash Farm, 4 Red Kites, 20 Swallows, 3 Chiffchaffs and enough Pheasants to last a lifetime.

view west from Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill trig point

looking east from Beacon Hill

Little Owl in its usual tree at Staple Ash Farm

obvious from this angle but almost invisible from any oter

rainbow and Swallows over West Dean Woods

Beachy (07 October 2016)

Friday 7th October. An enjoyable ten hours at Beachy, starting at Birling and covering Baily's Hill to the rides above Whitbread Hollow and back via Long Down before relocating to the Crowlink car park and meandering down to the dew pond and back. I recorded 5 Sparrowhawks, 2 Buzzards, Merlins at Mitchel Dene and Long Down, Peregrine, Turtle Dove (flight views being chased over Long Down first by three crows then rather more vigorously by one of the Sparrowhawks), 3 Green Woodpeckers, Sand Martin, 190 Swallows, 85 House Martins, a Yellow and 30 Pied Wagtails, 2 Whinchats, 25 Stonechats, 6 Wheatears, 15 Ring Ouzels (but none east of Shooter's Bottom), Whitethroat, 5 Blackcaps, 47 Chiffchaffs, a superb Firecrest (as RHC said while watching it, the day I get tired of looking at a Firecrest is the day I give up birding), 4 Goldcrests, 5 Ravens, 310 Linnets and 150 Goldfinches.

Wheatear at Birling

road repairs still ongoing

Ring Ouzel, one of at least five in Shooter's Bottom

as was this one, the others were at Michel Dene (5), Went Hill, Baily's Hill, Hodcombe, Belle Tout and Crowlink

Soft On Stringers

Supporting Our Suppressors

Mill Hill (05 October 2016)

Wednesday 5th October. The forecast of a strong cold easterly wind rather put me off going to Beachy so I decided to try Mill Hill instead. When I arrived at sunrise good numbers of Swallows were already flying east, a Goldcrest was calling nearby and 3 small thrushes flew over rather distantly. Twenty minutes into my normal walk, along the low western path, 4 large long-winged thrushes dropped out of the sky from the NW, called and landed out of sight below me - superb Ring Ouzels including a smart male. They emerged giving fleeting views feeding on berries before moving into thicker cover. Chiffchaff and particularly Blackcap numbers were down on my previous visit with 11 and 2 respectively but I saw a Stonechat, 15 Song Thrushes, 3 Goldcrests and a Jay with a total of 220 Swallows, 23 House Martins and 20 Meadow Pipits flying east. Later Megan and I spent two hours on the Downs walking our usual Chantry Hill/Lee Farm circuit seeing two more Ring Ouzels (at Kithurst Hill and south of Chantry Hill), 45 Swallows, 8 House Martins, 70 Meadow Pipits, 10 Pied Wagtails, single Stonechat and Wheatear, 11 Chiffchaffs, 2 Ravens, a Reed Bunting and 105 pretty stupid Red-legged Partridges. The bright sunny weather and varied field use made for a very scenic walk but one without a single raptor, presumably due to the strong wind as these days I would expect Red Kite and Buzzard to be bankers.

Ring Ouzel at Mill Hill, a firm favourite of mine and always much anticipated

early morning and a very slow shutter speed (1/30th)

Buzzard leaving Mill Hill

Stonechat at Kithurst Hill 

SW from Kithurst Hill

Wheatear at Chantry Hill

Beachy success (eventually)

Monday 3rd October. I wasn't working and after much deliberation decided to try Beachy again. Yesterday had been disappointing but it was supposed to be a little warmer with a lighter wind supposedly going around to the east. I arrived at Birling just after dawn and walked up the lane seeing Chiffchaffs but little else. I was just about to start back down when I met Richard Kelly and we decided to try Michel Dene but could only find Chiiffs and the odd Blackcap there. Returning to the top of the lane at Birling I heard a single disyllabic call sounding very like a Yellow-browed Warbler but Richard didn't and it didn't repeat. We looked for 20 minutes or so but only saw Chiffchaffs so gave up assuming I had been mistaken. We walked up to Shooter's Bottom and back seeing a few more Chiffs and Richard a skulking Redwing. I ended the morning having seen Sparrowhawk, 4 Buzzards, 50+ Swallow, 500+ House Martins, 27 Pied Wagtail, 11 Stonechats, a Whitethroat, 7 Blackcaps, 68 Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest. Back at Birling I left Richard but a story he'd told me about having the courage of one's convictions was playing on my mind. He had been at Church Norton and briefly seen a pale phyllosc he felt sure was a Bonelli's but after some time a pale Willow appeared and he left assuming that was it to later discover a Bonelli's had been found there. I returned to the plantation at the top of the lane at Birling and almost the first bird I saw was a Yellow-browed Warbler although it disappeared before I could get my bins on it. Fortunately it soon reappeared and I had good views although not for long. I then tried putting out the news but had no signal. I waited another hour or so but it didn't reappear. I went on to Crowlink seeing 3 Blackcaps and 19 Chiffchaffs. Yellow-browed Warbler had saved the day.

Chiffchaff, one of many seen today

 

the top of the lane at Birling

sheep and friend at Crowlink

Beachy disappoints (again)

Sunday 2 October. I met John King at Birling at 07:00 and we spent two hours in that area before relocating to the Hotel Garden and walking down to Shooter's Bottom and back. A cold NW wind wasn't very encouraging and so it proved. We saw 28 Sky Larks, 120 Swallows, 410 House Martins, 11 Pied Wagtails, a Redstart, 2 Whinchats, 5 Stonechats, Wheatear, 3 Whitethroats, 7 Blackcaps, 38 Chiffchaff, 5 Ravens and 19+ Corn Buntings. Slightly better than recent visits to Mill Hill but we had hoped for more.

Saturday 1 October. A pleasant walk around Mill Hill between showers produced 80 Swallows, 2 House Martins, single Whinchat and Stonechat, 3 Whitethroats, 34 Blackcaps and 24 Chiffchaff. Later, soon after high tide, Megan and I walked around the Adur seeing 8 Turnstone roosting on boats and 2 Kingfishers.

view west from Mill Hill

rain clouds over the Adur

rainbow over Mill Hill

Friday 30 September. A walk around Mill Hill produced 70 Swallows, 16 House Martins, 8 Song Thrushes, a Whitethroat, 16 Blackcaps and 26 Chiffchaff. Later Megan and I visited Rackham and Parham Park seeing 15 Mandarin, 3 Buzzards, 30 Swallows, 50 House Martins, 5 Goldcrests, 4 Coal Tits and a Nuthatch. On the Adur at low tide were 25 Ringed Plover, 24 Dunlin and single Greenshank and Kingfisher.

Greenshank on the Adur

Wednesday 28 September. A Peregrine was seen on Southwick Power Station as I cycled home from work.

Tuesday 27 September. A windy hour or so at Shoreham Fort produced just 13 Gannets offshore, a Common Scoter flying east, 21 Turnstones, 9 Sandwich Terns and 65 Swallows heading south or east.

a few of the Turnstones roosting out of the wind on the west arm of Shoreham Harbour