Around Shoreham and a visit to Knepp (06-12 July)

Monday 12 July. Megan, Cookie and I walked our usual circuit around the Adur seeing 5 Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Whimbrel (north of the railway), 4 Turnstones, 2 Redshank, Greenshank (in the houseboat channel), 11 Great and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 7 Little Egrets and 2 Meadow Pipits. 

juvenile Black-headed Gull on the Adur

Whimbrel on the Adur

Sunday 11 July. I took Cookie to Knepp where we spent 3.5 hours in the south section. It was rather quiet although I did see a single Turtle Dove, my first Little Owl since early 2019 and a Purple Emperor. Three Buzzards, 3 Green Woodpeckers, a Chiffchaff and 4 Whitethroats were also seen with others and several Blackcaps heard.

Turtle Dove at Knepp

I've had the impression on this and previous visits that there are fewer Turtle Doves at Knepp this year. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Little Owl at Knepp

one of the few UK introductions that I am always pleased to see

camera shy

free-flying White Stork at Knepp

another White Stork

camera fodder

one of several active nests at Knepp

Comma at Knepp

Saturday 10 July. Megan, Cookie and I walked our usual circuit around the Adur noting 5 Oystercatchers, 27 Turnstones, Common Sandpiper, 40 Black-headed Gulls, Cetti's (heard) and Reed Warblers and 2 Whitethroats.

Turnstone on the Adur

this was the only one (out of 27) to be in good plumage

Friday 09 July. Cookie and I walked up the River Adur from Cuckoo's Corner to Dacre Gardens and back. Recent no entry signs along the best section of Ladywell Stream make it a less enjoyable and productive walk than it used to be, being restricted to walking along the river bank for much of it. Despite this I recorded 41 species in just over 2.5 hours. Highlights were 6 Swifts, 13 Little Egrets, Buzzard, 5 Kestrels, Peregrine, 2 Ravens, 5 Sky Larks, 2 Sand Martins (my first locally this year), single Swallow and House Martin, 2 Sedge and 5 Reed Warblers, 8 Whitethroat, 2 Stonechats and 10 Reed Buntings. As we were walking back a seal swam/drifted upriver as the tide came in.

Kestrel near Cuckoo's Corner

juvenile Little Egret near Cuckoo's Corner

Ravens near Dacre Gardens

Reed Bunting near Cuckoo's Corner

Lancing Ring and Steepdown from Mill Hill

Thursday 08 July. Megan and I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw 4 Swifts, Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, Sky Lark, Lesser and Common Whitethroats and 6 Goldfinches while the Yellowhammer was heard.

Buzzard over Mill Hill

Wednesday 07 July. Cookie and I spend 3.5 hours walking from the Lancing Ring car park across to Coombes and back via Steepdown. Highlights were a Hobby flying south just after Cow Bottom and a Quail calling between Coombe Head and Steepdown. Also of note were 7 Swifts, 5 Stock Doves, 4 Buzzards, 33 Sky Larks, 9 Swallows, 13 Whitethroats, 2 Stonechat families, 45 Linnets and 11 Corn Buntings.

Corn Bunting at Cow Bottom

difficult to tell if what it had in its mouth was part of the caterpillar trying to escape over its head?

juvenile Stonechat at Cow Bottom

Swallow and Goldfinch at Cow Bottom nursery

distant Hare near Coombe Head

Linnet on Steepdown

Stonechat at Steepdown

Meadow Pipit at Steepdown

SE from Steepdown

Coombe Head from Steepdown

Tuesday 06 July. In strong SW winds I seawatched at Widewater from 07:15-09:00. A Black-headed Gull, 4 Sandwich Terns and 3 Gannets flew east while 8 Gannets went west. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the sea with 8 Great Black-backs and 10 Herring Gulls offshore. I met Megan and Cookie at Harbour Way where there were 3 Sandwich Terns and we walked back to the Adur Ferry Bridge from which 2 Oystercatchers and 2 Little Egrets were visible at high tide. A Rock Pipit was seen at the Fort with 4 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and at least one juvenile with the Herring Gulls on the roof opposite Harbour Way.

rough seas at Shoreham Harbour

Rock Pipit on Shoreham Harbour

Uninspiring Adur wanderings (28 June-05 July)

Monday 05 July. Cookie and I walked our Beeding Hill triangle - from the car park along the Monarch's Way towards Thundersbarrow, up to Truleigh Hill and over to view the Weald then back along the rim of Room Bottom. I recorded 29 species, the lowest since March, previous visits since then have been between 30-34. Highlights were 2 Swifts, 3 Buzzards, 2 Peregrines, 45 Sky Larks, 4 Swallows, 9 Whitethroats, 9 Meadow Pipits, 11 Linnets and 4 Corn Buntings. Above Room Bottom I saw what looked like a female Dark Green Fritillary but it only landed momentarily and then shot off. At home Megan, from the kitchen window, noticed an Elephant Hawk Moth on our fence. It remained into the evening.

Corn Bunting from the Monarch's Way

view north from Truleigh Hill escarpment

Meadow Pipits near Truleigh Hill

Bagot flock on Beeding Hill

Elephant Hawk Moth

'bird' of the week for me, by along way

Sunday 04 July. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands. The forecast was for drizzle although it didn't materialize while we were out. We saw the Mute Swan parents with their 7 cygnets, 2 Swifts, Little Grebe, Kestrel and 5 Reed Warblers. Cetti's Warbler and Chiffchaff were heard and the few gulls were all Herring. Two Stock Doves visited the garden, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls were on a nearby roof and a very tame Robin and 2 Goldfinches were at the allotment.

Coot on Brooklands

allotment visitor

Saturday 03 July. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill. We saw 2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 2 Sky Larks, 13 Whitethroats and 2 Yellowhammers and heard 2 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap and the Lesser Whitethroat. Marbled Whites and Pyramid Orchids were much in evidence. Walking Cookie up our road in the afternoon a Swift flew over. over the garden in the evening.

Friday 02 July. Cookie and I walked along West Mill, out to the Downslink and back. I saw single Swift, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards, Kestrel, 2 Sky Larks, 4 Swallows, Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcaps, a Lesser and 5 Common Whitethroats, 3 Reed Warblers, male Stonechat, Greenfinch, 2 Linnets, 3 Yellowhammers and 6 Reed Buntings. Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nightingale were heard, the latter a single croaky call. No Turtle Doves, Lapwing or Cetti's Warblers were recorded. 

Beautiful Demoiselle along West Mill

Stonechat at West Mill

Reed Bunting at West Mill

Thursday 01 July. Megan and I took Cookie up to the Lancing Ring car park and walked from there to Steepdown and back. We heard a Quail (from the eastern footpath) and Yellowhammer and saw Buzzard, 9 Sky Larks, Chiffchaff, 15 b, male, female and juvenile Stonechat, 7 Meadow Pipits, 23 Linnets and 21 Corn Buntings.

Marbled White at Lancing Ring

Coombe Head from Steepdown

Cissbury Ring from Steepdown

Corn Bunting on Steepdown

Sky Lark on Steepdown

Steepdown from Lancing Ring

Wednesday 30 June. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill. I saw single Swift and Kestrel and 6 Common Whitethroats hearing 2 more, a Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaffs and the Yellowhammer. Walking Cookie up our road in the afternoon a Sparrowhawk flew over but despite reasonable weather no Swifts were seen over the garden in the evening.

Tuesday 29 June. Walking from Harbour Way along to the Adur Ferry Bridge and back along the boardwalk and around the Fort with Megan and Cookie was expectedly quiet with Oystercatcher, a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls with two quite large chicks, a Gannet offshore, 4 Pied Wagtails and 3 Goldfinches.

Megan at Harbour Way

young Lesser Black-backed Gull on a roof opposite

Monday 28 June. At low tide Megan and I walked along the sandy beach from Widewater to Lancing and back. Other than 9 Sandwich Terns offshore, some resting on yellow buoys, we saw just a single Mute Swan on Widewater. In the evening 2 Swifts were seen over our garden during a brief dry spell.

a reminder that at its nearest point Rampion is over 8 miles off the Sussex coast