Black-winged Stilts (14 June 2014)

Saturday 14 June.  News that stilt eggs had started to hatch had John King and I returning to Medmerry.  I wanted to do a Corn Bunting survey first so arranged a 09:00 start only for early heavy rain up to put paid to that.  Having left my phone and pager at work (again) it wasn't easy to change arrangements and I visited the Adur first seeing a nice plumaged Redshank and 4 Reed Warblers.  At Medmerry the Black-winged stilts had two chicks with the remaining egg appearing to have a pale dent in it which we hoped was the other beginning to hatch.  After a couple of hours we walked down to the breech and when we returned one soaking later the third chick had hatched.  A brilliant occurrence and top marks to the RSPB and their volunteers, not least Mick Davis.  Safe now from egg thieves (human and avian) the chicks are at their most vulnerable.  Rather worryingly on our previous visit (25 May) we had seen 5 Avocet chicks, the survivors of three broods.  Only one had survived, the rest we were told had been taken by crows.  A fate that had befallen all but one Little Ringed Plover chick.  The parent stilts were well aware of the threat from gulls and crows, chasing them off.  A Little Egret was dive bombed too, but three chicks will take a lot of looking after if they wander off as far as the oldest did today.

Black-winged Stilt and oldest chick at Medmerry

stilt and 3 chicks, the youngest sitting to left and facing camera

We also saw 15 Avocets, 8 Little Ringed Plovers, 65+ Grey Plover, a Knot, a summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull and 2 Little Terns and what looked like a female White Wagtail feeding a youngster.

Avocet at Medmerry

Redshank on the Adur

Friday 13 June.  Cycling to work I thought I heard a distant Black Redstart near the power station but it might have been my hearing aid playing up.  If so it is the first this year.

Thursday 12 June.  8 Little Egrets on the Adur in the evening, the most I've seen there for some time, and Mandarin and Cuckoo at Greatham.  I had 9 encounters of Woodcock on a survey on Lavington Common but probably only two birds were involved.  Three Nightjars performed well and I had brief views of Little and Tawny Owls on the way home, a very enjoyable evening apart from the biting insects.

Little Egret on the Adur

Monday 9-Friday 13 June.  Up to 13 Swifts over our road each evening.  A Ringed Plover on Southwick Beach on Monday & Tuesday before rock moving vehicles churned it up again.  I didn't see the nest but it was destroyed.  It is a hard enough place to breed at the best of times.

The West Pier before demolition starts

Pete Neatherway 1942-2014

Very sad news that Beachy birder and all round thoroughly nice guy Pete Neatherway has passed away. See Beachy blog: http://beachyheadbirding.blogspot.co.uk/.  I'm too shocked to write more other than I doubt I've met a nicer couple than Pete and Mim.

Kites and Spotted Flycatcher near the Burgh

Sunday 8 June.  South Downs monitoring and a bit of a wander around near the Burgh produced a few nice birds including 2 Grey and 3 Red-legged Partridges, 4 Red Kites, Marsh Harrier, Cuckoo, Spotted Flycatcher, Treecreeper, 4 Ravens, male Bullfinch, a single Yellowhammer and 4 Corn Buntings.  It is a sign of the times that the Spotted Flycatcher, in the copse near the Burgh, and not the kites was the most welcome sighting despite 3 kites being in the air together. A mid afternoon low tide visit to the Adur was unproductive.

Red Kite over the Downs near the Burgh

passing Arundel Castle

clearly showing five fingers.  Black Kite, not that this was ever a contender, has six

Buzzard at the Burgh, no chance of my mistaking this one for something rarer

very poor shot of a female Marsh Harrier at the Burgh.  Somewhat unexpected and not the harrier I was hoping for at his time of year

Reed Warbler where my 'South Downs' circuit meets the Arun valley

Saturday 7 June.  I visited Widewater, Shoreham Fort for an hours seawatch and the Adur (twice).  Expectations were low and in that respect I was not disappointed.  24 Common Scoter and a Common Tern flew east in an hour, 16 Gannets and 57 Sandwich Terns were noted offshore but probably included some duplication, a Peregrine was on Southwick Power Station chimney, 6 Stock Doves by the Adur and 15-20 Swifts at Widewater and later 15 over our road.

usually when seawatching from the end of Shoreham Harbour I'm wondering how much better it is at Beachy or Seaford. Not much on this occasion, although being able to see them, even if not very clearly, is never a good sign.

Monday 2-Friday 6 June.  A Peregrine was on Southwick Power Station chimney most days, 2 Ringed Plover appeared to be on territory on Southwick Beach on Monday but increased activity dumper trucks and diggers moving rocks there sadly looks to have moved them on.  Up to 15 Swifts were seen from/over our hours each evening (they breed in an adjacent block of flats half way up the road).  On Friday two colour-ringed Herring Gulls were on Brighton promenade, both in readable range with my 8x20s: North Thames A8DT and Sussex A7TR.

not going far in late May

Sunday 1 June.  A morning low-tide visit to the Adur produced no waders and few gulls although the latter did include North Thames Herring Gull KT4T, a regular if 8 sightings since May 2011 can be described as such.  A walk around and beyond Mill Hill with Megan was equally quiet with single Buzzard, Swallow, yellowhammer and Corn Bunting with 18 Swifts over our road in the evening.  Perhaps I should have been a bit more adventurous and gone for the Short-toed Eagle in Dorset but it wasn't a new bird and I'd seen one recently in Extremadura. The Ross's Gull in Devon was more tempting but looked somewhat faded from images and might have been a bit of a disappointment.

Saturday 31 May.  The forecast of a light wind made me feel that a visit to Beachy might be worthwhile.  It was pleasant walking around with John, Doreen and David Cooper and John King, and catching up with Pete and Mim, but other an superb views of Stonechats and a fly over Hobby it was pretty soul destroying with migrants restricted to the latter, a singing Reed Warbler (perhaps as well it wasn't rarer as it remained hidden) and a Swift.  A low tide visit to the Adur produced no waders and few gulls although the latter did include a North Thames Herring Gull DY5T which I have not recorded before (my 96th local colour-ringed gull i.e. on the Adur or at Shoreham Harbour).

much under-rated, the Stonechat is a really superb bird when seen well

one of about 17 seen at Birling with at least half juveniles

a Leopard  Slug at Birling, about the only slug I've ever been 'happy' to see

Friday 30 May.  A single Peregrine on the Power Station chimney and 7 Swifts over our road.

Thursday 29 May.  The forecast of a nice evening made it seem a god bet for my second Woodcock survey visit to Lavington.  I called in at the Adur on the way as it was low tide and was rewarded with a Turtle Dove briefly on the saltings opposite the airport before flying off E. Greatham was disappointingly quiet with just a Cuckoo heard in half an hour although several hundred Starlings were gathering to roost.  At Lavington I had 9 Woodcock encounters (and 9,000 with midges) and views two Nightjars.

Pre-roost gathering of Starlings at Greatham.  About 90% appeared to be young birds.

Tuesday/Wednesday 27/28 May.  One or two Ringed Plovers on Southwick Beach while cycling to work but the bulldozers are back flattening the area again.  A single Peregrine on the Power Station chimney and a few Swifts over our road.

West Sussex Stilts and Turtle Doves (25-26 May)

Monday 26 May.  I started on the Adur at low tide on the off-chance I might get a confirmed reading of yesterday's presumed Buckinghamshire Herring Gull.  It was not amongst the few gulls there although another North Thames Herring Gull was, along with 5 Ringed Plover.  I met John King and we drove to Earnley.  We had not been to Medmerry from this side but had not picked the best day to go - so much for the pre-weekend forecast.  It was an impressive area and we saw the pair of Black-winged Stilts, 5 pairs of Avocets (two sitting, the others 3 with 3, 1 and 1+ chicks), a pair of Little Ringed Plovers with 2 chicks, single Greenshank, Sanderling and Dunlin and 2 Curlew.  Despite continual light rain the walk there and back produced 2 Cuckoos, 4 Yellowhammers and a Corn Bunting.  We called in at Church Norton to take advantage of a brief improvement in the weather and a falling tide, seeing 36 Sanderling, 15 Dunlin, a summer-plumaged Knot, 40+ Ringed Plovers, a Bar-tailed Godwit and two each of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns.  The rain restarted as 2 Red-legged Partridges scuttled across the churchyard.  There were 6 Avocets and 9 Black-tailed Godwits on Sidlesham Ferry and 300 Swifts and 25 House Martins over Ivy lake.  An enjoyable day despite the weather.

Black-winged Stilt on nest at Medmerry

the eggs were left unattended (but guarded by RSPB volunteers) for several minutes between shift changes.  it seemed a long time in the cold wet weather.

the nest seemed to have involved no building or scraping at all and was rather too close to the waters edge for comfort, at least on a wet day

those legs were not designed for sitting on

it was surprisingly well camouflaged when sitting, although the dull weather doubtless helped

 

North Thames Herring Gull F9BT on the Adur.  Now in its third calendar year, I had seen it on the beach at Widewater in February 2013

Sunday 25 May.  With a stronger wind than forecast I seawatched at Widewater from 06:30-07:30 seeing 57 Gannets, 66 Common Scoter and 20 Sandwich Terns.  There was no enough visibly passing to keep my interest but it looked like another day that I would have done better going to Seaford.   Back on plan I headed for the Knepp Estate.  In much nicer weather than my previous visit I heard then saw 2 superb Turtle Doves, 2 Cuckoos and a Garden Warbler.  I also saw 2 male Mandarins, 2 Red Kites, Lapwing, 3 Stock Doves, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers at a nest hole, 9  Mistle Thrushes, 2 Jays, Treecreeper and 4 Bullfinches.  I also heard Nightingale and Yellowhammer.  Taking advantage of the nice weather Megan and I walked up Southwick Hill to Thundersbarrow where 15 Swifts and a House Martin were flying low over the fields.  a later afternoon low-tide visit to the Adur produced two colour-ringed Herring Gulls, North Thames TM9T that I'd seen there on 16 May (and in March and July 2013 following sightings in Essex, Kent and Pas-de-Calais) and what appeared to be 0956, likely from Gerrards Cross Landfill in Buckinghamshire.

Fallow Deer on the Knepp Estate

Turtle Dove on the Knepp Estate

When I started birding I rather took Turtle Doves for granted.  Without trying I averaged about 50 per year from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s (including over 200 in 1981) but numbers have been falling increasingly rapidly ever since.

I saw just 6 Turtle Doves during 2010-13.  Maltese hunters are probably not entirely responsible for the decline but they can not be helping.  Where are the EU when you need them?  Full marks to Chris Packham for highlighting their plight, the most worthwhile thing he's done so far IMHO!

colour-ringed Herring Gull considered to be 0956, I couldn't be certain of the 9 and while moving closer the bird stepped into a hollow obscuring the first two digits.  It then flew off as a bait-digger approached.  Previously on the Adur I had seen two birds ringed at Gerrards Cross Landfill (Bucks), 0977 in July and November 2012 and 0595  in November 2006.  It is a good bet this is a third.

Saturday 24 May.  A weekend day in late May, potentially what could be better in Sussex, but after a seawatch from Shoreham Fort which produced a Fulmar, 2 Gannets and 11 Sandwich Terns I returned home and spent much of the rest of the day scanning old holiday pics.

Monday 19-Friday 23 May.  Cycling to and from work I saw the Power station Peregrines twice, once the male was on the 'ring' directly above the female and he looked tiny.  One or two Ringed Plover were seen most days with possibly 4 birds involved, a Stock Dove visited our garden regularly with up to 5 Swifts seen over our road each evening.  Less usual from the bike were 3 Gannets off Brighton seafront and a Sparrowhawk over our house, both on 23rd.

Stock Dove on our bird table

Seaford seawatch & South Downs monitoring (17-18 May)

Sunday 18 May.  The forecast of a south-easterly, albeit a light one, made me feel that a final spring seawatch might be worthwhile.  I arrived at 05:40, a minute before John King, and an hour later was wishing I'd stayed in bed.  That all changed when a superb pair of Garganey flew east just off the beach at 06:47.  The morning got even better when two pale Pomarine Skuas flew east close inshore at 07:13 (they were clearly motoring as they were seen passing Birling 9 minutes later).  John King and I ended up staying for 7 hours.  Being in the company of Bob Self for much of it helped pass the time as passage was fairly slow but I ended up noting Red-throated Diver 1E, Gannet 22E, Shelduck 1E, Garganey 1 pair E,  Eider 1 imm male on sea, Common Scoter 415E, Sanderling 15E, Knot 1E (winter plumage), Whimbrel 1E, Pomarine Skua 10E (all pale, 2@07:13, 09:07, 09;10, 10:14, 11:11, 3@11:37 & 12:12), Arctic Skua 4E (all pale, after 11:00), skua sp. 1 on sea (landed at 12:00 before it could be unidentified but Pom suspected), Black-headed Gull 35E, Sandwich Tern 85E:3W, Common Tern 14E, Little Tern 3E, Guillemot 1E, auk sp. 3E, Swallow 1 in and Raven 1.  Similar totals for many species to the Beachy blog although only the first Poms were seen there.  The next two were a bit further out but the 10:14 bird was close, although put down on the sea a couple of times off Seaford and so did not appear to be in a hurry.  The others would have been after observations stopped at Beachy.  Less good for us was not seeing any Black Terns (Birling had 8).

Saturday 17 May.  My South Downs monitoring square near the Burgh was due its first visit.  It included an area where I had seen Turtle Dove last year which seemed a good reason to choose it.  No luck on this occasion but I did see 8 Grey Partridges, Red Kite, Cuckoo, 4 Mistle Thrushes, Marsh Tit (!), Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting. Less pleasant was a Magpie in a Larsen trap, not illegal but disappointing in an area that appears to do a lot for wildlife although seeing comments on Martin Casemore's excellent Ploddingbirder blog (http://ploddingbirder.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/pas-de-calais.html) perhaps puts my squeamishness in context.  I'm also told authoritatively that Larsen traps are the least worst method of control so maybe I would not have seen Yellowhammer or Corn Bunting if they were not being used?

I went on to Littlehampton West Beach but had misjudged the tide which was higher than anticipated and there was no sign of the Kumlien's Gull.  Twelve Sanderling were on the remaining exposed sand and I heard a Cetti's Warbler behind the Golf Course but the only possible sign of migrants were 3 Swallows.  A walk around Lancing Ring and Steepdown with Megan produced more Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings than I had managed around the Burgh.

approachable Red Kite near the Burgh

Cuckoo near the Burgh

Corn Bunting

Magpie in a Larsen trap near the Burgh.  Their use is not illegal provided strict guidelines are followed and Magpies do take many nestlings but watching this bird almost constantly jumping around trying to escape made me feel that there must be a better way to control them but I'm told this is the least worst way (see above).

Friday 16 May.  The warmest day of the year so far seemed a good evening for a Woodcock survey at Lavington.  On the way I called in at the Adur seeing North Thames Herring Gull TM9T and two Ringed Plovers, then Greatham seeing a pair of Mandarin but not a distantly calling Cuckoo.  I probably saw 3 Woodcock at Lavington in what I felt was a disappointing session. Three Nightjars were calling, two quite close, but I failed to see them. Three distant Tawny Owls were also calling.

this gull caught my eye but so many immatures are looking very faded now

North Thames Herring Gull TM9T on the Adur.  I had seen it in March & July 2013.  It had been ringed Pitsea Landfill (Essex) as 1CY on 05/09/10, seen Dungeness on 17/11/10, Crayford Creek, N Kent on 21/01/11, Boulogne-sur-Mer Harbour, Pas-de-Calais on 18/11/12 and Holland Haven (Essex) on 17/12/12

Monday-Friday 12-16 May.  A Peregrine was on the Power station chimney most days with a Rock Pipit by the lock-gates twice and 2 Wheatears on Southwick Beach on 14th.  At dusk on 12th there were 19 Swifts over our road and we had a pair of Stock Dovves in the garden on 15th.

Normal service resumed (10-11 May)

Sunday 11 May.  With no sign of the strong winds abating, and coming from a direction not conducive to seawatching I decided to have a morning at inland sites trying and see a few summer visitors I'd not yet caught up with before watching Louis Hamilton just win the Spanish Grand Prix.  John King joined me and we visited the Knepp Estate (Cuckoo, Garden Warbler, Bullfinch & Yellowhammer), Greatham (Swifts, Sedge Warbler) and Pulborough RSPB (Spoonbill, Egyptian Geese, 15 Ringed Plovers, Nightingale and a Nuthatch on the feeders).  

Nightingale at Pulborough

Saturday 10 May.  Two hours seawatching from 06:55, initially from the end of Shoreham Harbour (very exposed) then Widewater (hut 32 providing some shelter), was disappointing.  I'd hoped that the strong WSW wind might have brought something in but poor visibility may not have helped.  Most birds seen were heading west into the wind: 21 Gannets, 6 Fulmar, 5 Common Scoter and 3 Whimbrel.  Three Swallows came in while offshore a female Eider was being harassed by gulls and a handful of Sandwich Terns cruised past. Nothing of note was seen on the Adur either then or later, at low tide, with Megan.

Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 May.  I saw the first Swifts over our road with 6 on 6th and 15th on 7th but lower numbers subsequently as the wind picked up and a Peregrine was on the Power Station chimney each day.