I spent the morning ringing at Cissbury with Val and Finch. The ringing highlight came when I heard a
Marsh Tit by one of the net rides and requested D.J. Val to put the tape lure on for the species. Sure enough, it was in the net by the next net round. This is my first sighting in the Worthing area. Another moment of joy came later in the morning when I heard a
Pied Flycatcher calling in a sycamore which I had earlier noted as looking promising for the species. After a little patience, it afforded some brief views though it stayed elusive within the canopy. Shortly before we packed the equipment away, a
Tree Pipit dropped in and briefly landed in a nearby tree before vanishing. A
Lesser Whitethroat, a
Red Kite, a
Raven, a
Yellowhammer, two
Buzzards, a
Sparrowhawk, a
Kestrel, 60
Swallows, two
Bullfinches, 10
Linnets, a
Treecreeper and singles of
Green and
Great Spotted Woodpeckers were among the other birds logged while ringing. The catch itself included two
Garden Warblers, five
Whitethroats, a
Chiffchaff, and small numbers of
Willow Warblers and
Blackcaps.
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| Marsh Tit at Cissbury Ring |
While popping to the Post Office in Worthing in the afternoon, I noticed six
Swifts overhead, behaving as though they might still be local birds, though I can't be sure.
I couldn't resist scanning the Adur Estuary in the evening. There were two
Whimbrel, two
Dunlin, 19
Ringed Plovers, a
Common Sandpiper, three
Little Egrets, two
Oystercatchers and 100
Starlings of note.
Pre-roost time for gulls was checked at Brooklands Pleasure Park though I found nothing better than two
Lesser Black-backed Gulls. I heard a
Little Grebe, a
Grey Heron was resting, 110
Starlings flew over and a charm of some 70
Goldfinches alighted in the trees.
