Worthing

 Just a walk along the beach today to sign the year off, but it was a gorgeous morning. Seven Dark-bellied Brent Geese flying west and three Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea were the avian highlights. At home a Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from across the road and I retrapped a Wren.

Lyminster, Goring Gap and Worthing

Typically last-minute for me, I completed my first of the season's two Sussex Winter Bird Survey visits to my square at Broomhurst Farm, Lyminster. The Lapwing flock wasn't as big as normal but still numbered 75 birds, while a Water Rail, two Cetti's Warblers, three Little Egrets, four Red Kites, two Stonechats, six Reed Buntings, a Treecreeper and a Mistle Thrush were among some of the other birds noted.

A quick stop at Goring Gap at lunchtime was disappointing for gulls again, with just two adult Mediterranean Gulls for me, along with a small handful of roosting Ringed Plover and Dunlin.

The most memorable moment of the day by far came when I got home to find a Song Thrush in the house. After quickly fitting it with a ring, it went on its way quite happily.

Goring Gap

 Just a quick stop at lunchtime, when a Dark-bellied Brent Goose flew into the roost field. Among the gulls were two adult Mediterranean Gulls.

Goring Gap, Widewater Lagoon, Brooklands Park and Patching

 There was little going on at Goring Gap other than four Dark-bellied Brent Geese and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, plus three Great Crested Grebes offshore. Moved on to Widewater, where c110 Dunlin were roosting on the beach along with 30 or so Ringed Plovers. A Kingfisher made a brief appearance over the lagoon and a Sparrowhawk flew through the adjacent gardens. Five Little Grebes and four Mute Swans were present.  Next up was Brooklands Park, where the highlight of the day came in the form of a Lapwing overhead, being harassed by two Peregrines. Three Chiffchaffs were heard calling and the Pochard was on the lake, along with a Little Grebe. The new pair of Mute Swans was still present but there was no immediate sign of the resident adult female and only two of her offspring seemed to remain. Checking in at Patching sewage works finally, there were three Chiffchaffs and a Grey Wagtail around the filter beds, and a Red Kite flew over. Five Redwings flew from the trees. A final check of Goring Gap revealed an increase to five Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

The Downs and Ferring Rife

I started the day walking the downs in the Lychpole Farm/Beggars Bush area. This produced a Chiffchaff, a Reed Bunting, seven Yellowhammers, four Meadow Pipits, 10 Fieldfares, 20 Redwings, 15 Skylarks, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard.

At lunchtime I headed over to Ferring Rife, finding a Water Rail and two Reed Buntings.

Brooklands Park

Another visit today - with Ingrid - was primarily a dog-training exercise but I did note the drake Pochard, two Little Grebes, four Teal and a Cetti's Warbler. Two Stock Doves were remarkably approachable. The female Mute Swan had only three immatures in tow but a new adult pair was at the other end of the lake...

Brooklands Park

It was a beautiful morning and I met up with Gareth for a walk around the park. The drake Pochard was again showing on the lake, along with a Little Grebe, five Teal and the family of Mute Swans. Along the stream was a Kingfisher, while other birds included a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Redwing and a Meadow Pipit.

Goring Gap

Just a quick trip at midday, with a pair of Stonechats, a Great Crested Grebe, three Gannets, five Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, three Turnstones and c40 Common Gulls to show for it.

Sidlesham

I took Beni the Samoyed for her first proper birding trip, to Sidlesham on the edge of Pagham Harbour, where I've been dying to twitch the Richard's Pipit there for days. Said bird was eventually found when Ed turned up, and offered good scope views, while a short walk further along the lane bagged us the Glossy Ibis in flight with at least 30 Cattle Egrets. 10 or so Yellowhammers, 20 Meadow Pipits and a Reed Bunting were around. Also three Stonechats, a Chiffchaff and some distant Curlew heard.

Worthing

 An adult male Goldfinch was a nice catch in the garden, where a Pied Wagtail flew over and a/the Song Thrush was around.

Worthing

Once again the Grey Wagtail was back on the edge of the koi pond and a Chaffinch flew over. Yesterday two Great Black-backed Gulls - surprisingly notable just three streets back from the beach - flew over, and a Song Thrush was also notable for here.

Worthing

The net produced two Robins: a new bird and a retrap. The Grey Wagtail returned and a Redwing flew over.

Worthing

 I trapped and ringed a Goldcrest in the garden, and the Grey Wagtail again teased with visits to the pond, avoiding the net. After dark I heard a Redwing.

Worthing

 I caught another female Blackcap in the garden, while the  Grey Wagtail made another brief visit to the pond - bouncing out of the net - and a Sparrowhawk flew over.

Canons Farm and Banstead Woods

I led one of the two subgroups for the CFBW Bird Group's Winter Tour today, a welcome chance to get back on the old patch and to simply get beyond the confines of the garden! The best the farm had to offer were 40 Meadow Pipits, 25 Redwings, six Fieldfares and a couple of Buzzards. In Banstead Woods, we enjoyed having a female Sparrowhawk, an adult male Kestrel and a Buzzard over our heads simultaneously, while one of the paths offered good views of Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Coal Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker for the participants. A redpoll flew over.

Worthing

 A female Blackcap was a surprise in my garden ringing net this morning.

Worthing

While washing up I clocked a female/1st-winter male Black Redstart on the rim of our koi pond just a few feet from the window! It stayed there a few moments as I scrambled for the nearest photographic device then flew to the fence before vanishing. My third ringing tick in the last two days came in the form of a Coal Tit. They often visit our neighbour's conifer and one has started visiting our revamped feeding station - it was a long time coming! I also caught a Wren and a Great Tit. A Grey Wagtail flew over again.

The reason for my very sedentary birding over the last few days is the arrival of our little eight-week old Samoyed puppy, Beni, who obviously requires constant supervision and isn't ready for the big world yet. She'll be my main birding companion soon!

Worthing

Opening the net this morning produced two new in-the-hand species for the garden, Redwing and Goldcrest. A Jay was a noteworthy garden sighting, and a Grey Wagtail flew over.

I managed to sneak an hour at the end of the road, seeing four Red-throated Divers, 32 Red-breasted Mergansers, six Great Crested Grebes, 12 Sanderlings, an adult Mediterranean Gull.

 

Worthing

 A quick look at the sea/beach at the end of the road produced five Red-breasted Mergansers, two Great Crested Grebes, five Oystercatchers, two Turnstones, a Sanderling and a Gannet.

Worthing

 Garden observations included a Goldcrest, then a Redwing heard after dark.

Worthing

A Peregrine flew over the garden and a Coal Tit was calling next door.

Brooklands Park, Ashdown Forest, Adur Estuary

A visit to Brooklands Park this morning saw me notch up my 100th species within the Worthing 10km circle during Lockdown #2, the faithful drake Pochard who is back for another lonely winter on the otherwise Aythya-free zone that is the Brooklands lake. Two Chiffchaffs and eight Goldcrests were in the bushes. Two Little Grebes, five Teal and the family of Mute Swans were also present. I learned that the smallest cygnet, which I'd presumed to have perished, was actually taken into care and ended up being released in London.

I had business in Crowborough so stopped at Wren's Warren in the Ashdown Forest for a quick walk afterwards, though I had nothing of note besides 11 Lesser Redpolls.

On the way I popped in to the Adur Estuary toll bridge and was delighted to find that there is now a permanent coffee and cake stall in the parking area. I scanned through the gulls and waders - cappuccino and brownie in hand - and counted two Grey Plovers, two Oystercatchers, 105 Lapwings, 19 Dunlin, 11 Redshank, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, 20 Great Black-backed Gulls, two Little Egrets and a Grey Wagtail.

Pulborough Brooks RSPB and Amberley Wildbrooks

 A few hours at Pulborough Brooks produced a satisfying total of 66 species. Today's memorable moment was watching a flock of eight Woodlarks feeding on a muddy track in a field before a Sparrowhawk shot through and spooked them all, filling the sky with Woodlark alarm calls! Two Firecrests, 90 Black-tailed Godwits, two Ravens, 25 Fieldfares, 50 Lesser Redpolls and two Siskins were among the other highlights, along with a good number of ducks including dozens of Pintail. One male Green Woodpecker showed particularly well.

  

The day ended at Amberley Wildbrooks, where two adult Russian White-fronted Geese were with the masses of Greylag and Canada Geese from the Rackham Viewpoint and there was a similar assemblage of ducks on the flood. A Merlin landed in a tree, and two Red Kites and a Raven put in an appearance.

Rye Harbour

It took nearly three hours of careful scanning in the wind but eventually the Shorelark revealed itself in the southeast corner of the Flat Beach, a Sussex tick for me, loosely among a scattering of about 25 Skylarks. I didn't have much time to look for much else but did note four Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Grey Plovers, 600 or so Golden Plovers, a Knot, a Cetti's Warbler, five Mistle Thrushes and four Rock Pipits.

The Downs

I managed a good long walk around the downs between Titch Hill and No-Man's-Land before the drizzle set in. An adult Peregrine was sitting on a stone in a bare field, while three Ravens flew over and two young Red Kites were on patrol. Three Kestrels included a showy adult male. Two Buzzards and two Sparrowhawks were also seen. Passerines included three Chiffchaffs, 40 Skylarks, a Redwing, two Fieldfares, four Stonechats, 50 Meadow Pipits, 30 Pied Wagtails, three redpolls, seven Reed Buntings, 11 Yellowhammers, two Siskins, 50 Linnets and two Bullfinches.

Worthing, Patching Hill and Angmering Park Estate

Two Redwings flew from my neighbour's garden at dawn. 

Patching Hill delivered an adult Mediterranean Gull in an adjacent field with 52 Common Gulls, eight Redwings, two Yellowhammers, two Red Kites, a redpoll, a Siskin, a Bullfinch and a Marsh Tit.

The adjacent Angmering Park Estate delivered three Firecrests, five Marsh Tits, four Treecreepers, seven Nuthatches, 23 Goldcrests, a Raven, a Siskin and four Redwings.

Cissbury Ring and Adur Estuary

 A circuit of Cissbury Ring this morning produced two Marsh Tits and four Bullfinches (these being new for my Lockdown#2 list), as well as four Mistle Thrushes, four Fieldfares, 60 Redwings, a Raven, six redpolls, three Siskins, four Bullfinches, 10 Yellowhammers and three Reed Buntings.

 I then called in to the Adur Estuary RSPB reserve for tide. Snipe were being pushed off as the tide flowed, making a total of at least 50 birds, while the Greenshank and a Grey Plover were among 60 or so Redshanks. The single wintering Curlew put in an appearance and was another new lockdown bird for me. A flock of 70 Lapwings settled only for a short while before heading off to an alternative roost site. Two Kingfishers argued while 18 Teal were busy feeding. Singles of Rock Pipit and Grey Heron were also on the reserve.

Bramber Brooks, Shoreham and Goring Gap

A later start today took me to the River Adur alongside Bramber Brooks, where I caught up with the juvenile Goosander which has been in the area, though it was very skittish and I only saw it in flight. There was also a Kingfisher, two Fieldfares, a Cetti's Warbler and a Reed Bunting.

The next stop was Shoreham Fort, where an adult Purple Sandpiper was on the jetty with 12 Turnstones. What was presumably the same female-type Black Redstart which was reported yesterday put in a brief appearance along the fenceline and a Rock Pipit was feeding.

Stopping at Goring Gap produced nine Mediterranean Gulls and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the roost field, though there were only three Turnstones.

Ferring Rife

The beach by the Bluebird Cafe had 15 Grey Plovers, 11 Oystercatchers, a Sanderling, a Ringed Plover and three adult Mediterranean Gulls. The highlights along the Rife itself were a mobile Brambling, five Siskins, two redpolls, a Redwing, three Mistle Thrushes, a Little Egret, a Sparrowhawk and 11 Moorhens.

Worthing

 A disappointing seawatch for me. I had five Great Crested Grebes, 113 Gannets and two Kittiwakes, plus some auks right on the horizon. Once a band of rain came in I cut my losses and headed home but it sounds like there was much more action later on!

Shoreham Harbour, Adur Estuary, Goring Gap and Worthing

Two Purple Sandpipers and 17 Turnstones were on view from Shoreham Fort just after high tide this morning. I then moved on to the Adur Estuary, where a Greenshank, nine Snipe, two Grey Plovers, 15 Teal, 25 Redshanks, a Little Egret, four Grey Herons and two Mute Swans were on the RSPB reserve. A couple of Mediterranean Gulls were the highlight of a brief subsequent visit to Goring Gap. A Coal Tit visited my feeders at home, where a Goldcrest was calling.

River Adur

 A walk along the river between the cement works and Upper Beeding in a quest to see the Goosanders found here recently drew a blank on that count, but I did have two Cetti's Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, a Kingfisher, five Stonechats, a Reed Bunting, four Siskins, a Grey Wagtail, a Fieldfare, a Redwing and four Mute Swans.

Worthing and Thursley Common

  An early morning seawatch produced a Bonxie, seven Common Scoters, a Great Crested Grebe, a Teal, four Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 27 auks, 21 Gannets and 20 Dunlin off Grand Avenue in an hour early morning. A Sparrowhawk flew over on the way home.

Thursley Common with Phil delivered good views of a flock of 14 Crossbills, heard-only encounters with four Dartford Warblers, three Fieldfares, 11 Redwings and a few redpolls. Several Red Kites were entertaining as they whistled and tusseled overhead.

Later, a Peregrine was near the shops back home in Worthing.

The Downs

Just a quiet evening walk off Titch Hill with Ingrid. It was lovely calm weather for it. Seven Corn Buntings included a singing bird, while a Reed Bunting and a Chiffchaff were also heard.

Brooklands Park

Another day at Brooklands Park. A Raven heard from the north end was the most notable bird for the site. There were fewer birds moving overhead today, with just two redpolls, four Siskins, 40 Goldfinches, two Linnets and six Chaffinches but 12 Skylarks, including a flock of 11. Two Cetti's Warblers, a Mistle Thrush, a Kestrel, a female Sparrowhawk, 12 Teal and the Mute Swan family were also logged.

Brooklands Park, Goring and Worthing

It was a busy morning at Brooklands Park, mostly with birds flying over. Goldfinches, in particular, were on the move. I missed the big numbers as the larger flocks were hugging the coastline, as I realised when I eventually made it to that side of the park! But I did notch up over 800. Other vismig highlights included two Crossbills, three Grey Wagtails, 25 redpolls, 50 Siskins, five Skylarks, a Reed Bunting, 11 Linnets, 18 Chaffinches, 21 Meadow Pipits and 12 Pied/White Wagtails. A pair of Gadwall on the lake was a pleasant surprise. At least one Kingfisher was hurtling around and three Cetti's Warblers were in voice. Also on the lake were two Little Grebes, nine Teal and five Mute Swans (the female with her four surviving cygnets). Two Coal Tits, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Green Woodpecker, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were also noted. A Firecrest was waiting by my car when I was getting ready to leave.

Given the easterly airflow, which often delivers Casps, I headed to Goring Gap in anticipation but drew a blank. There were nine Turnstones, a Mediterranean Gull, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, four Skylarks and a Rook in the fields, though.

Back home, a Siskin flew north over the garden. Then, while helping Ingrid at the allotment at lunchtime I heard a Green Woodpecker, my first there and the closest I've had to the centre of Worthing.

Worthing and Cissbury Ring

I started the day with a couple of hours vismigging from the garden. Four redpolls, five Siskins, 165 Goldfinches, a Linnet, five Chaffinches, a Meadow Pipit and 95 Woodpigeons flew east, while seven Pied/White Wagtails mostly flew west. A Grey Wagtail and a Common Gull flew north, while a local Peregrine headed over too.

Next up was Cissbury Ring, where I soon located a Dartford Warbler - one of the two or three birds found there yesterday - a little way south of the trig point. It was a pretty vocal and showy individual, and my first in the local area. Other highlights included three Ravens, a Reed Bunting, four Yellowhammers, a Stonechat, nine Meadow Pipits, a Redwing, two Mistle Thrushes and eight Skylarks.

Worthing, The Downs and Goring

An adult Peregrine was again near me in Worthing. I went on an afternoon walk on the downs near Steep Down again, hoping for another sighting of the Hen Harrier from the other day, but fog swept in to the valleys and hindered any chance. However, I did have around 30 Corn Buntings, a couple of Reed Buntings and a pair of Stonechats. I stayed for a little while after dark, hearing a Little Owl and two Tawny Owls. I picked Ingrid up in Goring later on, well after dark, hearing a Lapwing flying overhead when I opened the car door! I don't think this species is picked up on nocmig all that often and I was tempted to wonder whether it had been disturbed from somewhere due to the fireworks.

Cissbury Ring

The first bird caught was a juvenile Woodpigeon, while setting the western nets. After getting a feel for the day after an initial roundand hearing some redpolls flying over, I stuck the Lesser Redpoll tape on by the F nets. This soon produced two Lesser Redpolls, followed by another on the next round. This used to be a staple species at my initial ringing training ground of Leith Hill but I've handled very few since so I was delighted. All were adults, and two were lovely pink males. Of the 19 birds caught in total, it was nice to catch two November Blackcaps (one a retrap) and a Chiffchaff, while four Goldcrests (two retraps) were more obviously late autumn fare. Often underrated, an adult male Chaffinch was another pleasing catch.

It was obvious that birds were seizing the chance to move after the relentless brisk southwesterlies with so much rain over the last couple of weeks. Being so clear, I was mainly hearing calls without being able to count flocks, and obviously I was ringing, but a couple each of Brambling, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer flew over, along with a single Golden Plover, a small flock of Crossbills and a trickle of redpolls, Siskins, Chaffinches, Skylarks, Pied/White Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Linnets. A male and a female Peregrine tussled directly overhead, the male at least giving that fantastic gull-like chatter. Later, one of them was in pursuit of a flock of Woodpigeons, another species that was moving in good numbers today. Two Ravens came and went throughout the morning and towards the end there were singles of Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Kestrel.

The Downs

 A walk near Steep Down at the end of the day was rewarded with a juvenile Hen Harrier quartering the fields near Annington Barn. There were also a few Corn Buntings preparing to roost.

Goring Gap and Worthing

An early afternoon visit to Goring Gap produced 180 Mediterranean Gulls and 185 Common Gulls.

Later on I had one of the regular Peregrines in Worthing.

Worthing

About 110 Goldfinches flew over my garden first thing while I had breakfast. I then realised the conditions looked fairly promising for a seawatch so walked down to the beach where I started a 2.5 hour session. Two Bonxies were the clear highlight, while 28 Kittiwakes was a reasonable total and six Common Scoters, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 171 Gannets also flew by. A Great Crested Grebe was on the sea.

Goring Gap

A late morning visit to the Gap coincided with high tide. There was certainly an increase in gull numbers, though I've learned that when it comes to gulls locally, it is quantity or quality and rarely both! There were no standout species among the roost today but 27 Mediterranean Gulls made for my highest count for a while and 22 Great Black-backed Gulls was another notable number, while a total of 130 Common Gulls was another increase since my last check (though that was about a month ago now!). Around 15 Turnstones and a Ringed Plover were in the wader roost field.

Worthing

 An evening walk featured the local pair of Peregrines.

Bewbush

After work I headed to Bewbush in Crawley where the Dusky Warbler, my first in Sussex, was showing without too much difficulty and calling often. 

 

Canons Farm and Belmont

A Tawny Owl woke me up in the early hours outside the window at my parents' when I stopped over. In the early afternoon, once the rain had cleared, I headed to Canons Farm for a short walk which produced a female Stonechat, three Chiffchaffs, a male Kestrel, two Buzzards, a Yellowhammer, seven Meadow Pipits and a Fieldfare.

Spurn etc 19-24th October 2020

Mag and I started our trip off with a visit to Kilnsea Wetlands where relatively few waders were taking refuge at high tide, though there was a Spotted Redshank, two Ruff and a few hundred Knot. A Merlin and a Peregrine flew through, six Pintail were present and the Listening Dish Hedge held a female Brambling, 20 Reed Buntings and a good number of Tree Sparrows, which of course went on to be ubiquitous throughout our stay. 

 

Our next move was to clear out of the Spurn area and head to Johnny Brown's Common in West Yorkshire where the adult male BROWN SHRIKE showed well in the narrow strip by an arable field. Two Crossbills, a Siskin and 27 Fieldfares flew over.

 

We finished the day just outside the Spurn recording area at Skeffling, where it was too close to dusk for the Great Grey Shrike but a Short-eared Owl did show nicely, a Merlin flew through, four Kestrels hunted and 11 Fieldfares appeared.

The next day (Tuesday) started with a walk around Kilnsea, with a Firecrest near Sykes's Field and a Yellow-browed Warbler in the observatory garden being the highlights, along with nice views of a juvenile female Sparrowhawk in a hedgerow. We returned to Skeffling in the afternoon and enjoyed fantastic views of the Great Grey Shrike which hunted actively but payed no attention to us watching from the bank. It performed a couple of very long hovers and was quite a successful hunter. A juvenile Hen Harrier put on a good show, 300 Pink-footed Geese dropped in briefly, a Merlin passed through and two redpolls flew over.

Wednesday at Spurn produced seven Goosanders, a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, a Short-eared Owl, 23 Twite, 12 Common Scoters, two Red-throated Divers, 25 redpolls, a House Martin, 13 Swallows and a Cetti's Warbler.

Thursday was the first good day for vismig, with a Lapland Bunting, a Great White Egret and a Twite headlining. As for commoner species, my very rough and conservative personal totals were 140 Siskins, 450 Goldfinches, 180 Skylarks, 90 redpolls, 80 Linnets, 20 Chaffinches, six Rock Pipits, 30 Meadow Pipits, three House Martins and six Swallows. 35 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 11 Pintail were also seen, along with the usual suite of Humber waders.

Kilnsea Wetlands had 10 Whooper Swans, six Black-tailed Godwits, a Pintail and three Mediterranean Gulls. Later, Skeffling again offered views of the Great Grey Shrike, a Merlin and two Marsh Harriers. We returned to the Canal Scrape in the evening to witness a murmuration of several thousand Starlings as they came in to roost, and we heard a Water Rail.

More vismig on Friday involved 44 Whooper Swans, 350 Pink-footed Geese, four Lapland Buntings, five Twite, five Yellowhammers, a Brambling, 230 Siskins, 20 Tree Sparrows, 140 Meadow Pipits, 10 Pied/White Wagtails, 60 Linnets, seven Rock Pipits, three Grey Wagtails, 19 Skylarks and nine Swallows. A Greenshank was on the Humber and a Red-throated Diver flew past offshore. Eight Black-tailed Godwits flew over Long Bank Marsh and Sammy's Point had a Short-eared Owl, 12 Grey Partridges (coveys of seven and five), two Bullfinches, three Yellowhammers, 11 Whooper Swans, 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, three Black-tailed Godwits, a Mediterranean Gull, a Peregrine, 35 Fieldfares, 

Saturday at The Warren signed our Spurn trip off with three Eiders, a Goldeneye, three Common Scoters, 40 Whooper Swans, six Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Merlin and a Peregrine. 

We stopped at North Cave Wetlands on the way home and located the adult drake Green-winged Teal among 600 Teal. There were also 70 Wigeon, 60 Gadwall, six Pochards and 20 Shovelers. A Green Sandpiper, nine Curlew, a Ruff, four Snipe and 47 Lapwings made up the waders. A redpoll, a Siskin, a Fieldfare, eight Little Grebes and a Little Egret were among the other birds noted. 48 Common Gulls was the highest number I've logged at any one site so far this autumn.

Stiffkey, Holme and Thornham Harbour

 Mag and I were heading to Spurn for a week and took the chance to divert to north Norfolk to mop up on a few birds. Most pressing was the RUFOUS BUSH CHAT which showed nicely out on the saltmarsh at Stiffkey. For various reasons I've barely been able to go for any of the major rarities this autumn but this is the bird I cared most about, so I'm very glad I managed to sneak over there... Seven Red Kites over the saltmarsh was the highest number I've seen in Norfolk and a Kingfisher flew along a channel. We then popped in to Holme where we enjoyed good views of a Red-flanked Bluetail near the village car park (five Lesser Redpolls and 30 Redwings there too) and finally to Thornham Harbour, where the Pallas's Warbler fed in the low bushes without a care for the small crowd surrounding it.

Belmont

 A Tawny Owl was hooting late at night, audible from my parents' flat.

Isles of Scilly 7th-14th October 2020

After a couple of roadside Barn Owls in Wiltshire on the drive through the country, Phil, Ian, Mag, Paul and I reached Penzance harbour for a week on Scilly. This being my earliest Scilly trip so far, I hoped for a slightly different experience, with a subtly different suite of staple species and perhaps a few more rarities compared to my recent holidays there. The state of play as the Scillonian III chugged gently towards the archipelago, a Manx Shearwater the 'best' bird to pass us, was that an American Golden Plover was currently holding centre stage... but we remained hopeful!

As things turned out, we had timed it just right, for once! The first day was slow as we settled in (a Cetti's Warbler, a Water Rail and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits the best) but on day two we twitched said American Golden Plover successfully on Tresco (though dipped an Arctic Warbler which had been found the previous afternoon). As we made our way back to the quay for the return to St.Mary's, we had that rare thrill of a mega alert sounding about a bird just around the corner!!! It was news of a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER by the Great Pool! Haring it over there, we were almost first on the scene and enjoyed brief views in the pines before it melted away. The tension grew as every minute passed and every birder joined the crowd but before too long the very mobile bird was relocated and went on to give fantastic views, with patience. Being so jammy with this dream of a bird made up for the one I very narrowly missed back in 2011. 

Other highlights from Tresco that day included a Lapland Bunting, four Pink-footed Geese, four Golden Plovers and a Yellow-browed Warbler. Back on St.Mary's, we tried for the Swainson's Thrush - another new arrival (things were kicking off!) - but dipped, though we did have a Merlin, seven Pink-footed Geese, a Greylag (a Scilly rarity), a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Water Rail.

The Friday started with a walk around Peninnis Head, where two Crossbills and seven Pink-footed Geese flew over, as well as a Raven. Two Sandwich Terns were in Porthcressa Bay. On St.Martin's, with a fair bit of work we eventually managed good views of the RED-EYED VIREO in the pines at Middle Town, my second in Britain. A Yellow-browed Warbler showed well at Little Arthur Farm and waders included a Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Sanderlings, seven Ringed Plovers and a Greenshank. A Peregrine was stationed on a rock offshore.

A long walk around St.Mary's on the Saturday delivered brief views of the Barred Warbler at Watermill, plus a Wheatear, two Bar-tailed Godwits, two Sanderlings and five Siskins. We caught a late boat to Bryher, where we dipped the/a Swainson's Thrush but had seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese en route. Another long walk back on Mary's produced views of the Pectoral Sandpiper and a Great White Egret at Porth Hellick, along with a Cetti's Warbler, four Greenshanks and a Water Rail there. At dusk we tracked down the Wryneck at Deep Point.

Sunday was another St.Mary's day and it felt like there were more common migrants on offer. My personal Yellow-browed Warbler total for the day was 11. We successfully twitched the Nightingale at the dump and other highlights included Pectoral Sandpipers at Porth Hellick and on the airfield, a Jack Snipe at Lower Moors, a Whimbrel heard at Deep Point, three Whinchats, six Redwings, six Snipe, two Cetti's Warblers, three Sandwich Terns, nine Greenshanks, 10 Swallows, a Kingfisher, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Ravens, five Wheatears, 20 Siskins, five Water Rails and the seven Pink-footed Geese with the Greylag.

Highlights on day six included both Lapland Bunting and Snow Bunting showing well on St.Mary's, with six Yellow-browed Warblers, three Crossbills, 30 Siskins, a Wheatear, three Whinchats, a Peregrine, a Sandwich Tern, a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and the geese forming the supporting cast.

On the last full day, we vowed to settle the score with the Swainson's Thrush and get the earliest boat to Bryher. Before heading down the quay, we connected with the new-in Mandarin as it flew over Porthloo, and had the Red-breasted Flycatcher along the Lower Broome Platform. Other bits included a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers, plus a flyover Crossbill, two Bar-tailed Godwits, 11 Sanderlings and a Water Rail.

On Bryher, thankfully the SWAINSON'S THRUSH (another British second for me) showed without too much difficulty as it gorged on Pittosporum berries. We took a chance on a vague report of an AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT on Shipman Head Down, which was more straightforward to find than we thought. A couple of Snipe and a redpoll flew over.

In the evening, back on St.Mary's, we enjoyed a very showy Little Bunting at Porth Hellick as it fed on a track just yards away, where the goose flock flew over and waders included five Greenshanks and 14 Ringed Plovers. 

The final day, we remained on St.Mary's and finally managed good views of the first-winter Red-backed Shrike behind Longstone cafe as we had cream tea! My first four Fieldfares of the autumn flew over and a Whinchat moved through Porthloo. An exciting minute at Salakee saw a Merlin fly through, to be immediately followed by first Scilly Hobby. Other highlights included a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Greenshanks, three Yellow-browed Warblers, five Swallows, a Wheatear and four Siskins.

The crossing back to Penzance, as we reflected on an exciting week, again had a Manx Shearwater as just about the only bird of real note, aside from a Common Gull - the first of the trip, a flock of four Grey Herons well out to sea, and the usual Guillemots and Razorbills

Burton Mill Pond

I didn't quite get to Burton Mill Pond for dawn as I had initially planned but  I ended up spending a very satisfying few hours there till shortly after noon, by which point I'd recorded 67 species. After staking out the heron for good while, I walked the loop round the pond, passing Chingford Pond and walking back through the heath and along the road. 

There were three clear highlights of the visit. The first was a Woodlark flying over one of the viewpoints over the pond. Next was a Yellow-browed Warbler which gave three calls by 'Woodlands' just as I completed by circuit - it went unseen but was sound-recorded thanks to my constantly running recorder. Finally, just as I was closing the boot of my car to head off, the shout came from across the road that the juvenile Purple Heron was showing again! It spent several minutes preening low in a waterside tree before heading back into the reedbed. A new county bird for me.

There were several other highlights. Several encounters with Crossbills were mainly flyovers but included a sighting of four in the conifers on the other side of the pond. One or two Hobbies hawked over the margins and at least one Kingfisher was very busy around the edges. At least four Firecrests and five Marsh Tits were seen or heard along my circuit. 14 redpolls and 70 Siskins - at least - flew over, along with minima of 120 House Martins, 15 Swallows, 22 Meadow Pipits and 13 Pied/White Wagtails, plus nine Mistle Thrushes and two Grey Wagtails. 

A couple of Reed Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler were in the reeds, while four Mandarins and at least 40 Cormorants passed by. Three Red Kites, four Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk completed the raptors. Other birds included a Bullfinch, three Nuthatches, five Treecreepers, a Gadwall, nine Little Grebes, five Pochards, 38 Tufted Ducks, five Great Crested Grebes, four Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Green Woodpecker.

Brooklands Park

 A fleeting visit to Brooklands Park produced a Tufted Duck, my first locally this year, on the lake along with four Teal, a Little Grebe and a singing Cetti's Warbler.

Goring Gap and Cissbury Ring

I clocked a first-winter Caspian Gull in the southeastern field late morning. It flew off and was replaced by a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull. A Knot on the beach was notable and overhead there was a Golden Plover, a Yellow Wagtail, 87 Siskins, a redpoll, four Grey Wagtails and 65 Meadow Pipits. Two Wheatears and five Stonechats were on the ground and just off the beach was a flock of six Teal with two Wigeon. A flock of 13 Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew west at distance. Further waders included three Sanderlings, eight Dunlin, 24 Ringed Plovers, 33 Turnstones and three Oystercatchers. An adult Sandwich Tern was also on the beach, with five Little Egrets. A Sparrowhawk and a juvenile Kestrel toured the fields. 45 Swallows and 40 House Martins flew through and two Goldcrests were heard in the bushes.

 

 A very quick - failed - twitch to Cissbury Ring for the Bookers' Yellow-browed Warbler did produce two Spotted Flycatchers.

Cissbury Ring

 A steady morning's ringing with Val and Finch produced, alongside the continued torrent of Blackcaps, some variety in the nets, including a Marsh Tit, a Bullfinch and two Song Thrushes. Overhead passage involved my first Redwing of the autumn, seven Crossbills, at least eight redpolls, 12 Siskins, 30 Meadow Pipits, 50 House Martins, three Swallows and five Pied/White Wagtails. Three Ravens and a Sparrowhawk also flew over, a Mistle Thrush errupted from the trees and a male Stonechat was unusual below our ringing station.

Worthing

 The month closed with a short seawatch off Marine Gardens, producing two Common Scoters, three Sandwich Terns and a first-winter Mediterranean Gull.

Worthing and Brooklands Park

 Two Sandwich Terns were off Worthing as I cycled to Brooklands Park this morning. At the park, I managed to dip both the Tufted Duck and the Yellow-browed Warbler; no sight nor sound of either. I did have two redpolls, 16 Siskins, a Mediterranean Gull, 23 Meadow Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, 150 House Martins, two Swallows, two Buzzards and two Sparrowhawks fly over. Two Little Grebes were on the lake, where the adult female Mute Swan was still accompanied by four juveniles.

Goring Gap

With a northwesterly breeze blowing I thought I'd give Goring Gap a go. Two Yellow Wagtails flew over and another was in the fields with 12 Pied Wagtails, 73 Turnstones and at least 12 Ringed Plovers. Three Grey Wagtails flew moved west, as did most of the 127 Meadow Pipits, though at least 22 of these came in off the sea. It was somewhat jarring to see 60 House Martins arrive off the sea and head north inland too! Two Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew east before correcting themselves and heading back down the Channel, where four Teal also headed. My first Great Crested Grebe of the season flew east distantly offshore and just one Sanderling appeared on the beach. Two Stonechats were in the rough area and six Little Egrets included one in the recently tilled field. An adult and a juvenile Common Gull made their way west separately.

Worthing and Sompting Brooks

 Seven Siskins, six Rooks, eight Meadow Pipits, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Chiffchaff were seen from the garden this morning.

Dave Sadler showed me around Sompting Brooks, where we had a Garden Warbler, a Yellow Wagtail, two Reed Buntings, a Little Egret, two Cetti's Warblers, a Sparrowhawk and a Whitethroat.

Worthing and Cuckmere Haven

An hour at the end of my road in Worthing produced a Wheatear, a Common Scoter, a Dunlin, a Grey Wagtail, two Sandwich Terns and 73 Gannets.

I dropped Ingrid off in Brighton and spent the time before I needed to collect her at Cuckmere Haven. The highlight there was a showy adult Knot. Other waders included a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper and eight Dunlin. A juvenile Peregrine had a brief go at a pair of Ravens, a Kingfisher flew along the river and a juvenile Common Gull was one of the very few I've seen so far this autumn. Two Yellow Wagtails flew over, four Rock Pipits were along the banks, 19 Swallows flew through and five Little Egrets were seen. Seven Little Grebes were having great success catching small fish in the main meander.

Worthing

 A morning to wind down a bit and catch up around the house, though I spent quite a bit of the morning in the garden, where I caught three Chiffchaffs and overhead there was passage involving 35 Siskins, 40 Meadow Pipits, two Pied/White Wagtails and two Swallows. A Jay was a fairly unusual garden sighting.

Ashburnham Place and Shackleford

 Ringing at Ashburnham with Pete, accompanied by Christian and Adrian. Catches included my first ever Grey Wagtail ringed, a Swallow and a young male Great Spotted Woodpecker. Other birds noted included a redpoll overhead, a couple of Siskins, a Marsh Tit, a Firecrest, a Treecreeper, 60 Swallows and a few House Martins.

A return to Surrey in the evening saw an eventful evening at Shackleford, where the Short-toed Lark - Ed Stubbs's mindblowing find - showed nicely in its usual field, where a male Sparrowhawk shot through.

Worthing, Cissbury Ring and Adur Estuary

 Vismig from my garden in the first part of the morning produced two Ravens giving a cronk or two - a garden tick!, a late Swift, at least 11 Crossbills,240 Siskins, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Yellow Wagtails, 37 Meadow Pipits, 35 House Martins, a Sand Martin and six Swallows. A Chiffchaff was in the garden.

 I met with up Paul Goodman at Cissbury Ring, where highlights included a Hobby, a male Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Mistle Thrush, 17 Siskins, a Grey Wagtail, 41 House Martins, 27 Swallows and a Red Kite.

A visit to the Adur Estuary in the late afteroon produced two Kingfishers, 17 Lapwings, four Redshanks, a Grey Wagtail, eight Swallows and a Little Egret.

Adur Estuary

I probably left it a bit late with the tide for some waders - it end up being a particularly high tide - but did see a Whimbrel, a Greenshank, three Snipe, two Ringed Plovers, 10 Oystercatchers, 30 Turnstones (mostly roosting on a boat), eight Dunlin and 36 Redshanks. Non-wader interest included two Yellow Wagtails on the main rec field with 20 Pied Wagtails, two unsettled Kingfishers, five Wigeon, four Teal, 17 Siskins and four Meadow Pipits overhead, 18 Swallows, a Sparrowhawk, 11 Little Egrets and four Grey Herons.

Devil's Dyke

An evening walk with Ingrid after dinner at the pub featured two Ravens, three Sand Martins through, three Meadow Pipits, and three Little Grebes quite a surprise on the pond, as well as our first Hummingbird Hawkmoth of the year.

Worthing

 I caught a Chiffchaff in the garden, where a Yellow Wagtail, 17 Siskins and eight Meadow Pipits flew over.

Cissbury Ring

The morning's ringing on the north scarp was quieter today, with Val, Finch and special guest Linda, mainly due to a drop in the number of Blackcaps. Our catch did have some good variety, though, kicking off with a Spotted Flycatcher, followed by our first Goldcrest of the autumn and finishing with six from the cloud of around 300 House Martins ending up in one of the nets. A redpoll sp flew over, along with 20 or so Siskins, at least 15 Meadow Pipits, two Grey Wagtails and a Raven. A Tawny Owl was vocal when we arrived.

Ferring Rife, Cissbury Ring and Worthing

 A very quick check of just a short section of Ferring Rife first thing produced two Yellow Wagtails, three Little Egrets and two Meadow Pipits.

I then spent the morning at Cissbury Ring where the highlight was swarming House Martins, including some landing in the bushes - overall there were well over 400. Another redpoll sp flew over and other highlights included five Redstarts, three Spotted Flycatchers, two Wheatears, a Tree Pipit, two Stonechats, two Marsh Tits, 60 Siskins, six Yellowhammers, two Skylarks, 20 Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs, two Swallows, a Sparrowhawk and five Jays.

At home in West Worthing, a Chiffchaff was around the garden and 40 Swallows were hawking overhead in the evening.

Cissbury Ring and Thorney Island

A busy ringing session at Cissbury with Val and Pete saw us process 116 birds, including seven Siskins, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Firecrest, 79 Blackcaps, two Bullfinches, a Magpie and 17 Chiffchaffs. A redpoll sp overhead was my first of the autumn and the true Siskin count was hard to estimate as flocks were stopping and moving through but was certainly over 150. A Grass Snake was a surprise along one of the paths. I also noted a Marsh Tit, two Ravens, a Grey Wagtail, 11 Meadow Pipits, a few House Martins and Swallows, a Whitethroat, and a male Tawny Owl hooting just before dawn.

I dipped the Pallid Harrier again at Thorney Island in the late afternoon, noting a Greenshank, five Yellow Wagtails, a Kingfisher, a Sandwich Tern, a Curlew, 15 Lapwings, two Little Grebes, etc.

Thorney Island

After work I finally had an opportunity to head to Thorney Island for the Pallid Harrier, though still couldn't stay long. Infuriatingly, the bird was being watched by the crowd as I walked up to the bank but I couldn't get on it and it didn't reappear within the next hour, when I had to go. A Cattle Egret, a Greenshank, a Sandwich Tern, a Cetti's Warbler and gathering of Wigeon and Redshanks were the best on offer.

Worthing

 First thing this morning I trapped and ringed a female Blackcap, a juvenile Wren (the first ringed here!) and two House Sparrows. A Grey Wagtail flew over.

Worthing and Highdown

 A 40-minute watch from my garden first thing produced 35 Siskins, three Meadow Pipits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Highdown this morning delivered two Redstarts (male and female), a late Swift among 250 House Martins and 35 Swallows, a Whinchat, six Spotted Flycatchers, six Buzzards moving west, a migrant female Stonechat, four Yellow Wagtails, 60+ Siskins, 241+ Meadow Pipits, a Grey Wagtail and a Mistle Thrush.

Worthing, Beachy Head and Ferring Rife

While I had a quick cup of coffee in the garden first thing, before heading out, I had seven Siskins, a Yellow Wagtail, three Grey Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit fly over.

Phil and I then spent the morning at Beachy Head, which was relatively quiet but made for a nice change of scenery and a satisfying walk. Most migrants were overhead, with a Tree Pipit, 24 Siskins, 15 Yellow Wagtails, 180 Meadow Pipits, 285 Swallows, seven Sand Martins and 40 House Martins. However, a female Redstart, a Lesser Whitethroat and 13 Whitethroats were among the birds in the bushes. A Peregrine, two Ravens, 16 Stonechats, three Fulmars, seven Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and 21 Oystercatchers were also seen.

We later followed up news from Clive Hope of a Wryneck at Ferring Rife but the bird had clearly either moved on or gone to ground. Gareth joined the search too. Five Mediterranean Gulls flew by, along with three Little Egrets, and two Turnstones were on the beach. A Sandwich Tern flew past offshore, six Swallows flew over and a couple of Chiffchaffs were in the bushes.

Cissbury Ring

 It was a busy morning's ringing with Val and Finch, as well as Cyndey visiting from the SDOS group. The morning was defined by Siskins, which have been pushing along the coast in decent numbers for a few days now. We succeeded in temping 12  - of the 150 or so that moved through - down into one of the mist nets, the first to be ringed at Cissbury this century! Typically for the time of year, Blackcaps made up most of the numbers, with 85 processed. A Garden Warbler, three Whitethroats, a Bullfinch, 12 Chiffchaffs and a single Willow Warbler were among the other birds trapped. As well as the Siskins, overhead a Tree Pipit, two Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Wagtails, several House Martins and Swallows and a Raven flew through.

Ferring Rife, Kingston Gorse and Elmer Rocks

This morning I completed a route along Ferring Rife and through Kingston Gorse, noting 54 species. I heard Siskins and Yellow Wagtail over Ferring as I cycled in, which was a good start, then at the beach adjacent to the Rife a Redshank flew along the shore but the only other waders were three Turnstones and a Ringed Plover, alongside 28 Little Egrets and a Grey Heron. Along the Rife itself, there was a Wheatear, a Reed Bunting, 11 Chiffchaffs, five Whitethroats and five Blackcaps, plus six Moorhens and another Grey Heron. Two adult Mute Swans, presumably two of the trio seen from Goring Gap the other day, flew towards the beach and flyovers included at least 82 Siskins, 10 Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Wagtails, a House Martin, 32 Swallows and three Meadow Pipits. Two Whinchats were by the country centre, along with a little flock of Linnets, making a total of 31.

Kingston Gorse had two further Whinchats, while overhead there were an additional two Siskins, three Yellow Wagtails, 10 House Martins, two Meadow Pipits and eight Swallows. A Whitethroat, two Blackcaps and three Chiffchaffs were logged. The young Buzzard was very vocal. Five Little Egrets and three Sandwich Terns were along the beach and at least three individuals from the Moorhen family were still on the now dry pond.

Stopping at the Bluebird Cafe on the way back, a Bar-tailed Godwit flew west just off the beach with 20 Oystercatchers.

I cycled back home then switched to the car to head to Elmer Rocks, where I was very lucky with good views of the elusive Wryneck at close quarters, as it fed on the path for several minutes. A new Sussex bird for me and a species I can never get enough of. The rocks themselves had a Common Sandpiper roosting alongside 50 Ringed Plovers, five Sanderlings, nine Dunlin, five Turnstones and a couple of Oystercatchers. A Kingfisher flew out from the rife to the beach before doubling back and a Sparrowhawk patrolled the fields.

Worthing, Cissbury Ring and Brooklands Park

A Sparrowhawk greeted me on the roof of a neighbouring house at home in Worthing first thing this morning, just after a Siskin flew over my garden.

This morning's walk at Cissbury Ring was hugely enjoyable, with 52 species noted, including a nice variety of migrants. There were nine each of Redstart, Tree Pipit and Spotted Flycatcher, as well as four Crossbills, two Whinchats, three Firecrests, four Yellow Wagtails, at least 57 Siskins, 10 Wheatears, 50 Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, 60 House Martins, 80 Swallows, 12 Chiffchaffs, five Whitethroats and 26 Meadow Pipits. Just as I ended a thoroughly satisfying morning of migrants, I was blown away to see a beaming leucistic Blackcap along the same fenceline as eight of the Spotted Flycatchers and two of the Redstarts. Surely the most start plumage abnormality I've seen in a passerine, it was a gorgeous little thing.

Resident birds included a roosting Tawny Owl in a bush, betrayed by mobbing passerines, as well as two Ravens, a Marsh Tit, a Sparrowhawk, three Buzzards, three Kestrels, four Green Woodpeckers, three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, two Bullfinches, two Yellowhammers and six Stonechats.

At lunchtime, I set off for Tide Mills to see the Wryneck but ended up parked, along with hundreds of others, in the A27 Southwick Hill tunnel for over an hour due to an accident. When the traffic was finally cleared, I'd run out of time to make the outing comfortably to turned round and checked in to Brooklands Park. The adult female Mute Swan was with her four surviving juveniles, four Chiffchaffs were with a tit flock along the treatment works access road and eight Cormorants was quite a high count for the lake, but otherwise it was quiet. However, a juvenile Shelduck flying west over the sea was unexpected.

Goring Gap and Adur Estuary

Vismig from the beach at Goring Gap recorded 105+ Siskins, 35 Yellow Wagtails, nine Grey Wagtails, seven Knot, five Sand Martins, two House Martins, 23 Swallows and 20 Meadow Pipits in just over three hours. Three adult Mute Swans just off the beach were unusual, while a Whinchat and two Wheatears moved through. Further waders included seven Oystercatchers, 11 Ringed Plovers, nine Turnstones and six Dunlin. It was interesting to watch a Stock Dove drinking sea water on the beach.

The Adur Estuary at high tide produced three Common Sandpipers, a Whimbrel, two Greenshanks, 20 Lapwings, 28 Redshanks, a Dunlin, two Sandwich Terns, four Grey Herons and five Little Egrets.

Goring Gap and Adur Estuary

Goring Gap was dead this morning, with 48 Little Egrets on the beach, a Sandwich Tern west and not a migrant of any description during my walk.

Hearing Phil was in Sussex, I suggested we meet up on the Adur Estuary for a quick look, where we saw a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, 69 Ringed Plovers, 22 Dunlin, two Redshanks, 11 Oystercatchers, 19 Great Black-backed Gulls, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls and five Little Egrets.

Gallions Reach, Banstead Downs and Ditchling Beacon

I caught up with Kevin at Gallions Reach in the morning, where I found him a patch tick in the form of a juvenile Caspian Gull, along with eight Common Sandpipers and a Little Egret. Two Sparrowhawks, two Kestrels and a Buzzard over the far side were the only raptors on offer. The lake had two Little Grebes, 11 Teal and six Gadwall, and a Willow Warbler was in the bushes.







Banstead Downs later with Panos and Francis produced a surprise afternoon flyover Tree Pipit and several Chiffchaffs in with the tit flocks encountered.

Happily, I made it to Ditchling Beacon before dark to successfully twitch my first Sussex Dotterel - three juveniles. A Whinchat and three Wheatears were seen on the walk in.

Porthgwarra, Stithians Reservoir and Barton-on-Sea

Where better to start September than Porthgwarra? A pleasant stroll around Porthgwarra with Liam featured two Pied Flycatchers, a pair of Chough, a Garden Warbler, two Tree Pipits, three Wheatears, a Swift, four Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, three Fulmars, two Little Egrets, a Peregrine, two Ravens, a House Martin, 80 Swallows, a Willow Warbler, a Rock Pipit and three Grey Wagtails. At least eight Buzzards started to make use of the thermals late morning, as did the roaming flock of 21 reintroduced White Storks, although these u-turned after deciding that a jaunt to Scilly wasn't such a great idea after all.





We popped in to Stithians Reservoir to twitch a Cattle Egret, which was showing nicely, along with the juvenile Wood Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, five Curlews and two Lapwings.

 

On the way back east, I stopped at Barton-on-Sea, where it was too late in the evening for the Icterine Warbler to show but I was gobsmacked to hear one or two Water Rails calling from the vegetation on the beach.

Stithians Reservoir and Falmouth pelagic

An early check of Stithians Reservoir produced a Wood Sandpiper and a Curlew Sandpiper with two Redshanks, as well as a Snipe, a Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Curlew, a Mediterranean Gull, a Raven, a Sand Martin and a Swift.



The rest of the day was spent on a boat with AKK Wildlife out from Falmouth. It was a beautiful calm day and a fun way to spend the day but not the best conditions for seabirds. We did, however, manage a Balearic Shearwater, a Puffin, three Arctic Skuas, two Bonxies, five Guillemots, three Common Terns, three Fulmars, hundreds of Gannets and Manx Shearwaters, four Kittiwakes and eight Shags.

adult pale morph Arctic Skua during the Falmouth pelagic

Durleigh Reservoir, Devoran and Stithians Reservoir

On the way down to Cornwall, I couldn't resist adjusting the route to include a stop at Durleigh Reservoir, where the juvenile Purple Heron was easily seen, enjoying the sun in the trees near the manor house, along with two Great White Egrets. 43 Great Crested Grebes were almost entirely at the same end of the reservoir, including several young; I'm not sure I've ever seen such a breeding season congregation. Four House Martins, two Sand Martins, two Little Egrets and a family of six Mute Swans were also seen.





I met up with Liam in Penryn and we headed over to Devoran, finding three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, along with five Knot, a Whimbrel, three Ringed Plovers, 81 Curlew, 23 Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits, 16 Dunlin, 16 Oystercatchers, a Teal and a Little Egret.



Stithians Reservoir in the evening offered a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, 13 Little Grebes, two Shovelers, two Wheatears, a Willow Warbler and two Little Egrets.

Canons Farm, Banstead Woods and Beddington Farmlands

Leading the CFBW Bird Group's Autumn Migration Tour was a challenge in the cold northerlies, but we found two Wheatears, 20 Swallows and three Meadow Pipits at Canons Farm, while Banstead Woods offered a Siskin and a Willow Warbler. A small flock of Goldfinches picking at the mortar on the carport - as they do here - included two birds with rings.



An evening walk at Beddington was disappointing. The water levels on the lakes were high and the 'wet grassland' still had not a blade more grass than when it was first dug. Chiffchaffs outnumbered Willow Warblers, with 15 and three respectively, while two Cetti's Warblers sang and a Sand Martin, 10 Swifts and three Swallows hawked over the North Lake. I heard a Green Sandpiper, and wildfowl included seven Shovelers and four Egyptian Geese.

Worthing

A Willow Warbler moved through the garden first thing, when the male Peregrine flew over.

Worthing

A Yellow Wagtail and a Swift flew over my garden early this morning. A seawatch from the end of the road in the evening was an improvement on last time, with a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Common Scoters (one on the sea), two Fulmars, a Common Tern, seven Sandwich Terns, 57 Gannets and five Oystercatchers.

Worthing, Crawley and Brooklands Park

I gave seawatching a chance off the end of my road early morning. Five Sand Martins over the waves, two Grey Plovers, six Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin, two juvenile Mediterranean Gulls, three Gannets and five Sandwich Terns were the highlights... Later, a Kestrel was unusual over the Broadwater roundabout and a Peregrine was on Manor Lea.

In Crawley, the gardens at World of Water had a Siskin and a Grey Wagtail.

In the evening, I visited Brooklands Park where a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was showing well and the lake also had singles of Little Grebe and Grey Heron.

Worthing

I heard a Yellow Wagtail flying over the garden early this morning.

Cissbury Ring

Today's ringing session with Val, Pete and Mya was the site's busiest this year, with Blackcaps making the bulk of the numbers. By the time we'd counted nine flyover Tree Pipits, I suggested it was worth a shot putting the tape by the most open net and lo, the next net round saw two further birds, in the net by the player! A Marsh Tit was another good catch. Other birds included a Yellow Wagtail and two Red Kites overhead, a Willow Warbler, 20 Swallows, two Ravens, a Tawny Owl and a Sparrowhawk.

Pendeen Watch and Dawlish Warren NNR

I wasn't initially planning on spending a second night but Liam, Matt and I thought we'd give Pendeen a casual go in the morning. Unfortunately, we played it a little too casual, getting there at 8.20am: just after the main action had finished. Still, we had three Balearic Shearwaters, two Sooty Shearwaters, 20 Storm-petrels, roughly 20,000 Manx Shearwaters, two Chough, an Arctic Skua, a Bonxie, a Knot, a Sanderling, two Ringed Plovers, a Redshank, 25 Dunlin, 12 Sandwich Terns and a Wheatear.





On the way home I called in at Dawlish Warren, where, fortunately, after a few hours gone to ground, the Melodious Warbler with a damaged eye afforded a couple of fairly brief views. A Willow Warbler and a couple of Stonechats were in the same area.

Porthgwarra, Drift Reservoir and Stithians Reservoir

Anticipation was high and the car park at Porthgwarra was rammed with optimistic seawatchers - up to 80 of them - almost all of whom went up to Hella Point. Liam, myself, Matt Doyle and a few others went for the thinking-man's option of the cove, where the level view and proximity to the cafe suit me fine. While it was monumentally quieter than we had hoped, highlights for me included a fairly close Cory's Shearwater, four Balearic Shearwaters, a Sooty Shearwater, a Storm-petrel, a couple of thousand Manx Shearwaters, four Whimbrel, two Curlew, 70 Fulmars and a Common Scoter.

We moved on to Drift Reservoir, where the adult SPOTTED SANDPIPER was picking along the opposite bank. Then we caught up with a juvenile Wood Sandpiper at Stithians Reservoir...

The Lizard

A mini-break in Cornwall, visiting Liam and seawatching, kicked off with an evening seawatch from Bumble Rock, where a cracking juvenile Long-tailed Skua, a Great Shearwater, six Balearic Shearwaters, a Sooty Shearwater and a trickle of Manx Shearwaters kicked things off.

Goring Gap

A fleeting visit to Goring Gap early morning produced a flyover Yellow Wagtail.

Worthing

A Willow Warbler was calling in the garden first thing this morning.

Wartling, Ashburnham Place and Worthing

On my way to Ashburnham, a Barn Owl flew over the road near Wartling. Today's ringing session at Ashburnham was quieter this time but birds around included at least 30 Mistle Thrushes, two Firecrests, four Grey Wagtails, two Siskins, two Marsh Tits, two Bullfinches, a mix of House Martins and Swallows, flyover Cormorant, Grey Heron and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

At my Worthing garden in the evening, there were one or two Willow Warblers in the tree next door.

Ferring Rife, Kingston Gorse and Worthing

The beach at the end of Ferring Rife had a Dunlin, a Ringed Plover and 10 Turnstones first thing. Two Garden Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, five Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers, five Whitethroats, a Reed Bunting, a Goldcrest, three Little Egrets, two Grey Herons and a Sparrowhawk were among the birds encountered on my way upstream.

I returned via Kingston Gorse, which added a Wheatear, a Willow Warbler, a Coal Tit and two Buzzards, plus boosted counts of 16 Turnstones and 19 Ringed Plovers on the beach.

Quite unexpectedly, this afternoon was my best ringing session in the garden yet. I opened the net in the hope that the Whitethroat I'd just seen - a garden tick - would fly into it. It did not, but four Willow Warblers went in, not tape-lured I might add, along with two Starlings (though one got out), two Magpies (one of these scrambled out before I could help it, too!) and four House Sparrows. Interestingly, three of the Willows were 2cy+. I can't recall any adults so far during Cissbury sessions.

I could easily have missed the Whitethroat but if the net was up already it would definitely have gone in. And if it wasn't for the net then being up, I don't think I'd have registered any of the afternoon's Willow Warblers, which were probably just skipping through the gardens. It just goes to show the potential for one net to reveal so much more of what goes through... Now that it's in a good position in the garden, who knows what might blunder into it while I've got it open when doing household chores, etc.

Goring Gap and Worthing

First thing this morning, a Whinchat was closely tagging along with a Wheatear on the beach, following its every move, and further singles of both species later appeared. A Yellow Wagtail flew over and a Garden Warbler showed nicely in the northwest corner. Two adult Sanderlings, 16 Ringed Plovers and 39 Turnstones were on the beach. Four Whitethroats, two Whitethroats, three Sandwich Terns, two Common Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Mediterranean Gull were also noted.

In the afternoon, at home in Worthing, I noticed two Willow Warblers in next door's tree. I opened my mistnet and soon enough one went in and attained a AA ring.

Beachy Head

It was pretty quiet for migrants this morning. Magnus, Will and I weren't on a 'proper' migrant hunt and covered limited ground but did see a Pied Flycatcher, a female Redstart, two Lesser Whitethroats, two Sandwich Terns, three Willow Warblers, two Ravens and mixed mass of House Martins, Swallows and Swift.

Westdean Woods

At Westdean Woods, a Pied Flycatcher was in one particular sunny corner with a female Redstart and three of the four Spotted Flycatchers seen during the visit. An Osprey low overhead was a magnificent surprise and five or so Hawfinches made brief fly-pasts. Other highlights included two Red Kites, a Swift, three Marsh Tits, two Ravens, a Wheatear and a couple of Yellowhammers.

Pulborough Brooks RSPB

Phil and I logged 72 species on the reserve this morning, including a Crossbill, four Siskins, a Ruff, two Dunlin, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, two Green Sandpipers, six Snipe, 32 Black-tailed Godwits, two Redshanks, an Avocet, a Mandarin, a Tufted Duck, three Egyptian Geese, two Sand Martins, a House Martin, a Willow Warbler, six Treecreepers, five Bullfinches, four Nuthatches, a Mistle Thrush, three Stonechats, a Grey Wagtail, three Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk, four Buzzards, a Gadwall and nine Shovelers.

Cissbury Ring

This morning's ringing session with Val and Pete was much quieter than last time. A Garden Warbler, a small number of Willow Warblers and a couple of Bullfinches were the 'best' birds caught. Two Ravens, a Sparrowhawk and a Red Kite flew over, and there was a group of young Yellowhammers back towards the car park.

Cissbury Ring and Brooklands Park

Two Redstarts were the highlight of my morning at Cissbury Ring. The first was an elusive female, the second a smart adult male, giving away its presence with its hu-iting, like a forceful and unrelenting Willow Warbler. It even gave two brief bursts of song. At least one Crossbill heard flying over was followed later by a group of three high up; I'm recording these here pretty much every time, despite the lack of suitable habitat. Truly out-of-place was a silent Green Sandpiper which flew over quite low (perhaps having been disturbed from the Lychpole dewpond a couple of miles away?). Other flyovers included a Tree Pipit and a juvenile Red Kite. Back on the ground, at least two Spotted Flycatchers were mobile and warblers were made up of three Lesser Whitethroats, 14 Willow Warblers, six Whitethroats, seven Blackcaps and two Chiffchaffs. Eight Bullfinches, three Yellowhammers, two Mistle Thrushes and four Meadow Pipits were also around.

Brooklands Park offered little in the way of gulls besides three Lesser Black-backs (two juveniles). For the second time running, only the female Mute Swan accompanied the six surviving offspring, and I learned that the cob has recently died, as I had begun to fear. Singles of Cetti's Warbler and Reed Warbler were by the boardwalk, while the lake hosted two Grey Herons and six Cormorants.

Brooklands Park and Worthing

An evening cycle to Brooklands Park to sift through the gulls produced a a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including a juvenile) and two juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls of note. Two House Martins, a Common Sandpiper, a Cetti's Warbler, a Willow Warbler, a Reed Warbler, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron, three Swifts and the family of Mute Swans (still six juveniles) were also noted.


In Worthing I had five more Swifts fly over.

Ferring Rife and Worthing

My birding today was a slow walk up and back down Ferring Rife. After a quick check of the beach, where three Mediterranean Gulls, a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull, two Turnstones and six Little Egrets were feeding, my first surprise was a Kingfisher that made to land right next to me, before inevitably spooking and flying on. Just after this shock of blue, it took me a little longer to compute the dazzling red bird which flew out from the reeds: a male Northern Red Bishop, looking pleased with the habitat he'd selected post-breakout. My previous form for finding escaped landbirds is rather poor, with only one Cockatiel that I recall, so it certainly qualified as a highlight of the morning. Further upstream, I froze when I heard a Green Sandpiper calling and it wasn't long before it flew past me. Only my second locally in getting on for three years in Worthing, this was a moment to savour. Later on, I relocated the bird feeding on mud a hundred yards or so downstream of the central bridge, where a little fieldcraft allowed good views without spooking this local rarity.



Eight Willow Warblers were encountered, some giving lovely views as they fed with little hurry in low vegetation, while five Reed Warblers were local birds. A brood of Goldcrests confirmed breeding and a Coal Tit broke into song briefly. Six Swifts and 10 Swallows flew through. A similiar number of Little Egrets to that on the beach began to gather in the conifers.


Two Stock Doves randomly appeared again on a chimney opposite our house in the afternoon; I just can't work out what they do around here...