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.
