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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Worthing and The Downs

A quick walk around Goring Gap this morning produced 15 Mediterranean Gulls, flyover Siskin and Grey Heron, 110 Black-headed Gulls, four Skylarks and a brood of Wrens.

At home in West Worthing, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls appeared on adjacent rooftops and around a dozen Swifts were still around.



Ingrid and I headed up to the downs for an early evening walk, seeing the female Shelduck with the two surviving juveniles on the dewpond near Lychpole Farm, while our circuit also encountered three Corn Buntings, 75 Goldfinches, two Swallows and four Buzzards. A Clouded Yellow was a nice surprise too!

 

Goring Gap, West Worthing and The Downs

A walk around Goring Gap mid-morning was totally uneventful, though the site was busy with people. A particularly loud yaffle from a Green Woodpecker was about peak. At home, a Coal Tit was around the garden again and we noticed the Herring Gull family on our roof for the first time, with two fluffy youngsters appearing.

Herring Gulls on our roof

Ingrid and I went to check on the Shelduck brood on the downs near Lychpole Farm in the afternoon and walked a loop through No-Man's-Land and back down Titch Hill. Eight young Shelducks were still present and growing well, sharing the pool with a couple of juvenile Pied Wagtails and the occasional Linnet. Seven Corn Buntings, a Yellowhammer, a Meadow Pipit, a Raven, a couple of Moorhens on the other dewpond (including calls from a juvenile), five Buzzards, two Kestrels and four Swifts were among the other birds noted. It was a busy walk for butterflies though, with multiple Dark Green Fritillaries, Large Skippers, Red Admirals, Peacocks, Large Whites, Small Tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns and Small Heath.

Dark Green Fritillary on the downs

young Shelducks on the pool near Lychpole Farm

Pett Level, Pannel Valley NR and The Downs

For Christian's birthday we met up at Pett Level, where a male Cuckoo, a couple of Bearded Tits and a pair of Marsh Harriers immediately performed as we got out of our cars. Broods of Pochard and Tufted Duck were on the pool, a couple of Egyptian Geese were around the edges, and both Common and Sandwich Terns gave vocal fly-bys. As we walked along the canal, two Hobbies gave spectacular views as they hawked for dragonflies and Cetti's, Sedge and Reed Warblers were prominent voices, as were the comical cries of the occasional Mediterranean Gull overhead.

The Pannel Valley scrape was alive with birds, mainly Avocets, Black-headed Gulls with chicks, one or two Oystercatcher families and at least three Little Ringed Plovers (including a mating pair). A male Marsh Harrier flew through here, too, as did additional Mediterranean Gulls, and more Cetti's Warblers were vocal. Eventually, a drake Garganey came out of hiding on the far side, and other duck interest included Shoveler and Gadwall broods. An Egyptian Goose was present alongside a few Shelducks. Another Cuckoo was heard singing before a Green Sandpiper announced itself flying over the path, the first sign of autumn.

drake Garganey at Pannel Valley

Common Tern at Pannel Valley

Shovelers at Pannel Valley

We finished with lunch back on the edge of Pett Level, adding Lesser Whitethroat to the day's list. It was a pleasure to spend the day with Christian, venturing into East Sussex for the first time in some while and on such a fine morning.

The evening was spent walking the downs above Sompting, where the Shelduck brood still seemed to be complete on the dew pond, a Corn Bunting sang and a gang of five Brown Hares stood in a bare field.

Ferring Rife, Kingston Gorse and The Downs

I must confess to feeling a bit burnt out lately. Even though the lockdown has been eased for a little while, I still haven't birded outside the 10km Worthing area since mid-March. It's been a great chance to grow my confidence with cycling locally and I've become very reluctant to use the car. One thing I've learned during all this, as much as I love local birding, is a change of scenery every now and then is a must for mental health, so I'm itching to venture somewhere a little further soon.

Today I stayed in bed far longer than I normally would, again, before heading to Ferring Rife. A pair of Reed Buntings were feeding young on one side of the river while the male from the neighbouring territory sang from the other. Four Reed Warblers and a couple of Swallows were among the other birds seen.

I continued my route around Kingston Gorse, which I now consider an easy and quite promising add-on to Ferring Rife. Two Red Kites and a Swallow flew over but there was little else this time.

In the afternoon, Ingrid and I ventured onto the Downs to show her the brood of Shelducks on the lagoon near Lychpole Farm. We were pleased to see that all nine young were still thriving, diving so busily that it took a few goes to be sure of the number. We walked through No-Man's-Land and back along Titch Hill, noting three Corn Buntings, a Yellowhammer, three Swifts, 11 Whitethroats and a couple of Buzzards. A Blackcap revealed itself to be a talented mimic, performing a decent Nightingale before giving a few Blackbird calls.

The Downs

A walk around the downs north of Sompting, around Steep Down and Titch Hill, included an encounter with the Quail found by the Steep Down north path the previous day, which gave an unexpected and rather good flight view, as well as a few bursts of song. Just as good was a brood of nine Shelducks, with both parents, on the Lychpole Farm 'wetland'. A rather late Yellow Wagtail called as it flew over and two Mistle Thrushes rattled as they flew by. 10 Corn Buntings included several in song and other birds included a Bullfinch, a singing Meadow Pipit, a Stonechat, three Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk and good numbers of Whitethroats and Skylarks. A Cormorant flew over. Three Wall Browns were a treat to see but they didn't settle for long!

female Shelduck with young near Lychpole Farm

female Shelduck with young near Lychpole Farm; not quite enough room for no.9!

adult male Kestrel along Lambley's Lane

Brooklands Park and The Downs

I cycled to Brooklands Park, where an early morning walk in the cold northerlies produced a Common Sandpiper on the raft, a Garden Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers, a Grey Wagtail, a Reed Bunting, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Grey Heron, a House Martin, two Reed Warblers, two Swifts, three Swallows and the family of Mute Swans, plus two Oystercatchers along the beach.
 

Cetti's Warbler at Brooklands Park

Mute Swan family at Brooklands Park

At home in Worthing in the middle of the day, two Mediterranean Gulls flew over and a Blackcap was singing just across the road. A quick trip to the shops produced good views of female Peregrine.

On the downs between No-Man's-Land and Cissbury, Ingrid and I had a Peregrine, a Corn Bunting, four House Martins, seven Swallows, a Mistle Thrush, two Yellowhammers and three Red-legged Partridges.

Skylark near No-Man's-Land

Highdown, Goring Gap and The Downs

Highlights at Highdown included my first Hobby of the year, two singing Garden Warblers, with a Lesser Whitethroat and, more unusually, a Reed Warbler, also in voice, as well as a Lapwing touring overhead, a pair of Grey Partridges out on the main section, a Grey Heron, a Reed Bunting, two Mallards, a Kestrel, seven Swifts, a Canada Goose, five Swallows, 14 Whitethroats, seven Blackcaps, a Treecreeper, a Bullfinch and three Yellowhammers.

A short visit to Goring Gap was disappointing, with 18 Common Scoters, three Great Crested Grebes, five Sandwich Terns, three Gannets and a Swallow.

An evening tour of the downs near No-Man's-Land with Gareth produced a male and two female Wheatears, a singing Stonechat, two Tawny Owls, a Moorhen, and a migrating Whimbrel in the dark.

male Linnet at Highdown

West Worthing, The Downs and Cissbury Ring

I heard a Yellow Wagtail flying over the garden early morning. After a singing Stock Dove being around the garden for a few days, it was pleasing to see a pair on one of the rooftops this morning. I can't think where they'd try to nest here other than in a chimney.

Stock Doves at home in West Worthing

Stock Doves at home in West Worthing

A walk around the downs, starting at Lambley's Lane then covering Steep Down and returning alongside Cissbury Ring produced my first Cuckoo of the year (heard at Lychpole Farm), around 35 Corn Buntings and 20 Skylarks, three Lesser Whitethroats, a Red Kite, four Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, at least 15 Whitethroats and a couple of Yellowhammers, Swallows and Mistle Thrushes.

Corn Bunting at Steep Down

Corn Bunting at Steep Down

West Worthing, Brooklands Park, Widewater Lagoon, Adur Estuary, Steyning Rifle Range and The Downs

An uneventful watch at home featured the Blackcap, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Jackdaw and mating Herring Gulls (the same pair that were at it yesterday), while a Magpie was chasing Feral Pigeons.

A cycle late in the day saw a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Brooklands Park then at Widewater the Black-tailed Godwit, a Little Egret and two Sandwich Terns. Near the rifle range at Steyning, I found a Cetti's Warbler, a Swallow and a Willow Warbler. On the downs between Steyning and Sompting in the evening I heard two Barn Owls and two Tawny Owls and saw a Whitethroat, a Grey Partridge and a Buzzard.

Black-tailed Godwit at Widewater Lagoon

Grey Partridge on the downs