Monday 26 August 2019

Adur Estuary, Mill Hill, Amberley and Brooklands Park

I thought the tide might be at a level warranting a visit to the Adur first thing this morning, but it was too high for any waders. I did note a Willow Warbler, four Little Egrets, eight Mute Swans, a Green Woodpecker and a Pied Wagtail.

Curious after a report of a good mix of migrants the other day, I checked out Mill Hill and earmarked it as another local site to try to check on every now and then. The best migrants were a Redstart, a Whinchat and a Willow Warbler. I heard House Martin overhead, three Swallows flew through and a Lesser Black-backed Gull went over. Several Whitethroats and Blackcaps were in the bushes. While packing my stuff up, 10 Painted Ladies exploded from a buddleia in the car park - an impressive sight!

Ingrid was continuing her section-hike of the South Downs Way today and I met her for lunch in Amberley. A welcome bonus came when I heard Peregrine calls from a quarry by the pub and looked up to see a pair of adults, the female proudly clutching a Green Woodpecker kill... Both times I've clearly seen Peregrine with a kill this year, Green Woodpecker has been the victim!

adult female Peregrine in Amberley, with Green Woodpecker

Later at Brooklands Park, I had two Teal, what looked like one of the regular juvenile (well, now first-winter really) Yellow-legged Gulls, a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull, two Grey Herons and the family of Mute Swans.