Ashburnham Place, Horse Eye Level and Adur Estuary

The morning was spent with Christian, him showing me the grounds of his beautiful new workplace, Ashburnham Place. Two Firecrests, a Kingfisher, four House Martins, four Marsh Tits, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk, a Siskin, two Grey Wagtails, five Pied Wagtails, six Swallows and a couple of Green Woodpeckers were the best, alongside a healthy scattering of Treecreepers, Bullfinches, Nuthatches, Goldcrests, Coal Tits, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps.

As I was in the area, I stopped off to look for last week's reported Red-backed Shrike again on the levels north of Rickney. This time I made it to the correct area, and I gave it a reasonable amount of time, but there was no sign of any shrike. Two Ravens displaced a Peregrine from one of the pylons, while 15 Cormorants were sat atop a neighbouring pylon. Eight Meadow Pipits, three Reed Warblers, four Buzzards, a Whitethroat and a Kestrel were also seen.

As I was driving home, in the slow traffic along the A27 I spotted a large wader on the Adur just below the bridge. I couldn't resist stopping off and it turned out to be a lovely adult Black-tailed Godwit. A Whimbrel was more distant, and other birds included three Little Egrets, 15 adult Mute Swans, two Oystercatchers, a Pied Wagtail and two Swallows.

Black-tailed Godwit on Adur Estuary

West Worthing and Horse Eye Level

A flock of 13 Mediterranean Gulls flew over as I got into the car to head to Horse Eye Level. We arrived to news that the two Cranes had flown off and were nowhere to be seen but things took a rapid turn for the better when they appeared in flight in the distance, heading northwest! The pressure was off, so Ingrid and I spent a pleasant hour exploring the level, with the sound of Whitethroats, Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warblers and displaying Lapwings, while we also logged a Great White Egret, a Yellow Wagtail, a Red Kite and a Swallow.

Great White Egret at Horse Eye Level