Pulborough, 21st-22nd July

A productive weekend on the patch. Saturday's visit was particularly good - probably the best session since the spring - with 68 species recorded in a little over four hours. The first returning Whinchat was the undoubted highlight, kicking around with a couple of Stonechats on the North Brooks. The most diverse selection of waders of 'autumn' so far were also on show on the muddy margins of what's left of the water on the North Brooks: twelve Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpiper, four Black-tailed Godwit, two Dunlin, one Redshank and at least three Snipe. The Dunlin were particularly nice as I actually picked them up on call flying over before they dropped in. They only stayed for a minute or two though before carrying on.

Black-tailed Godwits

Little Egret

Ninety minutes on Sunday afternoon proved less productive in terms of waders with just four Green Sandpipers, three Snipe and one each of Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper of note. Best though was the juvenile Mediterranean Gull which hung out with thirty adult Black-headed Gulls on the North Brooks for around half an hour before flying off east. The first Med Gull I've actually had on the deck here after a few flyovers earlier this year.

juvenile Med Gull

Southern Hawker