July Skies

Another mixed bag from the past ten days or so, as we teeter on the brink of August and the start of the harvest or Lammas season (1st August - halfway between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox).

I think that means I'm officially allowed to start using the 'a' word now? It's certainly fair to say the weather has been decidedly autumnal for the most part in the past fortnight. The dominance of low pressure, Atlantic weather systems delivering day after day of squally, grey, drizzly conditions has been particularly strange and unsettling given the news and images coming from further south in Europe. I remember something someone said to me a few years ago which has really stuck with me - nobody alive today has known what it's like to live in stable climatic conditions, and that is becoming more and more evident as each year passes.

In the context of local birding and other wildlife watching, it's been a fairly quiet and unremarkable period again, although it's clear we are experiencing a particularly good year for butterflies after a slow start back in the spring. It's been the best Purple Emperor season at Knepp since the best ever year of 2018 and everywhere I look at the moment I seem to be seeing Red Admirals. I had a pretty extraordinary count of ten together on the garden Buddleia the other day!

20th July

I headed out late morning for a fairly lengthy walk from home up towards Fittleworth to scan the valley across the Rother to the north. Raptors were out in force, with multiple Red Kite and Buzzard, at least three Kestrels and a single Sparrowhawk noted during an hour's skywatch here. 

Otherwise it was a relatively quiet session, though at least 35-40 Swallows around the stables at Ashurst were nice to see, as were two juvenile Green Woodpeckers in the same area. 

21st July

A quick look at Pulborough Brooks this morning, scanning the South Brooks from behind the visitor centre. Among 14 Little Egrets (there have been up to 21 recorded here in recent days) were singles of Greenshank and Green Sandpiper on the pool at West Mead while three Red Kites were soaring together in the distance.

En route to Knepp I briefly stopped to check the pool at Southlands Farm in West Chilt which again produced a Green Sandpiper. 

Knepp itself was again on fire, with a female Purple Emperor greeting me as soon as I arrived at the Operation Wallacea campsite. Out in the wildland with my group, highlights included a Barn Owl flying from a known nest site, the very vocal Sparrowhawk family near their nest site and a group of 31 White Storks kettling together over the Exmoor herd towards the far southern end of the estate.

Purple Emperor

After Knepp I headed down to Goring to catch up with David C. While we were chatting by our cars, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull flew past with a juvenile Herring Gull in tow. After poorly David headed home I indulged in a c.45-minute seawatch from the beach which proved to be quite lively, with three Whimbrel and two each of Dunlin and Mediterranean Gull heading west, and two each of Sandwich Tern and Gannet feeding offshore. 

Whimbrel

Mediterranean Gull

22nd July

This morning I headed down to Medmerry, primarily for work-related reasons but it was a nice opportunity to have a little walk about and check out the Stilt Pool, which yielded singles of Common Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit among the Oystercatchers, Cormorants and Black-headed Gulls.

On the way home, with rain due to start at any minute, I had a quick check of the private site near Petworth which produced a juvenile Little Ringed Plover and at least 80 Swifts but little else of note.

No more birding after that as the weather turned decidedly October-esque, with heavy rain and wind - lovely!

23rd July

A brief look at Waltham Brooks en route to a day working at Knepp proved fruitful, as the very last bird of the session was a 1km year tick and Waltham Brooks lifer in the form of a Whimbrel powering south/south-west overhead and disappearing down the valley towards the Downs.

Knepp delivered again on the Turtle Dove front (it's been an astonishing year for the species there) with one seen flying up from a main path not long after I arrived. Otherwise it was mostly about the butterflies today, including what surely must be one of the very last Purple Emperors of the season.

A quick scan of the pool at Southlands Farm in passing on my way home again produced a lone Green Sandpiper. 

24th July

After dropping B at nursery I popped to Pulborough for a quick look at the North Brooks where I found a decent selection of waders - 10 Avocet, 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper and a single Greenshank - and, sadly, a rather sickly looking adult Mediterranean Gull. 

Avocets

Black-tailed Godwits

25th July

Not much birding today, but it was a pleasure to lead a safari for members of the RSPB Youth Council at Knepp. Highlights included two Turtle Doves (one singing and displaying and another in flight), two Sedge Warblers (Hammer Pond) and my last Purple Emperor of the year. 

26th July

A diverse day which started with a walk from home up to the river at Thorndale Bridge, and a brief skywatch from the fields near home. It certainly felt autumnal, with a lovely fresh feel to the air and a light mist over the river, but it doesn't feel as though the season has quite got into swing yet, ornithologically speaking. Highlights were a Little Egret high east, adult and juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls high south and a Water Rail squealing along the river.

Little Egret

Swallows

Mid-morning I headed back down to Medmerry for work. While I was there I had a look at the Stilt Pool which yielded 3 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, several Oystercatchers and a heard-only Ringed Plover. A quick look at the sea produced 3 Sandwich Terns, 8 Mediterranean Gulls and a single Gannet. While I was down at the coast I also dropped in to Church Norton briefly which produced a pleasing selection of waders including at least 3 Whimbrel, 2 Sanderling and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

Sandwich Tern

Early afternoon I met up with David C at Pulborough, and a stroll round the reserve produced a few bits, notably 10 Avocet, 2 Green Sandpipers and 3 Black-tailed Godwits on the North Brooks and a single White Stork (GB6S from Knepp) following the tractor around on the South Brooks, just like they're supposed to!

Brown Argus

27th July

A drizzy day, with more than a hint of autumn in the air, only exacerbated by the sound of a Curlew flying over Knepp Castle as I was in the orchard prepping for a garden safari. Other highlights here included a heard-only Raven and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth; the latter very obligingly dropping in to feed on a Buddleia as I had stopped with my group to chat about the importance of nectar sources in a garden!

On the way home I dropped in at Waltham Brooks for half an hour which produced another heard-only Raven, two Cetti's Warblers in the reeds and willows by the main lake and seven Gadwall on the lake itself.

28th July

A walk from home this morning, checking local fields and scrub and a skywatch proved fairly quiet aside from a Hobby terrorising the Swallows before flying off north.

A check of Amberley after dropping B off at nursery produced singles of Redshank, Raven and one of the White-tailed Eagles. 

29th July

Another local session on foot early morning proved quite productive with a Hobby again chasing Swallows about, a Peregrine high south-west and at least 50 Swifts drifting slowly south. That's more like it! I'm excited for my first full autumn vismigging from this area, I do think the funnel effect of the Arun Valley so close to the South Downs could be quite interesting.

Later in the morning, a Big Butterfly Count in the garden at home produced an impressive ten Red Admirals together on the Buddleia. I honestly can't remember such a good summer for the species, they just seem to be everywhere at the moment!

Red Admiral

30th July

A really enjoyable couple of hours out first thing this morning, although it again was feeling unseasonably fresh ahead of the rain that arrived later in the day. First up I checked the private reservoir over near Petworth which yielded very little aside from a noticeable increase in Little Grebes and a flock of at least 450 Jackdaws in flight off the nearby fields.

A visit to Lavington Common produced a Spotted Flycatcher in the pines round the car park and a family group of at least four Dartford Warblers a couple of hundred metres north of the car park. 

Dartford Warbler

Finally, a stake-out on the viewing platform at Burton Mill Pond produced a welcome return encounter with the red-ringed Great White Egret I last saw here back in late January. She's 'ACA', a female ringed in the nest at RSPB Ham Wall back in May 2022. Interestingly, another juvenile from the same ringing scheme, ACJ, has been hanging out at Warnham LNR quite a bit recently - so definitely worth taking a closer look at any individuals of this species you see out and about in Sussex.

Great White Egret

Late afternoon, a Hobby made two low passes over home, first heading south-east, before flying back west.

31st July

Another very autumnal day, weather-wise, with a blustery south-westerly and drizzle/light rain persisting until mid-afternoon. After dropping B at nursery I swung by Pulborough for a brief check of the North Brooks. As I walked down, a tight group of around 25 Swifts drifted west. On the North Brooks were 36 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Lapwing, 16 Black-headed Gulls and singles of Greenshank and Snipe, the latter only making its presence known when a Buzzard flew through low and flushed everything. 

On the way home a quick scan from the river bank near Greatham Bridge produced an incredibly close encounter with a Kingfisher, dashing past upriver. A return visit to Waltham Brooks late afternoon produced another or the same Kingfisher in flight over the main lake, a Hobby flying east, Peregrine south and a juvenile Marsh Harrier hunting and drifting north. 

Marsh Harrier

Elmley, 9th-10th September

Like most of us, Kate and I have been feeling in pretty dire need of a break this year, so we decided to have a night away at Elmley on Sheppey.

I've visited Sheppey many times for birding day trips over the years but always in the winter, and never stayed the night, so it made a nice change to be there at this time of year - and to wake up looking out across the Swale from our shepherds hut, 'Samphire'.

Highlights of the 36 or so hours included an Osprey fishing in the Swale, Barn Owl hunting right past the hut at dusk, Great Egret, Hobby, 8 Spotted Redshanks, thousands of Starlings and dozens of Yellow Wagtails.

We're booked in for another couple of nights next May and honestly can't wait!

Our home for the night - shepherds hut 'Samphire'

Swallows

Wheatear

Avocet

Spotted Redshanks

Black-tailed Godwits

Little Grebe

Brown Hare

Sedge Warbler

Pulborough, late March

As is so often the case, March this year delivered a rather hesitant trickle of migrants for most of the month before ending with a rush of arrivals in the last few days.

The first Little Ringed Plover of the year is always a very welcome sight and this year's came at Winpenny on the 17th (Steve Chastell/Paul Davy) with at least two or three present on a number of days later in the month and perhaps as many as five on the 31st with two on the South Brooks early afternoon and three from the Hanger in the evening.

Little Ringed Plover. Photo: Carey Lodge

Redshanks and Lapwings are both well and truly back on territory, with at least ten of the former around most days now, making their presence heard from all around the reserve!

The high pressure towards the end of the month slowed down any visible hirundine arrivals - many presumably cruising over at altitude - with just a handful of Sand Martins and a couple of Swallows and House Martins reported. That was until today when a shift to rather more unsettled weather and a brisk northeasterly brought down impressive numbers. Around two hundred mostly Sand Martins were feeding over the North Brooks this evening along with at least half a dozen Swallows. 

The widespread arrivals of Garganeys on the 23rd/24th initially fell rather short of Pulborough with a single drake found by Paul Davy at Waltham Brooks on the 24th. By the end of the week though a drake made a couple of appearances on the patch, first on the North Brooks on the 28th (Tracy Bain) then at Hail's View on the 29th (Alan Baker, C&J Moore, Paul Davy). By today there were two drakes and a female at Waltham, so presumably the Pulborough individual is among that trio. Hopefully I'll catch up with another on the patch at some point this year!

Black-tailed Godwits at West Mead

A female Merlin continues to be a fairly regular sight around the place, mostly recently flying low over the Hanger this evening, putting the wind up the hirundines out on the North Brooks (although it did make counting the latter a lot easier as they all flew up high in a tight flock!)

A first winter Little Gull was seen on the 15th and the 18th, while the long staying pair of White-fronted Geese at last departed this week, last reported on the 26th. 

The common warblers are certainly coming in thick and fast now with the first singing Willow Warbler in Black Wood from the 29th and at least a dozen Chiffchaffs and half a dozen Blackcaps noted on most visits.

Remarkably, aside from a distant glimpse of a probable from the Hanger this evening, I've managed to get through March without a single patch Wheatear, and I haven't heard of any reports from anyone else either. Hopefully there'll be one any day now - the forecast for the coming week doesn't look brilliant with just a whiff of southerlies on the cards on Thursday but the possible showers and northerly winds should bring down anything that does try to make it through. 

Onto nocmig and, when the wind at last abated, a series of night recordings in the third week of the month proved productive with Dunlin, Little Ringed Plover (video below) and a flurry of Common Scoter the highlights. As ever I've still got a backlog of recordings to go through so am looking forward to seeing what else was captured. For regular updates on my nocmigging check out Trektellen.

Pulborough, 19th-20th January

A distinctly soggy and rather uneventful few hours on Saturday morning, though it was good to add a few species to the patch year list, the first of which was at least three Yellowhammers along the Arun as I walked down to the Brooks from home. A showy Kingfisher at Winpenny was another first for the year as was a Grey Wagtail which flew over the North Brooks as I was heading for home early afternoon.

Kingfisher

Other bits of note were singles of Dunlin and Little Egret on the North Brooks and a very confiding Firecrest near the picnic area, though always that bit too quick for my camera, sadly. As I was walking back towards the village an adult Great Black-backed Gull drifted northwest overhead.

A blurry Firecrest

Much more clement weather today and a better selection of birds to boot. Two Firecrests were closely associating in brambles near the visitor centre first thing. A single Golden Plover flew over Winpenny, calling - volunteers Graham and Neil reported at least four with the Lapwings later on - while five Ruff joined the Dunlin on the North Brooks though didn't return after one too many flushes, presumably from a Peregrine which I didn't see. Black-tailed Godwit numbers have really tailed off with a couple at West Mead yesterday and just 23 on the North Brooks, and three at West Mead and 25 or so from The Hanger today.

Black-tailed Godwits at West Mead

Best of all though was the now regular as clockwork Woodlark flock - 18 today - which flew up from Uppertons Field and away to the northeast at 16:15. My 79th species at Pulborough this year, and thanks must go to Alan Baker for the tips on the best place to stand!

Woodlarks

Meadow Pipit - nice view of the hindclaw!

Jay

Kestrel

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

Pulborough, 17th-18th March

After the excitement of Gary's Wheatears and Carey Lodge's first LRP last week what was perhaps/hopefully winter's last hurrah put a serious dampener on the anticipated arrival of more early spring migrants this past weekend, but not to be deterred I still made a couple of trips to the Brooks and was rewarded with three year ticks and two patch lifers!

Lapwing

Saturday morning was grey and chilly with the first wave of snow arriving by mid-morning. My first Little Ringed Plovers (two) of the year flew past Winpenny Hide, while a Curlew from here which I first picked up from West Mead was a Pulborough first for me. 

Distant phone-scoped Curlew from West Mead

A little closer at Winpenny...

Also here were two Dunlin with another or possibly one of the same two seen later from Hails View. Three Red-legged Partridge in Small Rushy Brook near West Mead were the first I'd actually seen onsite after a heard-only record last weekend. On the North Brooks there was little of note aside from circa sixty Black-tailed Godwits - another thirty flew south past Hails View later on. At least thirty Shelduck were onsite in total on Saturday - a new patch record for me - while one or more Golden Plover called unseen above Black Wood. After a count of four singing males in the week there was just a single non-singing Chiffchaff near the Hanger.

Black-tailed Godwits

Sunday started with some birding from home first thing which produced a female Blackbird nest-building in next door's garden in the snow, a flyover Red Kite and two Egyptian Geese west - the latter new for the garden list which now stands at 105.

I headed over to the Brooks in the afternoon having read of some impressive cold weather movements going on elsewhere in the south. I have to say I didn't see a huge amount of it during my four hour visit but a congregation of thirty Golden Plover low east over the visitor centre was an auspicious start. The flock of a hundred-odd Linnets was still in Upperton's Field along with two Red-legged Partridge, seven Stock Doves, a few Rooks and a female Kestrel keeping watch from the fence. Still no Wheatear here for me - mind you, who'd want to be a Wheatear trying to move in this weather??

Red-legged Partridge

Kestrel

I couldn't stand for too long in the biting north-easterly at Jupp's View and The Hanger but of note here were some fourteen Black-tailed Godwits (distant and huddled in so tight together as to make an accurate count tricky), a dozen Shelduck, two Little Egrets and only my second patch Little Grebe of the year. A few Fieldfares and Redwings moved west through the trees above the Hanger while the occasional adult Lesser Black-backed Gull drifted north - six in total during today's visit.

There wasn't much of note at Winpenny aside from a non-singing Chiffchaff, a single Coot and a flyover first winter Common Gull so I finished up the weekend with an hour or so in West Mead which produced close views of a single Little Ringed Plover, ten Meadow Pipits plus the usual scattering of wildfowl.

Little Ringed Plover

A little after 16:00hrs I was thinking of calling it a day when an unmistakeable call drew my attention to a gull flock circling over towards the Arun. Getting the scope on them I was able to confirm the presence of a single silvery-winged adult Mediterranean Gull with a dozen Black-headed Gulls, before they all bunched together and drifted south. Another new species for my Pulborough list and the year list, taking the 2018 total to 103.

With rather more clement weather on the horizon in the coming days, hopefully by the time I do my next one of these weekend round-ups it'll be about ten degrees warmer and there'll be Sand Martins and Wheatears dropping in left, right and centre!