ADUR ESTUARY: About midday, HT on the Adur Estuary, discernible roosting waders were - 46 Redshank and single Greenshank, Grey Plover, Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit (all pictured) and there were 16 Teal on the water and two Grey Heron and a Little Egret prowling through the vegetation. At the harbour mouth still two Sandwich Tern (SOS).
CISSBURY RING: I was lucky, in a couple of hours at a damp & gloomy Cissbury this
morning, to come across a large party of thrushes feeding on the ground
near the large sycamore between the 2 fenced yews, comprising 18 Mistle Thrushes, 10+ Song Thrushes, several Blackbirds and 4 RING OUZELS
(including a lovely adult male with full white gorget and silvery
wings). I suspect they hadn't been disturbed as dog walkers virtually
absent presumably due to the damp weather. My cautious approach
eventually sent them all into the surrounding bushes, and for the rest
of the morning, the ouzels remained largely elusive with, only heard
calls, and a handful of further sporadic brief sightings (this despite
much careful fieldcraft, i.e. lurking in, around and behind bushes!).
The Mistle Thrushes and Song Thrushes
remained very evident all morning - I suspect there were at least 20+ of
both species present. Also pretty sure I heard a couple of Redwings though didn't see them. A single Swallow looked a bit forlorn in the damp and gloom! (SOS).
Spent 3hrs this morning at a soggy and gloomy Cissbury Ring from first light, and it turned out to be quite productive.
Main
focus was on thrushes, and I spent most of the first hour just scanning
the bigger Yew tree, which had plenty of birds feeding.... Most
numerous species were probably Song Thrush, followed by Blackbirds, but also a couple of Redwings and a Mistle Thrush, and quite a few RING OUZEL sightings. Difficult to be sure, but I reckon at least 4 different birds - 2 adults and 2 1st winter.
Don't
know if there'd been a bit of an arrival, but at least another 3 Ouzels
on the steep slopes to the S of the ring, and a further 2 among the
berry bushes to the NE. Poor photo of one bird... but I reckon any pic
of an Ouzel is a bit of an achievement!
Good supporting cast too: family parties of Stonechat and Nuthatch, Treecreeper, 2 Yellowhammers, Bullfinch, Green and GS Woodpecker, and a Raven cronking overhead.
Still a few lingering migrants, with numerous Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, and a couple of small parties of Swallows.
Did a brief walk around a couple of the nearby footpaths and added a couple of decent groups of Linnets and ca.15 Skylarks.
FERRING/GORING GAP: With the wind backing to the east after early rain I went to Ferring Block for 3/4 hour this morning (0940 to 1025) and counted: Swallow 25E, Goldfinch 250 E, Meadow Pipit 20 E, Linnet 40 E. There was a Stonechat and a Chiffchaff on the wall of the white flats at the end of Patterson's Walk and later a Wheatear, a Ringed Plover, a Sanderling and five Turnstones on the beach at the Gap (CH)
13th October 2019
CISSBURY RING: Three RING OUZELS still by fenced yew (SOS).
GORING GAP: Another slow two-hour seawatch produced 13 Common Scoters, 83 Gannets, a Kittiwake, 13 Common Gulls, seven auks; also seen were two Little Egrets, five Turnstones, a Grey Plover, an Oystercatcher, five Ringed Plovers, three Linnets, 18 Meadow Pipits and an adult Mediterranean Gull (DKC).
SHOREHAM FORT: Two Rock Pipits, two Sandwich Terns and 20 Turnstones (BirdTrack).
STEYNING DOWNLAND: A Grey Wagtail and 20 Swallows (BirdTrack).
GORING GAP: Another slow two-hour seawatch produced 13 Common Scoters, 83 Gannets, a Kittiwake, 13 Common Gulls, seven auks; also seen were two Little Egrets, five Turnstones, a Grey Plover, an Oystercatcher, five Ringed Plovers, three Linnets, 18 Meadow Pipits and an adult Mediterranean Gull (DKC).
SHOREHAM FORT: Two Rock Pipits, two Sandwich Terns and 20 Turnstones (BirdTrack).
STEYNING DOWNLAND: A Grey Wagtail and 20 Swallows (BirdTrack).
12th October 2019
SHOREHAM FORT: Two Sandwich Terns, Wheatear, Rock Pipit, 15 Turnstones and two Meadow Pipits (SOS).
STEYNING PENLANDS VALE/BOSTAL HORSE FIELDS: Five House Martins and 40 Swallows (BirdTrack).
WIDEWATER LAGOON: 10 Teal (SOS).
STEYNING PENLANDS VALE/BOSTAL HORSE FIELDS: Five House Martins and 40 Swallows (BirdTrack).
WIDEWATER LAGOON: 10 Teal (SOS).
11th October 2019
WORTHING PIER: A seawatch from the pier, before I got turfed off due to the wind reaching Force 8, was slow-going but did produce a juvenile SHAG and an adult LITTLE GULL heading west, along with a Great Crested Grebe, seven Kittiwakes, 11 Common Scoters, 78 Gannets, a Grey Plover, two Dunlin. Too distant and brief for firm ID were 12 auks and three Common/Arctic Terns. A Red-throated Diver was on the sea. Two Turnstones were on the pier and six Common Gulls and a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull were noted (DKC).
 |
| juvenile Shag |
10th October 2019
ADUR ESTUARY: Two Grey Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and four Grey Herons from Ferry Footbridge (SOS). BirdTrack reports a Greenshank, two Curlew, seven Oystercatchers, six Grey Herons, a Mute Swan and two Little Egrets.
CISSBURY RING: A Tawny Owl, a Treecreeper, two Bullfinches, a Firecrest, 17 Blackcaps, 12 Chiffchaffs, five Goldcrests and 400 Jackdaws (VB). Five Ring Ouzels (SOS).
TITCH HILL: 16 Corn Buntings, a Red Kite, six Meadow Pipits, three Stonechats, 10 Pied Wagtails, six Chiffchaffs, 20 House Martins, 30 Swallows, four Skylarks, two Kestrels, two Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, 10 Common Gulls (BirdTrack).
WIDEWATER LAGOON: Kingfisher still and eight Little Grebes (SOS).
CISSBURY RING: A Tawny Owl, a Treecreeper, two Bullfinches, a Firecrest, 17 Blackcaps, 12 Chiffchaffs, five Goldcrests and 400 Jackdaws (VB). Five Ring Ouzels (SOS).
TITCH HILL: 16 Corn Buntings, a Red Kite, six Meadow Pipits, three Stonechats, 10 Pied Wagtails, six Chiffchaffs, 20 House Martins, 30 Swallows, four Skylarks, two Kestrels, two Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, 10 Common Gulls (BirdTrack).
WIDEWATER LAGOON: Kingfisher still and eight Little Grebes (SOS).
9th October 2019
CISSBURY RING: Spent a couple of hours at Cissbury this morning failing to see any Ring Ouzels. In fact it was generally very quiet with the highlight being a close and bright Lesser Whitethroat just outside the SW corner. Other birds were two Mistle Thrushes at the yew, four Stonechats, 2 or 3 Chiffchaffs , a couple of Goldcrests, 8 Meadow Pipits, 3 Swallows and single Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard (CH)
PATCHING HILL: Two House Martins and three Swallows feeding, a Red Kite but other Green and GS Spotted Woodpeckers and three species of Tits, nothing else of note (CH)
SHOREHAM HARBOUR: Three drake Common Scoters from western breakwater (SOS).
WIDEWATER: Five Teal, a Chiffchaff and a Kingfisher (SOS).
SHOREHAM HARBOUR: Three drake Common Scoters from western breakwater (SOS).
WIDEWATER: Five Teal, a Chiffchaff and a Kingfisher (SOS).
8th October 2019
ADUR ESTUARY: Highlights late afternoon from the toll bridge were a 1cy Yellow-legged Gull, a Rock Pipit, two Canada Geese (locally uncommon), three Little Egrets, eight Oystercatchers, 19 Ringed Plovers, a Turnstone and seven of both Common Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull (DKC/David Darrell-Lambert). BirdTrack reports two Greenshanks, 20 Turnstones, two Curlew, a Kingfisher, 35 Lapwings, a Little Egret, 14 Oystercatchers, two Mute Swans, two Buzzards, two Skylarks, a Kestrel, a House Martin, 20 Swallows, a Chiffchaff, and five Grey Herons.
BROOKLANDS PLEASURE PARK: It was a rather similar visit to last time. Overhead, a Siskin, a Swallow, five Skylarks, three Rooks, 12 Meadow Pipits, 12 Linnets, 49 Goldfinches and six Pied/White Wagtails moved through. At the lake, four Teal, two Little Grebes and the family of Mute Swans were feeding, while two Mediterranean Gulls were loafing and a Grey Wagtail flew across the water. Scattered in the bushes were 24 Chiffchaffs, nine Goldcrests, two Blackcaps, a Treecreeper, a Song Thrush and two Coal Tits. Two of both Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers made themselves obvious (DKC).
CISSBURY RING: Another visit this morning around Cissbury where we did find 2 Ring Ouzel just outside the ring although other observers had flocks of 3 and 5 in various places. Two Raven, 5 Stonechat and 2 Marsh Tit. On the east slope footpath that was sheltered out of the wind, 20 Blackcap, 25 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest (SOS).
5 Ring Ouzels were on the west side early morning though mobile (NO)
I managed to locate 3 Ring Ouzels this morning, 2 were just to the south of the Yew tree on the west side of the ring and a single bird was at the southern end, 4 Mistle Thrushes were around the Yew tree, nothing other to add other than BFF/DM also had a flyover Redpoll (NB)
BROOKLANDS PLEASURE PARK: It was a rather similar visit to last time. Overhead, a Siskin, a Swallow, five Skylarks, three Rooks, 12 Meadow Pipits, 12 Linnets, 49 Goldfinches and six Pied/White Wagtails moved through. At the lake, four Teal, two Little Grebes and the family of Mute Swans were feeding, while two Mediterranean Gulls were loafing and a Grey Wagtail flew across the water. Scattered in the bushes were 24 Chiffchaffs, nine Goldcrests, two Blackcaps, a Treecreeper, a Song Thrush and two Coal Tits. Two of both Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers made themselves obvious (DKC).
CISSBURY RING: Another visit this morning around Cissbury where we did find 2 Ring Ouzel just outside the ring although other observers had flocks of 3 and 5 in various places. Two Raven, 5 Stonechat and 2 Marsh Tit. On the east slope footpath that was sheltered out of the wind, 20 Blackcap, 25 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest (SOS).
5 Ring Ouzels were on the west side early morning though mobile (NO)
I managed to locate 3 Ring Ouzels this morning, 2 were just to the south of the Yew tree on the west side of the ring and a single bird was at the southern end, 4 Mistle Thrushes were around the Yew tree, nothing other to add other than BFF/DM also had a flyover Redpoll (NB)
Ring Ouzel - poor record shot into the sun , but as ever at Cissbury, the birds were rarely out in the open (NB)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)