September - Departure Lounge

Whilst the previous post deals with the two star birds of the autumn so far, this post deals with the backlog of sightings of common migrants, which have been heading south from our shores through late August and September. 

With no further scarcities being seen, perhaps the best find was a Wood Warbler at Langmeads Park on 20/8.  Very few Tree Pipits were noted with possibly the only record being one that briefly landed on a birder’s roof in East Preston (5/9), whilst Woodlarks (3e on 28/9) flew over the same roof and singles were also seen over Ferring Rife (1/10) and Kingston Gorse (5/10). 

Two Ospreys entered our airspace flying over Angmering on 22/8 and Ferring Rife on 4/9, with further records from the Adur on 23/8, 5/9 and 13/9 meaning up to five individuals could have been seen, but surprisingly there were no reports of departing Honey Buzzards this autumn.  

A Ruff flying over that East Preston garden (27/8)  was a great garden tick but the only notable waders were all recorded from the River Adur with Little Stint (5/9), Curlew Sandpiper ( 2 on 8/9 & 15/9) and a surprise Spotted Redshank north of cement works (1/20).

Pied Flycatchers

                                                  Pied Flycatcher Brooklands (Richard Phillips)

It has been a great autumn for Pied Flycatchers locally, a species which is eagerly sought out each year but often only recorded in very low numbers. This year started well with four birds seen between 29/7 & 16/8 at the start of the migration window. This trend continued through late August and September with an impressive 12 sightings although only the Brooklands bird lingered long enough to be enjoyed by others.

1. 20/8 - Langmeads Park, Angmering (Micheal Booker)
2. 28/8 - Mill Hill, Shoreham (Richard Fairbank)
3. 29/8 - 31/8 - Brooklands ( Bernie Forbes et al)
4. 5/9 - Patching Hill (3 birds) ( George Kinnard)
5. 5/9 - Mill Hill ( Richard Fairbank) 
6. 7/9 - Highdown Hill ( Colin Jupp)
7. 22/9 East Preston  ( George Kinnard)
8. 22/9 Highdown Hill ( Colin Jupp)
9. 23/9 Goring ( James Grundy)
10. 2/10 Langmeads Park, Angmering ( Colin Jupp)

Spotted Flycatchers

   

                                                     Spotted Flycatcher ( Richard Allan) 

Much more expected, but still a pleasure to watch, are Spotted Flycatchers, which were reported almost daily across the last week in August and first two weeks in September. Birds were reported from most of our downland sites with peak counts from Cissbury (12 on 28/8), Patching Hill (11 on 5/9) and Highdown (9 on 7/9). Far fewer birds were seen in the last two weeks of September with only reports from Cissbury (3 on 18/9) and Highdown (5 on 22/9) and a couple scraped into October with singles at Lambleys Farm (1/10) and Cissbury (5/10).

Redstarts

Another species which is seen regularly through early autumn with most reports from the last two weeks of August, with the northeast slopes of Cissbury being a favoured spot with  8-10 birds reported on several days. Surprisingly few reports in September with records from Patching Hill (4 on 5/9), Kingston (6/9) and Cissbury (2 on 7/9) and then nothing until late records from Cissbury (3 & 5/10) and Lychpole Bottom (3/10).

Whinchats

It seems to have been a  poor autumn for Whinchats with only counts from Kingston Manor (6 on 6/9), Black Ditch (3 on 20/9) and Cissbury (3 on 25/9) Otherwise 1-2 birds were reported occasionally from Cissbury / Monarch's Way with the last records on Monarch’s Way (27/9) and Lychpole Bottom (3/10).

Wheatear

                                                     Wheatear Goring Gap (Ralph Simpson)

Wheatear were reported through late August and September both on the downs and along our coast. Noteworthy counts from Stump Bottom (11 on 23/8), Monarch’s Way (10 on 27/8 & 12 on 9/9) , Nepcote Gallops (20+ on 30/8) and Goring Gap (12 on 9/9). The odd Wheatears were still bring reported at the end of September and two birds were seen on Worthing Beach (4/10).

Yellow Wagtails

The prolonged dry weather and resultant parched ground, meant there was no build up of Yellow Wagtails in the Cattle fields this autumn. Most reports were small parties of flyover birds between 25/8 & 18/9 with the biggest count from Kingston Manor (20 on 6/9).

Hirundines

Departing Swallows and House Martins are a very visible sign of the changing seasons and mixed  sized feeding flocks containing 200+ Swallows and 50+ House Martins  were over the Adur (1/9) and flocks of 100+ House Martins and 30+ Swallows  were still being reported from Cissbury (22/9 & 26/9). 

However numbers had significantly dropped as we entered October marking the end of summer as birder’s  attention switched to searching for Yellow-browed Warblers, Ring Ouzels and winter thrushes. 

September - Hitting the Jackpot

The last post was way back in mid August, so an update is long over due and there is a lot to cover looking back at what is peak migration time for summer visitors departing our shores. Late August and the whole of September are very exciting times and as the sunny settled weather continued there was plenty of opportunities to get out in the field.

Our local downland and coastal sites are key refuelling points for migrating birds and great places  to find Whinchats, Wheatears, Redstarts and Flycatchers, which for a few weeks can almost be expected daily on bird watching outings. More of these species are in the next update, but what really gets the local patch worker excited is the thought of finding a scarcity such as Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck or something even rarer. 

To be fair there was very little in the way of “Scarcities or Rarities” during this period except for within the space of a few days when Ollie Davies dug out the two best birds of the autumn so far. 

Wryneck

                                                 Wryneck Steyning Rifle Range ( Ollie Davis) 

Firstly on the afternoon of 9th September Ollie found a Wryneck in the hawthorn scrub on the slope above Steyning Rifle Range. Richard Phillips then relocated it that evening and it was still present early morning on Thursday 10th September but promptly vanished and wasn’t reported again after about 08:30. It’s been a poor year for Wrynecks locally and the only other West Sussex record was of a bird seen briefly at the Severals, Pagham  on 12th September, whilst nearby in East Sussex birds were at Sheepcote Valley, Brighton, on 26th August and Southease on 3rd October.

Pallid Harrier

 

                                Pallid Harrier Findon ( David Thrussell via Sussex Birders Facebook) 

If finding a Wryneck wasn’t cool enough, less than a week later Ollie struck again this time finding a superb Pallid Harrier hunting over fields north of a Monarch’s Way near Cissbury mid afternoon on Monday 14th September. The Pallid Harrier was still present early the following morning and local birders who were quick off the mark enjoyed great views until the weather closed in and the bird disappeared to the west late morning. It was reported slightly further north away from public rights of way that afternoon, but sadly despite excellent feeding areas it wasn’t seen again.

Intriguingly a ring-tailed harrier species was glimpsed very briefly at No Man’s Land on Saturday 12th September and also over Steep Down on the Sunday so it appears the Pallid Harrier was present for a couple of days at least before Ollie nailed it.

Congratulations to Ollie for two superb finds and many thanks for getting the news out quickly enabling at least some of the local birders to catch up with these great birds.

HOT, HOT, HOT !

                                             Parched Downland near Cissbury ( Nick Oliver)

I’m sure you’ve probably noticed it’s been a long hot summer but as far as the birding calendar is concerned autumn is well and truly underway, which means birds which have bred in Britain and Northern Europe will be beginning their south bound migration. Before we move on to migration, the high days of summer are associated with screaming Swifts, scything Hobbies and invisible Quail singing from the crop fields.

Swifts featured in their own separate blog recently and our local breeders have already departed but noteworthy reports of 50+ over Lancing Ring (29/7), 30+ Angmering (23/7) and 20+ Cissbury (2/8).

Nationally there has been an influx of Quail  this summer, although only a few individuals were reported on the Downs around Worthing, with birds near Chanctonbury (3/7), Steep Down (20/7) and north of Cissbury (22/7). Perhaps the most popular was a singing bird, uttering the famous “wet-my-lips” song, just north of our 10km radius at Chantry Hill from 24-27 July.

Reports of Hobbies increased with birds seen over Steep Down (23/6), Findon (24/7), Sompting Brooks (30/7),  Chanctonbury (9/8) and Angmering (16/8).

Although the peak time for seeing migrating birds locally is mid August through to October, from late July the first migrants had begun to arrive at downland hotspots before departing our shores. Whilst it hasn’t exactly been raining birds,  and lets face it rain of any kind would be most welcome, an increase in Common Whitethroats and yellow tinged juvenile Willow Warblers marked the start of autumn passage.

Amongst them the first Redstarts were noted with an early record from Cissbury (7/7). After that singles were regularly reported from Cissbury (14/7) and Nepcote Gallops (24/7), increasing to four birds (19/7) and a peak count so far this autumn of eight (16/8).  Lesser Whitethroats (2) were first reported from Nepcote Gallops (24/7) with singles then being reported regularly around Cissbury from 6/8.

August is an excellent month for Pied Flycatchers, which is always a good bird to find locally as it is much scarcer and more elusive than Spotted Flycatchers, which can be numerous by late August and early September. However so far this year we have done well for Pied Flycatchers with a very early bird found on the north east side of Lancing Ring on 29/7, followed by two records from Cissbury on 11/8 and 17/8. Perhaps the most interesting bird was a well marked Pied Flycatcher found by James Grundy along Ferring Rife on Sunday 16th August, which showed a second wing bar and white primary patch.

                                                   Pied Flycatcher Ferring Rife ( Nick Oliver) 

                                                  Pied Flycatcher Ferring Rife ( Jacob Bowley) 

                                                Pied Flycatcher Ferring Rife ( Jacob Bowley)

The first Spotted Flycatchers were reported from Monarchs Way and Lancing Ring (6/8), Chanctonbury (9/8), and Mill Hill (2 on 16/8) with the biggest count so far coming from Cissbury (6 on 18/8), though numbers will build up as autumn progresses.

Other classic August arrivals are Wheatears and Whinchats with the first Wheatears being reported from Steep Down (20/7) and Whinchat along Monarchs Way (1/8). The set aside and weedy fringes along “The Dip” in Monarch’s Way, north of Cissbury, is particularly good for Whinchat and Wheatear with up to five of each species still present up to 14/8. Both species were also reported from Truleigh Hill (10/8) and Sompting Church (15/8) and again numbers would be expected to peak in late August / early September.

By contrast Yellow Wagtails have been few and far between with a fly over reported from Steep Down (22/7) and small groups along Ferring Rife (25/7) and the Adur near Cuckoo Corner (31/7). Hopefully if we ever get some rain they will start to appear with grazing cattle.

Other noteworthy local records were a migrant Reed Warbler on Mill Hill (9/7), a brief Grasshopper Warbler on the east side of Steepdown (19/7) and a Wood Warbler amongst the phyllosc flock at Ferring Rife (15/8). 

The best is yet to come so if you are able head out and find it ! 

Last Days of Summer - Guest Blog by Andy Jinman

It has been a successful summer for our local Swifts with the classic screeching calls as they zip over the rooftops a welcome background to warm summer evenings sat in the garden. They arrived in early May returning to breeding territories across Worthing but by the end of July most of our local birds have already headed south, leaving our skies quiet and empty. If those sights and sounds fill you with delight and with longing for the return of our swifts next May, then please read on; if they leave you cold, then this short piece is probably not for you !!”

Common Swift over Broadwater (with thanks to Lee Manvell)

The Common Swift is one of our most iconic birds and, for many, one of THE sounds of Summer, but the news backdrop around them is a familiarly depressing one:- the species has drastically declined in the UK over the past 30 years. For every 10 you would have seen back in 1996, on average, you would only have seen 3 in 2025 !

Our local Swifts have received a welcome boost from the Worthing and Adur Swift group set up in 2025 to try and support this iconic species, and although the work this Summer is not yet quite complete, the trends in just our second year of activity are hugely encouraging.  Comparing 2026 to 2025 volunteer numbers have quadrupled from 10 to over 40,  allowing three additional local areas to be included in breeding surveys. As a result of these, we have been able to detect many more active nest-sites, which is crucial to help protecting them from damage in the future.

Thanks to Paul Stevens (an SOS champion) and his ladders, we have been installing new Nest Boxes since April and although we are not quite done for the Summer yet we aim to complete around 100 new Nest Boxes ready for next year. Crucially almost 50 boxes have new callers installed next to them, (thanks to grant funding from Sussex Ornithological Society), which significantly increases the chance of those boxes being used for nesting in the next 2 to 3 years.  Plus there is other good news, with three local housing developers pledging to include Swift bricks in their new projects.

                                                 Paul Stevens in action (Andy Jinman)

The results have been impressive, with several box-hosts already reporting plenty of young “bangers” checking out the new box, with a view to using it next year, helping increase the local breeding  population from the 22 known nest sites at the start of 2025.

What has been amazing (and rewarding) this Summer, has been seeing the sheer delight and enthusiasm of many recipients of the new boxes and callers. I suspect it’s because so often the plight of a particular bird-species requires a huge, co-ordinated campaign (by the likes of RSPB or SWT, working with farmers and others); whereas “saving our swifts” can genuinely be the work of individuals who care - walking their streets to record birds and nests and/or putting up a box + caller on their own house !

So a huge thank you to all the volunteers, to Paul Stevens, to the hosts of boxes + callers, to SDOS for supporting us and to SOS for generously providing the funds which have funded 37 callers so far this season. 

We now have over 270 members in our Facebook page, so please join or contact us if you would like to help our Swifts in 2027 !!

Email - one5wift@proton.me

Facebook page - Worthing & Adur Swift Group

Or via the SDOS website 

Stone Curlew - Autumn Reprise

Back in early April we posted about the remarkable appearance of Stone Curlew on Spring passage with a bird on the beach at Widewater followed by another sighting at Sompting Brooks, both of which were only seen by the original finders. This is a secretive wader which breeds in very small numbers on stony farmland or heaths in southern England and is seldom seen away from a few publicised protected breeding sites, due to its largely nocturnal lifestyle. 

Fast forward to Monday 27th July and Ralph Simpson was completing one of his regular early visits to his Goring Gap patch. Much to his surprise at about 06:45 he flushed a Stone Curlew from the beach, which flew low towards Sea Lane Cafe where it appeared to land. Despite searching it couldn’t be relocated, so once again after a great local find  the trail went cold and the wait went on for a more obliging bird within the Worthing 10km area. 

However this proved to be short lived as on Monday 3rd August Richard Phillips was out searching his local area for an early Whinchat or Wheatear. He had drawn a blank until he reached the River Adur, near Botolphs, when while scanning the far sheepfields he picked up a distant wader in the haze. He felt it looked good for a Stone Curlew and quickly crossed the bridge to close the distance and minimise the heat distortion. Viewing from the east bank he was delighted to confirm his suspicions as he enjoyed scope views of a “boggle eyed” Stone Curlew.

Stone Curlew - Botolphs Sheep Fields (Nick Oliver)

Having been found at about 10:30 the Stone Curlew did the decent thing and remained in the sheep field all day, though could be tricky to see well particularly when sat down in the grasses. It proved to be a very popular bird with a steady stream of admirers throughout the rest of the day. By early evening the light was perfect, the haze much reduced and as the temperature cooled the Stone Curlew became much more active chasing after its large insect prey and avoiding the unwelcome attention from the local corvids.

                                          Stone Curlew - Botolphs Sheep Fields (Nick Oliver)

So remarkably there have now been at least three and possibly four birds within our 10km this year, and this early August sighting ties in with a number of other national records of birds moving south. 

Not suprisingly the bird moved on overnight presumably continuing its southbound migration.

Whatever happened to May & June ?

Sitting here in the midst of another heatwave looking back to what is normally expected to be the peak month of Spring migration seems a long time ago, but those cool northerly winds which seemed to continue through most of May would be very welcome now.

By May most of the regular summer arrivals have moved quickly on to their breeding territories in northern Britain or Scandinavia, but the month often delivers a scarcity or two and local birdwatchers wistfully daydream of finding an exotic rarity such as a Bee-eater, Shrike or a decent wader.  Meanwhile traditionally the start of May is regarded as the peak time for up channel movements of Pomarine Skua as the climax of the sea watching season.

Rarities and Scarcities

So what happened this year ………… well to be honest not a lot as the previously mentioned cool winds were stuck in the northerly direction and failed to deliver any birds of note.  A few rarities made it to Sussex with highlights being a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Beachy Head and two “spotty” Spotted Sandpipers on the River Ouse but locally we missed out. 

The closest we came was a Golden Oriole heard singing in Tottington Woods, Small Dole on Saturday 16th May a couple of kilometres NE of our 10km boundary. 

A Black Kite found by James Grundy at Amberley on  25th May was also outside our area but was heading south so may have crossed into our airspace, but it probably didn’t. More expectedly there was a good movement of Red Kites over the weekend of 23/24th May with 71e over Angmering on the Saturday being noteworthy, although why we get these Spring coastal movements is not really understood. .

June can also sometimes delivery a rarity but it didn’t and even an exceptional national influx of Quail, which we normally do reasonably well for on our local downland, managed to evade us until a bird was reported singing from fields north of Cissbury car park on 21st June.

Seawatching

So did skua passage save May - well no!

Near perfect conditions on Friday 1st May saw an expectant crowd waiting at Marine Gardens hoping the light south easterly winds would deliver, and although  it started promisingly with Arctic Skuas (5e before 07:00) after that just Barwits 62e, Whimbrel 40e, Grey Plover 2e, Sanderling 10e, Common Tern 1e, Sandwich Tern 90e Kittiwake 1e, Rt Diver 2e, C Scoter 173e, Brent Goose 62e.

Finally a distant Pom Skua was seen heading east at 10:20 when only two observers remained which was also tracked past Worthing Pier.

Watches continues until 12th May but this proved to be the only Pomarine Skua reported from Worthing in May and the only further skuas seen were Arctic (3e on 7/5 & 2e on 9/5). 

Just when it looked like the seawatching season would end without a Little Tern being reported James Grundy saved the day recording a single bird heading east past Goring Gap on the evening of 11th May.

And that folks was it for the spring as we moved into summer with focus switching inland to the Sussex Heaths for Nightjars and Honey Buzzards, whilst Swifts screamed over the town and dare I say it some people started to turn their attention towards insects!

Summer Arrivals and Spring Passage

Now the weather finally feels like summer it’s time to recap on spring migration, with the peak arrival of summer visitors in April and early May heading for their breeding grounds in northern Britain and Scandinavia. Once again this key period coincided with a spell of cool settled weather with persistent northerly winds and clear skies meaning birds moved through quickly. Despite low numbers of grounded birds there was still a good variety of species noted,  including some very good local records. 

Flycatchers

                                              (Pied Flycatcher Clapham Woods - Simon Cross)

A superb male Pied Flycatcher was an excellent find by Simon Cross on the afternoon of 6th April at Clapham Woods but unfortunately didn’t linger to be appreciated by other local birders. This can be a difficult species to catch up with locally at anytime and a striking black and white male makes it all the more special. In contrast Spotted Flycatcher is much more common especially in autumn but there are usually a few spring records as well. However the only report this year was from Goring Gap on the very late date of 21st May. 

Whinchat

Early birds were found on Steep Down (x2 - 8/4) and Cissbury (16/4) followed by a bird on the beach at Marine Gardens (4/5). Three Spring records is disappointing though it is usually much more numerous in autumn.

Ring Ouzel

After a single bird at Mill Hill in March the only other Ring Ouzel reported was a brief roadside encounter on Titch Hill early on 6th April, whilst driving over the Steyning to Sompting Road.

Nightingale

Whilst this famous songster is relatively frequently encountered north of the Downs it is a notable record within the Worthing 10 km boundary. A minimum of two birds were reported this year with a singing bird near Black Ditch Angmering first heard on 20th April and still present on 25th April. A second bird was singing at the east side of Worthing Golf Course on 23rd April and it or another further up the same footpath on 6th May. 

Cuckoo

Three brief records on the Worthing side of the Downs was noteworthy, with birds heard from Angmering (3/5), Sompting Brooks (4/5) and Goring (13/5).

Redstarts

   

   (Redstart  Brooklands - Nick Bond)

The first Redstart of the Spring was a fine male discovered at Brooklands (1/4) with other males seen at Steep Down (6/4) and Cissbury (13 & 14/4).

Wheatear

Wheatear are perhaps the most obvious of our returning migrants, with the first records reported in small numbers from mid March. There was a big arrival along our coast in the first week of April with notable counts from Marine Gardens (8 - 1/4), Widewater (13 - 2/4), Ferring C.P. (12 - 6/4) and Highdown (10 - 6/4). There was further arrival between 18-20th April with daily sightings from Goring Gap and Marine Gardens  (max count - 9) and then singles (30/4) and (8/5).  Away from the coast sightings were few and far between with only a report of two birds at Lychpole Farm (18/4).

Whitethroats

Common Whitethroats arrived en masse from 9th April with 6+ around Cissbury and 5+ at Steyning Round Hill and territorially males were conspicuous throughout after this date.  The first Lesser Whitethroats were present on Cissbury (13/4) and Mill Hill and Highdown (19/4) and by 23rd April there were  at least four rattling males singing from various locations around Cissbury. 

Warblers

Willow Warblers seemed to be moving through in reasonable numbers from early April and notable early Garden Warblers were recorded from Ferring Rife (14/4) and Sompting Brooks (17/4). 

Our first Reed Warblers were reported back in suitable breeding territories at Brooklands (7/4), Black Ditch (13/4), River Adur (14/4), Sompting Brooks (17/4), and Ferring Rife (20/4), whilst migrant birds were seen away from breeding habitat on Cissbury (23/4), Lancing Ring (25/4) and Mill Hill (2/5, 4/5).  Sedge Warblers were present at Black Ditch (8/4) and Brooklands (14/5), which surprisingly is rare at this location ( only 20 records since 1970).

Yellow Wagtail

There were no grounded reports of Yellow Wagtails in the Worthing area this Spring but birds were seen and heard flying in / off sea from Worthing Pier (9/4) and Marine Gardens (18/4, 22/4  & 23/4).

Hobby

The first Hobby of the year was seen over No Mans Land (9/4) with further sightings over Sompting (12/4) and Beeding Brooks (19/4 & 20/4) where two birds were seen  hunting together. They were seen over East Preston (30/4) and flying in off the sea from Marine Gardens (30/4) and (9/5).

Swift

The first Swift was recorded  over Long Furlong (19/4) and Cissbury (22/4) with birds also seen coming in over the sea from 21/4 onwards. Other April sightings came from Lancing (7 - 25/4) and Durrington Rec (3- 29/4) then from early May there were regularly reported around breeding sites. 

Hirundines

After not being reported in March the first Sand Martins were finally seen from Marine Gardens and Angmering on 6th April preceded by the first House Martins at Black Ditch on 4th April. Swallows started arriving in good numbers from early April and birds seen battling the headwinds as they skimmed over the sea to reach the safety of the shore was a regular highlight of the April and May sea watching season, with a peak arrival of 30 birds.