CISSBURY RING: It is always a difficult task to accurately assess numbers of RING OUZELS present at any particular migration location due to their generally secretive and skittish nature, so guesses are made based on odd flight views or birds calling unseen from thick cover. However, they've been a bit more obliging in giving up their numbers at Cissbury Ring over the last couple of days by all getting up and flying around together on occasion before dispersing back into cover. Yesterday (Friday) there were 11 present, but this morning only 6 remained (SOS).
FERRING: A SHORT-EARED OWL flew NW over the beach at 4.34pm (RS)
Short-eared Owl - Ferring (RS)
STEYNING ROUNDHILL: Before dude commitments we managed an hour or so up on Steyning Roundhill and were struck by the numbers of birds in and alongside the extensive setaside strips (SAS) - Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Stonechat and Skylark all common and also a female type Common Redstart, a Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Meadow Pipit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush and Blackbird, Dunnock and Robin, while raptors were two Red Kite, two Kestrel and a Common Buzzard (SOS). BirdTrack lists a RING OUZEL, 40 Skylarks, 20 Swallows, three House Martins, 20 Stonechats and 20 Meadow Pipits.
