21st - 31st July 2024

Wednesday, 31st July: Again very warm, but quite cloudy, with sunshine breaking through at times and feeling very muggy, despite a fresh NE-SE breeze force 4. Also the potential risk of thunderstorms as the temperature climbs!

Bilsham farm: A late evening visit yesterday produced a nice highlight in the form of a Little Owl just before dusk. The reservoir area was quiet however, with just a single Common Sandpiper, 30 Coots and two Little Grebes.

Elmer Rocks: It was generally very quiet this morning, with nothing really moving offshore, except for a Whimbrel going E and three noisy Sandwich Terns going W close in, with a fourth bird roosting on the rocks amongst gulls. A total of 22 Mediterranean Gulls were amongst these roosting birds, about one-third of which were juveniles, whilst a single Common Gull and seven Oystercatchers were also present. A single Willow Warbler was at Poole Place, calling frequently. Starlings are again present in good numbers, with about 300+ feeding on the green behind the Kiosk.

Sandwich Tern roosting on Elmer Rocks with Black-headed Gulls and part of the large Starling flock on the green near the Kiosk

M-o-S/Ancton area: A Red Kite drifted over the A259 Comet Corner area and then headed towards Worms Wood late morning.

Shripney area: The flock of Egyptian Geese had increased to six birds this morning. A farm reservoir in the area held two Common Sandpipers, three Tufted Ducks, a Shelduck and three Little Grebes, whilst another held a pair of Little Grebes still feeding two young. Nearby, a large post-breeding flock of c.400 Rooks  took to the air several times.

Egyptian Geese at Shripney - the flock has now increased to six

Tuesday, 30th July: A very warm, dry and sunny day - probably our hottest day of the year so far - with prolonged sunshine, blue skies and a light and variable breeze.

Barnham Brooks - Lidsey area: A real taste of summer today with a very warm and sunny day, so I was out and about early to avoid the heat of the day. A Red Kite, a Buzzard and a few Mediterranean Gulls were over the Brooks, before I went to check the rapidly shrinking patch of remaining water, which at the current rate will have completely evaporated within a few more days. Most of the wildfowl and gulls have now deserted this area, but a good selection of waders - especially Green Sandpipers -  was still present, as follows:-

Wood Sandpiper - 1

Green Sandpiper - 9

Little Ringed Plover - 2

Ringed Plover - 1

Redshank - 1 (juv)

Snipe - 1

Lapwing - 20
There was little else to report, beyond three Blackcaps and a couple each of Whitethroat and Reed Warbler.

The distance and heat haze made any sort of decent image almost impossible, but (above) a record shot of the Wood Sandpiper, whilst (below) are Redshank (left) and Green Sandpiper.

Monday, 29th July: Another warm and sunny day, with a cloudless blue sky and sunshine throughout, but with a fresh E/SE breeze force 3-4/5, again taking the edge off the temperature along the coast.

Elmer Rocks: There were a few bits and pieces today, with three Sandwich Terns going E offshore and a Whimbrel, much closer in, heading the same way, whilst also of note were half a dozen Swallows moving through over the sea. Roosting on the rock islands were eight Oystercatchers, a Ringed Plover, a Turnstone and my first returning Common Gull. Around the area behind the beach were four Linnets and the first three autumnal Willow Warblers, plus a Chiffchaff.

Common Gull (above) on Elmer Rocks and Turnstone (below)

Bilsham farm: There was just one Common Sandpiper present on the reservoir this morning, although Coot numbers had risen to 38, together with two Little Grebes. There were also six Swallows, two Sand Martins and two House Martins feeding above, before a low-flying Buzzard suddenly appeared, causing a mass panic in the area.

This low-flying Buzzard at Bilsham farm caused a mass panic to other birds in the area!

Barnham Brooks - Lidsey: Reports this morning of a Red Kite, a Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, a Greenshank and three Snipe in the area, (per D. Boon).

Sunday, 28th July: A warm, dry day of unbroken sunshine and almost cloudless skies, calm at first with just a light SE breeze force 2-3 developing as the day progressed.

Lidsey area: There was nothing of note around the sewage works (WTW) but nearby on the reservoir were two Common Sandpipers, six Little Grebes and the previously-reported female Tufted Duck, together with her brood of nine ducklings, all still thriving and now well-grown.

At another area, the remaining flood water is now drying quickly and may be gone in a fairly short time, but at present it is attracting a few waders and this morning held a Wood Sandpiper, six Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers and 20 Lapwings. Three Teal look to be summering there, whilst a post-breeding gathering of Black-headed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls included at least 150 of the latter.

(above) Common Sandpiper and (below) female Tufted Duck - second from back - with brood of nine on the reservoir, whilst (bottom) roost of mainly Mediterranean Gulls with Black-headed Gulls on the remaining flood.

Shripney area: My first returning Whinchat in almost full summer plumage was a nice surprise as I walked along a track beside a weed-covered field, but unfortunately it chose not to linger and flew across the field to a distant hedge and was lost to view, On the nearby farm reservoirs were a Common Sandpiper, three Little Grebes, a Gadwall and a Tufted Duck. Four Egyptian Geese were the first seen for a while, and other species seen included Green Woodpecker (family), Whitethroat and Yellowhammer.

Egyptian Geese at Shripney

Saturday, 27th July: Rather cloudy at first with some hazy brightness, soon becoming sunny with some scattered cloud and a fairly light breeze W2-3.

Barnham Brooks - Lidsey area: Having been away a few days I was keen to get out birding, so a fairly early start was called for. I checked out the bit of remaining flood that still holds a fair bit of water, although views are obstructed by waterside vegetation, I was pleased to find a nice little selection of waders present, as below:-

Lapwing - 25
Dunlin - 1
Wood Sandpiper - 1
Green Sandpiper - 3
Common Sandpiper - 2
Greenshank - 1
There were also 3 Teal, a few Swifts and Sand Martins, at least 3 Blackcaps and the same of Reed Warblers.

Bilsham farm: The reservoir held 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Grebes, 8 Mallard and 30 Coots, whilst nearby was a family of 4 Swallows, 2 Swifts and a Yellowhammer.

Common Sandpiper being dominated by Magpies at Bilsham reservoir

Tuesday, 23rd July: Still not particularly warm, being mainly dull with high cloud, with some occasional hazy glimpses of sunshine and a moderate W/NW wind force 4, whilst just about staying dry.

Elmer Rocks: Gulls were the main feature this morning, though otherwise it was all fairly quiet. A large mixed flock of gulls was offshore, out towards the horizon and too far to identify, although at least 3 Gannets were offshore with them, occasionally plunge-diving for fish. The main action however was around the rocks and beach at Poole Place, where at least 500 Black-headed Gulls and up to 250 Mediterranean Gulls were assembled. I counted 5 white-ringed Med Gulls and one yellow-ringed juvenile in one small group and took a range of photos, but the truth is most won't be clear enough to submit details, despite zooming up. Other sightings this morning included a Whimbrel and a Dunlin flying W offshore, a Sandwich Tern heading E, 4 Oystercatchers on the rocks, 10 Linnets and a Kestrel in the set-aside and 8 Swifts high up.

Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, Elmer Rocks and (below) white-ringed Med Gull, probably 3VYR

Monday, 22nd July: A fairly miserable damp and grey day, with cloud persisting most of the time and frequent periods of light drizzle, in a fresh W/SW wind force 5.

Elmer Rocks: A brief watch this morning was almost a waste of time, with very little happening in the blustery conditions. A Sandwich Tern went east, two Green Woodpeckers were on the back of the beach and two Swallows were around, before I called it a day.

Sunday, 21st July: Mainly cloudy though remaining dry, with a few spells of hazy brightness and a moderate breeze, W/NW 3-4.

Barnham Brooks - Lidsey area: A short visit, to where there was still a small area of remaining flood. Three Shoveler were my first of the autumn and there were also 3 Teal, plus 6 Little Egrets, but the best was a Wood Sandpiper, together with 3 Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. They could often be difficult to see however, when obscured in thick vegetation, and a photo proved beyond me due to the distance and conditions.