29th - 31st August 2024

Saturday, 31st August: A rather different morning on the last meteorological day of the summer, with grey skies and a good deal of cloud, combined with a cooler feel and a moderate E/NE wind, increasing to a brisk force 5 later.

Elmer Rocks: There was no mistaking that autumn migration is now well underway, with a steady stream of hirundines - mainly Swallows but with many Sand Martins too - passing through in a E/NE direction. I didn't attempt a count but there were a good many hundreds, some high, some low along the beach and some over the sea, the movement gradually easing off by late morning.

There was also a bit of variety and my log was as follows:-

Gannet - 10 (moving E & W)

Common Scoter - 1E

Oystercatcher - 28 roosting on rocks

Dunlin - 1 (juv - 1st winter)

Turnstone - 5

Sparrowhawk - 1

Peregrine - 1

Kestrel - 2

Buzzard - 2

Mediterranean Gull - c.50

Sandwich Tern - 15 (including 10 roosting on rocks with gulls)

Green Woodpecker - 2

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Wheatear - 1

Yellow Wagtail - 6E

Chiffchaff - 5

Willow Warbler - 1

Dunlin (juv-1st w) on Elmer beach. This lone bird in its less familiar plumage nearly got me going for a short while until I quickly realised its true identity!

At Elmer this morning: (above) Sandwich Tern, (lower) Wheatear and (bottom) Gannets heading west (note the dark bird is a juvenile)

Other notable birds seen by others on the east side of the patch - at Climping - included a Cattle Egret and an Osprey drifting generally north from the Golf course area, (per R. Grimmet)

Friday, 30th August: Again rather cool early on, with cloud and hazy sunshine, before becoming brighter and warmer, with a light to moderate NE breeze.

Lidsey area: The WTW was very quiet, with just a handful of Swallows above the filter pans, whilst in the adjacent hedges were a Whitethroat and two Chiffchaffs, one of which sang briefly. Nearby were just two Tufted Ducks, a Teal and 12 Little Grebes.

Shripney area: Along the hedges were four Whitethroats, two Reed Warblers, three Willow Warblers and a Blackcap, plus a flock of c.60 Goldfinches. The reservoir held eight Little Grebes, seven Tufted Ducks and several Coots, whilst two Common Sandpipers were feeding around the edges. A mixed flock of hirundines was feeding above the water, consisting of about 12 Swallows, eight House Martins and two Sand Martins.

Common Sandpipers at Shripney farm reservoir

Bilsham farm: There were two Common Sandpipers on this reservoir too, and there seemed to have been a small influx of other species, with increased numbers of the regular birds. Coot numbers had risen to 90, and also present were 12 Little Grebes, 23 Tufted Ducks and a Pochard. A flock of about 10 Swallows also passed through, and a local pair of Common Buzzards were accompanied by a noisy begging juvenile.

Common Buzzards at Bilsham farm

Thursday, 29th August: Quite cool and cloudy early on, soon becoming fine, sunny and fairly warm in a moderate W/NW breeze force 3-4.

Climping Gap: I spent the whole morning here, concentrating on finding migrants, and after another slow start, it was pleasing to record a bit of variety at last. I also bumped into local birders Richard Grimmett and Bola Akinola, who were also out migrant hunting, so this area certainly got some good coverage 

My personal highlights were a Spotted Flycatcher, a Redstart and a Garden Warbler, as per the list below, but I have not included the joint total today......

Sandwich Tern - 5 o/s

Mediterranean Gull - 100+ (no count)

Kestrel - 2

Swallow - 45 mainly E

Blackcap - 2

Willow Warbler - 8

Whitethroat - 7

Lesser Whitethroat - 1

Garden Warbler - 1

Reed Warbler - 1

Redstart - 1 (old campsite)

Wheatear - 10+

Yellow Wagtail - 24

Linnet - 80

Greenfinch - 12

Skylark - 4

Spotted Flycatcher - 1

Green Woodpecker - 2

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2

Wheatears on the shingle at Climping this morning

A welcome time-out for refreshments at Climping this morning, with good local birders Richard Grimmett (left) and Bola Akinola. Richard birded here for many years but actually lives elsewhere now, although he still visits fairly regularly, whilst Bola is 'Mr Climping,' putting in many hours and running another local blog ' The Birds of Climping Gap and Lower Arun valley.'

(Note the piles of shingle in the background, where the car park and sea view used to be!)

26th - 28th August 2024

Wednesday, 28th August: Dry and reasonably warm, with sunshine and cloud through the day and a moderate SSE wind 3-4.

Climping Gap: I walked a circuit this morning that took in a number of likely spots for migrants, but found it amazingly quiet for the time of year, considering that it is around the peak time for a number of warblers and other species to appear. I logged four Willow Warblers, at least two Blackcaps and one probable Whitethroat, but there was precious little else in the bushes, whilst c.45 Swallows were heading east.

I met up with local birder Richard Grimmett who told me he'd managed a find two Wheatears and a Whinchat on the back of the golf course, but no Willow Warblers! We had a good moan about the lack of birds present, as a Redshank flew in to the shingly set-aside (what's left of it!), but thereafter I left him to it and decided to try elsewhere.

Shripney area: The hedgerows and bushes here were notably quiet too, with just two Willow Warblers the best I could do. The weedy fields held c.70 Goldfinches, up to 10 Greenfinches and just a few Linnets.

A Common Sandpiper was on the reservoir, together with seven Tufted Ducks and eight Little Grebes, whilst ten Swallows also appeared for a while. Then, just as I was about to leave, two calling Green Sandpipers heralded their appearance, dropping in for a few minutes, before departing again.

Two Green Sandpipers at Shripney; they only stayed for a few minutes.

Tuesday, 27th August: A generally fine, sunny and dry day, with some scattered cloud and a moderate Southerly breeze, force 3-4, feeling pleasantly warm in sheltered areas.

I was pleased to receive an e-mail recently from a Middleton lady who visits the blog site regularly and made complimentary comments; I am grateful for such remarks which makes the effort of compiling it worthwhile and is indeed one of the reasons I started the blog. If readers have any constructive criticism, I can handle that too!

On the downside though, she recently witnessed a Gannet in distress on the beach and it transpired the bird had a fish-hook in its mouth and a length of discarded fishing line, with a weight on the end, wrapped around it’s wing. Fortunately the bird was rescued by a wildlife volunteer before it perished and was taken into care – though it’s recovery is far from certain. I’m sure that most anglers are aware of such dangers and behave responsibly, but this is a timely reminder of what can happen by the actions of a small minority who discard their line carelessly. In fairness, Gannets plunge dive to fish for food, usually in deeper water, so it is possible the problem occurred further out to sea, perhaps even around charter fishing boats.

Elmer Rocks: Another day with masses of gulls feeding offshore at various ranges, although Mediterranean Gulls didn't seem quite so numerous this time. There was little actually passing through offshore and I only stayed for an hour and a half. On the shore and rock islands were two Little Egrets, 26 Oystercatchers, 30 Ringed Plovers and six Turnstones, whilst around the hedgerows behind the beach were a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, three Willow Warblers and a single Whitethroat.

Oystercatchers and Little Egret on the beach at Elmer Rocks

Bilsham farm: The reservoir held 15 Tufted Ducks, a Pochard and three Little Grebes, whilst Coot numbers have increased again to a respectable 76. A flock of about eight Swallows and six Sand Martins appeared for a short while before moving on, but around the fields and hedgerows it was extremely quiet; two Willow Warblers were located - one even singing briefly - but just where have all the Whitethroats gone this year? 

Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August: After some early showers, a mainly bright and breezy day, with sunshine, scattered cloud and a fresh W/SW wind force 4-5.

Elmer Rocks: There were hundreds of gulls offshore again and plenty of Mediterranean Gulls about, but just one Sandwich Tern was seen in an hour or so this morning. Five Gannets also moved through distantly, but bird of the morning was a hunting Peregrine, which shot through at speed, over the sea and quite high up, heading west. It was otherwise quiet, but a Wheatear and a Willow Warbler were in fields behind the beach, and a young Buzzard was calling constantly from a nesting area, before I moved on.

Elmer Rocks: Not the best images of a Peregrine you'll ever see, but by the time I had my camera to hand it was well on its way!

Climping Gap: It was hard going for me this morning as I covered a couple of different areas at this site, initially for little reward. Migrants seemed hard to find, but gradually I added a few birds, including another Peregrine, then I met up with a couple of other local birders (D & M Booker) who had done rather better than me. Eventually things improved and the below list gives details of our joint sightings:- 

Peregrine - 1

Skylark - 6

Green Woodpecker - 3

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2

Buzzard - 2

Kestrel - 1

Whinchat - 4

Redstart - 3  (of which I saw none!)

Wheatear - c.9

Greenfinch - 20+

Reed Bunting - 3

Linnet - c.100

Goldfinch - c.40

Whitethroat - 4

Lesser Whitethroat - 1

Blackcap - 2

Willow Warbler - 7

Spotted Flycatcher - 1

Jay - 2

22nd - 25th August 2024

Sunday 25th August: A dry and pleasant morning, with bright sunshine at first, then some cloud developing later. Wind moderate to fresh, W/SW 3-4, but steadily increasing to a blustery force 6 later. 

Elmer Rocks: An early start this morning, but there were still plenty of folks walking the beach, flushing a surprise Common Sandpiper from the area of the rocks. A large gathering of gulls - probably several thousand strong - was offshore in a feeding frenzy with a good number of Mediterranean Gulls amongst them; further Med's were roosting on the beach, so there must have been a total of at least 500 present. Three Sandwich Terns went W as did three Little Egrets, six Ringed Plovers and four Oystercatchers.

A search around the hedgerows and the set-aside area behind the beach produced five Willow Warblers (one even sang briefly), a Chiffchaff and at least two Yellow Wagtails.

Willow Warbler at Elmer and (bottom) part of the Gull feeding frenzy offshore from the rock islands

Shripney area: The increasingly blustery wind ensured that small birds were lying low and few passerines were seen, except for the regular Goldfinches, Linnets and Greenfinches in the weedy fields. On the reservoirs were a Common Sandpiper, 12 Tufted Ducks, nine Little Grebes and a few Coots, plus a flock of six Sand Martins briefly feeding above. The local Buzzards and a Kestrel were also present.

(above) Little Grebes and (below) Tufted Ducks in moult at Shripney

Saturday 24th August: A miserable day of persistent rain and grey skies, only clearing late afternoon, to give sunny spells with the odd shower and a moderate W/SW breeze 3-4.

Barnham Brooks - Lidsey area: I didn't venture out until late afternoon, rather expecting there would be some migrant activity once the rain eased and the sunshine warmed the hedgerows. Perhaps it was just me, but it didn't work out that way and there were barely any such birds to be seen, with just the regular and resident species present. A few House Martins, a Swallow, c.20 Stock Doves, a couple of local Buzzards, a Kestrel and a single Willow Warbler were about the best I could manage....one of those days!

Colour-ringed Mediterranean Gulls: Readers will be aware of previous postings relating to these birds and may be interested in the following.... 

I have now received information back from the originators of the rings in these recent reports, mostly from Belgium. However, on 9th August I reported the sighting of a red colour ring marked PUE2, carried by a bird that was on Climping beach near Poole Place. 

This was a little more unusual than many and it transpired that the bird in question was first ringed as a nestling in Zbiornik Przykona, Poland, on 26th May 2018. Since then, this individual has been seen 19 times before I located it. It's life history is interesting and it appears to go into Europe for the breeding season, usually returning to the UK for lengthy periods thereafter. It has been seen in Portugal, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, whilst in the UK it has been logged at Arundel, Icklesham, the Isle of Wight and Dorset. And now on our patch!

Red-ringed Mediterranean Gull PUE2 Climping beach

Friday 23rd August: Yesterday's gale force winds and rain continued through the night and early morning, until the wind finally abated from around 08:00hrs, followed by sunshine and scattered cloud, though still breezy in a W/SW force 4-5.

Elmer Rocks: I was hopeful of some storm-driven birds being pushed our way as the wind eased down, but in the event it was again disappointing. There were many gulls moving both east and west offshore at all ranges, but I failed to find anything beyond the regular species. Four distant Gannets went through heading W, whilst four Little Egrets also went the same way but along the shoreline, and along the beach at low-tide were at least 25 Ringed Plovers, several Turnstones and four Sanderlings. Once again though, Mediterranean Gulls were the main feature, with at least spread 250 along the beach, especially on the Climping side, just east of Poole Place, where there were also four roosting Sandwich Terns amongst them.

At the back of the beach and adjacent hedgerows were a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel, but in the blustery conditions small birds were almost non-existent; a couple of Linnets showed, a calling Willow Warbler was heard, but that was about it.

(above) Part of the flock of (mainly) Mediterranean Gulls on the shingle and rockpools, at Climping beach just east of Poole Place and Elmer Rocks.

(below) Three Sandwich Terns with a Herring Gull and Med Gulls. Two of the terns (top right) differ in appearance, the left-hand bird having already moulted it's black cap, whilst the right-hand bird has a fish in it's bill. The third bird (bottom right) is preening and has clearly also started to moult.

Bilsham farm: There was nothing beyond the ordinary here either this morning. On the reservoir were just three Little Grebes, 13 Tufted Ducks and 66 Coots, with three House Martins briefly feeding above, and nearby a pair of Swallows - probably local breeding birds.

Thursday 22nd August: A grey and fairly miserable day of persistent light rain and squally showers, pushed on by a strong to near gale-force SW wind.

A delayed flight meant I didn't arrive home until the small hours of the morning, which together with the unseasonable weather conditions ensured I was not out and about early, as I had hoped.....

Elmer Rocks: A fairly awful day's weather but I had to have a go at sea-watching in these conditions, eventually covering the late afternoon (1600-1730hrs). The murky conditions were not great and there seemed to be nothing moving offshore except gulls, which was all very disappointing. Mediterranean Gulls were the main feature, with c.60 on the beach and rocks; then as the tide dropped a number of waders appeared, consisting of up to 20 Ringed Plovers, 12 Sanderlings and four Turnstones, before I called it a day.  

Ringed Plovers (above) and Sanderling (below) in the rain on Elmer beach.

Mediterranean Gulls (mostly) on the seaweed along the beach at Elmer Rocks

11th - 21st August 2024

Thursday, 15th - Wednesday, 21st August: A family holiday in Spain for yours truly, so apologies for the lack of reports during this period. As a birder, it's always a bit of risk going away at this time of year, when migrant birds have begun moving in earnest; I did keep an eye on the local bird news reports and fortunately don't seem to have missed any new local rarities during my absence, but even so, nice species such as Redstarts and Garden Warblers were of course found - and even a Turtle Dove at Climping (per B.Akinola) - so I'm looking forward to getting out locally again.....

Wednesday, 14th August: Cloudy and a bit murky at first, before gradually becoming brighter later, with a very light SE breeze.

Climping: Yesterday - and not before time - saw the first proper movement of passerine migrants in the area and elsewhere, so hopefully that theme will now continue. A short break away from the patch is pending for me, so when I got a late afternoon call from neighbouring birder Bola at Climping, informing me of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike there, I had to make the effort and go to join him. Alas, the Shrike was being elusive all the time I was there and we could not re-locate it by the time I had to leave.

Other species in the area were some compensation, with a close Peregrine, a Whinchat, several Stonechats and a fly-over Whimbrel amongst others, though Bola had seen a good number of other migrants earlier, including a Redstart....and predictably, the Shrike did show again to others later into the evening!

Fuller details of the Shrike and a list of other species seen can be found on Bola's blog 'The Birds of Climping Gap & Lower Arun valley' (climpingbirds.blogspot.com) - and there is a direct link on this blog, (see Relevant Birdlng Links on the right).

Tuesday, 13th August: Another fine, sunny and warm day, with scattered cloud and a moderate SW breeze 3-4, though perhaps a notch down on yesterday's temperatures.

Shripney area: A fairly early visit this morning, where a small roost of egrets was a surprise, consisting of six Cattle Egrets and two Little Egrets, together with three Grey Herons. Along the hedges and field margins the usual flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets were present and there was a little more activity than of late, with two Whitethroats, two Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, a couple of Willow Warblers and a Blackcap.

The reservoir area held a Common Sandpiper, three Teal, two Tufted Ducks and six Little Grebes.

Common Sandpiper on the reservoir area (it did have two legs!) and (below) Cattle Egrets and Little Egret roosting

Felpham & Flansham: A look along the hedgerows and trees from the footpath at the back of the Golf Course paid dividends when a female-type Pied Flycatcher popped nicely into view for a short time in a large bush, before quickly being harassed by a couple of Willow Warblers. Thereafter it dropped deeper into cover as I struggled with my camera, giving occasional glimpses, before flying across to taller trees where it was lost from view. A total of about four Willow Warblers were logged, plus two Blackcaps and half a dozen House Martins.

Monday, 12th August: Another very warm, fine and sunny day, with high temperatures predicted inland, although the fresh coastal breeze SE 3-4, veering SW later, ensured more comfortable conditions locally.

Elmer Rocks: A morning visit before the heat of the day prevailed, but it was again very quiet bird-wise, with nothing except a few gulls moving offshore. A couple of Turnstones and Oystercatchers, a Little Egret and a single Common Gull were along the beach, whilst a flock of c.30 Mediterranean Gulls, with some Black-headed Gulls, was roosting on the rock islands. 

One of these Meds was a white-ringed bird, and I managed to get a few shots before the whole flock suddenly took flight. Subsequently, after later adjusting my poor images I was able to get enough detail to show this bird as white 3NY0. This and the previously-reported Med Gulls will have their sightings histories posted on this blog in the near future, for those interested.

A look around the fields and set-aside behind the beach was not very productive, but sightings included 20 Stock Doves, a Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Linnets, a Willow Warbler and a Blackcap, with a heard-only Chiffchaff giving a brief 5-second burst of song.

Adjusted shots of Mediterranean Gull bearing white ring 3NY0 on Elmer Rocks

adult Common Gull (foreground) with Black-headed Gull on the beach at Elmer

Sunday, 11th August: A cool and foggy start to the early hours of the morning, soon developing into very warm and sunny conditions, with a light SE breeze picking up a little along the coast, as ever just tempering an otherwise hot day.

Bilsham farm: After completing a monthly wildfowl count (WeBS) off the patch, on my return I made a quick visit here, where a single Common Sandpiper was on the reservoir, plus two Little Grebes and 52 Coots, but there was precious little else of any note beyond a local pair of Buzzards.

Common Sandpiper on Bilsham reservoir

Shripney: A later visit didn't produce too much either....a single Common Sandpiper was present here, together with six Little Grebes and two Tufted Ducks, whilst in the adjacent fields and hedgerows were a smart Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, 50+ Goldfinches and 20 Linnets. A single Swift was the first I've seen for some days and doubtless many have already moved out on their return migration, whilst a small mixed flock of say a dozen Swallows and House Martins was above. A Green Woodpecker along the path was doubtless one of the family which was present a short while ago. 

Green Woodpecker and Common Sandpiper at Shripney

1st - 10th August 2024

Saturday, 10th August: Starting mainly bright and sunny, with a fresh W/SW breeze 3-4, then becoming overcast with dark clouds and the risk of a shower, before eventually becoming brighter again with the wind increasing to a blustery SW 4-5.

When news came in that a long-staying but often elusive rarity - a Semi-palmated Sandpiper* - was still present this morning at Pagham Harbour and actually showing quite well, I decided it was time for me to make an effort and I was soon on my way, leaving the local patch. The bird decided to go missing for a while and was absent when I arrived, but fortunately I didn't have to wait too long before it re-appeared. An excellent start and such things add to the excitement of birding.

(*For the non-birders amongst us, yes it is a funny name for this small American wading bird, which is a rarity in the UK and is named after the partial webbing between two of it's toes! Look it up on Google. Its scientific name is Calidris pusilla)

Lidsey area: Back to the patch after the earlier excitement, but there wasn't too much of interest late morning and the hedgerows around the WTW (sewage works) were strangely quiet. On the nearby reservoir area were 13 Tufted Ducks, three Gadwall, 10 Mallard and 12 Little Grebes, whilst two Swallows were probably a local pair.

Bilsham farm: On the reservoir were a Common Sandpiper, two Little Grebes and a Great Crested Grebe, whilst Coot numbers had increased to 58 and a Little Egret was oddly right in amongst a posse of roosting gulls on the reservoir bank. At least 20 Sand Martins also passed through the area.

Little Egret in amongst a mixed gull flock at Bilsham farm

Friday, 9th August: A damp start after overnight rain, with heavy grey cloud, but soon clearing to become mainly sunny and bright in a fresh breeze, W 4-5.

Climping beach: It was a long low tide this morning, luring plenty of walkers along the tideline, whilst several EA trucks were also back and forth on coastal defence duties, thus a good bit of disturbance going on. A small number of Swallows were moving west offshore, but little else, so once again the main interest was a gathering of gulls on the rockpools, including c.300 Mediterranean Gulls. The only ringed bird I could find amongst those near enough to be scrutinised was one bearing a red ring with white numerals (PUE2)....these aren't so common and to be honest I'm not quite sure where such rings originate, but will find out in due course.

Red-ringed Mediterranean Gull PUE2 on Climping beach this morning

Shripney area: A single Cattle Egret and four Little Egrets were around this morning, but it was surprisingly quiet along the hedgerows and in the weedy fields, with just three Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 50 Goldfinch, 20 Linnet and a couple of Greenfinch. plus two Kestrels and a Buzzard hunting. On the reservoir were just six Little Grebes, three Tufted Ducks and a Gadwall.

Thursday, 8th August: A bright and fairly sunny start with a moderate SW breeze 3-4, but soon clouding over to become overcast and cooler, with the wind increasing to force 5-6, bringing the threat of showers later.

Elmer Rocks - Atherington: There was very little going on bird-wise this morning, not helped by the fact that (presumed) Environment Agency operatives were zooming back and forth along the beach on their adapted quad-bikes whilst others were operating a drone for survey work. In short, the only birds of interest were Mediterranean Gulls, with 200+ assembled on the beach, mainly around rockpools on the Climping/Atherington side. A scan through the flock at distance revealed several white-ringed birds, but I needed to get closer....

I edged slowly forwards, managing to get in range of one ringed bird (see photo) - but as I tried for others, suddenly the quad-bikes came roaring past, scattering gulls in all directions - so that was that and time to go elsewhere!

(above) Mediterranean Gull bearing white ring 3AT5 on Atherington/Climping beach and (below) cropped and adapted image of the same bird.

Bilsham farm: It was quiet here also this morning, with virtually no migrant warblers in the hedgerows. The reservoir held two Common Sandpipers, two Little Grebes and 52 Coots, but little else, whilst a dozen House Martins passed through.

Wednesday, 7th August: A bit of a grey and cloudy start, with even a few spots of rain, but soon brightening to give long sunny interludes in a moderate W/SW breeze 3-4.

Barnham Brooks - Lidsey: It was disappointingly quiet this morning, with generally very few birds seen, not helped by the fact that all the remaining flooded spots have now dried up, leaving no muddy puddles for waders and other species. There should by now though surely be quite a number of warblers and chats on the move, but it was just amazingly quiet - worryingly so really. My tally consisted of nothing greater than three Willow Warblers, two Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, ten House Martins, several Greenfinches and a Yellowhammer.

Shripney: It was better here, although passerines were at a premium, but 50 Goldfinches and 20 Linnets were in a weedy field. The highlights though were four Cattle Egrets around a field of horses and later a female Marsh Harrier in the same general area. On the nearby reservoir were a Common Sandpiper, four Little Grebes, three Tufted Ducks and a Gadwall.

Cattle Egrets at Shripney

Tuesday, 6th August: After a fine and sunny start, things quickly deteriorated to grey skies and several hours of murkiness and fine drizzle in a fresh SW breeze force 3-4, before brightening again after the rain passed through.

Elmer Rocks: It was notably quiet as I set off on my circuit this morning, with nothing moving offshore except for two Sandwich Terns heading west and another two roosting on the rocks. As I reached Poole Place, there was a gathering of 250 Mediterranean Gulls, with perhaps 100 Black-headed Gulls, assembled on the rocks and shingle, the majority being amongst the weedy rockpools. These were as ever rather wary, having been previously disturbed by several walkers, but I managed to slowly get near enough to check for ringed birds, and eventually located several white ringed individuals (see photos).

As the gulls began to move off it was time for me to also be on my way to Climping, but having gone a short distance and seeing nothing more than a Willow Warbler, I realised the 'light drizzle' was deceptively wet, so I abandoned such plans, deciding to visit inland where there was at least some  chance of shelter.

Mediterranean Gulls on Elmer & Atherington beach. A number of birds bore white rings, indicative of Belgian (some perhaps French) origins.

1.above, one bearing white ring, believed 3PRR

2. cropped image of  white 3PRR

3. Right-hand bird bearing white ring 3INT and 4. (below) cropped/enlarged image of 3INT

5 & 6. (Above and below) Not quite so straightforward, due to the angle of the white ring, but I think I can work this one out as being  3669

Details obtained as to the history and origins of these birds will be posted here at a future date, once information is known.

Bilsham farm: A couple of Swallows were present, but it was really quiet along the hedgerows, with nothing of any note seen - surely it should be much busier by now? At the reservoir, there were again two Common Sandpipers, plus three Tufted Ducks, a Little Grebe and 44 Coots.

Sunday, 4th August: A dry and fairly decent day, with plenty of high cloud and sunny intervals; feeling pleasantly warm when sheltered from the moderate W/SW breeze 3-4.

Elmer Rocks: I started off with a brief visit to the beach, but after just a few Oystercatchers and a single Turnstone were displaced from the rock islands, soon realised there was little or nothing happening offshore and plenty of walkers about, so quickly abandoned in favour of checking the fields and margins behind. It was standard fare there, with just a Kestrel over the hot-spot set-aside and the local Buzzards making an appearance. a few Linnets and Goldfinches back and forth, the first few Long-tailed Tits I'd seen for a while and two Willow Warblers in the bushes....time to move on. 

Linnets on the telegraph wires and Kestrel near the set-aside at Elmer

Lidsey area: There was nothing much of interest at the WTW this morning, except for a couple of Swallows feeding over the filter pans (probably breeding at or near the works). At a nearby reservoir there was just a little more activity, with a Common Sandpiper, nine Little Grebes, 12 Tufted Ducks (including the nine well-grown juveniles) and two Gadwall, whilst two Willow Warblers were in the hedgerows.

Three (two adults and a juvenile) of the nine Little Grebes at Lidsey this morning

Bilsham farm: On the reservoir this morning were two Common Sandpipers, 45 Coots, four Little Grebes, 25+ Mediterranean Gulls and at least 300 Black-headed Gulls. Two Swallows feeding overhead were probably the local breeding pair.

Saturday, 3rd August: Generally overcast for much of the time, with occasional warm sunny breaks, but with a fairly brisk W/SW wind 4-5 giving a much fresher feel to the day.

Shripney area: The flock of Egyptian Geese in the fields has now increased to seven, whilst a pair of Kestrels and a Buzzard were hunting above. Most of the interest however was at the small reservoirs, where there were two Common Sandpipers, 12 Little Egrets, four Grey Herons, four Little Grebes, a Shelduck, three Tufted Ducks and a Gadwall.

(above) Not a species pairing you'll often see, with a Stock Dove joining two roosting Common Sandpipers at Shripney reservoirs, whilst (below) these three Little Egrets were part of a dozen on the reservoir banks,

Bilsham farm: There were two Common Sandpipers on the reservoir here also, plus four Little Grebes, 40 Coots, 250+ Black-headed Gulls, eight Mediterranean Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Friday, 2nd August: Calm, very warm and quite humid at first, before a fresher W/SW breeze picked up to a force 4, though generally dry and sunny with little or no cloud by afternoon.

Barnham Brooks - Lidsey area: Predictably, the dry conditions mean that the remaining water is all but gone now, with just a few large puddles left and a bit of mud. Two Redshanks and a single Green Sandpiper were the only waders I could find, whilst three Teal and a handful of Mallard were also hanging on.

Bilsham farm: A single Common Sandpiper was on the reservoir, whilst the two Little Grebes and eight Mallard remain and Coot number have now risen to 45. However, gulls were the main feature today, with many washing and preening or roosting. A nice adult Yellow-legged Gull was amongst Herring Gulls, its darker mantle standing out well, together with other features, whilst two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also prominent. It was otherwise quiet, with just a few Swallows, a Yellowhammer, a Willow Warbler and a couple of Whitethroats.

(above) adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (centre) with Herring Gulls and (below) two views of the adult Yellow-legged Gull (upper bird) with Herring Gull

Thursday, 1st August: Another warm and rather humid day, with a good deal of grey and heavy cloud through the morning giving way to sunshine and clearing skies later.....with the predicted heavy rain and thunderstorms passing us by and striking much further inland.

Bilsham farm: I was off the patch today, so was pleased to get an update from local birder Dan Boon, who had made an evening visit. He managed to see a Little Owl, but other highlights included two Grey Partridges and six Mistle Thrushes, whilst other species included Kestrel (3), Little Egret, Willow Warbler (2) and Yellowhammer. A small mixed flock of Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins was also present.

Little Owl at Bilsham farm (D. Boon)