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!)