9th - 12th August 2025

Tuesday, 12th August: The mini-heatwave goes on; very dry, with a blue sky, warm to hot sunshine throughout the day and a moderate SE breeze force 4.

Elmer Rocks: My early start wasn't early enough, and combined with a low tide I soon realised it wasn't a great plan to begin here. There were walkers and beach-goers all over the beach enjoying the fine weather - but unsurprisingly barely a bird to be seen beyond a few of the regular gulls. A check of the trees and bushes behind the beach didn't produce much either; half a dozen Willow Warblers, a couple of Whitethroats, a few Greenfinches and a handful of Swallows, but by now I'd decided to leave so was soon on my way.

Shripney area: It seemed worth going inland a little so I headed for the area around the farm reservoirs, but only a single Common Sandpiper was present, as were three Little Grebes, two Gadwall, three Tufted Ducks and a female Mallard with a brood of well grown young. Over the adjoining fields were a few hirundines, mainly House Martins with several Swallows, whilst in the hedgerows were several Willow Warblers, five Whitethroats, two Yellowhammers and four Greenfinches. A noisy Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk disturbed the Goldfinches in the stubble fields, but otherwise there was little of interest.

Sparrowhawk patrolling the stubble fields at Shripney

Lidsey WTW area: At the WTW there were three Pied Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail on the filter pans, whilst a few Swallows were also present. The nearby reservoir held a Common Sandpiper, 14 Little Grebes, six Gadwall and ten Mallard.

(above) Grey Wagtail on the WTW filter pans and (below) with a Pied Wagtail (left)_

Monday, 11th August: A bright, sunny day with little or no cloud and a light NE breeze; gradually becoming very warm during the middle part of the day despite the breeze freshening slightly and veering to a SE 3-4.

Climping - Atherington: I did a couple of hours this morning, before conditions got too warm and concentrating mainly on the Atherington area. There were a number of the commoner migrants, but again I couldn't locate any scarcer species, so it proved disappointing overall. A Red Kite over Bailiffscourt woods was rather distant from me by the time I saw it, whilst a flock of four egrets high up and heading NE turned out to be nothing more than Little Egrets. My log below:-

Little Egret - 6 (including flock of four high NE)

Heron - 1 over E

Red Kite - 1 over Bailiffscourt woods (drifted off W)

Buzzard - 2

Kestrel - 1

Green Woodpecker - 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker -1

Skylark - 10

Swallow - 12

House Martin - 5

Whitethroat - 12

Lesser Whitethroat - 2

Blackcap - 1

Willow Warbler - 15

Chiffchaff - 1

Long-tailed Tit - 15

Greenfinch - 8

Goldfinch - 15

Not the greatest shots due to distance and heat haze, but the four egrets very high up looked promising, until their bright yellow feet gave away their identity as nothing more than Little Egrets, whilst (below) the Red Kite over Bailiffscourt woods was also distant when I saw it.

Bilsham farm: A fairly slow morning here too; on the reservoir were seven Little Grebes, 14 Tufted Ducks, an above-average five Pochard and a few Mallard. Several Willow Warblers and a Whitethroat were around the adjacent hedgerows, and just a few Swallows were over the water, but there was little else of note.

On Bilsham reservoir: (above) Drake Pochard, (lower) Pochard with female Tufted Duck (left) and (bottom) 14 Tufted Ducks with three Little Grebes.

Elmer & Ancton: Late afternoon at home in the garden, when some heavy grey and thundery cloud replaced the sunshine, then a couple of Swifts appeared, followed by a few more and eventually a small movement of at least 30, apparently heading eastwards. It was all over in about 20 minutes and the movement stopped - the only other interest being a flock of five Greenfinches which flew over low whilst calling and a Great Spotted Woodpecker likewise.

Swifts over Elmer & Ancton during the afternoon

Saturday, 9th August: A generally sunny, dry and fairly warm day, with a moderate to fresh W/SW breeze 4-5. breeze

The first half of the morning was spent doing a WeBS count off the patch, but I called in to a couple of local sites on the way back....

Lidsey WTW area: There wasn't much beyond a couple of Whitethroats and Willow Warblers around the hedgerows, but on the adjacent reservoir were two Common Sandpipers, six Gadwall, a dozen Mallard and five Little Grebes.

Common Sandpiper at Lidsey

Bilsham farm: A check of the reservoir for the Black-necked Grebe drew a blank today, so presumably it has moved on. I was also able to see a photo taken by another person, which seems to confirm the bird was indeed an adult. On the water today were seven Little Grebes, 16 Tufted Ducks, a Pochard and a few Mallard, plus a single Common Sandpiper around the edge and small numbers of Sand and House Martins overhead.

Common Sandpiper and Tufted Ducks at Bilsham reservoir