Corn Buntings at Steepdown (22 June 2014)

Five hours from 06:00 surveying Corn Buntings before it got too hot on and around Steepdown produced 46 birds including 30 singing males.  Also a Buzzard, Cuckoo, 20 Swifts, 21 Sky Larks, 7 Meadow Pipits, 5 Stonechats (3 males), 18 Whitethroats, 70 Linnets, male Reed Bunting and 3 Yellowhammers.

Corn Bunting singing from barley (territory 6)

Corn Bunting singing from isolated bush (territory 9)

what they lack in colour they make up for with character

bet you can't open your mouth as wide as this!

Corn Bunting singing from weed in crop (territory 32)

Corn Bunting singing from isolated bush (territory 24)

Cuckoo near Steepdown

Yellowhammer on Steepdown

Steepdown from near Lancing Ring

Cissbury Ring (distant), Steepdown and Chanctonbury Ring (distant) from near Lancing Ring

Cissbury Ring from Steepdown

Shoreham (distant) and Lancing Ring from Steepdown, typical Corn Bunting habitat

 

poppys in a fallow oilseed rape field near Steepdown

looking towards Worthing from near Steepdown

Lancing Ring from near Steepdown