early July

Friday 14 July. We walked a circuit from Lancing Ring to Cowbottom, Coombes and Steep Down - a lovely cloudy Summer day with a nice breeze. We saw at least 130 Swifts, many feeding over a pea field, with 20 Swallows, 15 House Martins and 2 Sand Martins. A Redstart flushed from a hedgerow was unexpected although 3 Buzzards and 2 Ravens were less so. Steep Down produced 15 Corn Buntings and a few Sky Larks. Back home the Great Black-backed Gull youngsters remained on their roof.

Megan and Cookie on the Downs near Cowbottom

Steep Down

Swifts and House Martins over a pea field

Swifts over Coombes

female Kestrel

Painted Lady

Small Tortoiseshell

Corn Bunting on Steep Down

looking East from Steep Down

the Rampion Windfarm from Steep Down, 61 turbines erected so far

Thursday 13 July. A Peregrine over the lock-gates as I was cycling home from work. A lot of flapping from the young Great Black-backed Gulls in the evening, quite distracting while watching TV, but they remain on the original roof.

Wednesday 12 July. At least 25 Gannets were offshore of Shoreham Harbour when I took Cookie down for an early walk. While there a Grey Heron flew east and 6 Swifts west but that was as exciting as it got. Widewater had just the Mute Swan family (with 4 cygnets) and 3 Little Egrets and there were only a handful of Black-headed and Herring Gulls on the Adur. More flapping from the juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls and at least 7 Swifts over the road as I cycled up to a late appointment with the nurse. She finally cleared my ears of wax, an attempt on Monday morning being only partly successful. Nice to hear properly out of my good ear again and even the duff one was slightly better for not being full of wax!

Gannets and wind turbines from Shoreham Harbour

Worthing Pier from Shoreham Harbour

view east from Shoreham Fort

Belle Tout Lighthouse from Shoreham Fort

Sunday 9 July. A walk along West Worthing beach towards Goring Gap produced just a single Sandwich Tern before we gave up and headed to Highdown Hill where male Bullfinch and Yellowhammer saved the day. One of the young Great Black-backed Gulls tried its first flaps on the ridge of the roof opposite - a few jumps made it a quite comical affair.

Cookie at Highdown trig point

first flaps

and a jump

hungry work for young gulls

Saturday 8 July. Before breakfast I took Cookie to Shoreham Fort (1 Little Egret) and the Adur (2 Little Egrets, 3 Oystercatches, 40 Herring Gulls and a Reed Warbler). Later I took Cookie up to Lancing Ring and we walked around Steep Down. Lovely views as usual, lots of butterflies, and I saw 28 Corn Buntings, 6 Sky Larks, 4 Whitethroats and 4 Linnets. A Sparrowhawk flew over Eastern Avenue as I drove down to the station to collect Megan.

Steep Down from Lancing Ring

Whitethroat at Steep Down

looking East from Steep Down

poppies

Truleigh Hill from Steep Down

Corn Bunting at Steep Down

 

Corn Bunting

Lancing Ring from Steep Down

Cookie

Peacock - one of the brightest I can remember seein 

Friday 7 July. The Amur Falcon was back and we decided to go. It seemed a good idea at the time and it was still being seen when we rendezvoused in Lancing but with no sightings for nearly two hours we stopped in a lay-by west of Dorchester to await developments. There were none and after 90 minutes we gave up and drove home. Nine hours away, 7.5 driving, much in heavy traffic, and 1.5 sat in a lay-by next to the busy A31. Not a great day with 5 Buzzards, a Swallow, 2 House Martins and a Jay all I had to show for it. At least I was home to check up on the Great Black-backed Gulls - 3 youngsters and both adults - and again 7 Swifts over the garden.

Thursday 6 July. At least two of the young Great Black-backed Gulls were visible on the roof of Glebe Close with both adults seen on one occasion. Seven Swifts were over the garden in the evening.  A late found Amur Falcon near Land's End was tempting but JFC, JK and I decided to wait for news, none of us feeling we were up for starting out on a 300 mile drive at 11pm.