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Thursday 29th August 2024: Surprise Spot Fly!

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 With an early pub lunch with friends in the diary, we had no plans for birding today. However, following a relaxing meal, we decided to walk the long way home, through Buckingham Park and beside the river. At the Flood Arch sluice, we were thrilled to see two shimmering Kingfishers dashing upstream, then quickly returning with a sharp whistle as they darted out of view beneath the sluice.  Crossing the park, a Kestrel hovered over the ‘wildlife area’, but our star bird was found as we took the narrow scrub-lined path towards the river, where Tim noticed a Spotted Flycatcher perched on a curving bramble stem. It posed awhile, before performing its characteristic fly-catching dance, arching into the air and resettling on an adjacent dead branch. We were able to observe this lovely but understated bird for several minutes, noting its streaked crown and subtle chest markings. This was our first sighting of the species for the year, so it was great to have such stonking views! Spotted Flyc
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Wednesday 28th August 2024: Cissbury Ring

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 Sue and I were a little late for peak migration watching this morning, having spent a couple of hours on Sdos business before we set out. Nevertheless, we had a rewarding walk and managed a reasonable tally of species. We took the path from Beggars Bush car park, and found a Lesser Whitethroat showing remarkably well in a small bush beside the track. As we began to climb the ring, Goldfinches and Linnets were active, and soon we encountered an area of trees and scrub where there were several yellow-hued young Willow Warblers flitting, as well as a wheezing Greenfinch and a lollipop flock of twittering Long-tailed Tits. At the top of the scarp slope, we sat on the grass and waited for the birds to come to us. We had several sightings of Common Redstart, although the dense leaf cover meant we never really had decent views. Blackcaps, male and female, were foraging here, together with Common Whitethroat and more Willow Warblers, all fattening up for the next stage of their long journey s
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Tuesday 27th August 2024: Autumn Migration in Sussex

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Flushed with the success of Barn Owls last night, we set out on foot to return to New Monks Farm country park, hoping for Whinchat or Wheatear which had been reported, and for whom the habitat looked good. We walked along the river, where we counted an impressive tally of 103 Ringed Plovers, accompanied by a few Dunlin, although these numbers are just a shadow of the thousands that used to frequent the estuary in days gone by. A total of 31 Redshank were also gathered, busily feeding on the far bank in front of the airport. At the park, we encountered the usual charms of Goldfinches and small flocks of Linnets which were very mobile, together with the ubiquitous Kestrel, seen on every visit to this site, which is obviously providing an excellent food supply. At the pond by the roundabout, a Grey Heron was flushed and quickly disappeared into dense reedbed vegetation. Several Moorhen frequented various ditches and pools, plus a single Coot swam in a pool viewable from one of the bridges
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Monday 26th August 2024: Local Barn Owl

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 This evening we joined a group of birders looking for the Barn Owls residing at New Monks Farm country park. We had previously seen these on Friday with Han, but were not able to linger, so returned tonight, Tim with camera in tow. We only saw one bird as far as we are aware, but it gave some decent and extended views as it quartered the ditches in search of dinner, sometimes dropping out if view and occasionally perching up on the bank, turning its beautiful heart-shaped face to gaze at the array of visitors and their cameras!  Evening photos are never easy, with rapidly declining night, but Tim managed a reasonable record shot, and we enjoyed a sociable meeting, chatting with many Sdos members also watching these local celebrities. Barn Owl
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Thursday 8th August: Pagham, Semi-palmated Sandpiper

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 Another day, another bird...! With reports of a Semi-palmated Sandpiper at Pagham, it seemed rude not to at least try for this scarce visitor to Sussex. Although others had gone very early, we took the view that it would be better to visit on the rising tide in the hopes that this would push the bird a little nearer. We arrived around 10ish, and on the beach at Church Norton it was clear the tide was still far out and there were few birds to be seen.  It wasn't too long before news came through that the bird had been spotted further down the harbour, so we hot-footed it through the churchyard to join the relatively small gathered throng. As we arrived, a tight flock of Dunlin was foraging on the mud directly in from of us, but frustratingly these were flushed just as we were setting up the scopes. The birds resettled on a weed-covered mound at some distance and we were able to observe the bird, but it was very distant and pretty unsatisfactory. Although considerably smaller than t
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Wednesday 7th August: Wood Sandpiper at New Monks Country Park

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 This morning six Sdos members met with the ranger for this new country park in Lancing which was opened to the public just a few months ago. On a previous visit we were chuffed to find both Reed and Sedge Warbler amongst the reeds, which flow like a river through some raised mounds. Today we noted plenty of Goldfinch, Linnet and Stock Dove making use of the wild flower strewn grassland and a pair of Greenfinch in some scrubby bushes. In the ditches a pair of Swans were sat on their nest and we found young Moorhen and several Mallard, indicating breeding success this season. But the highlight of the visit was at the end of our tour, when we were shown a pool tucked away out of sight behind a mound of earth. We noted a variety of Dragonflies here and were discussing the merits of the pool, when I suddenly spotted a wader partially in view amongst the reeds. As it moved out into the open, it revealed itself to be a Wood Sandpiper, an incredible find on this inaugural visit to our new loc
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Thursday 1st August: Pagham North Wall

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 We arrived at North Wall around 9.30 on a hot, sunny day, and spent some time scanning the far reaches of White's Creek in search of Curlew Sandpipers. The combination of incoming tide, heat haze and poor light conspired against us, and we just couldn't get enough detail on all the feeding waders. At closer range we found Lapwing, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Curlew. We were able to discern Grey Plover and Dunlin with black bellies in the haze, but views were unsatisfactory. As the tide came in, there were plenty of Little Egret and Grey Heron on the higher areas of salt marsh. On Breech Pool, there were three Spotted Redshank, including one with noticeable spotting remaining on its breast. A pair of black-tailed Godwits and a juvenile 'humbug' Great Crested Grebe  also showed well. Spotted Redshank  As we rested on a bench, Bernie and Steve came into view, and came and joined us to scan the harbour. With Bernie's superior skills a Green Sandpiper wh
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