Weekly Sightings Report

After a long dry spell there was at last some significant rainfall midweek: it flooded over roads and (even worse) some of those exposed muddy areas which might have gotten us a decent wader. At coastal locations such as Beachy Head there were the usual suspects at this time of year  (Redstart, Whinchat and Wheatear), but numbers were somewhat underwhelming.

A Red-necked Grebe flew east past Selsey Bill on 23^rd and a Garganey was at Pett Level on 22^nd.

Up to four Spotted Redshanks were again at Pagham Hbr and Wood Sandpipers were noted at Pett Level on 19^th and Rye Hbr on 20^th. The adult-type American Golden Plover was seen again on Flat Beach (Rye Hbr) early on 23^rd.

Two Spoonbills were present at Iford Brooks on 18^th and another was at Pett Level the following day. Spoonbill is a good local bird in the Eastbourne area so one at Shinewater Lake on 21^st was noteworthy – it was still present on 23^rd (photo attached).

A Roseate Tern flew west at Chichester Hbr on 18^th.

There were several sightings of Osprey: a bird was at Thorney Island from 17^th – 19^th and one was at Pagham Hbr flying northwest on 18^th. A bird flew east off Climping Beach on 21^st and there were others the following day at Hastings CP and Angmering. A bird was sighted on 23^rd on the Adur at Shoreham. There was a report of a Montagu’s Harrier over Pulborough Brooks on 21st.

I’ve been so busy this week I totally forgot to check the Honey-buzzard webcam, but all is apparently well: the adult female has left for Africa (probably leaving on 21^st ) and the male should shortly follow leaving the two healthy juveniles on their own…they will head off over the channel sometime next month, or possibly as late as early October.

There were more Pied Flycatchers during the week with singles at Cissbury Ring on 17^th, Langmeads (East Preston) and Beachy Head on 20^th, Climping and Hastings CP on 21^st, Beachy Head on 22^nd and Hastings CP on 23^rd. There were two birds together in a private garden at Normans Bay on 20^th.

A Wood Warbler was at Langmeads on 20^th and a juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Combes Valley CP on 23^rd.

Yet another heatwave and a spectacular partial solar eclipse dominated the news headlines this week, the eclipse drawing large crowds to watchpoints around the county such as Beachy Head. The avian reaction to the event was interesting as well with gulls and corvids apparently flying early to roost and, in my garden at least, an eerie silence taking hold as the light faded.

Up to three of the Spotted Redshanks at Pagham Hbr continued to show and two Wood Sandpipers were at Pett Level on 13^th. An adult-type American Golden Plover was at Rye Hbr on 14^th-15th and a Red-necked Phalarope was photographed in the early morning of 16^th at Jury’s Gap. There was an interesting record of an exceptionally early and visibly tame Purple Sandpiper on the beach at Cuckmere Haven on 15^th.

A Black Tern was again reported offshore at Rye Hbr on 12^th.

It was a really good week for Pied Flycatcher with numerous reports: one was found at Knepp Castle Estate (West Grinstead) on 10^th with others the following day at Shinewater Park (Eastbourne), Woolbeding Common and Cissbury Ring. On 14^th birds were at Hastings CP, Pagham Hbr, Hope Gap (Seaford Head) and Warnham LNR. Other singles were noted on 15^th at Stanmer (nr Falmer), Black Down NT and on the west bank of Ferring Rife (photo taken by Nick Oliver attached). There were at least five across the headland at Beachy Head that day and one was in the churchyard at Church Norton on 16^th.

Sussex has been well publicised of late for it’s breeding Honey-buzzards but our Hawfinch population is something to shout about as well; remarkably there were around 90 seen flying from roost at West Dean Woods on 15^th which could conceivably be a record count in the UK for the month of August.

What is it with Stone-curlews and Monday mornings? It happened again this week, a bird being found in a field east of the Adur near Upper Beeding on 3rd; thankfully it was out in the open and admired by many throughout the day. Another Stone-curlew was seen and heard as it flew past Belle Tout Wood (Beachy Head) on 8^th.

Two Spotted Redshanks were present all week at Pagham Hbr and a moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper was found there, at White’s Creek, on 9^th (photo courtesy of Paul James attached). A Wood Sandpiper was on the meanders at Cuckmere Haven on 8^th.

A male Montagu’s Harrier flying east was a great record at The Midrips on 8^th. There was a report of a Black Kite at Small Dole on 9^th and an Osprey was observed catching fish on 4^th and 5^th from the North Wall at Pagham Hbr. It was another fascinating week at the Honey-buzzard webcam where the youngsters (now looking big and sturdy) were seen flying away from the nest for short periods (https://sos.org.uk/about/our-work-with-people/surveys/honey-buzzards/).

A Roseate Tern and possibly two Black terns were reported offshore at Rye Hbr on 9^th . Other Black Terns were noted earlier in the week with a juvenile inland at Weir Wood Res on 4^th and another from the Gooders Hide at Rye Hbr the following day.

A 3cy Caspian Gull was at Pelham Beach (Hastings) on 4th and a juvenile Kittiwake was a good inland sighting at West Rise Marsh (Eastbourne) on 9th.

A Quail could be heard singing at Beachy Head on 8th. A Spoonbill was visible from the Discovery Centre at Rye Hbr on 7^th and three birds flew over there the following day.

A Hooded Crow was at the Waste Recycling Site at Bulverhythe (Hastings) on 4^th, presumably the same bird as the one in the town in early May?

The week got off to a great start on Monday morning with a Stone-curlew on the beach at Goring Gap, although it couldn’t be relocated after it was seen flying off towards the Sea Lane Cafe. On the same day the two Wood Sandpipers at Pett Level were again present, with singles noted there on 29^th and 31^st. During the week up to five Spotted Redshanks were seen, on and off, at the Breech Pool (Pagham Hbr).

A Goshawk flying over Pagham Hbr was an excellent local record – only the second this century after a bird in August 2022 (https://selseybirder.blogspot.com/).

Singing Quails were again reported from Chantry Hill with two birds on 27^th and one the following day.

The Glossy Ibis performed well until 1^st at Pagham Hbr where it roosted each evening at Owl Copse (photo attached by Andrew House taken on 31^st).  It was accompanied on 27^th and 28^th by a Spoonbill.

On 27^th there was a Pied Flycatcher at Graffham Common and another at Lancing Ring. 75 Hawfinches were counted at West Dean Woods in the early morning of 30^th, a record count for Sussex in July-August.

There’s a feel of autumn now as the numbers of Willow Warblers, Yellow Wagtails and other migrants begin to build along the coast. There was a rarity as well this week with a Pectoral Sandpiper at Pett Level on 23^rd and also the following day when it was accompanied by a Wood Sandpiper (two of which were there on 26^th). A Curlew Sandpiper was on the east side of Pagham Hbr on 20^th and up to four Spotted Redshanks continue to show regularly at the Breech Pool nearby.

On the subject of waders there was an interesting record of a Curlew, colour-tagged ‘6H’, standing on the mud opposite Town Quay (Shoreham) on 23^rd (photo attached by David Park). This is surely a bird from the Duke of Norfolk’s estate at Burpham where a head-starting project is aiming to reintroduce Curlews to the South Downs. It’s the third such individual to have been sighted on the Adur at Shoreham (the others tagged ‘N0’ and ‘P0’).

The pair of Ruddy Shelduck reported last week was still present at Pett Level until 24^th.

A juvenile Black Tern was at Rye Hbr on 25^th-26th and an adult Roseate Tern was offshore there in the early morning of the 22^nd. There was a report of a Little Tern briefly inland at Weir Wood Res on 24th. A Little Gull was at Rye Hbr on 22^nd and there were two present on 24^th.

A Glossy Ibis was found in the late afternoon of 23^rd at the Breech Pool (Pagham Hbr) – it was subsequently seen coming to roost on the two days following. Singing Quails were reported on the South Downs at Chantry Hill on 24^th and Kithurst Hill on 25^th.

An Osprey flew west over Hickstead on 25^th.

Although there were no great rarities this week it did feel a tad livelier as we edge slowly into autumn. A pair of Ruddy Shelduck was an unusual sight at Pett Level on 14^th with both birds still present on 19^th. Also at Pett were Spoonbills (three on 14^th and two on 16^th) and a Wood Sandpiper on three dates. Another Wood Sandpiper (along with a Curlew Sandpiper) was at Rye Hbr on 18^th. Up to three Spotted Redshank are still being seen at the Breech Pool (Pagham Hbr).

A Quail was reported singing from a commercial food crop on Lancing Ring on two consecutive evenings.

An Osprey was on the mudflats at Thorney Island on 18^th and there was another at Medmerry RSPB the following day. Talking of raptors it’s been fascinating to follow the progress of the pair of Honey-buzzards and their two fast-growing chicks on the well-publicised webcam which the SOS is very much involved in. The attached photo comes courtesy of Wildlife Windows and the nest can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGIRKeZn3vM

Two Little Gulls were at Rye Hbr on 18^th along with three Black Terns. One of the terns was a juvenile on the Salt Pool which was still present the following day. It was encouraging to hear that there were at least 60 Little Terns at Pagham Spit on 17^th, half of which were juveniles.

An early Whinchat at Birling Gap on 19^th was a nice sign of autumn passage and on the same day a Serin flew over Snowhill Creek (West Wittering).

A quiet week again, unsurprising really for mid July. The only sniff of a rarity was an unconfirmed report of a Lesser Yellowlegs at Rye Hbr on 7^th. The more usual early autumn waders were on show with Wood Sandpipers at Pulborough Brooks again (three on 8^th) and Spotted Redshanks at Pagham Hbr (up to three at the Breech Pool) and Cuckmere Haven (one on 9^th. )

Three Sandwich Terns were found inland, fishing off the dam at Weir Wood Res on 8^th, and an impressive total of 34 recently fledged Little Terns was counted on 9th at Pagham Hbr. Roseate Terns continue to be noted there with up to three birds mingling with the other terns on the mudflats.

Four Spoonbills were at Rye Hbr on 11^th and a Quail was heard singing from a cereal field at Steepdown (Lancing) on 9^th.

Nice to see that recently fledged Bearded Tits have been seen at the far eastern end of the county at Scotney (photo by Martin Casemore attached). Two Hawfinches flew over Knepp Castle Estate on 8^th.

The week got off to a promising start with a group of six Bee-eaters flying southwest over Ninfield on Monday evening, although unfortunately they were not seen again.

There were more reports of Quail with singing males at The Burgh on 29th and Chantry Hill on 3rd. Four were at Southwick Hill on 2nd with two reported again the following day.

Some Swifts and Sand Martins appear to be already migrating and returning wader passage was in evidence with the first Green and Common Sandpipers of the autumn appearing inland at Weir Wood Res on 29th ,and there were Wood Sandpipers at Pulborough Brooks on 30th and 1st.

Last week’s Osprey at Arlington Res presumably remained a while since one was there catching fish on 30th and again the following day when there was possibly a second bird present.

Roseate Terns were observed once more at Church Norton with two on the mudflats on 2nd. There were encouraging signs of successful breeding for the Little Terns in that area with the Selsey Blog reporting at least a dozen fully fledged young flying around at the end of Pagham Spit with more young out on the mud further down the harbour (photo by Andrew House attached).

There were equally encouraging signs for Hawfinch with at least 30 flying over the Monkton Track (West Dean) in the early morning of 29th with around 13 birds feeding on site. Two flew over Ebernoe Common on 3rd.

This was another rather quiet week with not a lot to report…typical June. It was too hot to go out birding anyway, an intense heatwave hanging over western Europe causing record monthly temperatures here and in many other European countries.

Nevertheless with the first signs of return passage already underway there were a few things around, notably at Pagham Hbr where Wood Sandpipers were at the Breech Pool on 24-25^th and again on 27^th when a Green Sandpiper was also present.

Roseate Terns keep on appearing at Church Norton – there were two there on the mudflats on 22^nd.

Up to five Honey-buzzards were observed from the Llama Park viewpoint on the Ashdown Forest and it was fascinating to continue watching the breeding pair at a different site on the webcam – the first chick appeared on Tuesday and a second hatched two days later. An Osprey was at Arlington Res on 28^th.

A singing Quail was heard in the evening of 27^th at Scotney Gravel Pits and a Ruddy Shelduck put in a brief showing at Sidlesham Ferry Pool on 25^th before it was chased off by a Shelduck (photo by Adrian Haines attached).

Easily the best bird this week though was a singing Common Rosefinch: although it couldn’t be seen this must have been an exciting find, the bird’s distinctive whistled song emanating from the paddocks east of Pett Village early in the morning of 25^th.

It’s been a great year so far for Quail in the UK and we’ve had our fair share here in Sussex with numerous reports of singing males. They’re tricky so-and-sos to see though (almost all records are of “heard-only” birds) so it was a nice surprise to be given the attached photo, taken by Paula Morris, of a female nicely snuggled up on the edge of a garden in Pevensey Bay on 20^th. Other records of Quail this week came from Beachy Head on 15^th and Streat Hill Farm (Plumpton) on 20^th.

The rarest bird this week was a superb 2cy male Red-footed Falcon which graced the fields near the Castle Hill NNR at Newmarket Hill (Woodingdean) on 15^th. After posing obligingly for photographs, however, he unfortunately disappeared away to the north, not to be seen again.

Church Norton is clearly the best place to try and see a Roseate Tern these days – a bird is still being reported, on and off, roosting on the mudflats and was noted on four dates.

Two Little Gulls were at Rye Hbr on 15^th and a Caspian Gull was at Pagham Hbr on the same day.

About 20 Hawfinches were at Sherwood Rough (nr Arundel) on 15^th including several recently fledged juveniles.