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 20th. Other records of Quail this week came from Beachy Head on 15th and Streat Hill Farm (Plumpton) on 20th.
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 15th. 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 15th and a Caspian Gull was at Pagham Hbr on the same day.
About 20 Hawfinches were at Sherwood Rough (nr Arundel) on 15th including several recently fledged juveniles.
