After a very quiet and calm day on the patch yesterday, today was also slow and still fairly calm, but there's a light easterly now blowing, perhaps hinting at better things to come. Combined totals for the area today include,22 Blackcaps, 30 Whitethroats, 15 Chiffchaffs, 8 Willow Warblers, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Reed Warblers, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Garden Warblers, 1 Redstart, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 5 Wheatears. Waders are more obvious now, with 88 Oystercatchers, 105 Ringed Plovers and 32 Sanderling on the shore and 6 Golden Plover nearby, whilst the sea produced 4 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Whimbrel, 7 Curlew and a few Sandwich and Common Terns.

Hirundines were obviously on the move, with perhaps 1000 Swallows passing through and heading east, especially over the sea, and also 200 House Martins and 50 Sand Martins.

Monday 29th August

A better day for Yellow Wagtails with 13 this morning flying west @ 10.30am (not as good as Rustington  which had 93 and 2 Juv BLACK TERN), Common Sandpiper 2, Willow Warbler 13, Chiffchaff 4. Swallow 70+, House Martin 30+, Sand Martin 100+, Swift 4, Blackcap 10, Lesser Whitehroat 3, Whitethroat 20, Wheatear 5, Reed Warbler 1, Sedge Warbler 1, Whinchat 3, Sandwich Tern 3, Linnet 60+, Spotted Flycatcher 1.

Good numbers of Wheatear in the area today with at least 35 being recorded, also 4-5 Whinchat. 1 Redstart still in the horse field, only 2 flyover Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sedge Warbler, and several Sand Martin moving west.

Birding between the showers on Littlehampton golf course this morning, and I  was rewarded with 2 Redstart, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat, 5 Blackcap,  9 Wheatear, 3 Grey Partridge, 3 Little Egret, 1 Whimbrel on the beach, and still good numbers of Whitethroat in the area, with several of both chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.

Conditions looked promising for a migrant fall today with early rain giving way to sunshine. In the event I only managed to do less than half the patch in 4+ hours - sticking to the western end around Climping. Plenty of common migrants were about, notably 35 Whitethroats and 60+ Wheatears, also 3-4 Redstarts, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, c.10 Blackcaps, a couple of Whinchats, 15+ Willow Warblers and a Garden Warbler, though only 2 fly-over Yellow Wagtails were noted. It felt like there just had to be something scarcer around, but despite much searching my only reward was flushing a Grasshopper Warbler; it showed well from the bottom of a bush, until I reached for my camera! Sadly no other birders were covering the east end of the patch today or the golf course, but I wouldn't mind betting the true numbers at the Gap today were at least double my totals.

Sightings for the 22nd include 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Redstart,1 Treecreper, 24 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 13 Wheatear and 2 Peregrine.

Totals for the patch today include 29 Whitethroat, 5 Wheatear, 2 Stonechat, 2 Redstart, 2 Willow Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Whinchat, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Little Owl.

Lovely morning at the Gap. Lots of birds with nothing very spectacular but an excellent morning none the less. Early on a passage of swifts 120 in 15mins, with sand martins 50, swallows 20. Hedges full of whitethroat 55+. Some blackcap 5, lesser whitethroat 5, garden warbler 2, willow warbler 10, wheater 23, reed warbler 17, reed bunting 2, peregrine 2, sparrowhawk 1. Did not make it to Bailiffscourt,  a quick look at the beach produced; little tern 2.
Robin and blackbird numbers increasing

Quieter today than of late but still 2 Redstarts in the area, along with 1-2 Whinchat, 10 Wheatear, 6 Reed Warbler, 4 Yellow Wagtail, and good numbers of Sand Martin moving through.

Combined totals for Climping Gap today  include  a  showy Grasshopper Warbler (2nd day) and a Spotted Flycatcher , also 3 Whinchat, 2 Redstart,  about 40 Common Whitethroats were logged, with at least 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler, 4 Reed and 1 Sedge Warbler, a few Blackcaps and 15+ Wheatears and  several overhead Yellow Wagtails. Three of the 'regular' Little Owls appeared again today,  and  offshore a couple of Little Tern off West Beach.

A breezy morning making birding a touch difficult. Far fewer birds than yesterday none the less afew rather nice things about. Highlight was a superb grasshopper warbler which showed really well in a bush just off the golf course footpath, did everything apart from sing. other details are as follows; willow warblers 8, green woodpeckers 5, swallows 5, sand martin 1, whitethroat 12, lesser whitethroat 2, blackcap 6, reed warbler 4, sedge warbler 1, sparrowhawk 3 (adult fem plus juvs), wheatear 12, sandwich tern 12, little owl 2, jay 2, little egret 4, ringed plover 60ish. Less wind forecast for Wednesday so might be a few more birds around.

Plenty of common migrants at the Gap this morning, and fortunately with four of us regular observers around coverage was good. The scarcest bird was probably a Green Sandpiper on the golf course, but other totals were:- 45+ Whitethroats, 15 Willow Warblers, 60 Sand Martins, 7 Reed Warblers, 26 Wheatears, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 100 Swallows, 7 Swifts, 3 Garden Warblers, 12 Blackcaps, 12 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Chiffchaffs and 3 Whinchats. On the shore there were 42 Sanderlings and 60 Ringed Plovers. There was a no-show from the Little Owls today, but local birds included 2 Peregrines, 2 Sparrowhawks, 3 Grey Partridges, 5 Green Woodpeckers and 4 Jays. As so often though, it was notable that much of the migrant activity had ceased by around 1100hrs

A Redstart in the bushes at the back of the reedbed, was the first of the autumn for myself. Quieter than of late but still some good numbers of the commoner migrants, with at least 20 Swift moving through, 2 Garden Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 20 Whitethroat, 10 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge and 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Little Egret, 2 Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard.

Quick walk around Marsh Farm this morning, although nothing out of the ordinary a good selection of birds present. 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Great crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whiethroat present and several Reed Warbler.

Decided to try my luck from the east end of the patch this morning, starting at the golf course and was rewarded with a  MARSH HARRIER being harassed by gulls heading north towards the river and town centre at 0750. Totals for today include 3-4 Garden Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Wheatear, 2 Little Owl, 2 Sparrowhawk, 4 Jay, 25 Willow Warbler, 30 Whitethroat, 4 Reed Warbler, 1 Swift, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Sandwich Tern and 1 Great C Grebe, also good number of House Martin.

Mon 1st Aug

Combined totals for Monday, at Littlehapton end which seemed the better area of the patch today with double figures for whitethroat and Willow Warblers, good numbers of Sedge Warblers (at least two family groups), Reed Warblers and Wrens! At last two Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler. At least one family group of Reed Buntings (up to 5 birds). 3 Common Sandpipers on river. 5 Little Egrets on the beach this morning and 1 Eider. Also 2 Little Owl Baliffscourt several Blackacap, and good numbers of Swallow's.