A bright sunny morning with no wind, conditions looked good for a day's birding,.With several observers present they must having reached the same conclusion,  it was just a case of covering the patch and waiting for the call.  The highlight from this morning was 2 HONEY BUZZARD moving east over bread lane at 10:15, and just before that a Marsh Harrier  flying north east from the same location at 10:07. Birds  everywhere this morning and the totals may show some slight duplication.

Yellow Wagtail - c220 moving mainly west
Tree Pipit 3
Redstart - 6  longwood 2, golf course 2, B/court,
Whinchat - 7
Spotted Flycatcher - 2
Willow Warbler - 18
Chiffchaff - 5
Blackcap - 17
Whitethroat - 20
Wheatear - 30
Reed Warbler - 5
Sedge Warbler - 1
Grey Wagtail - 6
Linnet - 70
Jay - 1
Mistle Thrush - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
Green Woodpecker - 3
Swift - 4
Sand Martin - 25
House Martin - 17
Swallow - c400 mainly west
Peregrine - 2 gas tower
Sparrowhawk - 5
Buzzard - 14
Kestrel - 4
Grey Partridge - 1
Fulmar - 2w
Sandwich Tern - 4
Mediterranean Gull - 22
Kingfisher - 1
Grey Heron -2
Little Egret - 5
Green Sandpiper - 1
Common Sandpiper - 4 Marina
Ringed Plover - 30

Another blustery start to the day with some sparodic showers early morning but with the wind decreasing and the sun shinning the birds began to show.

Merlin - 1 juv female flew over bread lane
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 golf course
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Tree Pipit - 1
Redstart - 3
Whinchat - 4-5
Garden Warbler - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 3
Wheatear - 17
Yellow Wagtail - 30
Grey Wagtail - 1
Pied Wagtail - 2
Blackcap - 22
Whitethtroat - 40
Reed Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - 2
Willow Warbler - 5
Reed Bunting - 3
Linnet - c100
Meadow Pipit - 7
Green Woodpecker - 3
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Buzzard - 2
Sparrowhawk - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 2
Little Egret - 2
Grey Heron - 4
Ringed Plover - 34
Green Sandpiper - 1 fields north golf course
Sand Martin - 25
Swift - 3
Swallow good numbers moving west

Long staying Redstart bread lane

One of several in ploughed fields off bread lane

In the blustery conditions decided to check the fields north west of the golf course, didn't produce the goodie that was hoped for but nevertheless not bad a total in the conditions.

Pied Flycatcher - 1 northern edge of longwood
Redstart - 4 longwood, horse paddock & poole place
Whinchat  - 1
Wheatear - 6
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat -  18
Willow Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 3
Linnet - c100
Yellow Wagtail - 26 probably more main flock in field behind black horse pub
Pied Wagtail - 2
Buzzard -1
Kestrel - 1
Jay - 1
Green Woodpecker - 3
Swallow - 80
Sand Martin - 15
Ringed Plover - c60
Lapwing - c150
Blackcap - 10
Sedge Warbler - 1
Little Egret - 5
Grey Heron - 2
Common Sandpiper - 1 Marina

Combined totals for today so list may contain some duplication in numbers.

Singles of Green Sandpiper over calling, Garden Warbler, Redstart, and  Whinchat and a total of 16 Wheatear.

Littlehampton to Climping Gap behind GC:

Reed Warbler – 2

Reed Bunting – 4

Goldfinch -2

Little Egret - 1

Climping Gap to Horse Paddock:

Lesser Whitethroat – 1

Whitethroat – 9

Kestrel – 1

Linnet – 20

Horse Paddock:

Redstart – 1

Reed Bunting – 1

Blackcap – 1

Whitethroat -1

Yellow Wagtail – 2 over

Mute Swan – 2 over

Swift – 4

Fields N of HP:

Ringed Plover – 94

Linnet – 85

Wheatear -2

Greenfinch - 2

Climping Gap to West Beach, L:

Wheatear – 6

Linnet – 10

Sanderling – 19

Turnstone – 45

Kestrel - 1

Lots of Linnets moving, may be some double-counting and local movements but seemed a steady passage west.

Out after the early rain at midday due to other commitments, didn't stop me getting soaked later, combined totals for the day
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Whinchat - 1
Redstart - 3
Garden Warbler - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 4
Blackcap - 10
Wheatear - 8
Reed Warbler - 5
Sedge Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler - 9
Chiffchaff - 2
Swift - 2
Peregrine - 2
Buzzard - 1
Whitethroat - 24
Whimbrel - 1
Med Gull - 3
Gannet - 7e
Sandwich Tern 15
Commic Tern 7w
Greenshank - 1w
Ringed Plover - 66
Oystercatcher - 54
Sanderling - 40
Turnstone - 20
Shelduck - 3w
Little Egret - 2

Sunny and dry after a cool start with a light W/SW breeze 1-2; cloudier later. Combined totals for the patch today were,
Blackcap – 5
Whitethroat – 41
Lesser Whitethroat – 3
Garden Warbler – 1
Willow Warbler – 20    
Chiffchaff – 4
Reed Warbler – 7  
Redstart – 3
Wheatear – 12      
Tree Pipit – 1
Yellow Wagtail – 38W
Spotted Flycatcher – 1
Sand Martin – 75     
 Swallow – 150
Swift – 5    
Reed Bunting – 2
Treecreeper – 1  (Atherington) 
Grey Partridge – 4
Little Owl – 1  (Bailiffscourt) 
Redshank – 9W
Sandwich Tern – 1W

Not the variety of yesterday but still some good species counts with combined totals as follows,

Whitethroat - 75
Willow Warbler - 25
Reed Warbler - 25
Sedge Warbler - 3
Chiffchaff - 6
Yellow Wagtail - 39 mainly west
Lesser Whitethroat - 4
Garden Warbler - 3
Redstart - 4
Wheatear - 15
Blackcap 14
Tree Pipit - 1
Reed Bunting - 5
Sand Martin - 40
Swallow - 80
Jay - 3
Song Thrush - 1
Green Woodpecker - 3
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Buzzard - 2
Kestrel - 2
Little Egret - 4
Grey Heron - 1
Greenshank - 6w
Common Sandpiper - 1
Ringed Plover - 48
Redshank - 2
Oystercatcher - 19
Med Gull - 2
Gannet - 2w
Sandwich Tern - 3
Water Voles - 2

Kestrel Atherington

Lesser Whitethroat  golf course

Redstart horse paddock

Juv Starling West Beach

Wheatear golf course

Reed Warbler reedbed

Good bit of variety in the patch this morning with also a few pair of eyes, highlight being a Grasshopper Warbler (OM) at the start of bread lane, the finder also describes hearing a loud call which he describes in detail on the SOS website.
Today's Totals:
Spotted Flycatcher - 2 golf course
Whinchat - 3  2 golf course 1 west beach
Tree Pipit - 1 over at bottom of long wood
Redstart - 5 2 golf course, 2 horse paddock, 1 old camp site
Yellow Wagtail - c30
Garden Warbler - 4 golf course, horse paddock
Wheatear - 27
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Reed Warbler - 16
Sedge Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 13
Willow Warbler - 38
Chiffchaff - 12
Reed Bunting - 1
Little Egret - 5
Grey Heron - 1
Sparrowhawk - 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
Green Woodpecker - 3
Sand Martin - 19
House Martin - 27
Swallow - c50
Grey Partridge - 2

Yellow Wagtail  seem to be on the move with 26 flying west this morning, also Whinchat and Redstart in the horse paddock, and good number of  Whitethroat present.

A nice bit of variety in the patch this morning with 2 Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher at  the back of Kent Cottages, 2 Lesser Whitethroat a juv Whinchat bread lane, and a Garden Warbler long wood. The rest of the totals include 14 Wheatear, 6 Willow Warbler, 8 Reed Warbler, 11 Blackcap, 24 Whitethroat,  35 Sand Martin, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Reed Bunting, 8 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 2 Kestrel, 17 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Little Egret and 5 Buzzard.

A nice male Redstart at the back of the Black Horse pub this morning, but unfortunately that was as good as it got, with 5 only  Blackcap, 6 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Goldcrest,  and 10 Whitethroat. Very quiet offshore with 1w Fulmar, 4 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 2w Whimbrel, 4 Curlew, 30 Med Gull, 4 Swift, and 1 House Martin.

The Long-Tailed Skua still present on the beach west of Church Norton this afternoon.

Yesterday with the expectant winds not materialising the numbers were disappointing with 5w Little Tern, 1w Skua sp at 08-15, 2w Whimbrel, 8 Med Gull, 5w Dunlin, 1w Redshank, 20 Sanderling, 9 Ringed Plover, 3 Little Egret, and small numbers of Common and Sandwich Tern.

Very quiet this morning with only Whitethroat - 12+ Willow Warbler - 8, Blackcap – 4, Garden Warbler – 1, Long-tailed Tit – 12, Sparrowhawk – 2, House Martin – 10.  The beach was dead and not even a single Wheatear could be found.

Yesterday morning saw good numbers of hirundine moving through especially Sand Martin, c30 Swift and 2 Garden Warbler in the horse paddock. 

Another thrash around the bushes didn't produce any new apart from a Garden Warbler at the back of long wood and a Kingfisher on the golf course. c70 Med Gull, singles of Wheatear, Sparrowhawk,and Reed Bunting, along with the usual number and variety of common warblers.

Plenty of  Sedge & Reed Warbler at the back of the golf course

1 Redstart behind the old camp site offered a sign of optimism but was eventually abated, with  2 Wheatear, 17 Willow Warbler, 12 Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 14 Reed Warbler, c100 Swift, (150  yesterday) 30 House Martin, 10 Skylark, 1 Juv Mistle Thrush, singles of Siskin, Grey Heron Jay, Buzzard, and Kestrel, 1 Common Sandpiper river mouth, 70 Med Gull in the fields, 12 Sandwich and 4 Common Tern on the break water 75 Sanderling, 12 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin  and a Peregrine on the gas tower.

Buzzard over camp site

Redstart back of the camp site this evening

Lovely morning stroll around the patch this morning but unfortunately it didn't produce any new birds,  2 Chiffchaff, 5 Willow Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 8 Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 14 Whitethroat, 1 Treecreeper, 7 Grey Partridge,  6 Swift, 5 Little Egret and 45 Med Gull.

Very quiet again in the patch this morning 70+ Mediterranean Gull, 9 Little Egret, 3 Common Tern, 18 Sandwich Tern, 2w Gannet, 5 Common Gull, 28 Swift, 8 Grey Partridge, 8 Willow Warbler, 12 Whitethroat, 3 Reed Warbler, and a Sparrowhawk.

After a visit to Chichester I decided to head to the Ferry Pool to see if the Stilts were showing, as luck would have it they were, only saw three juveniles and one adult.

Black-Winged Stilt's

on Siddlesham Ferry Pool

Pretty quiet in the patch this morning, with the best bird being a Cuckoo that flew west in front of the reedbed from the golf course.  25 Swift moving slowly west at the marina, and total's of 9 Willow Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 3 Reed Warbler, 12 Skylark, and a Sparrowhawk. On the beach c50 Sanderling, 5 Little Egret, 4 Common Gull, 17 Med Gull and a few Sandwich Tern.

Meadow Pipit West Beach

Willow Warbler Atherington

Good numbers of Linnet this morning