Plenty of Chiffchaff around Atherington before the first shower this morning and a Hobby drifted west there, also good numbers of both House Martin and Swallow again.

Hobby - 1
Buzzard - 1
Kestrel - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1
Wheatear - 15
Chiffchaff - c.55
Blackcap - 17
Skylark - 13
Stonechat - 6
Yellow Wagtail - 3
Grey Wagtail - 1
Goldcrest - 3
Whitethroat - 2
Reed Bunting - 3
Little Egret - 8
Kingfisher - 1
Med Gull - 3
Grey Plover - 2w
Turnstone - 9
Grey Partridge - 3

Good numbers of Swallow and House Martin on the move again this morning, but very little else to get excited about.

Firecrest - 1
Goldcrest - 3
Chiffchaff - 58
Blackcap - 29
Grey Wagtail - 4
Meadow Pipit - c.70
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Wheatear - 1
Whitethroat - 3
Stonechat - 1
Skylark - 12
Little Egret - 4
Grey Heron - 1
Med Gull - 1
Buzzard - 2
Sparrowhawk - 2
Kestrel - 1

A fine bright sunny day after a chilly start produced a large number of hirundine on the move again with good numbers of House Martin present.

Spotted Fly - 1
Yellow Wagtail - 17
Grey Wagtail - 2
Chiffchaff - 43
Blackcap - 29
Goldcrest - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 3
Whitethroat - 4
Cetti's Warbler - 1 heard reedbed
Reed Bunting - 3
Stonechat - 4
Meadow Pipit - 45
Linnet - c.175
Kingfisher - 2-3
Grey Heron - 3
Little Egret - 2
Oystercatcher - 24
Sandwich Tern - 5
Common Tern - 1w
Med Gull - 2
Great-crested Grebe - 4
Peregrine - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1
Grey Partridge - 5

Blackcap present in good numbers

Stonechat west beach

A  very grey day for most of the morning with the highlight being 3 Hobbies, two together at Poole Place in off the sea and heading north, and the first Firecrest of the autumn.  Combined totals below.

Hobby - 3
Peregrine - 2
Sparrowhawk - 1
Kestrel - 3
Buzzard - 4
Firecrest - 1 golf course
Goldcrest - 4
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Redstart - 3
Yellow Wagtail - 11
Grey Wagtail - 2
Cetti's Warbler - 1 heard reedbed
Stonechat - 6
Garden Warbler - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 2 bread lane
Whitethroat - 6
Blackcap - 25
Chiffchaff - 50+
Willow Warbler - 1
Wheatear - 2
Meadow Pipit - 50+
Linnet - c.250
Common Sandpiper - 1
Curlew - 1
Kingfisher - 1
Little Egret - 6
Grey Heron - 3
Jay - 2
Swallow - 50
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
Green Woodpecker - 3
Grey Partridge - 12
Mediterranean Gull - 120
Sandwich Tern - 6
Great-crested Grebe - 3 offshore

Yellow Wagtail bread lane

Spot Fly Mill

Chiffchaffs present in good numbers

Mixed flock of hirundine moving through the golf course in good numbers this morning, the majority being Swallow, also  Chiffchaff present in good numbers.

Whinchat - 2
Garden Warbler - 1
Spotted Fly - 1
Stonechat - 6
Yellow Wagtail - 24
Grey Wagtail - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Chiffchaff -  c.60+
Whitethtoat - 10
Blackcap - 19
Reed Bunting - 3
Meadow Pipit - 45
Pied Wagtail - 5
Linnet - c.80
Goldcrest - 2
Wheatear - 2
Peregrine - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1
Kestrel - 3
Buzzard - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Green Woodpecker - 2
Jay - 2
Med Gull - c.100
Sandwich Tern - 2
Brent Geese - 6w
Grey Plover - 2
Little Egret - 4
Grey Heron - 3

Yesterday totals below

Peregrine - 1
Buzzard - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1
Little Egret - 4
Sandwich Tern - 3
Common Sandpiper - 1
Jay - 2
Carrion Crow - 45
Kingfisher - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Blackcap - 20
Whitethroat - 1
Chiffchaff - 45+
House Martin - 50+
Swallow - 40+
Reed Bunting - 3
Linnet - 50

A slight clear out from yesterday although a few odds and ends still about. Hirundine featuring strongly early morning with c.800+ House Martin moving east early part of the morning, movement slowing down late morning with Swallow more in evidence.

Peregrine - 2
Buzzard - 5
Kestrel - 2
Golden Plover - 1
Grey Plover - 1
Ringed Plover - 3
Sanderling - 15w
Bar-tailed Godwit - 3w
Oystercatcher - 36w
Med Gull - 1e
Lapwing - 1
Little Egret - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Teal - 6
Grey Partridge - 8
Sandwich Tern - 11
Common Sandpiper - 5 on river
Grey Wagtail - 4
Yellow Wagtail - 29
Skylark - 2
Meadow Pipit - 50e
Stonechat - 1
Wheatear - 25
Blackcap - 13
Whitethroat 10
Chiffchaff - 15
Willow Warbler - 5
Goldcrest - 2
Spotted Fly-1 first wood
Redstart - 1  camp site
Cetti's Warbler - 1 hrd reedbed
Garden Warbler - 1
Linnet - c.300
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Green Woodpecker - 2
Sand Martin - 2

Kestrel Atherington

Redstart campsite

Glourious day out and about, south east breeze that swung around south west, nothing of note to shout out about but good prolonged courage with combined totals below.

Artic Skua - 3w
Sandwich Tern - 7w
Teal - 2w 1 golf course
Whimbrel - 1w
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1e
Redstart - 5
Whinchat - 4
Spotted Fly - 1
Reed Warbler - 3
Wheatear - 39
Yellow Wagtail - 15
Grey Wagtail - 3
Garden Warbler - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 11
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler - 14
Chiffchaff - 7
Blackcap - 17
Goldcrest - 3
Meadow Pipit - 20
Linnet - c.300
Skylark - 7
Swallow c. 700
House Martin - c.150
Sand Martin - 10
Peregrine - 1
Sparrowhawk - 2
Buzzard - 4
Kestrel - 2
Med Gull - 1
Little Egret - 9
Grey Heron - 2
Grey Partridge - 15

A lovely bright morning with a strong south easterly breeze.

Peregrine - 2
Buzzard - 2
Sparrowhawk - 2
Bar-tailed Godwit - 3
Common Sandpiper - 3
Grey Heron - 3
Little Egret - 9
Kingfisher - 1
Grey Partridge - 2
Common Gull - 20
Med Gull - 5
Sandwich Tern - 3
Knot - 1
Redstart - 1
Spot Fly - 1
Wheatear - 6
Swallow - 40+
Chiffchaff - 4
Goldcrest - 1
Willow Warbler - 5
Garden Warbler - 3
Blackcap - 6
Linnet - c.200

Records for the Monday 12th Sept include, 3 Common Sandpiper and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits in the river, 1 Spot fly, 12 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff,  and 3 Wheatear, 

A few more visitors to the patch this morning, unfortunately still didn't produce anything of note, combined totals nevertheless.

Raven - 1
Sparrowhawk - 3
Peregrine - 1
Buzzard - 1
Kestrel - 2
Little Egret - 9
Grey Heron - 1
Green Woodpecker - 3
Kingfisher - 1
Stonechat - 3
Whinchat - 3
Spotted Fly - 1
Wheatear - c.30
Yellow Wagtail - 16
Grey Wagtail - 3
Meadow Pipit - 20
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Garden Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 7
Willow Warbler - 35
Chiffchaff - 10
Goldcrest - 1
Whitethroat - 15
Reed Warbler - 2
Sedge Warbler - 1
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1
Oystercatcher - 14
Ringed Plover - 6
Med Gull - 11

Wheatear

Spot Fly

Information received from Roy Dennis MBE from the Highland Foundation for Wildlife about the Osprey seen recently around the Littlehampton area.

The bird with the colour ring Blue NA2 was ringed by Brian Etheridge as a chick from a brood of two on the 2nd of July at a nest in Glen Cassley, Sutherland in the NW Highlands. A BTO metal ring was fitted to the right leg serial number 1489511.


The Wryneck showed well this evening,  viewed from the beach 50yds west of the mill path.

A Wryneck still present along west beach this morning, feeding along the beach 75yds west of the corner of Mill road. Generally very quiet in the bushes in the blustery conditions.

Wryneck - 1
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Whinchat - 1
Stonechat - 1
Goldcrest - 3
Reed Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 5
Wheatear - 1
Yellow Wagtail - 12
Blackcap - 3
Willow Warbler - 4
Sand Martin - 17
Swallow - c. 200+
Jay - 3
Meadow Pipit - 5
Linnet - c.80
Skylark - 3
Buzzard - 2
Sparrowhawk - 1
Kestrel - 1
Whimbrel - 1
Little Egret - 3
Grey Heron - 2

An Osprey flew north over West Beach at 17:45 this evening.

The Wryneck still present early afternoon, as well as some other goods birds around the patch.

Pied Flycatcher - 2 (first wood & mill)
Redstart - 3
Whinchat - 3
Stonechat - 2
Wheatear - 8 
Reed Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 10
Blackcap - 3
Willow Warbler - 6
Grey Heron - 1
Little Egret - 2
Green Woodpecker - 1
Swallow - c.100+
Common Sandpiper - 2

A second visit to the patch paid dividends this evening with the Wryneck showing well along the wall just off the beach  at 18:45 this evening.

A very nice day in the end, persistence paying off after a grey start with a couple periods of light rain. The Wryneck showed pretty well again along the corner of Mill road, a Black-tailed Godwit flew east calling at Climping beach, and whilst waiting for the Wryneck to show 2 Spot Shanks flew west early afternoon. 

Wryneck - 1
Redstart - 1
Whinchat - 5
Stonechat - 1
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Yellow Wagtail - 7
Grey Wagtail - 4
Pied Wagtail - 15
Reed Warbler - 3
Wheatear - 13
Whitethroat - 21
Blackcap - 6
Willow Warbler - 11
Chiffchaff - 4
Goldcrest - 3
Meadow Pipit - 8
Spotted Redshank - 2w
Redshank - 1
Black-tailed Godwit - 1e
Ringed Plover - 9
Whimbrel - 8w
Kingfisher - 1
Teal - 1
Little Egret - 7
Grey Heron - 2
Stock Dove - 2
Swallow - c.100
Sand Martin - 25

Kingfisher golf course

Redstart

Spot Fly first wood

Stonechat west beach

Wheatear

Whinchat

Out after the rain and all chores completed, surprised to find the Wryneck still present along West Beach, 50yds west of the Mill path. Certainly more showier than Saturday, even managed to sit on  the wall after  being flushed. Also this afternoon a Raven feeding along Climping beach, 2 Whinchat in the paddock,  2 Stonechat, west beach 8 Wheatear and a dozen Whitethroat in the bushes.

A Wryneck put in three appearances along the Mill Road this morning to the delight of a few observers.  First seen at at the end of the Mill Path at 08:10, sitting in the top of hawthorn bush, then 100yds west along the road in large bramble patch, and then 50yds east of Atherington Lodge along the road.

Wryneck - 1
Redstart - 1
Whinchat -5
Stonechat - 6
Wheatear - 11
Yellow Wagtail - 6
Lesser Whitethroat - 3
Whitethroat - 11
Grey Wagtail - 3
Reed Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 6
Willow Warbler - 5
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - 1
Kingfisher - 1
Shag - 1
Ringed Plover - 3
Whimbrel - 1
Curlew - 1
Little Egret - 1
Peregrine - 1
Buzzard - 3
Kestrel - 1
Meadow Pipit - 15
Skylark - 3

Wryneck Mill Footpath

Fairly quiet in the patch this morning, with only a few Yellow Wagtail over head, a few more Chiffchaff and Goldcrest around the bushes and a couple of Wheatear along the beach.

Not being inspired with what was on offer, I hit the Marina in search of the Osprey and as soon as I arrived found the bird still causing havoc with the local gull population, showing a blue tag with white lettering NA2.

Osprey perched in the Marina

Little Egret

Wheatear

The Osprey still continues to cause havoc for the local gull population with a couple of sightings throughout the morning over the golf course, a Raven along the beach at Climping, and then later flying west.

Osprey - 1
Raven - 1
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Whinchat - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 4
Willow Warbler - 23
Chiffchaff - 1
Yellow Wagtail - 10
Grey Wagtail - 1
Stonechat - 1
Whitethroat - 12
Blackcap - 3
Reed Warbler - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Goldcrest - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Little Egret - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Swift - 1
Sparrowhawk - 2
Buzzard - 3
Kestrel - 1