Well a dull chilly day suddenly brightened up just as I was looking forward to a cup of coffee. At just about ten this morning I was on the river footpath just opposite the entrance to Littlehampton golf club. Suddenly I became aware of a bird above me. For a tenth of a second I thought it might be a Hobby as it appeared largish, dark and with scythed shaped wings. I realised it was not because shape size and colour were all wrong. As it flew north up river I could see that it was a very large swift with long dark wings and a strikingly large white underside. It was too big to be an aberrant swift and looked nothing like a House Martin. Throat patch was in distinct. As it turned south above the golf club house I noticed another large bird appear from the north east. This bird was a peregrine that immediately began to harass the Alpine Swift. The swift moving fast headed south down river towards the sea. It geared towards the east as the peregrine per sued it. Sadly both were very quickly lost to sight as they were both moving at some speed. News tweeted as soon as birds disappeared.
Was it an Alpine Swift? Yes it was!
Combined totals from this morning;
Alpine Swift - 1
Swallow - 5
Sand Martin - 1
Redstart - 2
Whitethroat - 2
Blackcap - 18
Chiffchaff - 20
Willow Warbler - 40+
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Coal Tit - 1
Stonechat - 2
Wheatear - 8
Song Thrush - 5
Skylark - 10
Reed Bunting - 2
Linnet - 45
Kestrel - 1
Skylark - 10
Reed Bunting - 2
Linnet - 45
Kestrel - 1
Buzzard - 1
Peregrine - 1
Peregrine - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2
Green Woodpecker - 2
Grey Partridge - 3
Grey Heron - 1
Sandwich Tern - 3
Sandwich Tern - 3
Med Gull - 2
Great-crested Grebe - 2 os
Common Sandpiper - 2
Common Sandpiper - 2
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| Coal Tit Bailiffscourt |
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| Meadow Pipit West Beach |
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| Wheatear West Beach |
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| Starling Golf Course |