A busy period yet no blog posts at all, I've done more mothing than birding in the UK in this period. So an attempt to get up to speed before autumn is over.
For 3 weeks in June I was birding on the Tibetan Plateau, a trip I will write up although having only just completed the Costa Rica January trip, therefore it may take a while. The birding there was very good, scenery spectacular and logistics and food surprisingly good and not that numbers have meant too much for me, I did manage to see my 5,000th species on that trip.
Closer to home, birding has been principally around Sussex, the local bird surveys were completed by the end of July. Some of the commoner birds have seemed to do well this year, with good broods of Great and Blue Tits benefitting from a surplus of insects and caterpillars in the long spells of dry weather. On the heathland Dartford Warblers have had a high number of territories but lower numbers for Stonechat and Woodlark. Garden Warblers and Whitethroats were in good numbers but another reduction in Willow Warblers probably highlights their relocation northwards. A few more Crossbill turned up at the end of June. Honey Buzzard, Goshawk and Hobby did ok on the raptor front and Nightjar and Woodcock seemed to have a stable population.
My garden bird list has been boosted by 3 this year, with the early Spring Marsh Harrier added to by 2 Sedge Warblers at the end of July and 2 Yellow Wagtails that flew over during August, a Garden Warbler in the garden in early August was only my second record. Autumn Tree Pipits and Spotted Flycatchers were seen on limited visits to Black Down but nothing else locally from a migrant point of view.
When I have put the moth traps out I have had surprisingly good numbers and several new species putting the garden list at well over 500.
Trips to Selsey and Pagham have only just resumed and have produced some regular autumn species such as Whinchat, Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Wheatears, Redstart, Spotted Flycatchers, Yellow Wagtails and Tree Pipit. A highlight on the 6th Sept was the number of migrating hirundines, mostly Swallow but well represented by Sand Martins and House Martins, such a joy to watch this continuous stream of birds heading South, This was followed by a walk into the harbour at Pagham where I found a Grey Phalarope, that was initially asleep on the mud before the rising tide pushed it into the harbour to feed for 25 minutes before it flew off at least allowing a few others to see it. An Osprey heading out to sea on the 9th Sept was a good sighting and hoping that the autumn has more
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| Crossbill |
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| Spoonbill |
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| Grey Phalarope |
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| Grey Phalarope |
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| Peregrine with prey |
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| Reed Warbler |
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