Sunday, August 9, 2026

I was out and about at 05:15 this morning where after collecting the recorder from last night, I spent a few hours looking at the sea before walking along the Downs to Bishopstone and back. Last night, as there was a chance of the Northern Lights (which I didn't see), I spent an hour or so on the clifftop. I had only been there 10 minutes when I heard a Barn Owl and turned to see it flying over, lit up by some security lights. This is the first time I have actually seen one on the patch. Back to this morning where in hot conditions I noted 10 Common Scoter east, 2 Stock Dove, 9 Swift, 28 Oystercatcher, 6 Whimbrel, c30 Bar tailed Godwit (131) flew high west with a Whimbrel at the front giving a good size comparison and presumably the same birds were seen 30 minutes later at Seasalter. There were 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Turnstone, 12 Black headed Gull, 21 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 201 Common Tern flew east, 72 'Commic' Tern east, 103 Sandwich Tern east, 1 Gannet, 6 Cormorant, 3 Little Egret flew in from the north and continued inland and 4 small Egrets flew west distantly. There was 1 Grey Heron, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 3 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroat, 66 Starling, 6 Robin, 1 Stonechat, 49 House Sparrow, 1 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch, 5 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch. Also seen were c8 Migrant Hawker, 1 Common Darter and 4 Clouded Yellow butterfly. 

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