The usual collection of waders on the Ferry Pool at Sidlesham today, but there was also a Common Sandpiper at last, a bird I had yet to see this year! Obviously not a rarity or anything but really chuffed to see it, it's a funny old game this birding lark sometimes!

Five Green Sandpipers on the Ferry Pool at Sidlesham at 11AM this morning, along with another sandpiper which may have been Green or Wood but was too distant to clinch I'm afraid!

Green Sandpipers and Spotted Redshank:

Spotted Redshank still present:

At Coastguards, the Common Scoter flock was roughly 40 birds:

A walk to the breach at Medmerry from West Sands produced a Greenshank:

and a delightful and well camouflaged Little Ringed Plover:

and in with the Dunlin and Grey Plovers was a Curlew Sandpiper:

Three Green Sandpipers on the Ferry Pool at Sidlesham, the Spotted Redshank & Ruff had retired by the time I arrived:

Green Sandpiper and assorted wildfowl:

Several Common Scoters still at Coastguards:

On the Avocet pools at Medmerry, ten or so Avocets (as you might expect!) singles of Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover, plenty of Linnets and Skylarks about and a constantly singing Corn Bunting. A Little Tern over the pools and a few Sandwich Terns fishing just offshore.

Ubiquitous Little Egret at Medmerry:

 

A couple of bits and pieces today from a quick trip out with Dad. Spotted Redshank and Ruff (with Black-Tailed Godwits) on Sidlesham Ferry Pool, ropey pics but hey they were distant!:

On to Coastguards at Selsey where there were still a few distant Common Scoters, a fly-by Gannet and a few Sandwich Terns.

Success at last with the local Common Buzzards, birds I've been trying to photo for ages, but always without camera, wrong place, wrong time, or just too rubbish to get any pics, here's a start anyway:

At Coastguards, West Beach Selsey today and the Common Scoter flock were still present:

On the Ferry Pool was a female Ruff ( a Reeve):

At the Medmerry breach were plenty of Grey Plovers, including some smart male Summer plumage birds, Dunlin, Turnstones, Black Tailed Godwits, Skylarks, Little & Sandwich Terns:

Also Ringed Plover:

At home, a Stag Beetle on the wall near Oving church:

Thanks for this post are due to my wife and son who let me out on Fathers' Day, those who pointed me in the right direction, the tweeters who kept us all up-to-date and those whose scopes I borrowed for a better look!

The Short Toed Eagle in Ashdown Forest:

A late trip to the Ferry Pool at Sidlesham and no sign of the Spotted Redshank reported earlier but there was a Green Sandpiper at the back:

and Thick Lipped Grey Mullet swirling by the sluice:

at home, a juvenile Willow Warbler in the Ivy:

The Black-Winged Stilts tempted me back to Medmerry to have a look at their chicks, now three in number as I write this, I wasn't the only one interested, quite a few Sussex regulars too:

What we'd all come to see was this, mother & baby:

Also in the area was a Knot, nice and close for a change:

On the ride back a Roe Deer:

and nice to see the Cow Vetch doing well:

Burton Mill was scorching today with many Common Blue Dragonflies flitting about and spawning Common Carp thrashing in the reeds serenaded by Reed Warblers. By the stream and on the nearby barn the Grey Wagtails were busy feeding their young:

At nearby Lavington Common, the odd Tree Pipit was singing as were a few Stonechats. In the car park a family of Great Tits were making their presence known and the usual bold Carrion Crow was nosing (or should that be beaking?) about:

I hadn't been to Church Norton for a while and to be honest today proved I hadn't been missing much; there was however a nice Whitethroat by the first concrete wall on the path to the beach:

At Lidsey, the Black-Winged Stilt was still present for at least its third day:

A very quick look at West Beach at Climping produced a Ringed Plover on the beach, many Linnets and a few Meadow Pipits:

Ringed Plover:

Meadow Pipit:

At an inland common of Friday evening/night. Nightjars, Woodcock, Stonechats and Tree Pipits all showed, pictures of Tree Pipit only:

 

On Friday I went up to Woods Mill near Small Dole to have a look for the Turtle Doves, fortunately my luck was in and although they weren't purring I found them in a willow tree:

I'm no expert on butterflies (or birds for that matter!) but I think this is a Common Blue:

and this I think is a Large Red Damselfly:

This is a definitely Freshwater Shrimp, we had these on the farm until the drought of 1977 wiped them out:

and finally a Kestrel in its nest box, taken from a respectable distance and not right underneath, how close do some people need to get!: