Another nest

I stumbled upon a Ringed Plovers nest this morning just above the high tide mark....its not really a 'nest' rather a 'scrape' in the pebbles...People and dogs were wandering along the beach so I'm not too hopeful about sucess.



A really obliging male Linnet posed on a branch for me and again I am pretty certain there was a nest nearby.
Turnstone numbers are beginning to build up and there were a few Dunlins in summer plumage feeding with them.
Sand Martins in small flocks were heading west along the shoreline.

July continues quietly.

Very little to report during the past few days, weeks even!

July is usually a quiet birding month and so it is!




Our garden robin has been brooding a second clutch and is looking quite bedraggled. Incidentally we don't often see Robins here on the beach in the summer and this is the first time in 25 years we have had one nesting.

A few Whimbrel are showing up from time to time and they tend to be a lot more approachable than the Curlews.

Sandwich Terns are gathering in the harbour and yesterday there were about 45 very noisy birds plus a few Common and Little terns.

The mystery death.

My neighbour presented me with a freshly dead Sparrowhawk today found on his lawn. It was a fine male bird which appeared in good condition with no apparent injury. It did not appear to have crashed into a window as they are well known to do sometimes, so the cause of death remains a mystery.

A few swifts passing west during the day.

An uninspiring day.

The only birds showing up first thing this morning were 3 Peregrines over the harbour, most probably the Chichester Cathederal youngsters.
A single Greenshank and about a dozen Curlews present and later on a passing Whitetheroat in the garden contributed to what proved a very warm, quiet morning

Later a few Swifts,Sand Martins and Swallows moved west.

Disappointment.

The Oystercatcher has disappeared....nest unoccupied and the egg no longer! I suspect a fox overnight but I have no evidence.
The Swallows seem to have given up on their nest building in the Spit hide and strangely appear to had started making 4 nests in the adjacent rafters to last years nest but no signs of the birds being present today or yesterday.
A few Curlews about today and some very high flying Swifts moving west...I would never have seen them but for being attracted by some noisy gulls flying overhead.

The most exciting and noisy 'birds' today were the Red Arrows giving a display over nearby Goodwood!