Our dawn chorus is now a solo performance - just one Blackcap singing its heart out outside our bedroom window. An unusual sight for us today was seven Mistle Thrushes in the field behind our house, and yesterday there were still six screaming Swifts over Whitehill in Crowborough.

Whilst having breakfast this morning a flock of about 30 Crossbills landed briefly in the trees in my garden at the northern edge of Stansted Forest. After circling and landing a few times they flew back into the forest.

Spent a happy half hour this lunchtime about half a mile west of Belle Tout watching Stonechats and Linnets (the male Linnets looking very attractive at the moment) among the scrub. Later on a Peregrine rose into view on the updraft before being chased off by a very aggressive gull. Five minutes later I saw it take a pigeon; it flew up behind it, grabbed it and they tumbled together below the cliff edge. Great!

Although alot of nesting birds have gone now, there were still plenty of Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers singing away and flitting from stalk to stalk, at Horse Eye Level, on the Pevensey Levels on a walk in the evening sunshine. The hay fields have grown so long that walking can be difficult in places but it was well worth it to be rewarded by not only those species but Meadow Pipits feeding their young, a Cetti's Warbler, Goldfinches, Blackbird, Starlings, Mute Swans, Lapwings,Wood Pigeons, Grey Herons, Herring gulls, Pied Wagtails, Swallows and Swifts and of course the usual Corvids, Carrion Crow and Magpie. But it has to be noted that the highlight of the evening wasn't feathered at all, but a large hare that that almost bumped into me on the track and then another that ran out across the road!

Siskins visiting the feeders today, also Goldfinches. I wonder if we will see the same numbers on the feeders as last year? Will keep you posted!

A lovely afternoon for a walk around the top of Blackdown, although it's all got quite quiet now. Still plenty of Blackcaps calling and singing though, and a single Whitethroat very vocal on the heath. Once at the viewpoint to the south the breeze was quite strong and I spent five minutes watching two Kestrels enjoying the updraft. Then they were joined by a single Hobby, attempting the same trick but without quite the same windhover skills. Great to see this bird here - it's common on nearby Thursley Common, but seldom puts in an appearance up here. The raptor-fest continued with a low-flying Sparrowhawk around the same place, and two Buzzards on the wing later. On my way back, I saw an adult Golden-ringed Dragonfly basking on a gorse bush.

Whilst crossing the new bridge at Arundel at 08.00 this morning, a turtle dove flew down river and alighted in trees on the south east edge of the River Arun.

A post work visit today meant I didn't arrive until midday. The weather was lovely, probably too good for birding, still I spent enough time to rack up a reasonable list of birds. The first were 19 Lapwing that drifted slowly south-east overhead, this being the first flock since the end of winter, also male Sparrowhawk, two Common Buzzards and a male Kestrel around. The three Common Terns were here and the heronry was busy with several youngsters in the nests panting in the heat today. Garden and Reed Warbler were present from the west end car park, a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were in song, and several Great Crested Grebes are nesting. Yesterday 27th, the pair of Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpiper and pair of Grey Wagtails were all on the dam, sadly however, there have been no sightings of Osprey in the last two days so it may well be they've finally moved on.

The trio of WHITE STORKS has just spent 20 minutes or so (from 12 noon) circling above the reserve gradually heading in a northeast direction having given everyone on the tea terrace and in the visitor centre fantastic views. Their splendid timing ensured that our guided walk ended with a flourish! Also reported today - two hobbies, green and common sandpiper, cuckoo and nightingale. (Thanks to Gareth & Roy Hughes, John Hall and John Underwood).

At Fishbourne Creek (11.30 - 12.10) highlights were 75+ Med gulls, 8 curlew, and the two yellow-legged gulls. Also shelducks with at least eight ducklings. Ferry Pool (13.15 - 14.00): 1 green sandpiper eventually showed well at the back of the pool along with 5 black-tailed godwits, 1 roosting avocet, 57+ lapwing (a good percentage being juveniles) 34+ redshank (at least 1 juvenile) and 2 stock doves. By the west fields to the NW of the Ferry field a lesser whitethroat was singing. Nothing much of note at the West Fields except 20+ swifts and 3 Sandwich terns going over (heading E). Bracklesham Bay (15.00 - 15.30) was very quiet, although water levels had dropped considerably. I noted 3 linnets, 1 little egret and 1 grey heron. Still a few lapwing and tufted ducks and a pair of gadwall as well. A corn bunting heard. As I left i noticed some slightly odd behaviour from a pied wagtail, which flew one way for about 30m then circled, flew the other way, circled, and so on. It did this many times and didn't stop as I moved on. Just before home I saw the partially albino blackbird in its' usual spot.

Male still cuckoo-ing this morning on south side of the Brede Valley near Icklesham.

A Red Kite perched in a tree seen from Peppering High Barn, Burpham today. Watched for 10 mins or so, still there when we left.

Herewith one of the series of images I took yesterday when photographing a pair of Carrion Crows which were 'anting' near my home in Aldwick.

A smart flock of 32 breeding-plumaged dunlin on Wader Pool/Quarry and a bar-tailed godwit calling in flight with lapwings at Rye Harbour Farm. Also a first-summer type common tern on Ternery Pool.

Around 8am near Black Ditch, Poling: four Black-tailed Godwits amongst 50 or so Black-headed Gulls. Also a Kingfisher flying along Black Ditch.

A quiet day around the Selsey peninsula with little moving off The Bill this morning. Church Norton: seven Dunlin, nine Grey Herons in the harbour with Sandwich, Common and Little Terns although not able to make any counts as many birds not in the harbour. Hobby flew W along Norton spit towards Selsey and a Lesser Whitethroat was still singing behind the hide. Fishbourne Creek: Common Sandpiper in the Lavant channel, 15 Redshank, eight Med Gulls and two Yellow-legged Gulls. (Bernie Forbes & Dave Smith).

After a frustrating and unsuccessful morning trying to find the Storks, I was rewarded in the afternoon by the sight of two Arctic Skuas flying W off Ferring Beach while sitting in our beach hut.

Another morning, another visit. Today was pretty quiet although the dam was busy as the two adult Little Rnged Plovers had again reappeared, the Common Sandpiper was still here and with the juvenile Pied Wagtails was a nice adult Grey Wagtail. Just two Swifts today us a few Swallows and House Martins, three Common Terns this end and eight Mandarin. Sadly no Osprey was seen today by me.

This morning I saw an aspect of bird behaviour which, in almost 80 years of looking at nature, I never thought to see. A pair of Carrion Crows were 'anting', spreading their wings and generally rolling around, and putting what were obviously ants among their mantle and flank feathers. Luckily, I was able to watch this behaviour without being observed. Their antics went on for 15 minutes and more, and I was able to get a series of pictures.

Bar-headed Goose still in among the Canada Geese below the Golden Galleon. Two flocks of Curlew, 13 and 17 individuals, 15 Little Egrets, 6 Grey Herons, 2 Shelduck, 12 Mallard and 1 Oystercatcher. Blue Tits, Linnets, Greenfinch and one Whitethroat in the bushes.