Hope Gap, Seaford Head this morning produced 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaffs, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Whitethroats, 1 Blackcap and 10 Swallows.

Hope Gap, Seaford Head this morning produced 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps, 6 Chiffchaffs, 32 Swallows and 1 Sand Martin.

Just an update really, the female Garganey was present again this morning from the dam, mixed in with the Tufted Duck, Pochard and local Mallard. Greenshank and Green Sandpiper still, plus at least 25 Common Sandpipers. The Common Terns seem to still be enjoying it here, with 12 birds today, including four juvs. Common Gull numbers are up today with 15 at least at the dam.

At Selsey Bill this morning a change in wind from WSW to a fresh ENE considerably reduced the number of birds offshore. Even so there were a few highlights. A BALEARIC SHEARWATER passed E just behind the shingle bar and showed well (and another had passed prior to my arrival). Gannets and Common Terns were much in evidence though in much smaller numbers than recently and a couple of Guillemots were on the sea close in. A few Common Scoter moved east in the 2 hours I was present, but the early team had also logged more Scoter, plus a few Shelduck and Shoveler passing. At Sidlesham Ferry pool, a wader count produced 103 Dunlin, 31 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Avocet, 55 Redshank and 5 Common Sandpipers; also 4 Shoveler and 3 Teal present. At Chichester Gravel pits (Drayton - Westhampnett area) there were totals of 3 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 50 Tufted Duck plus 2 females with young, 120 Lapwing, 1 Pochard, 2 drake Ruddy Duck displaying, 10 Gadwall, up to 9 pairs of Little Grebes (2 prs with young), 5 Great Crested Grebes and a pair of Common Buzzards.

Whilst photgraphing mating small skippers, I amazingly flushed a Quail from the long grass on the edge of a small pool.

A brief spell of an hour scanning the sea late pm produced one BALEARIC SHEARWATER very close to the shore heading east and then settling on the sea at 16.30. This individual showed more white on the underbody than typical. Around 100 Gannets of various ages were heading east into the wind together with 30+ adult Common Terns;  there was also a flightless Guillemot (no flight feathers when it flapped its wings) on the sea. A juvenile male Eider by one of the groynes literally metres from some people swimming was a surprise

Early morning again at the dam at Weir Wood Reservoir was a delight. Being overcast after yesterday's rather bright sun, it made viewing a little easier. Today ca. 30 Common Sandpipers at the dam were joined by a Spotted Redshank, a Redshank and a Greenshank.  Roughly 25 Lapwing are now in and a Green Sandpiper put in a brief excited showing, before disappearing down toward the west end. The juv Green Woodpecker was still around, plus many very mobile groups of Chiffchaffs which held Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Linnets, a single Yellowhammer and the first charm of Goldfinches with 30 or so birds together. Eleven Tufted Duck and eight Pochard were new in today as were imm Gadwall and Shoveler. At least 35 Mandarin were at the west end plus several more Lapwing, whilst the rafts were still occupied by Common Terns - one bird looks like it's still on eggs! Hopefully the rain will stay away as the mud is looking very inviting for more waders to drop in. Lastly as I was about to leave a flock of 11 Crossbills flew over the west end car park heading in the direction of Ashdown Forest, it's only my fourth sighting of these here. Pity they didn't stop, but maybe it will be a good year for them locally?

A flock of 12 Crossbills flew over. There was 1 Sedge, 2 Reed and 4 Willow Warblers present and over 20 Chiffchaffs (all those ringed were juveniles, so locally bred).

A brief vigil at Splash Point this morning revealed a BALEARIC SHEARWATER close inshore on the sea between 07.55 and 08.10 which then flew east having received some attention from the local gulls. A Gannet also headed east.

At about midday today on North Brooks there were 6 little egrets, 3 greenshank, 2 common sandpipers, 1 ruff, 8 black-tailed godwits, 3 little ringed plovers, ca. 50 lapwing, plus ca.50 greylag geese, 1 bar-headed goose, 2 wigeon, 15 teal, 1 mandarin and ca. 30 mallard.

A group of five BALEARIC SHEARWATERS on the sea off Selsey Bill between 08.00 and 09.00 this morning, before flying off west then returning twenty minutes later flying east near to the shore.

Pleased to see that the 4 fledgling Avocets continue to prosper down on Bracklesham Bay RSPB reserve, still with their watchful mother/father, though not much else to report here. The other Avocet seems to have taken up residence on Sidlesham Ferry pool. Also present there were up to 4 Common Sandpipers, about 20 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Green Sandpiper, a Common Snipe and 100+ Dunlin; 2 Greenshank and a Whimbrel at Church Norton.

At Warnham LNR today a fantastic display from up to 5 Kingfishers around the Millpond throughout the day and a Little Egret in the morning. A rather surprise sighting was of three immature Pochard feeding all day on the Millpond. These birds haven't bred here, but must have bred very nearby. Does anyone know of any local breeding sites?

What a lovely way to start the day watching the House Sparrows, Greenfinches and Goldfinches in my garden at Petworth.  To my delight a Brambling came down to drink at 06.45 from the bird bath. A lovely sight, I was only 15 ft away.

An evening walk under blue skies and a beautiful orange sunset on the Downs at Steep Down near Sompting produced an abundance of Corn Buntings, many of which appeared to be young birds, good numbers of Yellowhammers and Whitethroats, a couple of Willow Warbler, a few Red-legged Partridge and a good number of Swifts going over. Deciding to take the long way around the hill on the SW side resulted in very little else being seen until a falcon flying towards me from the north aroused my interest and as it banked in the evening light was seen to be a superb male RED-FOOTED FALCON. It continued flying SE towards Lancing and as it was late in the evening I wonder whether it was going to roost in the wood at the end of the ridge or Lancing Clump? A superb bird and totally unexpected especially considering the large spring influx into the UK which seemed to result in Sussex being left out! No sound of any Quail there this evening though.

Following the Large Tortoiseshell sighting this week on SOS, just thought it might be worth flagging www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk, which has a daily sightings page for butterflies and moths copied from SOS! That's now two Large Tortoiseshells in two weeks, a Camberwell Beauty yesterday, and Scarlet Tigers breeding in Sussex for the first time in almost a century.

At Hope Gap, Seaford Head this morning were 2 Sedge Warblers, 7 Willow Warblers, 7 Blackcaps, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 21 Whitethroats and 100+ Sand Martins. Also at High and Over at 11.20 a party of 8 Crossbills flew west.