An 02:00 alarm and 04:00 arrival at a spot just above the flint building 1km along the Monkton track produced 3-4 Hawfinches flying east-west overhead at 05:15 and one more at 06:27. This is strongly suggestive of local breeding. If anyone has the willpower to get up that early or try in the 2-3 hours before sunset, I would be very keen to know if you see any more of these elusive finches. My thanks to Martin Daniel, whose recent sighting of a female and juvenile Hawfinch near Arundel inspired this venture.

Successful trip to Old Lodge tonight - 7 Woodcock and 3 Nightjar seen. One of the Nightjars flew around me in circles for a little while which was neat.

An odd sighting over my Steyning garden this lunchtime.... a male Sparrowhawk being hotly pursued by a Swift! Lots of Painted Ladies about.

My first visit after a couple of weeks away, and boy has everything grown. West Mead has got a little water back and the muddy margins were appreciated by four Little Ringed Plover (two well grown juvenile). Whitethroats and Blackcaps still quite vocal but generally birdsong is much reduced. On the North Brooks two Redshank and one of Green and Common Sandpipers, and apart from a few Shoveler, Teal and Mallard the long grass is making it difficult to pick things up. A nice view of a Water Vole and plenty of butterflies including a Marbled White and lots of Painted Ladies.

The Secret Lives of Heathland Birds – John Eyre
Well-known and passionate Hampshire-based naturalist John Eyre gave us a ground-nesting and ground-breaking view of life in the nest for Nightjar, Woodlark, and (slightly higher off the ground) Dartford Warbler. All are Annex 1 species, nationally scarce but locally breeding in our shamefully diminished lowland heath habitats.
Read more at https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/groups/wokinghamandbracknell/news/448325/#idR2FgBZjDUPHKTF.99

Note meeting in The Main Hall, East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead RH19 3LT at 7.45 for 8.00pm prompt start.
Cost £5 to non members and £4 to members unless noted otherwise, those in full time education up to the age of 18 free.

A Turtle Dove purring adjacent to the car park at Woods Mill, Henfield at 9.00am this morning.

Despite the dried mud-pans and pools looking good for small waders none here, just a couple of Oystercatcher on the scrape and along the beach. Some 30 Shelduck including seven or more well grown ducklings perhaps belonging to two or more broods, i.e. a crèche. Some 15 Little Egret here and beyond! Some five Grey Heron too. At 14.30 ten Swallow flew north and three more a while later and earlier, at 13.30, on Seaford Head, seven Swift arrived from seawards. A foursome of juvenile Pied Wagtail kept us company near the bench riverside and a Meadow Pipit was singing in the air on the Head. Up here wild privet blossom scent filled the air and downland flowers were beautiful to behold e.g. centaury, thyme, eyebright, silverweed and trefoil and painted ladies, meadow browns and small heaths were all over. Wonderful!

Previously posted by Peter Martin and Gareth James, the two summering Eider at Seaford Head, today at low tide were easily seen from the cliff top, swimming, diving, catching shellfish and coming out onto the rocks, a pleasure to behold, both thought to be first summer birds, i.e. born last year.

A couple of decent sightings over the canal basin in Chichester today. A calling group of 5 Raven flew NW at 16.45 being my first multiple sighting here, and I assume a family group from somewhere. Not long after, a Green Sandpiper landed very briefly near the basin before flying back down the canal calling. There has also been a very large gathering of gulls aerial feeding on insects (a flying ant emergence?) this afternoon, mainly Herring and Black-headed but easily 50+ Meds if not more, including every age class of the latter.

12 members assembled in the car park at Woods Mill to be greeted by the lovely purring of an invisible Turtle Dove, while Goldfinch, Goldcrest and other common species added their song to the arrival chorus. Luckily, we managed to get a view of the Turtle Dove around the edge of Little Meadow and heard another one as well. One of the 5 Kestrel chicks sat on the edge of his box to be viewed by everybody, then turned around and did an exquisite squit over the edge! The reserve was full of song, but actually trying to see the perpetrators was proving more difficult. We did manage to get glimpses of the numerous resident warblers, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Reed Warbler, of which is was nice to see a juvenile amongst the reeds, but the Bullfinches sadly remained unseen. A Red Kite over the woods provided visual relief while on the lakes a Little Grebe and Coot were both busily feeding chicks. Following a drinks break embellished by a lovely lemon drizzle cake baked by Grace Morrison we headed off the reserve up the Mill Stream to the Downs Link. Here, it was easier to see birds and Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings showed really well, as did a Peregrine that sat on top of a nearby pylon. On reaching the Downs Link we were able to view into the new heronry where there are 3 nests, one of which contained 2 oversized juveniles sat in an undersized nest. On the way back, a Lesser Whitethroat was singing from deep within a very thick hedge and brought an end to what I hope was very enjoyable walk, 45 species recorded in total.