A flock of Common Scoter passing at Widewater and a Jay jumping at Pulborough Brooks and a Whimbrel on the Adur at Shoreham in the last two or three days.

My regular cycle route turned up a summer-plumaged Little Grebe at the Toll Bridge, with a nearby Oystercatcher being the only wader on this part of the river. Skylarks continue prominently in song along the edge of the airfield. Two or three Cetti's Warblers and Common Whitethroats in song. A superb view of a Hobby at New Salts Farm. At the Dogs Trust a pair of Reed Warblers, the male occasionally singing, but both giving close views including whilst pecking around on the sluice metalwork. A small group of Starlings included a recently-fledged juvenile, and over the buildings a Greenfinch in song flight. South of the road six Whimbrels and a Little Egret.

Just lock up your lawnmower on May 1st and let the wild flowers in your lawn bloom, providing a feast of nectar for our hungry pollinators. Ref: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/no-mow-may

However, an unmown lawn can also become the largest bird feeder in your garden. This morning a female Linnet was feasting on dandelion seeds, which had been allowed to flower in an unmown section of lawn.

There are a host of photo's of this one delightful bird at https://sussexrambler.blogspot.com/.

Two Swifts over Lindfield (briefly) this afternoon

Just a note of warning. Following a vaccination appointment at Eastbourne yesterday afternoon, I decided to take a walk around Horseshoe Plantation (Belle Tout wood) on the way home. Despite not brushing through any long vegetation, when back at the car, I found a tick wandering around on the leg of my trousers. This is the first time in decades of walking there that I can remember this problem though I know others have been bothered by them occasionally in the Beachy Head area. On the upside, I did see a nice Dingy Skipper.

Male and female Grey Partridge seen just north west of Mile Oak Farm, Portslade.

Blackbird, Fulmar, Robin, Rock Pipit, Stonechat & Whitethroat, seen from West Beach, Newhaven.

Cattle Egret. Close to the banks of the Ferry Pool, RSPB Pagham. Seen at 12.13 on 12.05.21. See from the pavement of the B1245 Selsey Road just south of the RSPB Pagham Visitors' Centre

Finding suitable weather for surveying BBS and SDNP squares in the Arun Valley has been difficult. Dry calm mornings have been few and mostly very cold, suppressing bird song and we are still recording winter flocks of Linnets and even had a female Goosander yesterday on Brockhurst Brook lake (near Adversane).
Three Whimbrel by Greatham Bridge was an unusual inland sighting, although 20 years ago they were very common here on passage. Nightingales and Cetti's Warblers are in good numbers, together with Mandarin Duck and Egyptian Goose broods. Stock Doves and Skylarks seem to be increasing but fewer Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and Cuckoo but perhaps this is just due to the cold weather.

Last Sunday, 9th May, whilst in the afternoon check-out queue at the Steyning Co-op, John Woodward picked me out and excitedly said that, on his monthly census walk at the Rifle Range in the Steyning Downland Scheme this morning, he had found a pair, yes a pair, of Whinchat. Well, I wasted no time and scooted round there and, alongside Colin Holter, enjoyed good views of both the male and female Whinchat. The news was not put out then just in case they hung around and even bred (!) but no sign on succeeding days, so here they are, thank you John, a good find.