Arun Valley: 15-21 Dec

Selected birds recorded on walks in the valley this week.

20 Dec (08.55-12.15) – Amberley station, Burpham SW, Arundel: 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 10 Chiffchaff, 6 Bewick’s Swan, 80 Teal, 25 Snipe, 2 Red Kite, 2 Kestrel, 5 Buzzard.

19 Dec (09.45-10.50) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Raven, 1 Stonechat, 3 Reed Bunting, 82 Common Gull, 23 Gadwall.

17 Dec (10.15) Burpham water meadows from train: 6 Bewick’s Swan.

17 Dec (08.00-09.20) – Arun East, Millstream, Mill Road: 2 Little Egret, 1 Bullfinch, 4 Yellowhammer, 4 Reed Bunting.

16 Dec (08.20-09.50) – Hiorne, Swanbourne Lake, Millstream, Mill Road: 1 Marsh Harrier, 21 Teal, 8 Mandarin Duck, 6 Pochard, 70 Gadwall.

15 Dec (08.15-09.15) – Arun South: 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Wigeon, 1 Great Black-backed Gull.

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Of rings and records: Med Gulls again

A large number of Mediterranean Gulls are still present at the gull roost on the eastern bank of the River Arun just to the south of Arundel. This updates the previous post. Numbers rose from between one and five birds at the start of the month to 42 on 11 July, peaking the next day at 97 before falling back markedly. The influx appeared to have ended, but numbers jumped again on 17 July. By 18 July there were at least 84 birds by the river and adjacent water meadows at high tide, when birds otherwise spread out along the lower reaches of the river become concentrated at the site. Twelve of the Mediterranean Gulls have carried plastic colour rings on their legs that could be read with a telescope. Few European gulls have received the amount of attention from ringers that Med Gulls have, but even so the occurrence of 12 ringed birds within a week is notable. Ringed Mediterranean Gulls by the Arun on 11-18 July Ring colour Code Site Date bird ringed ...

July 4: Arun South

It’s already hot in spite of the easterly breeze, and the river is sluggish after days without rain. The grass is parched yellow, even the reeds in the ditches wilting. The gull loaf is building up on the stone-lined sections of the river bank and 55 Herring Gulls and 78 Black-headed Gulls have been joined by two Great Black-backed Gulls and single Mediterranean, Common and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. All of them are inactive. Even the Great Black-backs make only occasional forays, scolded when they do so by a pair of vigilant Oystercatchers. A dozen Lapwings dot the muddy stretches of the river’s edge, standing stock still before indulging in seemingly inconsequential runs. Much more active are the seven Common Sandpipers, their numbers up from only three a few days ago, while a single Little Ringed Plover and a calling Greenshank may be harbingers of other less common passage waders in the weeks ahead. There are probably no passage passerines yet. Sedge Warblers and Reed Warbl...

Hawfinches, again

A quarter of an hour into the morning dog walk and today’s Hawfinch show begins. A scan of ivy-covered trees along the Klondike yields a single bird eating berries. I look down to check the dog isn’t up to mischief, look up again, and… no Hawfinch. The bird has melted away. Still time for more sightings of them, though the eye is caught first by the flittingly arabesque passage of Long-tailed Tits along a hedgerow, and further down the path by a Marsh Harrier quartering the water meadows. By the river 16 Lapwings fly high to the south while below them three Oystercatchers hug the river as they fly noisily north. Winter taking hold again or ending; the signals are mixed. Moving onto the Millstream eight finches feeding in thick cover turn out to be Bullfinches, while a Song Thrush allows ludicrously close approach rather than yield territory to rivals bellowing contention. Chaffinches are singing along the path and Goldfinches moving constantly. But that is it for Hawfinches today,...

Owl Herding

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