After a blisteringly hot spell during the second and third weeks of June, the month ends in a reassuringly British fashion. Cool temperatures with occasional showers. The hot weather gave way to a strong Atlantic weather system followed a period equally damp weather accompanied by east/southeast winds. I was absent for big chunks of May and have been fairly inactive on the bird front for most of June.
A Cuckoo in Shooters Bottom this morning.
I’ve found midsummer onwards a productive time for departing Cuckoo, the above bird constitutes my first bonafide south bound (dare I say autumn) migrant of 2017. These late June migrants are often the first Cuckoo’s I encounter on Beachy Head. I also had a small party of Sand Martin dart over the roof tops here in Eastbourne on the 26th June.
The easterly winds brought no less the 16 juvenile Yellow legged Gulls to Dungeness on the 27th. So localised was that occurrence I’ve pondered as to whether that was one flock that had crossed the channel together. Despite checking Princes Park and the beach at Holywell, I have yet to see one here. Nothing of interest but a Med Gull, a couple of Sandwich Tern off shore and a returning Curlew on the 28th.
A Little Egret working the concrete parameter of Princes Park boating lake was an unusual sight on the 28th.
