Windmill Walk

 I was considering a trip up to East Anglia to try and see the Black-winged Kite that's been knocking about, but with some confusion over where it was on Friday and a pretty dire weather forecast I decided to give it a miss, it seems to be heading South so fingers crossed it ends up at Beachy Head on Sunday!!!😁

In lieu of a lifer, I decided to head up the Downs, having dropped Margie at work I arrived at the Jack & Jill Windmills at just after seven! Hopefully I would get a couple of hours in before the forecast rain set in!!  The views from the car park are pretty spectacular and there were at least two Skylarks singing from on high!!

Getting the Church pic in early!

Ballooning over the Weald, never fancied it myself every time I've seen it on TV they crash land!

Side view of Wolstonbury Hill

I set off, the intention to walk the South Down Way to the Ditchling Beacon, this turned out to be optimistic in the time available and my level of enthusiasm!! Apart from the constant singing of Skylarks birds were initially at a premium, a small group of Whitethroats were in a bush but couldn't get a pic a few flyover Linnets, couple of Goldfinch, were a couple of Blackbirds and a Robin along the way but everything was very skulky!! 

Linnet

About the only bird willing to sit still at this point!

 The views all round were still pretty good, although a shower could be seen over the sea! 

At this point I arrived at the Clayton to Offham Escarpment a Site of Special Scientific Interest, things immediately improved in terms of Birds with an increase in Linnets and Goldfinch, a couple of Green Woodpeckers and most obviously the song of several Yellowhammers. Amazing what a few bushes and a bit of Gorse can do!!

Linnet

Linnet

Yellowhammer

I wandered around this area, good views of some Blue Butterflies, although probably because of the weather, windy, cold and the threat of rain in the air, there weren't that many!! Meadow Pipits were about as was a Great Spotted Woodpecker (flyover) and a Whitethroat, was also a very bright Warbler, can't decided if it's a Chiffchaff or a Willow Warbler open to opinions seems to have dark legs.

Meadow Pipit and Yellowhammer

Skylark, plenty of Skylarks about but this was the only one that posed to any effect!

The shower moving in from the sea, got a bit wet but luckily had me waterproof handy!

Lots of flowers about, these were my favourites

Herring Gull, several about

Yellowhammer

Common Whitethroat

Chiffchaff I think!!

Meadow Pipit

Blackbird

I waited out the shower and continued my wander, somewhat restricted as I didn't want to head to far down the steep escarpment, due to the fear of having to walk back up it!!😰😱😲 

Linnet

Goldfinch

That was about it, I headed back to the car, another advantage of this walk is the outward walk is a gentle almost unnoticeable uphill so the return is downhill, result!! 😁  Didn't see anything new on the walk back and was glad to get to the car just as it started to rain again!

Think I have been up here before but didn't realise how big the area is, looks quite good and as its only about 5 miles from our house think I will becoming again in the Autumn! 

I had realised that I hadn't seen a single Raptor on my walk, somewhat of a rarity these days, however. later as I was sorting the pictures out a Sparrowhawk appeared in the garden, didn't catch anything but posed nicely on the birdbath and washing line!! Pics through glass so forgive the quality!!

Sparrowhawk