Downland Walk

 With the forecast being for sky rocketing temperatures and the welsh half of my genetic make up spontaneously combusting at around 25 degrees🔥🔥🔥I decided on an early morning walk from the Clayton Windmills to Ditchling Beacon, which was how I found myself in the car park at 5.30 Am yesterday!! Good start with a couple of Red-legged Partridges walking up the hill towards me and a plethora of Rabbits, there were loads!! 

Red-legged Partridge

Rabbit

Lots of Rabbits, a fraction of what were there

I walked down through the Paddocks, an entertaining and very grey Great Tit, a few Goldfinch and Linnets, a vocal Common Whitethroat and at the stables, Swallows zooming in and of the building and House Sparrows on the small Dung Heap!

Great Tit a very grey individual

Swallows having a rest

House Sparrow

Past the Stables I turned left and headed up the path that runs parallel to the South Downs Way, a Hare ran up the track, Linnets, Corn Bunting and Skylark were singing and randomly appearing on fence posts. The Sun here was right in my face so the pictures were quite difficult despite some posy birds.Thinking about it, it would actually make more sense to start this walk at Ditchling,  would have the Sun behind me! to tight to pay for the car park!😮Anyway I did me best!

Hare

Linnet

Quite pleased with this one classic Corn Bunting pose!

Backlit Skylark

Common Whitethroat

I rejoined the SDW and then had a foray into the Clayton Embankment reserve, in pursuit of the Yellowhammer I could hear singing, which I duly found!

Mega Fauna heading my way!

HPP church from the Clayton Embankment

Yellowhammer having a sing

I nipped out of the reserve to visit the dew pond in the hope the dry weather would have made it a magnet for birds, but seems not! I then dropped down into the open access land opposite in the full knowledge I would have to climb back up in the near future!! Brave or stupid, you decide!😱

Annoyingly despite my bravery there wasn't much of note in the abyss though these were a nice blob of colour

There was a family of Chaffinches with the youngsters chasing the parents about, think this is one of the youngsters rather than the female!

A Buzzard flopped about from small bush to precarious perches on another small bush, but no sign of the Red Kites that are usually here

Balancing Buzzard!

I trudged back up the hill, the next area is a bit of a Corn Bunting hotspot with several singing, one of which posed quite nicely!

The trudge back up the hill

Crow amongst the buttercups of which there were loads! Buttercups not Crows, only saw a couple of Crows but several Rooks

Different windmill

Corn Bunting

Skylark

Different Corn Bunting

Another Whitethroat

Different Corn Bunting

Linnet

I reached the Beacon, had a quick look over the road, Yellowhammers distantly singing down the hill, but with the sun getting hotter I decided to head back!

Ditchling Beacon Trig Point

On the walk back, I walked through the reserve rather than following the South Downs Way, more of the same really. Stonechats, Meadow Pipits in display flight and several Goldfinch! Think there has been a Painted Lady influx as I saw several, some blue Butterflies as well but didn't sit still long enough for pics!

Meadow Pipit

Goldfinch

Painted Lady

Very bright Stonechat

Different less bright Stonechat

Yellowhammer

Think at this point I found a species possibly new to science!!!!!!!!!😲😲😲😲😮😮😲😲😲

Ladies and Gentleman I give you, (Drum Roll) The Mustaciod Mosstacioed, mosstacioed,mustaci, sod it  Bearded Linnet!! I may also have discovered how the Bearded Tit got named😁😁😁

Male Linnet

Seriously though, very posy Linnets!

Final stretch now, the heat building!!🔥🔥🔥🔥

An actual, half decent Skylark in flight shot,Whoop!!

Red Kite flyby, didn't see many Raptors at all!

Skylark, they were everywhere, nice to see and hear!

Small Heath Butterfly

Swallows still at the Stables

Common Whitethroat still belting out a tune!

That was that. back home by 9.30, where I rustled up a quick Gluten Free Bakewell Tart, which is blooming delicious!

Due to failing to read the recipe properly before starting, Margie and I will be eating Bakewell Tart for the next month! It's huge!

Couple of Jam tarts I made with the left over pastry, Loganberry on the left, Gooseberry on the right!

Moist!

Big news is the Swifts are back, with a bird seen going into last years box on two occasions. Not seen any action in  the new boxes as yet but early days!!