Halsey's Farm and Church Norton

The Squacco Heron was showing very nicely at Halsey's Farm, Sidlesham, entertaining a steady stream of birders coming through by periodically snapping a decent size fish from the rife and shaking it vigorously in its bill before gulping it down in one.

Squacco Heron with a handy perch in the rife (small river, Sussex dialect)

At Church Norton juvenile Dunlin were causing ID headaches due to a reported 3 Curlew Sandpipers. There were plenty of candidates amongst the Dunlin, but when I saw 2 Curlew Sandpipers on the beach it was very obvious they weren’t Dunlin, being stood out by their brick-red breasts and fine-tipped bills.

Curlew Sandpiper with a fine-tipped bill and brick-red breast, next to a Dunlin

Curlew Sandpipers

Other highlights from Church Norton were Sandwich Tern, Curlew, Knot and Ringed Plover.