Nesting sparrows and opportunistic herring gull

On the way to a meeting yesterday I got stuck on Ford Rail Station because of delays.

I noticed a lot of sparrow activity and realised that they were nesting in the apex. There seemed to be several nests.

As I waited I noticed a flock of long tailed tits in the bushes across the track on the other side of the platform. There were also great tits and several sparrows and starlings. As I watched a sparrow flew straight towards me chasing a small butterfly or day moth (couldn't really tell which). The butterfly/moth flew in a corkscrew avoidance flight and pretty soon there were three sparrows trying to catch their intended prey. The moth headed off to my right and back across the track and appeared to make it safely into the bushes. My guess is that it might have been a moth as I have seen such avoidance flying before.

On the way back at Littlehampton Station I watched a herring gull checking out a rubbish bag on the platform.

The bag had been put there by the chap cleaning the train which had just arrived.

It looked like it managed to find an old tea bag but nothing else.

Afterwards it moved over to a bucket of water and had a drink before flying off, no doubt to try its luck elsewhere.

This evening I was treated to another spectacular air display courtesy of the swifts that nest in our neighbours roof. As our bungalow is slightly up hill and our garden is higher than our neighbours they scream low across our garden, the lowest bird often about head height.