Splash Point Seawatch and a dip on a rare bird.

Saturday 22nd April 2023

Splash Point, Seaford

Martin, Alison and I travelled down to Splash Point, at the western edge of Seaford Head, for an early morning seawatch where we met up with Mark and Alastair C joined us later on.  

The weather was dry with hardly any wind and it was a tad misty at the start - not ideal conditions for seawatching.

• First call was to the kittiwake colony on the nearby cliffs to see the hundreds of nesting birds - always a lovely sight!  

courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• While we were there we spotted a wheatear and an obliging rock pipit.

Then we took our seats for a 3-4 hour seawatch.  Fortunately for us Simon L was also there and we benefitted greatly from his knowledge and experience.

• It was good to start with my first sightings of fulmar this year as they glided past us intermittently.
• Whist Alison and I were watching the kittiwakes we missed the fly by of 4 Arctic skuas.  Another one flew by soon after we rejoined the group but I was unable to get a view.  It wasn't until much later that I finally got to get good views of 2 more that flew by.
• There was a steady passage of whimbrel all morning. 
• Scoters were the most common sighting with hundreds passing through at regular intervals.  Simon directed us to a group of at least 7 velvet scoters.
• Sandwich terns were also ubiquitous.
• We saw a couple of swallows, another wheatear on the beach, a pair of gadwall

The seawatch came to an abrupt end when news came through of a white-crowned sparrow sighting at Hope Gap just a few minutes drive from where we were. 

When we arrived the bird had gone missing and despite our best efforts we didn't have any luck.  

• I did see and hear my first whitethroat of the year.  In the next 2 hours or so, we came across many more.

courtesy of Martin Jeffree

After a walk round the area we returned to the sighting point only to find there had been no further sighting of the rare sparrow.  

Just as we were about to leave for home Martin and Alison thought they heard part of the bird song  so we waited a little longer hoping the bird would appear, but to no avail.

Of course, no sooner had we reached home, when reports came through of regular intermittent sightings!

Mixed fortunes today - but a lovely experience.

 2023 species count = 154

First House Martin of 2023

 I was walking my dog, Odin, by the water treatment works in Uckfield when I spotted a couple of house martins in the flock of around 20 hirundines.

2023 species count = 147

Pulborough Brooks with the East Grinstead RSPB Group

Saturday 8th April 2023

RSPB Pulborough Brooks

An astonishing 29 members turned out for this event and they were not disappointed.  In fine weather, over 70 species were seen including some stellar ones.

• I added a few basic birds to my 2023 list - Jay, Bullfinch and Sedge Warbler.
• The highlight was brilliant views of the White-tailed Eagle as it flew overhead around lunchtime.

• Almost immediately afterwards we were enjoying brilliant flight views of a White Stork that had decided to grace the reserve with its presence.

• Last but not least we followed the Heathland Trail and found at least one Firecrest in the wooded areas by the path.  Again the views were close and spectacular

All pictures courtesy of Alison Playle

A great day out with lots of friends!

2023 species count = 146

Old Lodge for Woodlark etc

Friday 7th April 2023

Old Lodge NR, Sussex

I joined Martin, John and Mark for a delightful walk around Old Lodge NR. 

• We heard, then saw a woodlark quite soon after we started our walk.   It was perched at the top of a distant tall tree.  Later on, near the end of our walk we saw a second bird - again on the top of the tree but this time within range of Mark's camera.

• Soon afterwards we found our first willow warbler of 2023 as it sang loudly from the top of a distant tree.
• We saw at least 3 and probably 5 redstarts as we moved round the reserve.
• The most satisfying sighting was of 2 Dartford warblers that Mark spotted on the path ahead of us.  They flew into the gorse bushed a few feet away and gave great views for a short time.

Not too many birds seen - but some cracking ones!

2023 species count = 141

Weir Wood Reservoir and then a twitch down at Iford Brooks.

Tuesday 4th April 2023

Weir Wood Reservoir, sussex

• While doing the snake survey this morning we saw a mandarin pair fly over the water.
• later on I got my first blackcap of the year.

Thursday 6th April 2023

Iford Brooks, Sussex

My first visit to this local site proved very productive.

• I saw one of the two garganey that have been around for a few days.  It was moving along the far edge of the water, enjoying the conditions.
• On the track leading to the brooks I heard and then saw my first redstart of the year in the tree nearby - an unusual place for it to be so presumably it was newly arrived and feeding before continuing its journey.

2023 species count = 139

Ashdown Bird Group Outing to RSPB Pagham Harbour and RSPB Medmerry

Sunday 2nd April 2023

RSPB Pagham Harbour (am) then RSPB Medmerry (pm)

Ashdown Forest Bird Group

(8 members present)

Trip Report

This event was a week behind schedule - the rain and wind causing a postponement on 31st March 2023.  No such problems today - it was dry and sunny, if a tad cold early on, and only a light breeze.  Boots were the order of the day, however, as the ground was still quite soft in places.  

We spent the morning session at Pagham Harbour before relocating to RSPB Medmerry after lunch.  In total we managed a respectable species count of 70,  Our target species for the day included spring migrants and a spotted redshank that has been around for some time. 

Pagham Harbour

We parked at the Visitor Centre before heading out towards Church Norton and the sea, returning by car for a well deserved lunch.

• Our start at the Ferry Pool was interrupted by news that the spotted redshank was showing well in the nearby channel.  Everybody was able to get excellent views of the bird as it moved around in the channel just ahead of us.  At times it came quite close but the highlight was watching it enjoy a huge worm meal.

• We returned to the Ferry Pool where the highlights included avocet, black-tailed godwit, gadwall, shoveler and several lovely teal.

• As we walked out to Church Norton we could hear the distinctive sounds of the skylarks and the Mediterranean gulls that were flying above us.  Over the fields to our right we saw linnets, meadow pipits and our first lapwings.  Near the end 2 Brent geese flew by.
• Raptors seen included marsh harrier and buzzard.  

Bob and Judy had driven to Church Norton and they were seated by the spit as we arrived.  

• They had seen a red-breasted merganser earlier but it had since disappeared behind one of the islands.
• The scene here was dominated by the Mediterranean gulls and the Sandwich terns (and, of course, the black-headed gulls).  
• The usual waders were there including redshank, dunlin, oystercatcher, turnstone etc

Out by the sea we added a few more species to our list.

• We eventually got a view of the 2 red-breasted mergansers that Alison and then John found to make up for missing out earlier.
• A lone swallow flew by us, low over the waves - a first of the year for most of us.
• Gannets were clearly enjoying the conditions but they were quite distant.

Back at Church Norton, up by the car park, there were a few more highlights.

• At least 4 chiffchaffs, behaving like flycatchers as they moved to and fro between the bushes the field and the flooded stream.

4 of us remained at the car park, waiting for our lift to arrive to take us back to the Visitor Centre.  This gave us the opportunity to look round the churchyard, hoping to hear and see firecrest.  We didn't have any success.

• We did however come across 2 lovely green woodpeckers and we were able to watch them for a good time before they flew off.

RSPB Medmerry

The afternoon session, in the sunshine at Medmerry provided us with a few additional highlights.

• The Mediterranean gulls and the skylarks continued to provide us with the background sound effects.
• Down at the Stilt Pool there were 2 ringed plovers and, much to our delight, a single little ringed plover - the first of the year for most of us.

• On the way back to the car park a barn owl was seen by several members.

Species list for today

All pictures courtesy of Alison Playle

2023 species count = 135

  

A few twitches to boost my 2023 species list

Thursday 23rd March 2023

Ashdown Forest, Sussex

I was not having any luck surveying Dartford Warbler on my patch so I asked Martin if I could join him on his next formal survey on his - as expected, he agreed.

It was wet underfoot and very windy - far from ideal conditions.  Eventually we heard one from the nearby gorse bushes and I managed to get a short, but sweet, glimpse of the bird before it dropped down into the scrub.

Thanks Martin!

Monday 27th March 2023

Blackdown, Sussex

Next I was off to the far end of the county to twitch the long-staying Great Grey Shrike at Blackdown NT.  After a while I saw it - sitting proudly at the top of a bush, close to the Serpent Trail.  All I had to do then was to sit back and admire the lovely scope views.

courtesy of Colin Holter and Twitter

Well worth the long drive!

Tuesday 28th March 2023

Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex

I saw my first Sand Martins of 2023 as I was carrying out our first snake survey of the year on Pintail Bank.  There was a small flock of around 15 fling around the middle of the stretch of water by the tern rafts.

2023 species count = 132