09/02/14. 150th bird of 2014 - a Tree Creeper

Sunday 9th February 2014
Folkestone

I wanted to try and twitch the Pallas' Warbler that had been seen adjacent to the Shorncliffe Army Barracks at Folkestone.  Despite spending over 2 hours there I had to admit defeat and head off home again.

Not all was doom and gloom however as I recorded my 150th species of 2014 - a lovely Tree Creeper seen on the main path soon after the start.

Treecreeper
Library picture

 I also enjoyed smashing views of a Green Woodpecker as it fed on the grass about 50m ahead of me.

A long journey but not a lost cause.


Addition to 2014 Uk Bird List:
Tree Creeper.   (150)

07/02/14 7 Short-eared Owls at the Norfolk Estate and a Glaucous Gull near Shoreham

Thursday 7th February 2014
RSPB visit to Norfolk Estate near BURPHAM

Joined a large group of RSPB members for this long-awaited visit to the Norfolk Estate near BURPHAM.  Thankfully it was dry and sunny for most of the time with excellent visibility for the photographer's in the group.

We gathered in one of the large barns to listen to the manager, Peter Knight, give a brief, recent, history of the estate.  For a while it has been run with conservation in mind.  Large fields have been replaced with a patchwork of smaller fields each with new hedgerows  spring crops, and strips of tussocky grass known as ‘beetle banks’  to provide year-round food and nesting sites for birds such as Grey partridge, Lapwing, Skylark and Corn Bunting – all species of high conservation concern in the UK.  For a fuller account of the conservation work please follow the link below

 http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/317846-arundel-farmer-wins-south-east-nature-of-farming-award



Afterwards we drove round the estate in tractor drawn trailers to see things at first hand.  Lots of interesting things showed up and a couple of the highlights are outlined below:-

•   There were lots of Red Kites around and in the bright sunlight they made a spectacular sight.  The most we could see in a single telescope shot was 6 - quite remarkable and  ever so impressive.

•   Brown Hares prosper on this estate and we managed to see up to half a dozen or so in the fields as we drove by.

•    You cannot visit this area without seeing the Grey Partridge, one of the species most protected by the farming techniques.  We saw several on our tour and they were only the tip of the iceberg - there are over 200 on the estate.

•   The event was closed by a spectacular finale when a couple of the estate management team went into the long grasses to flush out the 7 (seven) Short-eared Owls that had been roosting there all morning.  As the shocked birds took to the air they provided a never-to-be-forgotten spectacle of amazing proportions.  The purists among the birding fraternity would no doubt criticise this habitat intrusion but all those present really enjoyed it and no-one complained or was upset.

Short-eared Owl
Library picture

This was my third visit to the area in the space of a week and on every occasion there has been something different and immense to see.  This seems to be a truly genuine example where farming can be both profitable and beneficial to wildlife.  The Burgh is one of the top birdwatching sites in the county with it's farmland birds and huge raptor presence.

The event closed about 12.30 allowing me the time to call in at the Southwater Canal near Shoreham to look for the Glaucous Gull.  This bird has eluded me for weeks so I was keen to have another go at it.  Thankfully, after a wait of 45 minutes I was rewarded with lovely close views of the gull in the water and flying overhead.  I admired the show for 30 minutes but had to leave before it finished.  I believe it lasted all afternoon.

Glaucous Gull
courtesy of Dave Boddington

A great day and very informative.

Additions to 2014 UK Bird List:
Short-eared Owl (148)
Glaucous Gull   (149)

Today's Species List:

Short-eared Owl

Stonechat

Glaucous Gull   

Red Kite
Black-headed Gull
Grey Partridge
Buzzard
Kestrel
Song Thrush
Fieldfare
Redwing
Starling
Reed Buntings
Lapwings

06/02/14. The Burgh. Sussex Wildlife Trust Day1/5

Thursday 6th February 2014
Sussex Wildlife Trust visit to The Burgh

On another shocking day weather wise it was remarkable we managed to observe the range of birds that  we did.  We barely got started before it started to rain and things got progressively worse causing us to call it a day after barely 2 hours.

Before the rains came we saw at least 4 Red Kites in the valley to the south of us.  They were so clear that we spent the first 20 minutes or so watching them.  By any standards this was a super start.  While we were watching the Kites we were fortunate to see 9 lovely Grey Partridges in the field in front of the Kites patch.

Unfortunately 9 soon became 8 as a pair of Peregrines swooped in and predated one of them.  The larger, female, could barely fly with the prey in it's mouth and it soon landed on the ground and started to eat it.  It was joined by the male who also fed on the catch.  Being squeamish by nature I thought that observing this event might have distressed me but this was not the case; I found the experience strangely quite natural.

As the rain started we came across a flock of Yellowhammers in the hedges ahead of us and, despite the rain, we stopped to savour the occasion.  They were in a company which also included Chaffinches and Redwings as well as a hint of a couple of Corn Buntings.

A couple of Brown Hare's were visible in the fields to the north of us.  Just before that we got distant views of the 16 Bewick Swans that had been seen in this area for the last few weeks.

Overall we thought it was well worth turning out today but we were also very pleased to finish early and reach the welcome shelter of our cars.



Today's Species List:
Mute Swan
Bewick's Swan
Grey Partridge
Pheasant
Red Kite
Buzzard
Kestrel
Peregrine
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Skylark
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Redwing
Starling
Dunnock
Robin
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Yellowhammer
Corn Bunting (heard)


Brown Hare's




Today's species count = 26

05/02/14. No Little Owl but a Red Kite instead

Wednesday 5th February 2014
Birding near Uckfield

On reading on the SOS website about a Little Owl sighting just down the road from Uckfield at Ringmer, Sue and I jumped in the car and made for the Potato Lane/Neaves Lane intersection to look for the bird in the derelict outbuildings.    The weather today was atrocious so we grabbed our opportunity during a break in the downpour.

Unfortunately the bird was not there!

However as we were looking, Sue called to me and pointed out a  Red Kite hunting over the fields behind us.  For the next 20 minutes or so we got some stunning close up views of this majestic bird.  It was still hunting when we left just before midday to go for lunch.

I have seen many Red Kites in Sussex but non so close to our home.
Wow!

04/02/14 Hampshire Birding

Tuesday 4th February 2014
Hampshire Birding with C  CW, PJ, AK

We decided there was enough good news coming out of Hampshire to justify a day out.  The weather was reasonable, thankfully dry but with some breeze.

First stop was Pennington Marsh where the target bird was a Long-billed Dowitcher.  It was seen from the car park yesterday so hopes were high.  However after searching in vain for almost an hour or so we had to cut our losses and move on.  We did see quite a few waders, including several Ruff, which made the visit pleasant.  Looking on the Hampshire website later it was comforting to know that other birders had not found the bird either.

Next stop was Lepe to see the Lesser Yellowlegs.  This was a dead cert as I had seen daily reports of it since it started to winter here a couple of months ago. True to form it was there and showing really well; in fact it came very close to us just before we left allowing AK to get the photograph he wanted.   Among the waders showing was a welcome addition to my year list - a Black-tailed Godwit - the only one I would find today. 

We moved on to Bishops Dyke (SU3405) where hopes were high of a sighting of a Great Grey Shrike, but again, after a thorough search, we failed to find the bird.  They are obviously as elusive here in Hampshire as they are in Sussex.  

Our final stop was Blackwater Arboretum where the rest of the group had great success in the past watching Hawfinches coming in to roost.  Incredibly, yet again, we drew a blank much to the astonishment of my friends.

So a rather flat mood set in as we headed back to Sussex.  The birds behaved just like the rest of us in poor weather and found a safe place to sit it out.

Addition to UK 2014 Bird List:
Black-tailed Godwit   (147)


Today's species list:
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Mallard 
Gadwall
Shoveler
Pintail
Teal
Pochard   (10)
Tufted Duck
Common Buzzard
Kestrel
Peregrine
Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Curlew
Turnstone   (20)
Redshank
Ruff
Black-tailed Godwit
Golden Plover
Lapwing
Black-headed Gull
Kittiwake
Herring Gull
Woodpigeon
Robin   (30)
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Starling
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch   (40)
Goldfinch


Today's species count = 41 (minimum)

01/02/14 Around the Arun Valley.

01/02/14  Around the Arun Valley.  Six more year ticks.
Paul James' Group

9 of us decided to risk the wet conditions and spend a day in and around the flooded Arun valley.  We were well rewarded with sunny spells up until 2 pm when the heavy showers arrived.  There were plenty of birds to see and I was able to add 6 species to my year list.

We started at Swanbourne Lake where we saw and heard quite a few birds.  Pick of the bunch were the Mandarins which skulked under the trees by the waters edge making it hard to see them.  However they eventually took to flight enabling us to get fleeting but good enough views to make the ID.  Try though we did we failed to see one of our target birds, the Firecrest.  However we did see a Grey Wagtail which was also on our list.

Grey Wagtail
Library picture

Next stop was Canada Barn and the Burgh where the birds came thick and fast.  First to show were the Yellowhammers off to our left in the trees.

Yellowhammer
Library picture

 There must have been at least a dozen busily going about their business.  Soon after we saw Corn Buntings in roughly similar numbers, on the track and fences ahead of us.

Corn Bunting
Library picture

 Red Kites were showing really well on the horizon and we were able to admire their elegant flight.

Red Kite
Libray picture

 All in all we saw at least 6 of them including a super ground show they put on with up to 3 Ravens and other corvids.  Back at the car we saw a small group of Grey Partridge keeping their heads well down in the strong winds here on top of the South Downs.  

Grey Partridge
Library picture

At Amberley Castle we saw 16 Bewick Swans on the flooded fields to our right.  In the superb lighting conditions and supported by a large cast of other water birds they looked truly regal.

By now the weather was deteriorating fast so we relocated to Rackham Woods and then  to Greatham Bridge hoping to carry on birding in the sunny intervals between the showers.  There was little to see in the woods with a surprising lack of birds like Treecreeper and Firecrest.  For the second time this year we were unable to observe the Great Grey Shrike at the railway bridge near Greatham.  However a fly-over Egyptian Goose was gratefully ticked off to complete our business for the day. 

Egyptian Goose
library picture

A rather flat, but not unexpected, end to what had been a lovely day.  Surely it has to stop raining soon!


Today's species list:
Goldcrest
Wren
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Marsh Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Nuthatch
Robin
Stonechat   (10)
House Sparrow
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Reed Bunting
Yellowhammer
Corn Bunting
Grey Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Skylark
Starling   (20)
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Raven
Green Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Grey Partridge
Golden Plover   (30)
Lapwing
Dunlin
Moorhen
Coot
Little Grebe
Teal
Wigeon
Pintail
Shoveler
Gadwall   (40)
Mallard
Shellduck
Tufted Duck
Pochard
Brent Goose
Canada Goose
Egyptian Goose
Bewicks Swan
Mute Swan
Black-headed Gull    (50)
Common Gull  
Herring Gull
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Red Kite




Today's species count = 56 (minimum)


Additions to UK 2014 Bird List:
Grey Wagtail   (141)
Yellowhammer   (142)
Corn Bunting   (143)
Red Kite   (144)
Grey Partridge   (145)
Egyptian Goose   (146)

29/01/14 No Owls or Black Redstarts but plenty of Purple Sandpipers

Wednesday 29th January 2014
Newhaven Tide Mills

Decided to try again for Short-eared Owls at Rodmell after drawing a blank there last week.  I made an early afternoon start so I decided to try Tide Mills first to look for the Black Redstarts that had been reported there lately.  Weather conditions were not good but I wanted to get out for a couple of hours at least.

On the coast the winds were strong and soon it started to rain.  I had no luck with the Redstarts but when I ventured onto the east pier I came across at least 10 Purple Sandpipers below the pier on the high tide water level.  At least I had something to show for my efforts.  On the way back I saw a flock of 12 or so Greenfinches on the pebble beach and a couple of Herring Gulls.

By the time I got back to the car to relocate to Rodmell for the Short-eared Owl search it was raining very hard and the skyline indicated it was likely to remain so for the rest of the day.  With this in mind I decided to cut my losses and head home.

I was pleased to have squeezed in a couple of hours birdwatching even if I had not seen very many species.