Fishbourne Creek and West Dean Woods with the Ashdown Bird Group

Sunday 22^nd October 2023

Fishbourne Creek (a.m.) and West Dean Woods (p.m.)

Ashdown Bird Group

(6 members present)

What a great day out!  The weather was fabulous and the venues so scenic.  Combine these with great company and some outstanding birding and you have a trip that was right up there with the best we have ever had.

• We spent the morning by the sea at the idyllic Fishbourne Creek on the stretch of the Chichester Canal between Dell Quay and the village of Fishbourne.
• After lunch we drove 10 miles inland to West Dean Woods just north of Chichester, for a totally different habitat and a different set of birds.
• At least 65 species were identified - 49 in the morning and a further 16 (of 32) in the afternoon.

 

Fishbourne Creek

We parked on the roadside adjacent to the Crown and Anchor pub then spent a considerable time birding at Dell Quay.  Our route then took us north along the creek towards Fishbourne, passing the Boat Yard and Apuldrum Manor Farm finishing at a point just past the Sewage Works.  We then retraced our steps back to Dell Quay for a delightful lunch.

 

We managed to spot a very creditable 49 bird species on our walk – nothing special but all looking superb in the bright sunshine. 

• We got off to a flying start with nearly 30 species seen before we left Dell Quay.  Most were the usual suspects like Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Great Crested Grebe, Curlew, Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Lapwing etc.
• There were a few Brent Geese around as well as a small number of Greylag Geese.
• The only ducks we saw were Wigeon.
• Pride of place went to the Greenshanks.  We spotted one very early on and then another two soon afterwards.

 

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

•  Alison pointed out a Kingfisher as it flew past us and she reacted quickly enough to get a photograph.

Courtesy of Alison Playle.

• The most humorous sighting was a pair of frolicking Little Egrets.

Courtesy of Alison Playle.

As we walked down the creek the path took us through a wooded area and out onto a grassy area with hedgerows, where we saw a few passerines. 

• The most interesting one was yellowhammer;

Courtesy of Alison Playle.

• At the bottom of the creek we saw several Great Black-backed Gulls to add to the Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Black-headed Gulls and Herring Gulls that we had spotted earlier.
• The predominant bird sounds came from the Curlews as they flew to and fro - a perfect accompaniment to the fabulous scenery.

 

After a most enjoyable lunch back at Dell Quay it was time to leave and make our way to West Dean Woods. 

 

The feelgood factor couldn’t have been higher.

 

 

Species List:

Species	Count		Species	Count
Blackbird	1		Herring Gull	26
Black-headed Gull	2		House Sparrow	27
Black-tailed Godwit	3		Jackdaw	28
Blue Tit	4		Kestrel	29
Brent Goose	5		Kingfisher	30
Buzzard	6		Lapwing	31
Carrion Crow	7		Lesser Black-backed Gull	32
Cetti's Warbler	8		Little Egret	33
Chiffchaff	9		Magpie	34
Collared Dove	10		Meadow Pipit	35
Cormorant	11		Mute Swan	36
Curlew	12		Oystercatcher	37
Dunlin	13		Pheasant	38
Dunnock	14		Pied Wagtail	39
Goldcrest	15		Redshank	40
Goldfinch	16		Robin	41
Great Black-backed Gull	17		Sparrowhawk	42
Great Crested Grebe	18		Starling	43
Great Tit	19		Stonechat	44
Green Woodpecker	20		Turnstone	45
Greenshank	21		Wigeon	46
Grey Heron	22		Woodpigeon	47
Grey Plover	23		Wren	48
Grey Wagtail	24		Yellowhammer	49
Greylag Goose	25

 

Species count = 49

West Dean Woods

 

We parked up on the roadside just west of Staple Ash Farm and walked up the hill to Yewtree Cottage before turning into the lane leading up to Monkton Farm - our final destination. 

The weather was still fabulous and the lighting excellent - much to the delight of our photographers who took full advantage of the situation. 

We managed to find at least 32 species, including some real crackers.  This was surprising really as there had been no recent reports of much activity here in the birding media.  Perhaps the Long Billed Dowitcher sighting at Cuckmere Haven and the recent arrival of Ring Ouzels along the South Downs had monopolised the news and resulted in this site being overlooked.  Either way we were the beneficiaries.

• A low flying Red Kite welcomed us as we arrived and at least three of them kept entertaining us throughout the afternoon.
• Quite soon afterwards a pair of Goshawks caught our attention as they glided high in the sky above us.  Amazingly this proved to be just the first of at least 3 sightings we made of them today.
• Alison even managed to photograph an altercation between one of the Red Kites and one of the Goshawks. 

Courtesy of Alison Playle

·         One of the cutest moments came when we saw a charm of Goldfinches flying around before settling on the ground to drink from a nearby puddle.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• West Dean Woods is a known hotspot for Hawfinches and we were lucky to get 2 excellent sightings.  On both occasions we saw a pair in the canopy of the high trees in the valley below us.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• We did expect to see Fieldfares and Redwings at this time of year and indeed we did, with many more of the former.

Fieldfares courtesy of Alison Playle

Redwing courtesy of Alison Playle

•   Other species of note included several Ravens, Jay, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Greenfinch etc.

 

An incredible session!

 

 

Species List:

Name:	Count:		Name:	Count:
Blackbird	1		Magpie	17
Blue Tit	2		Mistle Thrush	18
Buzzard	3		Pheasant	19
Carrion Crow	4		Pied Wagtail	20
Chaffinch	5		Raven	21
Collared Dove	6		Red Kite	22
Fieldfare	7		Redwing	23
Goldcrest	8		Robin	24
Goldfinch	9		Rook	25
Goshawk	10		Skylark	26
Great Spotted Woodpecker	11		Sparrowhawk	27
Greenfinch	12		Stock Dove	28
Hawfinch	13		Stonechat	29
House Sparrow	14		Woodlark	30
Jay	15		Woodpigeon	31
Kestrel	16		Wren	32
species count = 32

 

 

Total species count for the day = 65

 

Not so good Ring Ouzel but a fabulous Long-billed Dowitcher

Ring Ouzel

I have had a hard time finding Ring Ouzel this year.  

• I had no luck whatsoever at Cissbury Ring - one of the hotspots in West Sussex. 
• Despite 3 visits to Shooter's Bottom and 1 to the Horseshoe Plantation, both hotspots in East Sussex, all I had was a nanosecond view of one as it relocated from one bush to an adjacent one at Shooter's Bottom on Sunday 15th October 2023

Long-billed Dowitcher 

I had no trouble at all finding this American vagrant on the morning of 17th October 2023,  just down the road at Cuckmere Haven.  The bird was first seen yesterday afternoon.

• The bird was showing well on the mud at the far side of the meanders of the Cuckmere.  It was with Dunlin, a Knot and some Redshanks.

As I was leaving, Alison arrived and she kindly sent me the following photos to recollect on the mornings experience.  The flight view was exceptional.

All pictures courtesy of Alison Playle

Although this was not a lifer for me this was the first in Sussex for 30 years or so, making it a bird of special interest.

 2023 species count = 198

 Monday 25th September 2023

Arlington Reservoir, East Sussex

I spent a mouth-watering 90 minutes this afternoon in the presence of an Osprey at Arlington Reservoir only 12 miles from my home.  2 Ospreys had been seen daily from 30th August so I thought it was about time I paid a visit.  As I write this blog on 1st October the birds are still there!

• When I got there the juvenile Osprey was on a post by the edge of the reservoir, next to the slanting platform and not far from the hide.
• Within 30 minutes it took flight before descending to the water to catch a small fish.  It then flew back to the post and spent time enjoying the meal.
• Another 30 minutes or so and it took flight again before landing on the slanting platform.  The lighting today was excellent so the views were awesome.

courtesy of Alison Playle

The pattern repeated itself again before I left for home.

A very worthwhile visit.