Friday, 28th March 2025

RSPB Broadwater Warren

09.00 to 13.00

Ashdown Bird Group

(10 members present)

Trip Report

The above post by Alan Loweth on the ABG WhatsApp page generated a huge interest in RSPB Broadwater Warren and ultimately led to today's visit.  The Lesser-spotted Woodpecker is rapidly becoming the "Never-spotted Woodpecker" in these parts of the county, so this opportunity to see one was grabbed with both hands.

 

This site is also one of the best places to see Woodlark and Dartford Warbler, and they rightfully become items two and three on today's wish list.

• ·   Kevin Hyde kindly volunteered to show us around.  His vast experience of the site proved invaluable. 

 

• ·   Thankfully, the early morning forecast for rain was inaccurate and we hardly got any.  By the end of the visit, we were enjoying bright sunshine and clear skies.

 

 Woodlark

It didn’t take too long to find our first target species.  Near the halfway point between the car park and the Nightjar viewpoint, on the eastern heath, we heard the distinctive song of the Woodlark, and looking up, we saw four birds flying overhead.  Shortly afterwards, others joined in, and before long, it felt like we were in “Woodlark heaven,” with sweet sounds emanating from all over this delightful heathland habitat.

Courtesy of Charles Waters.

Courtesy of Charles Waters.

Courtesy of Charles Waters.

This final image from Charles shows most of the attributes of Woodlark – short tail, broad wings, and clearly singing.

 What a great start!

 

 

Dartford Warbler

Things were not so straightforward with the Dartford Warbler.  We heard one in the area where we saw the Woodlarks but it was not until near the end of our visit that we returned to get the views we had wanted.  A male popped up and showed well at the top of the gorse bush ahead of us before flying away.  Not long after, a female appeared and stayed for a little while longer.

Courtesy of Charles Waters

Courtesy of Charles Waters

What a great finish!

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

As expected, this was our toughest challenge and only John managed to see this elusive bird.  

One and a half hours into our walk, as we congregated around the 300-year-old oak tree, John alerted us to a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that had just flown from an adjacent oak at the junction with the path to the Sussex Wildlife Trust's Eridge Rocks site.  It was all over in about five seconds - unfortunately, no one else was able to get a sighting and despite our best efforts, that was our only success.

It was frustrating to get so close to the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and not make the ID. Nevertheless, we can take the positives and use this experience to plan a further follow-up visit.

 

Well done John!

We observed 33 species during this brief visit, primarily woodland birds.

Species List:

Name:	Count		Name:	Count
Blackbird	1		Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	18
Blue Tit	2		Linnet	19
Buzzard	3		Long-tailed Tit	20
Canada Goose	4		Marsh Tit	21
Carrion Crow	5		Meadow Pipit	22
Chaffinch	6		Nuthatch	23
Chiffchaff	7		Raven	24
Coal Tit	8		Robin	25
Dartford Warbler	9		Siskin	26
Dunnock	10		Song Thrush	27
Goldcrest	11		Stock Dove	28
Great Spotted Woodpecker	12		Stonechat	29
Great Tit	13		Treecreeper	30
Green Woodpecker	14		Woodlark	31
Grey Heron	15		Woodpigeon	32
Herring Gull	16		Wren	33
Kestrel	17

 

Species count = 33

Some Non-Birding Highlights

• Charles and Martin took these rather nice pictures of a Green Tiger Beetle.

         

• Martin and Ian felt moved to photograph Wood Ants.

          

• This fungus, photographed by Ian, turned out to be Bog Beacon

Well done, everyone - a great turnout deserves a great result and we certainly got that today!

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

Thanks John for organising the visit!

Bob Hastings

2025 species count = 142

New Species:

141 Dartford Warbler

142  Linnet

Bluethroat in Worthing!

Wednesday, 26th March 2025

Brooklands Park, Worthing, Sussex

I was hoping that the bluethroat reported in Worthing yesterday would stay until today. 

Thankfully, it did, with reports coming in at regular intervals.  As soon as we finished breakfast, I was on my way to Brooklands Park.

The bird disappeared just as I arrived, but it reappeared some 50 minutes later to put on a grand display in front of an audience approaching thirty birders.

Both images courtesy of Jonathan@visionsofjh and X

This is the white-spotted variety, last seen in Sussex in 2004, so it's quite an achievement. 

 It's not a lifer for me. I've seen it several times since my initial record in Scotland in 2015

RSPB Pulborough Brooks, Susses

As I had some time to spare, I decided to twitch the two white-fronted geese at Pulborough Brooks before heading off home for lunch.

• In no time at all, I was on to the geese, which were remarkably close.

• There was also a white-tailed eagle on show on the ground in the field ahead, again remarkably close.
• On the way down to the hide, I heard my first blackcap of 2025

What an eventful day!

2025 species count = 140

New Species:

137  Bluethroat

138  Blackcap

139  White-tailed Eagle

140  White-fronted Goose

Black Redstarts Aplenty Wheatears and Water Pipit at Dungeness

Sunday 23rd March 2025

Dungeness Kent

East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

(16 members present)

Trip Report

Despite the wet weather and the long journey, our members turned out in force today - well done, everyone!  For those who stayed all day, the reward was a magnificent species count of 67, including a rarity and some superb early spring migrant birds.  The birding, like the weather, was a slow burner, gradually improving and culminating in a grand finale.

We met in the car park outside the now-closed Visitor Centre and then spent the morning and early afternoon following the yellow route, known as the Nature Discovery Trail.  After lunch, we relocated to the ARC Hanson Hide before moving around to the power station area for some seawatching and to look for incoming migrant birds.

The morning session primarily involved moving around the reserve, dodging the rain by using the hides and viewing screens overlooking Burrows Pit.  By midday, we had gradually accumulated almost fifty species.  Most were the "usual suspects" but there were several highlights:-

• A distant, female goldeneye was the pick of the bunch - too distant for our cameras, I'm afraid.
• Several common gulls were on display, including this one that shared a small island with two lapwings.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• At least two Egyptian geese were seen on the raised bank near Christmas Dell hide

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• This brown hare was an interesting distraction.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• These midges were less welcome, causing us some discomfort all the way from the new hide right through to Dengemarsh hide.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• There was an unusually large presence of reed buntings today.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Our species list was growing quite well but we desperately needed a stellar sighting.  That happened in the Hayfield area. 

• John was the first to spot a water pipit on the flooded fields, and in no time at all, we were viewing it through our telescopes, as it was too far away for a clear binocular view.  

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• Not long afterwards, this beautiful black tailed godwit appeared at the far end of the same field.  It was already in summer plumage and looked absolutely stunning.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Our stay in Denge Marsh Hide was quite productive:-

• This great white egret was our first of the day.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• As expected, we saw a marsh harrier here.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• As we walked back to the car park for lunch, a bearded tit was heard in the viewing ramp area.  Kevin then caught a glimpse of a Dartford warbler as it shot across the track in front of him.

We then relocated to the ARC pit and the Hanson hide.  

• John pointed out two swallows in the sky above us as we were about to head down to the hide.  

• Just as on the main reserve, water levels were high, and all the islands were submerged, limiting the birds in view.

Our final destination of the day was over by the power station where we enjoyed a brief seawatch.

• Alan picked out the first of several gannets flying over the waves in the distance.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• John was the first to spot a small flock of common scoters flying east.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• There were several harbour porpoises which popped their head above the water from time to time.

 

Our seawatch was interrupted by some spectacular events unfolding in the shingle area near the beach huts.

• Phil had already picked out a cracking male black redstart and it soon became apparent that there were more.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• This red fox decided to join in the action and remained close by for the remainder of the time.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

By now, everyone was thinking of heading home. Some had left after lunch and others departed now.

The remaining seven members were debating whether or not to look for wheatears in the area between the two lighthouses.  Just then, a couple of birders came by and told us that they had just seen two wheatears on the far side of the eastern lighthouse.  The debate was over, and we made our way to the designated area.

• En route, we came across black redstart after black redstart to the point where we were confident that we  had made over ten sightings equating to at least six birds.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• Quite soon, we spotted our first wheatear exactly where they were supposed to be.  One became two and, finally, we saw a third, all looking majestic in the bright sunlight.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

What a treat!  These, like most of the black redstarts, must have been recent arrivals from the sea and were feeding up before moving on to new pastures.

Phil, attentive to the very end, spotted a peregrine on the pylons by the power station.  We saw one earlier from Denge Marsh hide but it was too far away to get a decent photograph.  No such problem this time.

• 
  

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

An unbelievable finish to a great day!

  Thanks once again, Kevin.

  

Species List

Species count = 67

2025 species count = 136

New Species:

133  Water Pipit

134  Common Scoter

135  Wheatear

136  Barnacle Goose  sen at Scotney Gravel Pits as we drove home