Visiting West Rise Marsh and Horse Eye Level in East Sussex

Today's focus was on visiting some of the lesser-known sites in the area. John suggested West Rise Marsh at Eastbourne because he had heard good reports about it but had never been there.   The only other suggestion was Scotney Gravel Pits on the Sussex-Kent border, but the feeling was that this was too far for a morning trip and better suited to a time when we were in the Rye/Dungeness area. 

Friday 14^th February 2025

West Rise Marsh, East Sussex 09.00 to 10.30

Ashdown Bird Group

(6 members present)

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

West Rise Marsh is a "hotspot" for Water Pipit and Bearded Tit at this time of year.  As the year progresses, you can expect to pick up a rarity or two.  Martin and I saw Alpine Swifts here in March 2023 and Penduline Tits in November 2022.  I twitched a Turkestan Shrike in May 2023, a Savi's warbler in April 2018 and a Bluethroat in February 2018.

We parked in the car park off Sevenoaks Road (map 1) and followed a clockwise route as shown below (map 2).

Map 1

Map 2

Wellies were the order of the day as it was very wet underfoot.

 

Trip Report

We managed to see at least 32 bird species this morning; nothing special, nevertheless a very creditable total.  Despite our best efforts, we were unable to locate any water pipits or bearded tits.

• On the lake, we saw the usual birds including Shoveler, Great-crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard and a Pochard.

Shoveler - courtesy of Alison Playle

Great-crested Grebe - courtesy of Alison Playle

• There were lots of noisy Canada Geese around.
• The gulls included black-headed, herring and great black-backed.
• Our best observation was of Snipe with over 10 seen flying from the reedbed in the southeast corner of the reserve.
• The usual Cetti's Warbler was heard and we saw a Meadow Pipit.

We all enjoyed a pleasant circuit of the reserve.

Species list:

Name:	Count		Name:	Count
Black-headed Gull	1		Meadow Pipit	17
Blackbird	2		Moorhen	18
Canada Goose	3		Mute Swan	19
Carrion Crow	4		Pied Wagtail	20
Cetti's Warbler	5		Pochard	21
Coot	6		Robin	22
Cormorant	7		Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon	23
Gadwall	8		Rook	24
Great Black-backed Gull	9		Shoveler	25
Great Crested Grebe	10		Snipe	26
Grey Heron	11		Starling	27
Herring Gull	12		Stonechat	28
House Sparrow	13		Teal	29
Jackdaw	14		Tufted Duck	30
Magpie	15		Wigeon	31
Mallard	16		Wren	32

Species count = 32 

By now, it was just after 10.30 - too early to go home so we decided to try a second site nearby Horse Eye Level, part of the Pevensey Levels

Friday 14^th February 2025

Horse Eye Level, Pevensey levels East Sussex 11.00 to 13.00

Ashdown Bird Group

(6 members present)

This site has been a hotspot for Short-eared Owls and Hen Harriers in the past. Obviously, these were seen around sunset.

We parked by the road adjacent to New Bridge Farm and walked south on the road for a few hundred metres before returning and then heading east on the public footpath.

 We saw at least 22 species, but no owls or harriers.

• The trip's highlight was seeing at least ten Ravens - most of us had never seen such a gathering.
• A distant Great White Egret was seen in flight.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• There were vast numbers of Lapwing flying around even surpassing the Starling numbers.
• The Skylark made a pleasant appearance.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

Another very pleasant site, one which was new to all except Mark and me.

Species list:

Name:	Count		Name:	Count
Blackbird	1		Magpie	12
Blue Tit	2		Mallard	13
Buzzard	3		Meadow Pipit	14
Carrion Crow	4		Mute Swan	15
Cormorant	5		Raven	16
Dunnock	6		Robin	17
Goldfinch	7		Skylark	18
Great Tit	8		Song Thrush	19
Great White Egret	9		Starling	20
Kestrel	10		Woodpigeon	21
Lapwing	11		Wren	22

Species count = 22

Update: Mandarins at Weir Wood Reservoir; Siskins and Brambling at Warnham NR

Tuesday 11th February 2025

Weir Wood Reservoir

• Whilst carrying out my regular winter duties, my friend Bob and I heard a really noisy flock of ducks flying over the treetops and out over the reservoir.  They turned out to be Mandarins, my first of the year

Wednesday 12th February 2025

Warnham Nature Reserve, Horsham, Sussex 

A return visit to this site proved very profitable.

• There were several Siskins around today, visiting the feeders at regular intervals.

• A female and, shortly afterwards, a male Brambling were seen foraging on the ground by the feeders and associating with the Chaffinches. 

• The Redpolls were still present.

All photographs are courtesy of Jonathan Hextall whom I met at the screen hide.

2025 species count = 110

New Species:

108   Mandarin

109  Siskin

110  Brambling

Sunday 9^th February 2025

Pagham Harbour, West Sussex

Ashdown Bird Group

(10 members present)

 

Trip Report

Well done, everyone, for helping to eke out a memorable birding experience today in conditions far from ideal!  Most of us saw over fifty bird species, and a few stalwarts who stayed longer managed to see over sixty. 

It rained as we left East Sussex; thankfully, it was dry when we arrived at Pagham Harbour, North Wall, West Sussex. The rain finally caught up with us mid-afternoon, causing us to halt proceedings.  By then we had achieved what we set out to do and had relocated to the Information Centre at Siddlesham for lunch and the sanctuary of the Ferry Hide,

 

 

Our target bird today was the Long-eared Owl. Some of us who came here with the East Grinstead RSPB Group on 19^th January had already seen three, but for others, it would be their first sighting in 2025.  Remember, also, this is one of the two owl species we did not see at Elmley in January.

 

 

 

Pagham Harbour North Wall

We parked on the roadside of Church Lane, near Little Welbourne and walked the short distance to North Wall. 

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

It was high tide and hundreds of birds were on view in the harbour.

•  Brent Geese dominated the scene

Brent Geese on the ground and in the water – courtesy of Ian Hodgson

 

Brent Geese in the air – courtesy of Alison Playle

 

•  There were also lots of Golden Plover on view.

 

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• Surprisingly, a flock of Snipe flew in and joined the proceedings.  Initially, we thought they were Black-tailed Godwits, but on close inspection, they were seen to be Snipe.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• Other birds seen included a couple of Pintail, significant numbers of Teal and Wigeon, Lapwing, Dunlin and Shelduck
•  Alison spotted a Sparrowhawk close to the Pintails.  When it took flight, Phil captured this lovely image.

 

Courtesy of Phil Aylen.

• Other raptors seen included several Buzzards, Kestrels and Marsh Harriers and a Red Kite.

Buzzard – courtesy of Phil Aylen

  

Of course, this was just a sideshow for our main event: to see the three Long-eared Owls known to be in residence just a short distance further west along the North Wall path.   The Owls have been there for well over a month, and despite every effort to suppress this news, birders from all over the county and beyond have visited the site.  Contrary to the expectations of some “experts”, the birds have stayed and seem unperturbed by their celebrity.  Interestingly, on the recent ABG visit to Norfolk, the staff at RSPB Titchwell put out markers to direct birders to the location of the Long-eared Owl

• Using their thermal-imaging cameras, Mark and Phil soon located two Owls in the usual place, and within minutes, we were looking at one of them in our telescopes.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

 

Much time and effort went into getting this best view. The owl rarely moved, and when it did, it was simply to preen. Being so well camouflaged and static presented a tough challenge. I, for example, only saw one of the two. After the owl fest, we walked west before returning to the cars. 

• A flock of Curlew flew in and landed in the field behind the Breech Pool.  We had seen some earlier on the salt marsh, but this was a much bigger gathering.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• Two Little Egrets were also present in the same field.
• A Song Thrush was in the paddock area and was one of the last birds we saw before leaving for the Information Centre

Courtesy of Phil Aylen.

 

Information Centre and Ferry Pool Area

After lunch at the Information Centre we headed out to the Ferry Pool and beyond.  By now the skies were threatening rain so we knew we would not get long in this area. 

The highlights are outlined below.

• Greenfinch was perhaps the pick of the birds at the feeders and was the first one seen in 2025 for some members.

Courtesy of Phil Ayling

 

• The day's surprise was seeing several diving Shovelers on the Ferry Pool!  Alas, only Martin and Mark witnessed this momentous event.  None of us had ever heard of such behaviour.
• The usual waders were present on the Ferry Pool. 
• A Grey Plover was the pick of the waders on the banks of the Ferry Channel.
• A Skylark singing above the field to the south of the ferry Channel was the signal for the end of the trip for most of us.

 

 

Ian and Colin drove to Church Norton, drawn there by reports of two Spoonbills.  Unfortunately, there was no sign of them.

• They added five more species to our list including the Mediterranean Gull shown below

 

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

 

 

A super trip, defying the elements.

Thanks, Martin!

Species list:  

Name:	Count		Name:	Count
Black-headed Gull	1		Little Egret	32
Black-tailed Godwit	2		Little Grebe	33
Blackbird	3		Long-eared Owl	34
Blue Tit	4		Magpie	35
Brent Goose	5		Mallard	36
Buzzard	6		Marsh Harrier	37
Carrion Crow	7		Meadow Pipit	38
Cetti's Warbler	8		Mediterranean Gull	39
Chaffinch	9		Moorhen	40
Collared Dove	10		Mute Swan	41
Coot	11		Oystercatcher	42
Cormorant	12		Pied Wagtail	43
Curlew	13		Pintail	44
Dunlin	14		Red Kite	45
Dunnock	15		Redshank	46
Gadwall	16		Ringed Plover	47
Goldcrest	17		Robin	48
Golden Plover	18		Shelduck	49
Goldfinch	19		Shoveler	50
Great Black-backed Gull	20		Skylark	51
Great Spotted Woodpecker	21		Snipe	52
Great Tit	22		Song Thrush	53
Green Woodpecker	23		Sparrowhawk	54
Greenfinch	24		Starling	55
Grey Heron	25		Stock Dove	56
Grey Plover	26		Teal	57
Herring Gull	27		Turnstone	58
House Sparrow	28		Water Rail	59
Jackdaw	29		Wigeon	60
Kestrel	30		Woodpigeon	61
Lapwing	31		Wren	62

 Species count= 62

2025 species count = 107

New Species:

106 Red Kite 

106  Skylark