23/06/2016 Seaford Head and Cuckmere Haven

Tuesday 23 August 2016
Seaford Head and Cuckmere Haven
Paul and the Group

On a glorious early morning, eight of us did the rounds starting at the car park at South Hill Barn, walking down to Hope Gap and then heading off to the Cuckmere before returning to our cars via Harry's Bush.  We were looking for migrant birds.

• We were greeted by the "cronking" call of a nearby raven. We saw it on the roof of the building next to the parked cars and quite soon we watched it flying, enabling us to take in the ID features.  We must have had at least 4 good sightings of this species on our walk.

• On the way down to Hope Gap the main birds of interest included common whitethroat, lesser whitethroat ( I missed this one), willow warblers and linnets.

• On the cliffs there were several fulmars, great black-backed gulls and 4 little egrets by the sea.  Then, from nowhere, a hobby flew overhead providing us with some super views.

• Along the Cuckmere we saw several rock pipits,  a couple of pied wagtails, a meadow pipit, 2 ringed plovers and 2 dunlin. The stars of the show were however the greenshank in the channel and the yellow wagtails with the cattle in the field.

• Hirundines were present of course.  I saw swallows and at least 5 swifts.

• On the return leg I finally got to see a lesser whitethroat.

• There was signs of activity with regard to butterflies and I saw a several clouded yellows, a speckled wood, a red admiral, a common blue and a small heath. 

• Paul pointed out to us a moon carrot - a rare plant in this area.

A pleasant morning out in an idyllic setting with friends!  There was plenty of evidence that autumn migration is underway