26/03/2018 My first Chiffchaff of 2018

Monday 26 March 2018
Ashdown Forest

• Saw my first Chiffchaff of 2018 today as I did my patch survey.

25/03/2018 Acres Down and Blashford Lakes

Hampshire Birding
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

I spent a thoroughly delightful day in Hampshire as part of a group of 10 members of the East Grinstead Local RSPB Group.  We didn't manage to see the main attractions at either site but still enjoyed an interesting and very satisfying birding opportunity with over 50 species seen.

Acres Down

• Although it was mild, the visibility was not good with a lingering mist.  Try as we did we could not see any Goshawks.  Only one was seen before we arrived - as well as a surprising Lesser- spotted Woodpecker.
• By way of compensation we saw a couple of Hawfinches.  The first, as we arrived at the car park - sitting at the top of a tall tree facing us.  The second, similarly placed but seen from the Raptor viewing point.
• Birds were in short supply but we did see our customary Woodlark and several Stonechats.  In the woods by the car park there were Coal Tits, Treecreepers, Goldcrests,  Great- spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches.

                                                               Blashford Lakes
The weather was brightening up as we arrived at Blashford Lakes.

• We had lunch in the Woodland Hide where we enjoyed superb views of Brambling (x9),  lots of Reed Buntings and Siskins as well as the usual suspects.
• On Ibsley Water we immediately saw the Little Gull flying in front of us and soon afterwards one of the group picked out the Little Ringed Plover.  It was nice to see the Goosanders again - one of the sites best loved species.

There was no sign of the Black-necked Grebe and we left before the roost so missed the Ring-billed Gull.

Everyone went home very happy, showing that it's possible to have a great day out even after dipping on the star species!

11/03/2018 150 up and it's a Snowy Owl at Snettisham!

Sunday 11 March 2018
Snettisham, Norfolk

A Snowy Owl!   What a great way to bring up my 150th species sighting of 2018!  And at Snettisham - one of my favourite sites in Norfolk.

Snowy Owl at Snettisham
courtesy of Marcus Nash

I took my first chance to go and see this bird today.  At about 11.00 news came through that it had been sighted at the far end of Snettisham, near the Shore Hide, so I was off in the car hoping to get there before the owl flew off.

Its presence was confirmed on Friday and it moved to the Thornham/Titchwell area on Saturday.  Unfortunately, I couldn't go on either day and thought my chance had gone.

I arrived just after 16.00 and spent two and a half hours watching this magnificent creature in the company of fellow Sussex birders Matt and Gareth who had also made the long journey north.  There must have been 50 - 100 birders around even at this late stage on day 3.  It was nice to meet up with Marcus and his son Luke as well as Jake and his friends.

• The Snowy Owl was sitting on a post, less than 100 metres away for most of the time. It did fly a couple of times, first to an adjacent post 20 metres away and then on to the bank another 20 metres back from the posts.  It frequently turned its head to face us. The conditions were ideal so the views were spectacular, much better, apparently, than the ones from previous days.

Snowy Owl at Snettisham
courtesy of Marcus Nash

Thanks to front cover photographer @pebblesphoto for sharing this wonderful pictures of the snowy owl spotted at RSPB Snettisham yesterday 

The article below, taken from the local newspaper sums up the situation admirably.

A snowy owl made an “extremely rare” visit to Norfolk over the weekend - thousands of miles away from its usual feeding ground.

The birds usually live in the far north around the Arctic circle and rarely venture south of northern Scotland.

But the RSPB has today confirmed a female snowy owl - made famous as Harry Potter’s owl, Hedwig - has been spotted at Snettisham in West Norfolk.

The charity said hundreds of bird watchers gathered at the reserve, as well as at Titchwell Marsh to catch a glimpse.

A spokesman for the RSPB said: “These strikingly white birds are more commonly found in the high Arctic tundra rather than the coastal regions of Britain.

“During winter months they can migrate southwards looking for food sources and it’s possible that this bird came from Scandinavia or even as far away as Canada with the recent snap of cold weather.”

Unlike other species of owl, snowy owls are active during daylight hours and may be seen gliding low over ground looking for small mammals such as voles or event rabbits.

The birds are content to sit still for long periods of time, either on a low perch or boulder, making them ideal for wildlife fans.

The news of the snowy owl’s arrival was broadcast through the birding community and within hours, people started to arrive from all over Norfolk and beyond, the RSPB said.

• Also seen was a very obliging Barn Owl.
• On the way up I saw a Red Kite.

• The last sighting in Norfolk was 1991.  
• Prior to that, you have to go back to 1938 to find another record of the bird in Norfolk.

What a great way to get my first "lifer" of  2018!