27/11/2019 East Grinstead RSPB Local Group Meeting Mark Mallalieu on Hawfinches, Goshawks and Honey Buzzards in Sussex

Wednesday 27 November 2019
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group Meeting

• It was a pleasure to listen to Mark Mallalieu talking about Hawfinches, Goshawks and Honey Buzzards in Sussex at last nights meeting. 
• It is so refreshing to meet a local talented birder who is both helpful and only too pleased to share his knowledge of these rare birds with the rest of us.
• I knew of him by reputation but this was the first time I had met him in person. The advice he gave and his offer to help other birders was a pleasant surprise and a breath of fresh air.

Delighted to see a packed audience for this event despite the awful weather around.

17/11/2019 East Grinsteas RSPB Outing to Fishbourne Creek (am) and The Burgh (pm)

Sunday 17 November 2019
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

"Make hay while the sun shines"

That was our mantra as we took advantage of a break in the recent awful weather to venture down to West Sussex to enjoy a good day's birding.  13 members met up near the Crown & Anchor pub at Dell Quay to spend the morning looking for birds on Fishbourne Creek before relocating to higher grounds at The Burgh for the afternoon session.

Fishbourne Creek
 



We managed to see a creditable 48 species as we wandered down the creek following the waders as the tide came in.  The highlights are listed below:-

• We were greeted by a sparrowhawk flying overhead as we assembled at the car parking area.
• There were at least 4 spotted redshanks around.
• It was lovely to see 2 kingfishers.  Both were initially flying around.  They then settled on the moored boats, providing us with excellent scope views.
•  4 yellowhammers added to the glamour of the occasion.
• Other birds included grey plover, golden plover, dunlin, ringed plover, lapwing, redshank, oystercatcher, black-tailed godwit, teal, wigeon etc.

The Burgh
 

We managed to push the species count up to 63 with the birds we saw in the afternoon session.  The highlights are listed below:-

• Bird of the day was the fabulous ring-tailed hen harrier that we saw several times during our visit.
• Red kites are staples here and we saw several including a stunning bird that came close to our party.
• There were buzzards and kestrels around too.
• There were not many partridges showing but we did eventually see 3 grey and one red-legged.
• Passerines seen included lots of linnets, goldfinches, fieldfares and long-tailed tits as well as at least 1 goldcrest.

A smashing trip - just the job for our group after the very limited birding opportunities of late.

14/11/2019 Serin at Cedar Farm, Ticehurst, East Sussex

Thursday 14 November 2019
Cedar Farm, Ticehurst, East Sussex

Another afternoon jaunt, this time north east to Ticehurst on the Sussex - Kent border to see a Serin at Cedar Farm.  The weather was awful with lots of rain but thankfully there was a break around 3pm and I was able to do the twitch.

• Thanks to the very helpful owner, Malcolm Phillips, I was soon appraised of the favourite place of the serin and although it was not showing at the time it did put in an appearance about 15 minutes later. 




courtesy of Lee Evans and Twitter

• It was feeding on the ground some 15 metres away and remained in this close position until the next heavy shower came before disappearing again.  




courtesy of Malcolm Freeman and Twitter




• It's a juvenile, male, bird which the owner first noticed on Tuesday before posting the sighting  on RBA and Birdguides.  Surprisingly, I was only the 6th person to respond.

•  Serins have been recorded annually in the UK in small numbers since the 1960s and have bred sporadically since the 1970s (Devon, Dorset, Sussex, East Anglia and the Jersey) but no more than one or two pairs a year.
• Records of serin have almost entirely been from southern and eastern England, but they have never been present in large numbers.

 

 

• Most recorded sightings of serin are in April and May, although it has been recorded in the UK in all months.
• It breeds across southern and central Europe and north Africa. Southern and Atlantic coast populations are largely resident, but the northern breeders migrate further south in Europe for the winter.

 

 

Another good sighting and well worth the short, but tricky, car journey.

13/11/2019 Great Bustard (code 92) near Seaford, Sussex

Wednesday 13 November 2019
Seaford , East Sussex

It's not often you get the chance to see a Great Bustard in Sussex.  In fact the last one was seen over 100 years ago.  So it was a no brainer for me to go to see this bird in a kale field between the villages of Bishopstone and Denton, near Seaford. 

I parked in a lay-by on the Bishopstone Road before walking up the hill to join the main footpath from Bishhopstone to Denton.  From this elevated position I could see the bird feeding at the bottom of the hill just in front of the Stud Farm.  It was bright and sunny so the views were excellent.

On returning to the car I met a Kent birder who I had met earlier. He had been looking in the wrong place for the bird.  As it was getting late, it was easier to take him to the viewing point.  From there, using my scope, he too was able to enjoy the views and I was rewarded with a second helping.



When I got home I checked out the history of this bird. 

• It was first seen on 6 November by Simon Linington, leading a Sussex Ornithological Society walk at Birling Gap.  The bird flew in from the east, much to the astonishment of the 13 in the group.
• The bird landed in a nearby field and for well over an hour many local birders were able to get down to the coast to see it. 



courtesy of Simon Linington and the SOS

• It then flew off again heading west. 

  

courtesy of Matt Eade and Twitter



• The Bustard was next reported on a Seaford residents Facebook group on 8 November.   A non-birder found the bird and described it so well that its ID was soon established.  Without this information, it is highly likely the bird would not have been seen again as the South Downs around Bishopstone is a very underwatched area.

courtesy of Andy Wilkes and Twitter

The bird had a red ring on its left leg, coded 92, although I was unable to see it myself because of the tall vegetation.  From this code the full history of the bird became apparent.

•  Code 92 placed the bird as one of the Wiltshire Great Bustard Reintroduction Scheme birds.....
• ... it is a young female....
• … just shy of 6 months old ….
• …and hatched from an egg brought in from Spain last summer....
• it hasn't been seen in Wiltshire for a couple of weeks.

Word has it that no more imported eggs are planned after this year as the 100+ birds currently here represents an almost self sustaining population.  Great news!



Its a fascinating prospect that here on the south coast we may soon have Great Bustards, White Storks and White-tailed Eagles as a result of the various reintroduction schemes that are in place.


 
What a lovely couple of hours in a local area I have never visited before.