10/12/2020 Velvet Scoter at Sovereign Harbour

Sovereign Harbour

Eastbourne

East Sussex

• A quick trip down to Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne to twitch the velvet scoter that has been around for several days. This was another case where the bird was exactly where the reports said it was.  The scoter was showing really well by the boats 20-30 metres away.

Another great twitch - what an unusual setting for a velvet scoter!

09/12/2020 Dipped on Rustic Bunting and Little Bunting in Surrey

 Thursley Common
Surrey

• I jumped at the chance of a "lifer" and targeted Thursley Common in Surrey for a rustic bunting.  Also, potentially, there was a chance of a little bunting - not a "lifer" but still a rare bird.  The news coming out online also gave the possibility of a great grey shrike.
• Unfortunately I arrived too late (around 2.15 pm) and all of the above had been seen earlier but were not showing.  I stayed till late but had no luck.

• By way of compensation I saw several flocks of crossbills.

Sidlesham
Chichester
West Sussex

• On the way to Surrey I called off at Sidlesham in West Sussex to twitch the richards pipit.  This was a text book visit - the bird was present at the reported place and it was showing really well in the corner of the field.

Tried to do too much today - I should have gone to Thursley Common first.  Hope the birds stay a bit longer so I can try again.!

06/12/2020 Yellow-legged gulls at Cuckmere Haven, Sussex

Sunday 6 December 2020

Cuckmere Haven

Another afternoon jaunt, this time down to Cuckmere Haven on the south coast, to observe the gull roost to see if there are any Caspian gulls or yellow-legged gulls.  The weather was dry, with hardly any breeze but it was cold (5C).  There was a very helpful, local birder, already in place as I arrived.

• There were at least 2 yellow legged gulls showing with the black-backed gulls.
• Alas there were no Caspian gulls around.  I stayed until just before dusk but the size of the gull group actually dwindled - too many walkers I think.

1 out of 2 is not bad and it was well worth the trip.

 Saturday 5 December 2020 

Black-throated Diver at Arlington Reservoir 

First trip out for weeks saw me heading out to nearby Arlington Reservoir this afternoon.  I managed to dodge the rain and enjoy over 90 minutes on this lovely site.

• Target bird was a black-throated diver that was reported on RBA early this afternoon.  I couldn't find it at the northern end as reported but I did pick it up later on from the dam end. 

                             courtesy of BerwickBirds@BerwickBirds and Twitter

                              courtesy of BerwickBirds@BerwickBirds and Twitter

• Other than a small flock of winter thrushes there were no other birds of special interest.

Nice to be out birding again!

14/10/2020 The Lammergeier has reached Sussex!

Wednesday 14 October 2020

South Downs near Beachy Head

No sooner had I finished lunch today, after a lovely trip to Shoreham to see the grey phalarope, when news broke about the lammergeier here in Sussex, close to Beachy Head.  Thus I embarked on my second outing of the day.

• The last report showed the bird to be at East Dean but when I arrived there was no sign of any activity at all so I checked again and found out the lammergeier had moved to the outskirts of nearby village of Litlington.  Litlington is overlooked by High and Over one of the best vantage points on the South Downs.  Messages reaching us from the birders on the high slopes indicated that the bird was close by us but try as we may we could not find it.  Just as we were about to pack up in despair our luck changed and we were back in the hunt for this magnificent creature!
• Some other birders came by and said they had been watching the bird by a nearby pond but it had just flown onto the South Downs just to the east of us.  We headed up the hills and my 2 new colleagues spotted the lammergeier flying. I joined them as quick as I could but alas the bird had dropped down into the valley below and out of sight before I could get a sighting.
• We searched the wooded area and the fields where the guys thought it had landed but to no avail.  Just then Simon, another new colleague and a Brighton birder, arrived with a map of where the birders at High and Over could see the lammergeier.  It was in some trees along the edge of the fields below us and showing well. By sheer good luck and lots of effort we had succeeded.  For the next hour or so, till sunset, we enjoyed lovely views of this giant bird at roost.  

courtesy of Simon

I dearly wanted to see this bird flying so resolved to return tomorrow, before sunrise, to monitor this bird and see it leave the roosting area.

Thursday 15 October 2020

On South Downs just east of Litlington

Back again at the roost site and it's not yet sunrise!  Not many birders around but many are gathering on  the slopes of High and Over hoping for a repeat of yesterday afternoons flying spectacular (which I missed of course).

• The lammergeier is showing well in the tree and as the light improves the number of birders increases.  

courtesy of Jamie Court and Twitter

• We wait until 09.20 to see the lammergeier fly but boy was it worth it as it.  
• It leaves the roost site, flying low over the adjacent fields and picking up an entourage of corvids as it moves.  The views are brilliant - we are about 100 metres away!
• It starts to gain height and heads off east - much to the disappointment of the birders to the west on High and Over.
• Within 5 minutes its all over as the lammergeier heads west towards Jevington and Beachy Head still pursued by an ever increasing band of corvids before disappearing from sight.

courtesy of Malcolm Freeman and Twitter

courtesy of Malcolm Freeman and Twitter

Mission accomplished!  Brilliant flight views to supplement the earlier, lovely, tree shots at the roost site.

It looks like the bird finally left the country mid-afternoon, hopefully on its way to France.  

                                                courtesy of Anne Hart and Sussex Wildlife Trust (note buzzard for size comparison)

          

     Very grateful for its 24+ hour visit to Sussex!

The origin of a giant vulture seen flying over the UK has been discovered after scientists analysed its feathers.

• The bearded vulture, named Vigo, was spotted recently in the skies above Lincolnshire and Norfolk.
• With a wing span of 2.5m (8.2ft), the bird is rarely seen in the UK and is normally found in Alpine regions.
• Genetic tests on feathers discovered by a Yorkshire birder show that Vigo is a female which hatched last year in the French Alps.
• Vigo's appearance in Lincolnshire earlier this month attracted hundreds of bird watchers who gathered at Moulton West Fen near Spalding.
• The bird was first captured on film earlier this year in the Peak District and was believed to have spent the summer in the area.
• Previously, the only other reported sighting of a bearded vulture in the UK was in 2016, around Dartmoor and Monmouthshire.
• Two small feathers were found at a site in the Peak District which allowed the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) to determine the bird was born in a wild nest in the Haute-Savoie region in south-east France.

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

14/10/2020 Grey Phalarope at Shoreham

Wednesday 14 October 2020

Widewater Lagoon, Shoreham, West Sussex

Needing to go out birding after being locked down for a while, the obvious place to go was down to Widewater Lagoon near Shoreham to see the grey phalarope that everyone was singing the praises of.  The weather was cloudy but mild and dry and the wind was just a gentle breeze.

There were plenty of birders who had the same idea so it didn't take long to locate the bird.  It was on the south side of the lagoon, 30 metres from the path,  so the views were awesome.

courtesy of SW London Birder and Twitter

courtesy of Nick Bond and Twitter

courtesy of Nick Bond and Twitter

 A delightful visit and home in time for lunch!

07/10/2020 Ring Ouzel in Sussex

 Wednesday 7 October 2020

Shooters Bottom near Beachy Head, Sussex

For the past 3 years, I have seen ring ouzels on Spring migration in Norfolk.  For Covid 19 reasons I could not do so this year so I was very keen to catch up with them on Autumn migration in Sussex.  Norfolk tends to have more of this species earlier in the year but Sussex has more on the return leg.

• I arrived just on 09.00 and about 20 minutes later I, and about 8 other birders, saw a female ring ouzel,  on the lower western slopes, in the large bush just below our viewing point from the eastern slopes.  The views were quite good as the bird flitted around.  

courtesy of Phillip Wells and Sussex Ornithological Society

• The next 30 minutes or so saw me moving around the site to see if there was a male ring ouzel too.  Alas I could not find one.
• When I returned to the starting point the female was showing again, this time on the eastern slopes about 30 metres due south of me.  It was sitting proud at the top of a low lying bush and gave us brilliant views for several minutes.  It then flew back to it's original position before becoming quite elusive.

Another smart twitch and hopefully the first of many over the next few days of this rather special migrant!

05/10/2020 Three of the best in Norfolk!

Monday 5 October 2020

Norfolk

A dear birding friend died recently and I agreed to help the family to organise the sale of his birding equipment.  My dealer of choice was Cley Spy in Holt, Norfolk as they have provided me with excellent service over the years.  I decided to deliver the items personally so I could get a few hours birding in afterwards - my first visit since February!

.An early start found me at Cley Spy by 09.15 and birding from 10.15 through to 13.30.  The weather was overcast but mild.

• My first port of call was to nearby Salthouse where I was lucky to see a red-necked phalarope on the ponds just a few metres north of the A149.

courtesy of Paul Baker and Twitter

• Next stop was just south of Wells Woods to see the long-staying red-backed shrike which was showing nicely on the fence on the west side of the track.

courtesy of Marcus Nash

• I just had time to call in at Wighton, south of Wells, on the way home to catch up with the Hoopoe that has been around for some time.

courtesy of Sean Gray and Twitter

I even managed to bump into Marcus whilst looking at the Hoopoe.  What a pity I had to cancel the latest trip due to start on Thursday.

Back home and back into lockdown by 16.45 after securing a good deal for the equipment and a delightful Norfolk twitch!

21/09/2020 Seaford Head and the Cuckmere Valley with Paul James and the Group

Monday 21 September 2020

Seaford Head and the Cuckmere Valley

Paul James and Group

Outing number 3 in the current season saw us on the outskirts of Seaford.  4 of us met up at 07.30 at South Hill Barn on Seaford Head.  It was misty at the start but improved rapidly when the sun broke through, giving us a very pleasant 4 hour walk.

Our route took us west towards the golf course then down to the cliffs before turning east towards Hope Gap.  After ascending part of Hope Gap we returned to the cliff route and followed the path west, past the cottages and into the Cuckmere valley.  We then headed inland following the path on the west side of the river.  Just before we reached the Cuckmere Inn we turned south and followed the path towards the coast before heading up the hill, past Harry's Bush and back to the starting point.  

• On Seaford Head there was some evidence of migration, mainly blackcap and chiffchaff plus several meadow pipits and stonechats.
• In the skies we saw kestrel, raven, buzzard and sparrowhawk and several swallows and siskins.
• In the Cuckmere valley the early sightings included a couple of lovely greenshank, a knot, a turnstone  a kingfisher and a small group of teal.
• The later sightings included at least 6 dunlin, a redshank, rock pipit and 2 ringed plovers.
• We saved the best till last, seeing 4 yellow wagtails with the cows just before we headed up the hill to Harry's Bush

A much needed outing - roll on next week and our visit to Thorney Island!

16/09/2020 Curlew Sandpiper at Arlington Reservoir, Sussex

 Wednesday 16 September 2020

Arlington Reservoir

East Sussex

It was good to be out and about birding again.  The weather was ideal for this time of year, 24C with a fresh breeze.  Once again it was a late afternoon visit - this time to Arlington Reservoir  which is just 20 minutes from my home.

The attraction was a gorgeous curlew sandpiper - a first for me this year and a first ever at this reserve.

It was at the dam end of the reservoir, on the "beach", to the east of the water towers, along with 10 dunlin, numerous Canada geese and a few pied wagtails.

courtesy of Arlington Reservoir@ArlyRes

 A cracking hour,  invested at a great site with its wonderful South Downs backdrop!

02/09/2020 My first Dotterel in Sussex

Wednesday 2nd September 2020

near Ditchling Beacon, Sussex

After cancelling yet another Norfolk Tour, I was pleased to read on RBA of 3 dotterel in Sussex, just down the road near Ditchling Beacon.  Dotterel is a species that is very rare for me, having last seen one on a trip to Danby Beacon in Yorkshire with the East Grinstead RSPB Local Group in 2016.

courtesy of Lee Evans and Twitter

• I arrived around 3 pm to find that the birds had moved and temporarily "lost".  After looking down the east side of the stony field I returned to the original site where the birds were showing once again.
• One was showing prominently just below the horizon, sitting peacefully - enjoying a rest after their earlier activity - which, unfortunately happened before I arrived.
• Initially this bird was the centre of the discussion until someone with a better angle spotted the second bird immediately behind.  
• Soon after the third bird was located only a few metres away but once more, stationary.

By now there were too many birders arriving so I decided to leave and go back into lockdown - alas missing out on seeing these lovely birds moving around.

A first for me in Sussex and my 200th bird of the year!

In this covid-tarnished year it's a landmark I didn't expect to reach!

20/08/2020 With Paul James and Group Pagham Harbour, West Sussex

For the second of our outings this year we were joined by Andrew, Jan and Chris, swelling our ranks to 10.  This time we were in West Sussex at Pagham Harbour on a glorious autumn day - lots of sunshine and a gentle breeze.  Paul had planned the walk, starting on the east side, looking for waders on the incoming tide, then heading out west along the North Wall and returning just as the water levels reached their peak.

There was a bountiful array of birds on show:

• Cattle egrets were the dominant species today with nigh on 30 seen, 14 immediately as we headed east and the rest from the North Wall and surrounding fields.  It is incredible to think that they are now breeding here; it is only in 2014 that I saw my first one in the UK after several failed but humorous attempts to find one in Sussex, Hampshire,/Dorset and Devon.
• There were plenty of waders to see including a bar-tailed godwit, several black-tailed godwits, knot x2, common sandpiper, whimbrel x2, greenshank x2, grey plover x4,as well as the usual suspects dunlin, oystercatcher, ringed plover, redshank, lapwing and curlew.
• We even managed to see another whinchat on the fences with 6 or so wheatear on the west side later on.

Just after 1 pm 7 of us relocated to Siddlesham Ferry where the sandpipers were the focus.

• A wood sandpiper was still there - although it took some time to find it; there was also a green sandpiper and 4 common sandpipers.  
• By way of a bonus at least one more whinchat was seen on the fences at the back of the pool.

At this point the group started to break up with 2 more going home.  Paul had alerted me earlier to an osprey sighting at nearby Thorney Island and his advice was for me to head off there next before the tide went out too far.  So I left the remaining group members as they moved around the harbour towards Church Norton.

• I tried  the viewing gate opposite Eames Farm but it was occupied by another birder, who obviously didn't want company so I headed off to the west of the island along Thornham Lane to the MOD entry gate.   
• After scanning the area with my scope I found the bird sitting on a post by the cows in the distant fields.  It dropped to the ground after a while but soon reappeared on an adjacent post enabling me to get some reliable but distant views.  
• I alerted Lyn and her husband to the osprey and we continued to look until it dropped down from the post again and out of sight.  At this point I had to leave but I noticed that they tweeted later on that they had seen the bird flying.

• Another excellent day out with the group - we are gradually getting back to maximum numbers.  
• Can't wait for the next one Paul!

14/08/2020 Glossy Ibis at Dungeness

Friday 14 August 2020

Dungeness, Kent

It was high time that I took a look at the glossy ibis that has been on the ARC Pit at Dungeness since last Sunday evening.  My chance came this afternoon after Sue and I got back from the vets.  The weather was looking unsettled as I drove down to the Kent coast but thankfully it was dry and calm when I arrived at 4.30 pm.

• The glossy ibis was showing well at the place where it had been seen regularly all week.  The only problem was the screen hide was closed and the only possible viewing area was a little further towards the cooling tower and then only after peering over the raised bank - something we should not really be doing.

I didn't stay long as I would have disturbed the birds and also because the car park was due to close at 5 pm!

courtesy of mike link and twitter

• I moved the car down to Dengemarsh Road and then walked onto the RSPB reserve hoping to see a bittern or a bearded tit from the raised viewing point.  Sadly I saw neither but I was compensated by the sight of a marsh harrier in flight and a close reed warbler as I followed my route.

Yet another successful late afternoon foray! 

13/08/2020 Wood Sandpipers at RSPB Pagham

Thursday 13th August 2020

RSPB Pagham

There was a glut of wood sandpiper sightings in my area today and I was spoiled for choice as to where to go to see them.  With heavy showers forecast after the really hot weather of late, I opted to make the long journey down to Pagham Harbour near Chichester where 2 were reported on the Ferry Pool.  I could get closer views of the birds there and if the weather did turn nasty I was only 2 minutes away from the car. As it turned out all the wet weather came during my journey down and it had gone through by the time I arrived at the Ferry Hide just before 4pm. 

• Exactly as reported, there were 2 wood sandpipers showing well at the far end of the pool.  I watched them for a good length of time, including a lovely period where they were having fun chasing each other around before they flew across the pool from right to left and settled again.

courtesy of Andy Wilkes and Twitter

• I also got a bonus bird - a kingfisher - as I scanned down the channel from the pumping station.  The bird was flying in towards me and landed on a pole just a few metres away.  It didn't stay long as it was disturbed by a couple of approaching walkers on their way west towards Church Norton.

A most enjoyable experience.

12/08/2020 With Paul James and Group near Birling Gap, Sussex

Wednesday 12 August 2020

Birling Gap, Sussex

My first outing with Paul and the group, for over a year, turned out to be most enjoyable and very rewarding, with plenty of the migrants around. 7 of us made the trip to the Sussex coast near Beachy Head -  it was so good to meet up with everyone again.

 An early, 07.30 start was called for to maximise our chances of encountering the birds.  It also meant we could start with temperatures of 19C and get most of our birding done before things got too hot - around the 30C range by midday.    

We parked at Birling Gap before heading east, up the hill past the Belle Tout Lighthouse and on to Shooters Bottom before crossing the road, ascending the hill before turning and returning to the car via Hodcombe Farm and Horseshoe Plantation. 

• The tone for the morning was set right at the start when I found Paul, Ian and Brenda watching a lively cluster of corn buntings, whitethroats and goldfinches, as I arrived at the car parking area.  
• Pick of the sea birds was the fulmars which we saw as we neared the top of the hill.
• Many swallows were present but not in the vast numbers that will be here in a couple of weeks time when migration is in full swing. 
• We saw a peregrine early on and then another on the return leg of our journey.  A kestrel and a buzzard were also seen.
• At Shooters Bottom we saw several lesser whitethroats in with the many common whitethroats.

Julie and Malcolm had to leave us at this point to attend to matters at home.

• What was a very good morning got even better when we crossed the road at the half way point.  Just over the hill, in the valley, we saw 10 wheatears on the fence and they were joined by a stunning whinchat, my first this year!
• Paul also saw a raven and a redstart.

Paul got a call from his son Gareth telling us about a couple of sightings of pied flycatchers just up the road from where we were parked.  Thankfully the car park by the Old Trapping Area was empty and we were able to go looking for this migrant.

• Paul soon located the bird but it disappeared before most of us could get on to it.  However Alan and Paul found it again and we enjoyed really good views.

• A great day out with the group - I have to admit that without the invite I would have remained at home to avoid the sweltering heat. 
• Some smashing sightings; I was particularly pleased to see the pied flycatcher, a bird I normally see in Cumbria in May but not possible this year of course.

07/09/2020 Arundel WWT and Pagham Harbour

 Friday 7 August 2020

Arundel WWT

Sara and I braved the sweltering heat to go round the WWT centre at Arundel. We were very impressed with the way they were operating in this Covid 19 era; the one-way system worked well, the limits on numbers in the hides were adhered to generally and the eating/toilet facilities were excellent.

We were quite lucky with the birding too:-

• There was a distant cattle egret on one of the islands on the main lake as well as the more common little egrets.
• As always, this is a good place to see sand martins.  We saw dozens flying overhead.
• It was nice to see some reed warblers from the hides.  Several sedge warblers flitted about in the reeds as we moved along the paths.
• Bird of the day for me however was a captive bird.  Several black-necked grebes, in wonderful summer plumage, swam within 1 metre of us, enabling us to enjoy superb views.

courtesy of Richard Steel

 

courtesy of Stephen Govan and Flicker

• We had a couple of sightings of kingfisher, the last one being a close view of one perched on the bare branches of a tree in the water.

A very pleasant couple of hours, rounded off with a superb vegan pasty from the canteen.

 Church Norton and Pagham Harbour

As we had some time to spare, we decided to visit Pagham Harbour, just before high tide.  Alas, there were no car parking spaces at all at Church Norton so we parked at the RSPB Visitor Centre and walked to the Ferry Hide - my first chance to see this new facility.  

The hide was closed but we did some birding from the balcony and the adjacent banking area:-

• The usual suspects were showing well, including black-tailed godwits, black-headed gulls, lapwings, and a greenshank. 

Can't beat birding in the company of your daughter - thanks Sara!

23/07/2020 Birds of Prey

Thursday 23 July 2020

Shaun invited out me late morning to go looking for raptors in the area around his home.  Conditions were ideal with a light breeze with a bright, sunny outlook. We had immediate success, which was great, but it did mean the later stages were inevitably an anti-climax.

• The first birds we saw were not raptors at all but a superb, small family of mistle thrush, comprising parents and a juvenile.
• Just after this, a sparrowhawk flew overhead and not long after another 2 joined it.
• Several buzzards were seen.
• A hobby also graced us with its presence.
• Pride of place went to a honey buzzard that showed well high in the sky quite close to us.

We visited several other viewing points close by but we were unable to replicate anything like this.

• The best we got late on were 3 yellowhammers which we heard then saw high in the trees close to where we were standing.

Thanks for a great couple of hours birding Shaun.

16/07/2020 Dipped on Roseate Tern and still had a fabulous trip!

Thursday 16 July 2020
Church Norton, near Chichester, Sussex

I can't believe, at my age, that I was stood up by a bird in Church Norton yet still enjoyed my evening!  Let me explain.

The bird in question was a roseate tern which, after a reported mid afternoon sighting, spurred me on to make the journey down to Chichester to see it.  In the 75 minutes or so it took me to get there however, the bird flew out to sea again.  The advice from he local birders was to simply sit on the bench and wait for it's return on the high tide.


That was an easy thing to do.  It was such a gorgeous evening - sunny and very calm.

• There were at least 2 close whimbrels showing on the mud in front of me.
• A greenshank was patrolling along the edges of the nearest channel.
• A common sandpiper joined us later on just before the high tide.
• It was nice to see a pair of ringed plovers close by - and a chick.
• I lost count of the number of med gulls on show - most in lovely summer plumage still.
• The undoubted stars of the show however were the terns with lots of little terns, even more sandwich terns and the odd common tern on display.

As the tide came in I and 2 other local birders grew more and more confident about seeing the roseate tern but it was not to be and around 9 pm I decided to call it a day and head home.

It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had at Church Norton and one that kept me there even though BHAFC were on telly, playing a crucial Premier League match at Southampton.  Even an Albion goal could not stir me from my cracking birding position.  

Two days on and the roseate tern(s) have still not returned - only a small consolation!

12/07/2020 Oare Marshes for Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull

Sunday 12 July 2020
Oare Marshes

I spent a very rewarding, late afternoon session, at Oare Marshes in the gorgeous July sunshine.  The target species was the ever-returning Bonaparte's gull.  High tide was due around 5 - 6 pm so I arrived around 4 pm hoping to see the bird on the strategically better viewing area of the east flood rather then on the mud by the River Swale. To add spice to the visit, a lesser yellowlegs had turned up on the reserve and I was hoping to see it too.

Neither bird was showing when I got there, although both had been seen earlier in the day.

• I did manage to see a couple of whimbrel with the godwits, about 50 metres from my viewing point on the road.
• A water rail was also showing well.

With nothing special happening I decided to walk anticlockwise around the reserve.

• From the opposite bank I could see a greenshank, my first of 2020.

When I got back to my starting position, both birds had reappeared.

• The lesser yellowlegs was closest, barely 30 metres away and showing really well as it foraged on the edge of the water.

courtesy of Rich Bonser and Twitter

• About 20 metres further away, the Bonaparte's gull was resting with the main godwit flock, beside a couple of shelduck. It was nice to see it still in summer plumage - my last couple of sightings here in previous years were much later, after the bird had gone into winter plumage.

courtesy of Mike Hook and Facebook

• On the way home I called in at Bough Beech where I found one of the green sandpipers Alan C had told me about at our Weir Wood working party group last Tuesday. 

Good to be out and about again after going back into lockdown. The recent spate of Covid 19 easing measures had unnerved Sue and I.

20/06/2020 East Guldeford Yellow Wagtails

Saturday 20 June 2020
East Guldeford near Rye, Sussex

Enjoyed a splendid day out on Romney Marshes with David, a fellow local birder.  Thanks to the farmer who gave us permission to park our cars on his land at Moneypenny Farm. We followed the anticlockwise loop down towards Camber before turning for the return leg.  The weather was almost ideal - warm and sunny with only a light breeze.

• Highlight of the trip were the 6+ yellow wagtails we saw on the eastern edges of the farm.  They were by the field bean crop and not associating with any of the cows close by.

courtesy of David Williams

• We also got a cracking view of a corn bunting at the start.
• Reed buntings, skylarks and reed warblers were ubiquitous as you would expect.
• Larger birds included kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzard.
• No sign of any tree sparrows today I'm afraid!

Great to be out and about in this lovely area.  

Got back to the car to catch the end of the Albion game against the Arsenal - well done boys!

10/06/2020 A Red-footed Falcon on the South Downs

Wednesday 10 June 2010
near Beeding Hill on the South Downs

This afternoon I made the short trip by car to Beeding Hill to check out the red-legged falcon that had been reported on Rare Bird Alert.  After a 15 minute walk SE along Monarchs Way I joined other Sussex birders, at the bottom of the hill, who were already watching this lovely bird.

• Initially it was perched on a fence, 50 metres or so from us with its back to us - irritatingly!  It dropped to the ground, giving better views, before jumping back on to the fence.

courtesy of Ian Barnard and Twitter

• Soon it took flight and we were able to enjoy excellent flight views.

courtesy of Ian Barnard and Twitter

• It then landed on a fence, actually on Monarchs Way, on the opposite side of the hill to us.  The views were still very good.
• Things really got better when it was disturbed by a couple of walkers who were coming down the hill towards us.  The bird took flight and headed towards us, landing on a  fence post just 25 metres away.  We really were spoiled by the stunning close views.
• It then took flight again, this time flying up the hill on our side before landing on a fence post once again.

With clouds gathering and looking ominous, I headed back to the car park, arriving just in time as the heavens opened.

What a terrific birding experience - 45 minutes of pure bliss!

09/06/2020 My First Marsh Warbler!

Tuesday 9 June 2020
Kings Mead, Ware, Bedfordshire

Last Saturday, a marsh warbler was reported at King's Mead on the outskirts of Ware in Bedfordshire.  Since then successive accounts have told of the bird singing well and showing on and off.  When it was seen again early this morning, day 4, I decided to go for it.

• I arrived just before 13.00 and the bird was singing away in its favoured bush 50 metres away; it was not showing however.   
• After 20 minutes or so I got my first, very brief, view as the warbler emerged from the dense centre portion of the bush, before disappearing again.  
• Not long after I got another view, this time much clearer - but once more all too brief.  

I was feeling really confident at this point and couldn't wait to get a good scope view.

• Alas, all went quiet from there on and over the next 2 hours we hardly saw it again and, worst of all - it stopped singing!
• I left just after 16.00 hours and went home.  

• Looking at the news there were no later sightings.

Word has it the best sightings and singing occurred early morning, although the  outstanding event  seems to have been just after a thunderstorm over the weekend, as the sun came out.

courtesy of Stuart Fox and Twitter

• A  disappointing finale to what had been a promising start!  
• Still it's great to hear a marsh warbler singing on English soil and the sightings, albeit short, were very sweet.

24 hours on and I feel much better about my experience.  I must have been one of the last people to see this bird as there have been no further sightings since my visit.

Range and Habitat

Marsh Warbler: Former resident breeder, now rare summer breeder in England. Grounds are likely restricted to south-eastern England near Kent. Arrives at breeding grounds in late spring or early summer. Winters in east Africa. Prefers scrub areas of dense vegetation with tall bushes.

INTERESTING FACTS

• The Marsh Warbler likely has a secure population within Europe, however the UK population has fallen and is of serious conservation concern.
• Vagrants of this species have been recorded as far away from each other as Iceland and Madeira.
• This warbler is an excellent mimic and on average incorporates the songs of 31 European and 45 African species into its repertoire.

06/06/2020 Black-winged Stilt at Rye Harbour, Sussex

Saturday 6 June 2020
Rye Harbour NNR

Went for a late afternoon/early evening twitch down to Castlewater on the Rye Harbour NNR.  Worryingly, as I made the long trek to the hide, some returning birders reported that they had not seen the black-winged stilt that had been reported there earlier.

• Thankfully the bird was there and showing very well from the hide.  It was on the far side of the water feeding on one of the small islands and looking majestic in the evening sunshine.
• On the way to the hide I was accompanied by scores and scores of low flying swifts - you don't see one for ages then over the next week or so you get hundreds!
• House martins also provided a welcome backdrop as I was watching the stilt - flying low over the water.

Terrific experience - plenty of exercise and a rather special bird to boot!

03/06/2020 Week 3 of Easing of Lockdown Restrictions

Nothing much to report this week!  Despite the extra freedom Boris is allowing, we stayed in lockdown going out only to walk the dogs, exercise and do a minimum amount of birding.

Knepp 28/05/2020

After the wonderful experiences at Knepp last week, I felt a desperate need to see a turtle dove.  Remember I had heard them frequently but a sighting proved elusive.  With this in mind, last Thursday I decided to go back once more but this time with a specific brief to see one.

• I was on site just after 7am and by 7.15 am I had succeeded when a delightful turtle dove was showing near the top of a dead tree - a couple of hundred metres away but giving great scope views.
• By way of a bonus and prior to seeing the turtle dove, I also saw another cracking cuckoo - also in a dead tree.

By 8 am I was on my way home to surprise Sue and the dogs - job done!

Exercising

• More swifts this week.  The best show was tonight on my way home from the town centre after my long walk.  There were scores of them flying low over the roof tops and making a hell of a racket - much to my delight.

Dog Walking

• Nice to see the mallards with their new chicks on the pond near my home.
• Even more pleasing was the sight of our local moorhens with at least 5 new chicks in tow as they swam around the pond.
• Several really good sightings of green woodpeckers in the play area adjacent to the pond and another, of a pair, at the Millennium Green on one of our longer walks.

Quiet week but delightful still!

27/05/2020 Week 2 of Easing of Lockdown Restrictions

The second week of the easing of lockdown saw more frantic activity from me as I tried to catch up with the birds in the area.

Wednesday 20/05/2020      Hobby

David, a local birding friend, and myself visited my patch in the Ashdown Forest looking for honey buzzard.  Conditions were ideal - it was warm and dry with a little breeze. 

• There were lots of buzzards showing, but, alas, none of the type we wanted. 
• We did however see 2 hobbies, flying high above us and showing well in our scopes.

Thursday 21/05/2020         Acres Down in Hampshire

The next day I decided to travel to Acres Down in Hampshire to see if I could have more luck there with honey buzzard and also to check out the wood warbler situation. 

• On both counts, I failed miserably.  There was so little activity it was unbelievable - no-one I met had seen either species.
• On the way home I called in at Church Norton to check out the terns.  The hot weather had brought out people in their droves so I just spent a few minutes looking before retreating to the car and going home.  I did see the sandwich terns and the common terns but soon gave up on the little terns.  

Saturday 23/05/2020   Swifts and Swifts!

Astonishingly, I had not seen swifts in 2020 but today, in very windy conditions, I managed  to see them, at 2 different locations.

• whilst walking the dogs with Sue in the fields by the hospital in Uckfield we saw 2 swifts fly by high in the skies above us.
• that same evening, at West Rise Marsh near Eastbourne, there were scores of them flying over the water. 

Monday 25/05/2020     Quail

I wanted to address the tern issue again and was undecided whether to go back to Church Norton near Chichester or to try Rye Harbour.  The matter was settled when news came through of a quail singing on the South Downs above Sompting on the way to Chichester.  This time I travelled down in the evening to avoid meeting the bank holiday revellers.

• I called in at the site indicated by the grid reference but could not hear the quail.  I had just started to go back to the car when, 50 metres or so away, the quail was calling - not from the edges of the corn field but from the adjacent scrub by the path.  It was only a brief call, unlike the last time I was in this area and the bird just wouldn't shut up! 
• I waited a few more minutes and then heard the unmistakable call again to clinch the ID.  There was no chance to get a visual on this elusive bird in the dense scrub.
• By way of a bonus I saw my first corn bunting of the year as I was walking to the quail site.  It was singing away at the top of a bush by the footpath.
• at Church Norton, I had the place to myself and sat on the bench watching the terns enjoying the evening sunshine.  This time at least 2 little terns were showing well on the edges of the water and occasionally flying around.

Tuesday 26 May 2020    

 Nightjars and Tawny Owls at Churlwood in the Ashdown Forest.

Last week I spent so much time looking for nightjars at the Old Airstrip and at Hindleap that I forgot to check my own patch at Churlwood.  Alastair had sent me a message to confirm they had returned so I paid a visit.

• On the way to Churlwood, a tawny owl flew in front of the car.  It crossed the A22 just outside of Uckfield as it moved from one wooded area to another over the road.
• At Churlwood, around 9.10 pm I heard a nightjar churring and it repeated this every 5 minutes or so for the next 20 minutes. 
• Despite the good conditions, the light was poor and I never managed a sighting.  Not to worry though - my aim was to confirm its presence to maintain a 100% attendance record since I took on the patch.

Another good week with lots of birds seen.

20/05/2020 Week 1 of Easing of Lockdown Restrictions

It is exactly one week since the lockdown restrictions were eased to allow travel by car.  Our dog walking was still based in the area around the home - we never use the car to transport the dogs to the popular sites - and I managed to see my first house martin of the year on one such walk. 

I took the opportunity to use the car to venture out further into the Sussex countryside to do some birding on my own.  Two tried and trusted venues - the Ashdown Forest, only 15 minutes away by car, and the Knepp Estate, involving a longer drive of 45 minutes or so - were obvious starting points. 

Ashdown Forest

Old Lodge NNR

I managed 3 trips to Old Lodge, looking for spring migrants.

• I had early success with redstarts, seeing a female on my first visit and a stunning male on my second.  I was also delighted to find a couple on my patch at Churlwood later on in the week.
• tree pipits were in fine voice and present in good numbers.  I witnessed one performing it's unmistakable song flight - the tree pipit rose a short distance up from the tree, and then parachuted down on stiff wings.
• woodlarks were prevalent.
• I heard the cuckoo several times but it was always a long way off so I couldn't get a  sighting.
• willow warblers were singing out all over the reserve.

Nightjars

I made 6 successive visits to the forest around sunset to see if the nightjars had returned.  In each case, despite the clear skies, there was no moonlight so visibility was poor once the sun had set.  Venus was showing well though!

• the first 2 nights at Hindleap produced no nightjars but I did see at least 3 roding woodcocks. 
• the next 2 nights I visited the Old Airstrip but there were no nightjars or woodcock there either.  I had to settle for another cuckoo calling in the distance and a very vocal tree pipit.
• on Sunday night I heard a nightjar churring at Hindleap about 9.10 pm but I was unable to see it.  I also called in at the old airstrip on the way home and heard a churring nightjar there too - but, again, no sighting.
• on Monday night things changed dramatically.  I had a brilliant view of a nightjar at Hindleap - the bird flew right by me, less than 10 m away.  A second bird was churring away in the distance so clearly we are starting to get an influx here.  
• also on Monday night there were at least 3 churring nightjars at the Old Airstrip and I managed a very poor fleeting view of one of them. 

The signs look very good for nightjars again! 

I prefer to go to Hindleap where there is more chance of seeing woodcock but the Old Airstrip, with its more open aspect, offers easier viewing and it's possible to view till later.

The Knepp Estate

I made 2 early morning visits to the Knepp Estate, targeting turtle doves and  nightingales.  The weather conditions were superb with bright sunshine and very little wind.

This was truly an astonishing visit - the place was teeming with interesting birds.

• on at least 5 occasions I heard turtle doves purring away in the trees - the most I have ever encountered here.  The only real disappointment was not being able to see any of them.  Each time I was faced with tall bushes/vegetation preventing me from seeing into the nearby trees where the birds were.  
• nightingales were singing all over the place with at least 5 territories encountered on my rounds - again the most I have ever had there.
• white storks were showing all around the site.  The moment I will cherish most was seeing 6 of them flying above me.  To see such magnificence here in the UK was mind boggling.
• whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, blackcaps, garden warblers etc, etc, were present.
• after 6+ attempts, I finally got to see a cuckoo and boy was it worth the wait!  One was showing brilliantly in a tree just ahead of me and I watched it till it flew a hundred metres to the next tree where I watched it again.

This place just gets better and better. 

I was so disappointed when our East Grinstead RSPB group conducted tour had to be cancelled due to the corona virus outbreak.  This was a brilliant compensation.

Rodmell to Lewis Riverside Walk

 I treated myself to an evening walk along the River Ouse from Rodmell (of Virginia Woolf fame) to Lewis to finish the first week of freedom.

The birding was nothing to write home about with lots of other people following this route but I did manage to add some new birds to my year list.

• reed warblers and sedge warblers were obvious additions.
• 4 common sandpipers flew past me on the outward journey and again on the return leg.

An unbelievable amount of birding this week with lots of migrants seen.  Plenty of exercise too, with well over a marathon walked this week, maintaining my lockdown average.