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.