Lockdown Birding Update

Sunday 17 January 2021

Update

Not too much to report for last week.  Apart from a brief meeting with Tom at Weir Wood to gather some cheques and cash as part of my treasures duties, I  restricted my exercise pattern to walks around the estate where I live.

• Whilst at Weir Wood the only new species seen was Pochard, when 3 of these showed well from the viewing point by the hide.
• In Victoria Park I managed to add Goldcrest and Long-tailed Tit to my year list.

Keeping fit by walking in the neighbourhood, not using the car at all, so  not able to see many new birds

Lockdown Birding

The situation with regard to Covid 19 has reached crisis level and a second lockdown was introduced earlier this week effectively confining us to the home.  This didn't change too much for Sue and me as we have been self isolating since last March but it did mean even less use of the car.  My only birding opportunities have come from dog walking/exercising etc. Nevertheless I have recorded some sightings and they are summarised below.

• It was relatively easy to add Feral Pigeon, Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Sparrowhawk to my list on Wednesday 6th January when I ventured north.
• A walk south saw me adding Bullfinch, Fieldfare, Kestrel and Yellowhammer to the list on Thursday.
• I returned next day and headed even further south by the River Ouse to find the long-staying Little Owl - easily my bird of the week.  The fieldfares ran it a close second - they were there in good numbers feeding on the ground before flying up into into the tall trees.  I also added my first Green Woodpecker of 2021 to the list.
• On Saturday afternoon I walked to Buxted Park and waited till dusk hoping to see the Barn Owl.  I was just about to give up and walk home d the lovely bird flew over my head before disappearing behind the main wall.

Just like in the first lockdown, I am making the most of the local birding - enjoying the exercise and appreciating whatever birds I find.

04/01/2020 Cuckmere Haven

Monday 4 January 2021

Cuckmere Haven

The weather was the winner today!  It was raining all day, nothing too heavy but enough to think twice before venturing out.  I waited till mid afternoon before deciding to go down to the Cuckmere and look for rare gulls.

• There were non to be seen I'm afraid.  The gull roost was down to less than 50 birds and most of them were either Great Black-backed Gulls or Black-headed Gulls. 
• There were several Curlews and Little Egrets around.
• In the channels I saw my first Redshanks of the year.  
• On the way down, I saw a raft of about 50 close Wigeon on the sea just east of the cottages.  There were also at least 5 distant Gannets on the sea.
• I got a pleasant surprise when a Goosander showed in the channel just down from the cottages.  Reports had mentioned one being present but I thought it had subsequently departed.  Obviously not!

A pleasant, if somewhat wet visit, which provided me with much needed exercise and several sightings to boot!

03/01/2021 Pevensey Levels

 Sunday 3 January 2021

Pevensey Levels

Went walking on Pevensey Levels this afternoon, following a westerly loop from New Bridge Farm and moving around to Horse Eye Level.  The weather was cold and overcast but it was dry.  Conditions underfoot were not easy with lots of mud!

•  I soon located my first Great White Egret of the day and indeed of the year.
• Quite soon afterwards I spotted my first Grey Heron of 2021, quickly followed by a Marsh Harrier sighting.
•  White-fronted Geese had been reported here in good numbers yesterday.  I saw at least 5 amongst the Greylag Geese.  I met up with a couple of local walkers who told me the main flock were likely to be by the ponds  a little further south and west.  I was happy to see my little group of geese so plodded on along the muddy circuit.
• Pride of place today went to the ringtail Hen Harrier I saw about 30 minutes into my walk.  It was flying over the reed beds and looked majestic in the fading light.  It's a pity I didn't get here sooner, perhaps to catch the male. 
• Near the end of my circuit I came across my first Reed Buntings of the year - the males looking particularly well in the prevailing light.

This was the first time I had walked this route and despite the hazardous muddy paths I really enjoyed the experience.  10,000+ steps and 6 more bird species for my year list - can't be bad!

Perhaps I will repeat the exercise again soon, this time starting from Marshfoot Lane in Hailsham.

02/01/2021 Newhaven for Purple Sandpipers

 Saturday 2 January 2021

Newhaven

My exercise session today took me to Newhaven where my target species was Purple Sandpiper.  This is my favourite place to see this lovely winter visitor and where most of my success has been in the past.

The weather was milder than yesterday but there was rain in the air.  

Having read about recent sightings on both the west and the east quay, I started on the west side, also hoping to see Fulmars on the cliffs.  I was out of my depth as to where to look for Purple Sandpipers - there were none on the tide line by the quay and I couldn't access the west quay itself.  To make matters worse, there were no Fulmars flying around the cliffs.

• By way of compensation, I saw a male Stonechat and a Rock Pipit on the rocks beside the quay.

With the weather getting worse and the rain settling in I decided to switch to the east side - to my usual venue, hoping to gain access to the quay.  Last time I was here there was no access to the quay because of lots of development work in the area.  This time I was OK and access was allowed.

• Having checked the nearby tide line, I walked to the end of the quay and back but saw no sandpipers only a solitary Turnstone that popped up on one of the beams at ground level.  I set up my scope some 50 metres east of the quay and scanned the lower reaches of the quay but still without success.  
• I knew they were around, there had been regular sightings, so I decided to try again and walked along the quay once more.  This time I saw a couple of Purple Sandpipers flying below the lowest part of the structure so I followed their path and soon located one, displaying beautifully below me.  It had been hard work but well worth the effort.

I finished off at Splash Point but I gave up on finding the Black Redstart.  There were far too many people around and even a couple clambering over the rocks by the viewing point so I gave up and went home.

A hard fought afternoon session which added 4 more species to the 2021 Year List.

1 January 2021 Welcome to 2021

 Friday 1 January 2021

Despite the lockdown I managed to do some birding today - on my own and complying fully with the rules.  The weather was reasonable for the time of year; it was overcast but dry, cold and soft underfoot.

Walking the Dogs 

Just after sunrise I took the dogs for their walk on the estate.  First bird species seen in 2021 was Starling - at least 10 flew from the trees behind the house heading out over the houses.  

All in all I saw 13 species which was OK but well short of the 20 we could have seen.

Blackbird

Blue Tit

Carrion Crow

Collared Dove

Dunnock

Herring Gull

House Sparrow

Jackdaw

Magpie

Mallard

Robin

Starling

Woodpigeon

Weirwood Reservoir

• After breakfast I headed off to Weirwood, staring off at the west end before finishing at the dam end.
• I saw 16 species with the following 12 birds new for the day.

Black-headed Gull

Chaffinch

Coal Tit

Cormorant

Goldfinch

Great Crested Grebe

Great Tit

Greylag Goose

Marsh Tit

Moorhen

Mute Swan

Pheasant

• On the way home I saw a buzzard flying over the A22 near Uckfield

Arlington Reservoir

After lunch I drove the short distance to Arlington Reservoir where I saw 23 species, 13 of which added to the list.

Black-throated Diver

Canada Goose

Meadow Pipit

Mistle Thrush

Pied Wagtail

Pintail

Redwing

Rook

Song Thrush

Teal

Tufted Duck

Wigeon

Wren

39 species on day 1 was very satisfactory and a good start to my 2021 year list.

        There were several highlights:

• It's always nice to see a Marsh Tit on the feeders at Weirwood.
• The Black-throated Diver at Arlington was by far the rarest bird today.
• The Pintail was a delightful surprise at Arlington.
• The winter thrushes were a bonus at Arlington with the Redwing as the star one.

31/12/2020 Goodbye 2020!

 New Years Eve 2020

Thanks goodness for the end of the year 2020!

Despite the pandemic my year list shows 211 species, a remarkable total considering all things.