2022 begins!

New Year's Day 2022

Walking the Dogs

Thank goodness for some decent weather.  The birds were vocal and the dogs were lively as we went on our morning walk through the woods and by the pond near the house.  

• The first bird logged in 2022 was a lovely Song Thrush calling out loudly from the trees as we got the dogs ready for their walk. 

All in all we logged 17 species, all very common but valued companions as we passed by.  They are listed below.

Blackbird

Blue Tit 

Carrion Crow

Coal Tit

Collared Dove

Dunnock

Great Tit

House Sparrow

Jackdaw

Magpie 

Mallard

Moorhen

Robin

Song Thrush

Starling

Woodpigeon

Wren 

Bo Peep near Alciston, Sussex

After dropping the dogs off at home I drove for 20 minutes to the Bo-Peep car park on the South Downs near Alciston.

• Just 10 metres away and showing really well was the Snow Bunting that was first seen here on 28 December.

courtesy of Paul Stevens and SOS

Polegate Service Station, Sussex

Next stop was the service station at Polegate, a mere 5 minute drive, to twitch the long-staying Hooded Crow.  

• As I arrived the birders present told me it had just flown from one of its favourite trees.  I decided to walk to the petrol station and soon found it again.  It flew overhead and I watched it go back down to where I had just come from,  By the time I got back the bird was showing really well at the top of the tree.  It was good to get a flight view and a stationary view. 
• On the way up to the car park I saw my first Pheasant of the year in a field adjacent to the road.

Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, Sussex

 

• Next stop was Sovereign Harbour to twitch the Great Northern Diver that I had seen a few weeks ago.  It was showing well in the middle of the outer harbour.
• By way of a bonus I also saw a Guillemot, a Razorbill, several Great Crested Grebes as well as the usual Cormorants, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls and Feral Pigeons.

Heathfield, Sussex

I went home to have lunch with Sue before heading out again soon to the Hawfinch roost site at Heathfield that David W and I had monitored before Christmas.  I was late getting there - 14.45 - but thankfully found 4 Hawfinches still there.  

• There were 2 sitting right at the top of the tree with 2 more slightly lower down.  By the time I checked the time on my phone and looked again the top 2 birds had gone.  Thankfully the other 2 stayed for another 10 minutes before one dropped down into the more thickly set lower branches and disappeared while the other flew away to the left.

Then it was back home!

Year total =  29

A cracking first day's birding in 2022!