Sorry but I have been a bit neglectful to the blog lately. The birding goes on however and I have some pretty impressive sightings to bring you!
Ashdown Forest, Sussex
Lots of my time has been given over to nightjar events and honey buzzard surveys.
- The former is a forest staple and this year has been very successful with lots of sightings at various places.
- The latter is new and burgeoning with more and more honey buzzard sightings in the area. The best place to view these fabulous birds is the newly designated site beyond the old Llama Park.
Pagham Harbour 1st July 20204
- On 1st July I finally got to twitch the spotted redshank at Pagham Harbour, Chichester. It took me 3 attempts before I got to see the bird. It was always present early morning but every time I made the 75 minute journey I arrived too late.
Desperate times call for desperate measures so today I was up with the larks and lo and behold I got my reward with fabulous views of the bird on the Ferry Pool
The Mens 14th July 2024
- At 2 different locations on the site we came across 2 spotted flycatchers flitting around in the trees adjacent to our path.
Oare Marshes, Kent 28th July 2024
This was a visit to the north Kent coast with the Ashdown Bird Group where a fabulous outing added 4 birds to my year list.
- For the 12th year in a row the Bonaparte's gull has returned to this site and I was pleased to be there once again to greet it.
Smaller than the black-headed gull behind it,with a jet black head, now fading, and with a black bill, this bird is legendary in Kent.
Below is the same bird photographed a month earlier, in the same place, now in full summer plumage!
- Also seen here were a couple of green sandpipers, a sleepy spoonbill and some golden plovers, associating with the lapwings in the photograph below.
