Bluethroat in Worthing!

Wednesday, 26th March 2025

Brooklands Park, Worthing, Sussex

I was hoping that the bluethroat reported in Worthing yesterday would stay until today. 

Thankfully, it did, with reports coming in at regular intervals.  As soon as we finished breakfast, I was on my way to Brooklands Park.

The bird disappeared just as I arrived, but it reappeared some 50 minutes later to put on a grand display in front of an audience approaching thirty birders.

Both images courtesy of Jonathan@visionsofjh and X

This is the white-spotted variety, last seen in Sussex in 2004, so it's quite an achievement. 

 It's not a lifer for me. I've seen it several times since my initial record in Scotland in 2015

RSPB Pulborough Brooks, Susses

As I had some time to spare, I decided to twitch the two white-fronted geese at Pulborough Brooks before heading off home for lunch.

• In no time at all, I was on to the geese, which were remarkably close.

• There was also a white-tailed eagle on show on the ground in the field ahead, again remarkably close.
• On the way down to the hide, I heard my first blackcap of 2025

What an eventful day!

2025 species count = 140

New Species:

137  Bluethroat

138  Blackcap

139  White-tailed Eagle

140  White-fronted Goose

Black Redstarts Aplenty Wheatears and Water Pipit at Dungeness

Sunday 23rd March 2025

Dungeness Kent

East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

(16 members present)

Trip Report

Despite the wet weather and the long journey, our members turned out in force today - well done, everyone!  For those who stayed all day, the reward was a magnificent species count of 67, including a rarity and some superb early spring migrant birds.  The birding, like the weather, was a slow burner, gradually improving and culminating in a grand finale.

We met in the car park outside the now-closed Visitor Centre and then spent the morning and early afternoon following the yellow route, known as the Nature Discovery Trail.  After lunch, we relocated to the ARC Hanson Hide before moving around to the power station area for some seawatching and to look for incoming migrant birds.

The morning session primarily involved moving around the reserve, dodging the rain by using the hides and viewing screens overlooking Burrows Pit.  By midday, we had gradually accumulated almost fifty species.  Most were the "usual suspects" but there were several highlights:-

• A distant, female goldeneye was the pick of the bunch - too distant for our cameras, I'm afraid.
• Several common gulls were on display, including this one that shared a small island with two lapwings.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• At least two Egyptian geese were seen on the raised bank near Christmas Dell hide

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• This brown hare was an interesting distraction.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• These midges were less welcome, causing us some discomfort all the way from the new hide right through to Dengemarsh hide.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• There was an unusually large presence of reed buntings today.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Our species list was growing quite well but we desperately needed a stellar sighting.  That happened in the Hayfield area. 

• John was the first to spot a water pipit on the flooded fields, and in no time at all, we were viewing it through our telescopes, as it was too far away for a clear binocular view.  

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• Not long afterwards, this beautiful black tailed godwit appeared at the far end of the same field.  It was already in summer plumage and looked absolutely stunning.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Our stay in Denge Marsh Hide was quite productive:-

• This great white egret was our first of the day.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• As expected, we saw a marsh harrier here.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• As we walked back to the car park for lunch, a bearded tit was heard in the viewing ramp area.  Kevin then caught a glimpse of a Dartford warbler as it shot across the track in front of him.

We then relocated to the ARC pit and the Hanson hide.  

• John pointed out two swallows in the sky above us as we were about to head down to the hide.  

• Just as on the main reserve, water levels were high, and all the islands were submerged, limiting the birds in view.

Our final destination of the day was over by the power station where we enjoyed a brief seawatch.

• Alan picked out the first of several gannets flying over the waves in the distance.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• John was the first to spot a small flock of common scoters flying east.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• There were several harbour porpoises which popped their head above the water from time to time.

 

Our seawatch was interrupted by some spectacular events unfolding in the shingle area near the beach huts.

• Phil had already picked out a cracking male black redstart and it soon became apparent that there were more.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• This red fox decided to join in the action and remained close by for the remainder of the time.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

By now, everyone was thinking of heading home. Some had left after lunch and others departed now.

The remaining seven members were debating whether or not to look for wheatears in the area between the two lighthouses.  Just then, a couple of birders came by and told us that they had just seen two wheatears on the far side of the eastern lighthouse.  The debate was over, and we made our way to the designated area.

• En route, we came across black redstart after black redstart to the point where we were confident that we  had made over ten sightings equating to at least six birds.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

• Quite soon, we spotted our first wheatear exactly where they were supposed to be.  One became two and, finally, we saw a third, all looking majestic in the bright sunlight.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

What a treat!  These, like most of the black redstarts, must have been recent arrivals from the sea and were feeding up before moving on to new pastures.

Phil, attentive to the very end, spotted a peregrine on the pylons by the power station.  We saw one earlier from Denge Marsh hide but it was too far away to get a decent photograph.  No such problem this time.

• 
  

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

An unbelievable finish to a great day!

  Thanks once again, Kevin.

  

Species List

Species count = 67

2025 species count = 136

New Species:

133  Water Pipit

134  Common Scoter

135  Wheatear

136  Barnacle Goose  sen at Scotney Gravel Pits as we drove home

Latest sightings

Tuesday 18th March 2025

Weir Wood Reservoir

Whilst conducting our 2025 snake survey preparations, we disturbed a Snipe, which, upon further investigation, turned out to be one of the three Jack Snipes identified on the Webs Survey a few days earlier.

Friday 21st March 2025

Churlwood, Ashdown Forest.

 After six visits and over ten hours of survey time, I finally found Woodlarks on my patch.  All four were found on the south side of the road, opposite the car park entrance.  Two of them flew from the ground to a nearby tree and then flew away whilst I disturbed the other two near the end of the survey.

Friday 21st March 2025

Weir Wood Reservoir

Two Little Ringed Plovers were reported at the dam end of Weir Wood Reservoir today.  By the time I arrived, they had already disappeared.

As a consolation, I spotted my first Grey Wagtail of 2025 in the channel leading up to the dam.

2025 species count = 132

New Species:

130  Jack Snipe

131  Woodlark

132  Grey Wagtail

 

Sunday 16^th March 2025

Rye Harbour NNR, East Sussex

Ashdown Bird Group

(11 members present)

Trip Report

This was another excellent turnout from our members, befitting the fine weather and picturesque setting.  The clear sky and the gentle, if somewhat cold, breeze contrived to show the reserve at its very best.

With over sixty species recorded today, Mother Nature also showed her appreciation. 

Our target species were the Sandwich Terns returning from Africa and a Spotted Redshank that had been around for some time.

John and Joy have close connections with Rye Harbour NNR, so we took their advice and navigated around the reserve in a slightly different way than normal.  We followed the anticlockwise route (markers 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 to P, on the map below) to maximise our chances of seeing the Spotted Redshank, which was most likely to be found on the Salt Pool.  Before that, however, we visited Gooders Hide – to leave it until later in the day would have meant looking directly into bright sunshine.

 

It didn’t take long to find our first target species. 

• We saw a flock of Sandwich Terns flying over us at Gooders Hide, looking majestic in the favourable light.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

•  Martin managed to photograph one of them on an island with the Oystercatchers.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

 

Most of us were keen to seek our second target species.  Once again, it didn’t take long as the Spotted Redshank was on the Salt Pool just as Joy and John had predicted.

• The bird was on one of the islands along with several Wigeon.  It had its beak tucked in and remained stubbornly stationary throughout our initial observation.

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

• Some of us moved on, confident in our ID.  Thankfully most of our photographers stayed put and they were rewarded with some terrific views when the Spotted Redshank awoke and started to move around.

Courtesy of Andrew Burns

 Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

The following two photographs show some of the differences between the Spotted Redshank and the more common Redshank - namely the brighter colouration, the prominent white fore-supercilium and the longer, narrower beak which has a distinctive but very subtle downward droop near the tip.

    

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

We were barely a quarter of the way around the reserve and already we had seen both target species.  

 

 

There were many other highlights at various places on the reserve. 

• Avocets are always popular here and today they looked particularly splendid in the bright sunshine.

 

Courtesy of Martin Jeffrree

 

Courtesy of Andrew Burns

• Dunlin graced the muddy areas in front of Gooders Hide.

 

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

Little Egrets flourish here too!

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• Wow!  This humble Herring Gull looking absolutely fabulous.

 

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

So too this cracking Wigeon.

 

Courtesy of Andrew Burns

 

 Not forgetting the Little Grebes.

 

Courtesy of Andrew Burns

 

Passerines were few and far between.   We made a detour from the Salt Pool towards the Narrow Pit (connecting markers 3 and 16 on the map) to check out the bushes for passerines and, in particular, Wheatears. 

• ·         Alas we were unsuccessful with the latter - in fact we didn’t see any Wheatears at all today.
• ·         There were good numbers of Reed Bunting, Skylark, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit and Stonechat.

 

By late morning, we were feeling the chill of the wind so we took refuge in Denny Hide.

·         Here, Mark heard, and then saw, a Grey Partridge. 

 

We made a brief sea-watch (marker 2 on the map).

·         It was high tide and with no sandy patches exposed, no Sanderlings were seen.

·         We had no luck too when we used our telescopes to overlook Camber Sands from the Pillbox area (marker 1 on the map).  The high tide meant that the narrow band of sandy beach was overcrowded with dog walkers and day-trippers.

 

 

We only saw three raptor species today-

• ·         This superb Kestrel was patrolling the main reserve.

Courtesy of Andrew Burns

• ·         This Marsh Harrier showed up at the Reedbed viewpoint (marker 15 on the map) which we visited after lunch.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

 

As well as the Marsh Harrier, the afternoon session at the Reedbed viewpoint produced further highlights-

• ·         A single bearded tit, skulking at water level in the reeds, provided us with perhaps our biggest challenge of the day.  Some of us missed it!
• ·         Our first Kingfisher of the day was very well received.
• ·         We were unsure about an earlier sighting of a Mediterranean Gull so we were delighted to confirm one here.
• ·         Two Snipe took to the air in front of us, probably spooked by the Marsh Harrier.

 

Species List:

Name:	Count:		Name:	Count:
Avocet	1		Little Grebe	32
Bearded Tit	2		Long-tailed Tit	33
Black-headed Gull	3		Magpie	34
Blackbird	4		Mallard	35
Blue Tit	5		Marsh Harrier	36
Brent Goose	6		Meadow Pipit	37
Buzzard	7		Mediterranean Gull	38
Canada Goose	8		Oystercatcher	39
Carrion Crow	9		Pied Wagtail	40
Collared Dove	10		Pintail	41
Coot	11		Redshank	42
Cormorant	12		Reed Bunting	43
Curlew	13		Ringed Plover	44
Dunlin	14		Robin	45
Dunnock	15		Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon	46
Gadwall	16		Sandwich Tern	47
Goldfinch	17		Shelduck	48
Great Black-backed Gull	18		Shoveler	49
Great Crested Grebe	19		Skylark	50
Great Tit	20		Snipe	51
Grey Heron	21		Spotted Redshank	52
Grey Partridge	22		Starling	53
Greylag Goose	23		Stock Dove	54
Herring Gull	24		Stonechat	55
House Sparrow	25		Teal	56
Jackdaw	26		Tufted Duck	57
Kestrel	27		Turnstone	58
Kingfisher	28		Water Rail	59
Lapwing	29		Wigeon	60
Lesser Black-backed Gull	30		Woodpigeon	61
Little Egret	31		Wren	62

Species count = 62

 

Thanks Martin for another full-on birding day.  So very enjoyable!

 

Bob Hastings

 

Some of the Scenery from Today’s Visit

 

All images courtesy of Ian Hodgson

2025 species count = 129

New Species:

128  Sandwich Tern

129  Spotted Redshank