The Savannah run-around

With spring approaching, the excitement of overshooting migrants turning up on our shores gives us re-newed hope to get out there and find some birds..including our first Wheatears of the year! Taking a shower before dropping the wife off to work, I started to get ready when I casually glanced at my phone....7 messages and a missed call! Panic set in as the realisation that a goodie had been found (locally) ! SAVANNAH SPARROW seen and photographed yesterday just north of Lancing Ring....bloody hell..less than 5miles from home! I had less than 2 hours spare before Robyn had nursery so just had to go for it...was soon on-site (cheers Harry for directions) and the search commenced. There was already a c20 birders gathered just above the car park and the initial info was that there had been no sign so far...with only a couple of birders actually looking through their bins and the rest talking we decided to look further down the track and the surrounding area looked good for the area described by the finder (Matt Sparkes),  no-one knew for sure that this was the right area. The finder had posted that he would be on-site a little later to show where he had taken the photo, but in the meantime we continued the search...all rather hopeful and optimistic. A couple of Linnets were scoped by Jake, another bird perched up proved to be a Chaffinch. In fact there did not seem to be many small birds around at all. A male Kestrel was over-looking proceedings and a Peregrine soared past in the distance. We started to disect the info on hand and agreed that we could quite possibly be searching the wrong area, so it was decided to spread out and see if the area and the bird could be tracked down. Robyn was with me so we headed off along a grassy path that took us out on the downs, the warm spring sunshine making the search pleasant. We walked quite a way to realise that we were probably on the wrong track to head back towards the car park, soon apparent that all the birders here originally had dispersed into other areas or to meet the finder. Either way we had to leave to drop R to nursery but I planned to return before work, I decided to call Harry to find out the latest and that is when the Hoax claim was being banded around and that the area we was scanning initially was the right area...just different fencing to that in the photo! Apparantley, once birders started questioning the photo Mr Sparkes swiftly disappeared! No need to return to the site but I for one cannot get my head around why another birder would do this? I did not have to travel so far this morning to get to this site, but many others did including some Hampshire birders that turned up as I was leaving...I am sure this story will develop further and the truth will be confirmed, but at least we tried and followed up this report...as for the finder..I here Butlins are looking for clowns for the summer...I suggest you apply

Coldwaltham - 2 Black-necked Grebes 11th March 2014

Travelled up to Coldwaltham this am in the hope of seeing the 2 Black-necked Grebes that had been reported there before the floods there finally disappear. Upon arrival it was soon apparent that the water levels had dropped drastically and all the birds were concentrated on the remaining water and there was a lot of birds here too albeit very distant.
I managed to pick out the grebes although very difficult as constantly diving and one individual is in it summer plumage already(something which I used to witness quite frequently at Staines reservoir). The female Scaup was easily found and I was rather pleased to see a female Goldeneye, all birds I had not seen at this site before. Good number of Wigeon, Pintail and a bitter wind were a reminder why the winter birds were hanging on, where would this large number of birds go one this water disappears? The camera stayed well in the bag today!

At lunchtime I checked the Goring area, the fields are also dried out here now and very little in the fields apart from the resident Skylarks and Pied Wagtails. Offshore several Great-crested Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers...at last some birds on the water here!

More February birds in Sussex

The storms that have battered our shores have produced some good birding locally, enabling closer views of birds(mainly gulls) that are normally only visible distantly offshore...here is a selection ....

 

Glaucous Gull - 1st winter bird on the Southwick Canal

 

Goosander - Found 2 birds originally but increased to 4 at Widewater - all Redheads

 

Kittiwake - this individual was on the Southwick canal - stunning in winter plumage

 

Red-breasted Merganser - Southwick canal, many were seen well on Widewater too

 

Siberian Chiff - Chaff - this individual was reliable at Steyning sewage works

 

Slavonian Grebe - another good bird on the Southwick canal

Little Gulls at Brooklands Park

Probably the most photogenic Little Gulls I have ever witnessed. These delightful birds have been gracing the southern end of the main lake at Brooklands Park in Lancing for the best part of a week now! Speaking to 2 other birders, there was a first winter bird present on the Thursday evening  only, just hope it wasn't a Ross's!

 

One of the birds present is sporting a fantastic pink flush and have also been coming to bread, there was also a Water Rail calling and several Teal. Other observers have recorded summer plumage Med Gull, whilst a Chiff chaff was heard singing on the morning of the 24th when I was there! spring is here??



Glaucous Gull Fight Night - Venue : Southwick Canal - Sussex 23rd February 2014

Our over-wintering 1st winter Glaucous Gull that has been frequenting the Southwick Canal/Shoreham Harbour since the new year was seen sitting peacefully on the water near the Fish outlet along the coastal road...I grabbed the camera and took these through the metal fence...light was not great, but noticed that the Glauc had found a dead fish to pick at.....then the following happened!! Some of the shots are not too sharp but help tell the story of this gruesome battle..enjoy!

GULL FIGHT NIGHT!!

Here is our Glaucous Gull with his find - keenly watched by a local Cormorant

 

 

Then the attack commences......who will win this one???

 

 

 

Notice how the Cormorant casually watches on...and probably necked the prize as both gulls drifted off empty handed!.....click on photo's to enlarge

 

 

 

West Sussex sites - 22nd February 2014

My mate Glen was down from London today so had the day to bird and take him around the West Sussex sites in perfect early spring like conditions. We started at the Burgh where it was generally quiet bird-wise but regular sightings of at least 4 different Red Kites and several Buzzards kept the interest going for a while, whilst all the usual suspects soon gave themselves up (Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Red-legged and Grey Partridges etc). We moved onto Arundel and soon added Firecrest and Goldcrest onto our daylist and 3 Little Egrets were seen on one of the flooded fields. Next stop was Littlehampton and parked on the west beach side and straight away picked out the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull and not far away was the Kumlien's Gull which had showed well yesterday. Many birders/photographers were on the east beach and must have surely been viewing the birds into the sun. We moved down to the groynes so the gulls were at eye level and proceeded to throw some bread out to which the gulls responded giving great views all-round. By the time we left the tide had started to come in rather quickly and all the birders/photographers were now spectating from our side of the river so good views were had by all. Talking to a dogwalker here, he claims he saw 3 dead Puffins on the beach here a couple of days ago, a sorry tale that has been heard along the south coast on a regular basis the last few days !
We then headed east, stopping briefly at Goring, was worthwhile as 20 + Mediterranean Gulls were around (my highest count here this year) and at least 30 of each Sanderling and Grey Plover.
Another hour was lost watching two fantastic Little Gulls at the southern end of the main lake at Brooklands Park, showing really close in perfect light, these birds proved difficult to photograph as they were feeding so quickly, one individual had a stunning pink flush to its breast, several Teal and a Water Rail calling were also observed here, I am sure these will prove popular with birders and photographers alike if they remain!
We checked Widewater for Goosanders but our luck was out with these, not surprisingly with the amount of people and dog walkers around, a single Red-breasted Merganser was noted here.
Onto Steyning and eventually found the site of the reported Siberian Chiff-chaff, connecting straight away but unfortunately we did not hear the bird call. Several other Chiff-chaffs were around and a Grey Wagtail, shortly followed by brief views of 2 Barn Owls, as the followed the same flight path into the barn we were stood next to. By now the wind had picked up and had turned cold, time to drop Glen back to Worthing station, surely happy with what West Sussex birding had to offer today! the sunshine had even tempted a Small Tortoiseshell out...top day out! click on the images below to see larger versions

Turnstones moving quickly to get out of the Glaucous Gulls way!

The Black-headed Gulls did not stand a chance when the beast was hungry!



 

Kumlien's and Glaucous Gull - put on a good show at Littlehampton today

 

Just got 300 more pics to sort of Brookland's Little Gulls!

Littlehampton re-visited

With the sun shining, paid another visit to Littlehampton this am, a loaf of bread in tow and the tide far out the Kumlien's Gull played ball on the east beach with the bread today, there was no need to chase it around the bread did it's job much to the delight of a couple of photographers. Several adult Mediterranean Gulls were seen here too, but I did not see the Glaucous Gull today but others said it is still around up-river.