Slow Going!

With my impending wedding, the chances of getting out birding have been pretty limited, but to be honest I just got fed up with the weather, hours trudging around finding very little, hours after trying to warm up!! We need some sunshine!! Anyway, things brightened up somewhat the weekend of the 6th and 7th April, with the 6th seeing me head into East Sussex and an early morning start at Cuckmere, which despite the sun-rise it was bitterly cold with plenty of ground frost. Plenty of gulls were on the move eastwards, mainly Common Gull's but the odd Med Gull flew over mainly in pairs calling away and all adult birds. Along the river bank, plenty of pipit's and Skylarks were sheltering from the cold, then I almost trod on a Snipe...which flew a short distance in front of me before landing again..the give-away bobbing motion clinched a Jack Snipe, the bird then rather suprisingly flew low across the scrape and ditched in and out of view...just as the camera was focusing! Took a while to locate the Black-necked Grebe which was with the Little Grebes on the meanders, mainly as on the far bank two seperate dog walkers let their dogs run free and obviously disturbing the grebes which proceeded in doing their best to hide. The Black-necked Grebe was always distant, by now the cold had got to me and decided to walk back to the motor where I bumped into Mick and his daughter, a brief catch up and I was back in the car and continued east to Rye in the hope of catching up with a Kentish Plover. Seem to take an age to get here and parking up, soon bumped into several birders with no sign of any Kentish Plovers all morning! Cold easterles were making birding and scanning albeit difficult but it was soon evident that any Kentish Plovers were on view from the shelter at Lime Kiln cottage...good views of Avocet and Ringed Plover were had from here whilst a single Bar-tailed Godwit was also seen at the back of the pool, Med Gulls occassionally called as they headed over and Sandwich terns were seen flying around in the background. I decided to head sout and check the flat beach and took shelter from the old lifeguard building to scan the waders...scope attachment to my tripod had decide to break so was birding free-hand..a pale plover had passed my scope and looked good for a Kentish, tried desperatley to re-locate the bird and had raised the alarm to Mike and his partner..my suspicions were confirmed when Mike got his scope on the bird albeit a bit distant feeding amongst the Grey Plover...we managed to get other birders onto the bird, a nice male...just a shame it was not closer and the temperatures a little warmer! Nice to meet Dave Potter on site albeit not realising until reading his blog :-(
Headed back home via Uckfield where I saw what looked good for a Goshawk nr Crowhurst(diverted here en-route to Uckfield)!! circling above a pine forest!! nowhere to stop the car and diverted traffic behind, but was defo no Sparrowhawk nor Buzzard..dare not ask if any breed in the area!
The reason for visiting Uckfield was to meet up with Joanne Chattaway the editor of the Sussex bird report, to chat about the recent report etc..was great to see Joanne again and catch up exchanging views and sightings and walking away with 10 x 2011 bird reports to sell at the Arundel WWT gift shop, the first time they have sold them here as far as I am aware so will see how they go!
The following day saw a afternoon trip to the Arundel WWT and several usual birds were found, including Raven, Red Kite, at least 5 individual Buzzards and a Black-headed Gull that was ringed (right leg - white ring 2C33) so info sent off to Euring..also for the second week running a different Red Kite was hunting just east of the A27 (service station) in Arundel

PB re-visited

Been a while since I have been to Pulborough Brooks, but decided to give this a bash this morning especially as the sun was trying to make an appearance for the first time in which felt a very long time! Such has been my elusiveness from this site I was asked for my RSPB membership upon arrival and was greeted by Russ who joined us along the trail to the north brooks, proved to be a good choice as between us, we managed to see the Spoonbill depart southwards distantly, as we approached the hangar, well spotted Russ!, the north brooks held good numbers of wildfowl including Pintail, whilst moving around to Winpenny a single Chiff Chaff was feeding on the deck in the cattle field. Good number of Ruff were seen at Winpenny aswell as Snipe, a couple of Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit. We saw 2 Little-ringed Plovers from Westmead and good number of Fieldfare and Redwing were still around. Good company around the reserve, I have missed this place!

One of the good number of Ruff

Fieldfare still around in good numbers

Distant record shots of Little-ringed Plovers



Goring Delight!

The bitter easterlies enabled me to bird from the comfort of my car today, and made a good choice with a good hour plus lost at Goring gap, where birds dropped into roost throughout my stay, Sandwich Terns were roosting with the regular gull flock, initially counting 26, they were gradually joined by more with the most I counted was 48. 3 Wheatears were found nearby sheltering out of the wind, 2 males and a female, whilst the gull flock contained at least 6 Med Gulls including a smart looking 1st winter bird. I had to leave for work as more birds were arriving so I would think that the Sandwich Tern roost would increase in number, according to Clive Hope , this could be a site record for roosting Sandwich Terns especially in spring!

Here you can see 2 adult Med Gulls along with a 1st winter with the Sandwich Terns

First Wheatears of the year

Sandwich Terns coming into roost



A Moth in March

Whilst cooking dinner, Jo noticed a moth doing it's best to scramble up our window...I potted it and this is the result........

 

 

 

Lesser Yellow Underwing

 

Thanks to all on the Widerscope facebook page for your comments, also to Glen, as you mentioned a moth id book really would be a welcome wedding present! This moth really shouldn't be on the wing at this time of year so perhaps it fell out of my wallet or something!! Either way a stunning moth and kinda feel guilty for releasing it into the cold..maybe it will make a hearty meal for a migrating Wheatear!





Patching Pond

The pair of Great-crested Grebes have started building their nest..hopefully the cold weather doesn't hamper their breeding attempt, 3 chicks were raised last year here. 3 Tufted Duck emerged but the 2 drake Pochard seem to have departed!



Local stuff!

Spent the last few mornings strolling a few local sites, very little to suggest that spring was on it's way, on Monday (18th March) gave Climping a good search and produced very little, normally a good spot for Wheatear but none found today, several Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipit's in off and Skylark's singing gave some hope of something to be found, 12 Sanderling were probably the pick of the bunch. A quick check at Goring produced a female Stonechat, not seen one here all winter so maybe a migrant? 6 Siskin's were also found in a housing estate in Angmering whilst dropping Jo off to work, not sure what it is called but it's the new estate near Worthing Rugby club?

 

The following day at Shoreham and Widewater was equally disappointing, small numbers of Meadow Pipit's arriving again raised hopes of finding some grounded passerines, not helped with the gravel extraction work taking place at Shoreham Fort at the moment.

 



A better mornings birding was had at Brooklands Park on the 20th, the weather had a wintry feel about it and so did the birding! A large gathering of Black-headed Gulls amounted to 104 birds roosting on the green, 3 Redwings and a Brambling at the north end of the park were un-expected but welcome finds, 2 Little Grebes were extremley tame in the sluice channel, some good habitat here, just wonder how often it is watched especially early morning? Moving onto Widewater, 5 Teal were on the east lagoon aswell as 2 Redshank and a Little Egret, offshore a hours sea-watch produced my first Sandwich Tern's of the year, both singles heading east as were Brent Geese, 104 counted in 4 seperate flocks, also noted was a small passage east of Common and Black-headed Gulls whilst at least 3 Great-crested Grebes were offshore..alas..no Wheatears

 

 

 

 

 

 



Ringed Black-headed Gull R3

Danny 'the Pirate' was visiting from Cornwall (17th) as our respective partners were on a Hen weekend in Brighton! We headed out with Shoreham being the first destination, but the strong southerlies and heavy showers were too much for our little girls so retreated to Widewater where we fared better, feeding the gulls with yesterdays left overs! Amongst the gulls, I noticed the chap below fly in, I am sure I have recorded this gull before here before xmas and also on the Adur, but never got a conclusive reading of the birds rings...any info on this bird would be greatly appreciated! I am sure Mr Fairbank will have seen this bird locally!

 

Black-headed Gull R3 at Widewater