four wheel birding (1 Viewer)

Still semi-debilitated what with work and ABB, just about fit enough to crawl into a friend's car today and head up to the downs in West Sussex. Really pleasant and easy day (could get into this car birding stuff ) with a couple of very short walks.

Several year sightings with two very distant displaying Red Kite and a small family flock of Corn Bunting (I know, I'm slow!), 6-7 Common Buzzards seen today, lots of Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, two Peregrines and in beautiful stormy light high on the downs, Quail calling from cover in a field (below).

Is that meant to be a crop circle .

Not a circle but an 'H'

Not sure whether the mystery of crop circles was ever sold, I always believed they were caused by rabbits!

ABB? A bad back?

There is something about Corn Buntings that I never grow tired of!

gyrfalcon said:

ABB? A bad back?

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'Aren't Birds Brilliant'
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=117177

if i fit stabilisers on my bike, will i be 4-wheel too ?

seriously though, sounds like a good day you had there Deborah.

Looks like you've got your work cut out for you trying to see a Quail in that field ! Best of luck.

Larry Wheatland said:

Looks like you've got your work cut out for you trying to see a Quail in that field ! Best of luck.

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Was even harder trying to spot Groppers!

What a great day in many respects!

Having recruited my friend again to drive me back down to Hastings to visit the RSPCA rehab centre, we left at 8pm in a car packed with towels, sheets and catfood (for the hedgehogs) that were in urgent demand. 'My' abandoned and rather stubborn Herring Gull chick that I took down a few weeks ago (full story here) http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=117893 was due to be released along with 18 other fledged juveniles at low tide on Pett Level and I was only too happy to help the one officer doing the release. I dumped off all the donated items in the store room and had another look round the centre. The Kestrel with a badly injured wing now pinned, was recovering slowly but looking extremly calm and well fed - whether or not he will be released or find a permenant home in an educational care centre is still debatable. Two seals were in, along with many more Herring Gulls, passerines, etc in recovery. There were only two members of staff on, so my friend and I left them to deal with a basket of woodpigeon nestlings that a cat owner had brought in while I was there. We headed down to Pannel Valley and Pett Pool for some birding with the arrangement to meet up a few hours later and some species of note.

Pannel Valley - a walk (very slow for me!) with various warblers in abundance, the most vocal being Groppers, on passage and everywhere it seemed! Bullfinch singing and Turtle Doves purring from the trees, brief views of one flying into them. Yaffling Green Woopeckers, several Kestrel in the vicinity and a Cetti's blast from somewhere deeply hidden! A skinny fox cub walking tentatively across the meadow in the morning sunshine. I didn't reach main hides but from the first, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover with a few juveys poking around and a distant lone Greylag in the field yonder. Walking back to the car, I spotted 3 chats flitting around on the path a long way ahead - closer look revealed they were juvenile/female Whinchats - also on passage presumably and very nice too.

Pett Level Pool - heading down to meet the RSPCA van at the seafront, there was time for a good scan on the Pool - I immediately picked up the rear view of a wading male Ruff, petticoats flouncing around in the breeze, he turned and revealed nice black belly moulting into winter plumage (good bird for Sussex and presumably also on passage). Many Black Tailed Godwits, Lapwing, Avocet, Redshank, Dunlin, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover with juveniles. One cryptic Snipe. My eye caught a flash of yellow as a Yellow Wag took off from the mudflats, then later flew back with a melodious chirp overhead. At the water's edge feeding close to the reeds, a few Dunlin, black bellies now not so black and one single Curlew Sand also with remnants of summer red.

The rehab centre warden doing the release arrived and I recruited my friend to help with carrying the boxes down to the beach as well as to take a few pics which he found somewhat bemusing. 'Mine' was in a box on it's own so I could keep an eye on it as I let it out - unfortunately, I think my mate missed the photo opportunity of it walking out the box but it's in the pic somewhere hopefully and I have the ring number for future reference. The juveniles walked out eyeing the new surroundings. Immediately a few adults circled in which will help the juvey's to 'follow the food'! They plodded around, stretched their wings and slowly made their way to the tideline and joined several other adults. A pleasure to watch - live long and prosper - GC Grebe noted on the sea amongst a feeding flock of gulls and several Cormorants - At every turn, Terns - mostly Common and a few Sarnies.

Later in the afternoon, we headed to Castle Water but by this time I was literally on my last legs so it was a slow plod which ended in my friend having to go and fetch the car, drive down a 'private' track and pick me up! Plenty of Sand Martin etc around though, Green Sands, Common Sands, Greenshank calling and at the end of the afternoon, an Arctic Skua doing an aerial battle with a Tern over a fish.

All in all over 80 species seen with a couple of year ticks thrown in.

Great to hear a happy ending to the story, D.
Again - some great birds there - I'd be purring too if I was to see a Turtle dove.
Seems those Groppers can't stop singing - I"ve found three on my patch now.

H

halftwo said:

Seems those Groppers can't stop singing - I"ve found three on my patch now.

H

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Yeah noisy things during the day when they're on the move!

a very very poor record shot of the Ruff

Seven Sisters County Park

We all have our favorite weather for birding, today was mine - bright but completely overcast, slightly misty and not a breath of wind. I ventured out with a friend in the car along the rather scenic Sussex Coast (once you get past Newhaven of course).

So pit stops to Hope Valley, then Birling Gap/Horseshoe Plantation then to Shooters Bottom and finally an even shorter pit stop to Cuckmere Haven (prematurely aborted due to holiday footpath traffic!) on the way home.

Briefish highlights:

Hope Valley:

In large numbers: C.Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, hirundines (mostly Swallow and House Martin but a few Swift), Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.

A pair of Raven over the fields. Brief views of a Jay. Several Wheatear, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, GS Woodpecker - usual gulls and terns, and other common species. On the way back to car, I spotted a female Redstart flying in and out from a tree right on the other side of the Valley - my poor friend spent ages trying to get onto it but it wasn't to be - the bird popped out several times and he kept missing it - not to worry more to come.

Birling Gap

First up the slope, I was onto a Whinchat ( the first of several in the day) and a few more Wheatear. At the Horseshoe, a large hazy cloud of midges and flies in abundance looked promising for flycatching! I soon spotted a Spotted Flycatcher which gave good views swiftly followed by another. A lucky sideways glance enabled me to get my friend onto the second Redstart of the day, a stonking male. Green Woodpecker shot out of the trees and across the fields.

Shooter's Bottom

I've never actually been here, so as we passed, I requested we make a quick stop. Leaving my friend who was beginning to suffer from a late night before, in the car park, I wandered up the hill to the cliffs. On the way, another Redstart, Stonechat galore and a few Whinchat etc. At the top, I had brief views of a Peregrine gliding over before disappearing down over the cliffs.

Sitting back in the car, was just pouring my friend a revival coffee from my thermos and got glimpse of falcon flying past out of corner of my eye. Landed on a tree short distance away. Lovely lovely, a recently fledged juvenile Hobby - first juve of the year for me. It was still there when we drove off.

Whitbread Hollow:

No mist nets up today but lots and lots of kids, walkers, dogs, cyclists, runners ......etc! Still, walking round, I zoned in on a rather active bush - 6 Spotted Flycatcher in one bush and a pair of Blackcap. Never seen so many Sprys in one go!

Cuckmere

Couldn't be bothered to walk down valley but very nice Yellow Wagtail landed right in front of me in the Horse Paddock. Ta very much. 600+ post breeding flock of Starling or perhaps a roost more like, on the telegraph poles. Literally thousands of hirundines hawking ahead of the weather or simply congregating to migrate, or a bit of both. 500 + Sand Martin amongst them. Also two more Ravens.

Nothing unusual particularly and no new year ticks, just, well - an ''aren't birds brilliant'' sort of day really. :t:

Yes they are! Brilliant report too Deborah! :t:

Cheers Pie - very kind and comments much appreciated. (Did take a couple of pics for record shots but really too naff to subject anyone to them!)

It would be nice to see them Deborah. (go on!) |=)|

pie said:

It would be nice to see them Deborah. (go on!) |=)|

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lol This is the only one you're getting the others are even worse (and I really can't blame the tools!)

You did a lot better than I did, D.

Just got back from 3 days in S.Devon: went to Prawle Point: one Spotted flycatcher, one Wheatear, 2 Yellow wagtails, to add to the residents. About 500 hirundines & a single Swift. No sea passage. There was a Wryneck nearby - I would have gone for it had I known.
Slapton Ley: (ringers out in force) nothing to add to the resident Cetti's, Whitethroat, Reed & Sedge (though the day before they'd had a Redstart.)
I did see an Arctic skua before we left - which was the bird of the day.
Green sands & Greenshanks, Kingfisher & lots of Little egrets plus a Peregrine at West Charleton Marshes added to the Cirl buntings and Stonechats resident there.

It seems I drove past a Semi-p on the way back too!

Sounds like a pretty productive Devon break H, but the weather coming up from there today wasn't too bright!

TITCHFIELD HAVEN/FARLINGTON MARSHES and frustratingly distant Raptors

With the last opportunity to get out and about proper today for another few weeks, I braved thunder and lightening and set off to TH with a pal. Flash floods driving down but who cares ... it's all about faith

... and so, with rain subsiding a little but rather misty and grey, it was brilliant to pick up very early on an OSPREY on the far side of the north scrapes from the sea wall ... better views later as the female adult perched on a fence on the opposite side of the reserve. Not long after, another too distant Marsh Harrier made a brief foray over the fields which I later relocated along with another perched almost as far away in the trees.(one a possible youngster but again to far away to be sure although very orange crown and dark tail/even plumage suggests so) My bird of the day goes to a WATER RAIL, who obliged by marching out into the rain and onto a sand bank, pausing briefly before flying off into thick reeds on far side of scrape.

Distant Kestrel perched on a fence. Squadrons of Canada Geese arriving out of misty wet sky including several Greylag and a few Barnacle amongst them. Also picked up a Bar-Headed on the scrapes further into reserve. Plenty of usual warblers including Cetti's blasting at every turn. Several Snipe, Blacktailed Godwit, Green Sandpipers ... other usual waders and Bearded Tits heard in the reed beds but not seen.


Rain came down lunchtime so hoofed it back to car and took a slow drive to Farlington. A quick three quarters of an hour on the seawall looking over to one of the pools before rain came down again. However, managed to pick up a winter plumage Spotted Redshank fairly quickly by scanning through the several hundred Redshank - tall, smart, elegant, black upper mandible on a long bill and dark red legs all obvious comparisons with it's more dowdy companions.

Several Greenshank and Avocet along with Knot, Dunlin etc. I also spotted a very blonde Ruff indeed amongst all the Blackwits and half a dozen Snipe. In the fields, a Hobby perched on a fence, then giving great views eating insects on the wing a few moments later.

A quick look at Ivy Lakes gravel pits on the way home but nearly dark and raining again ... however, did pick up my 10th Spotted Flycatcher in 3 days!

And so ends August and two days of some very enjoyable birding.

And just for PIE, so he knows I'm not fibbing when I say my pics are really too naff and an embarrasment. (sp?!)

Sounds like another full bag, Deborah!!

Well done witrh the Osprey, who wouldn't want to see one of those this time of year..as ever I'm hopefull but I guess you have to be in the right place at the right time!!!

Interesting too you mention the Spotted Redshank, only recently I was able to compare one myself with it's more common cousin at close range...very elegant bird as you say!!

Great pics and nice report of your days birding:t:

Roll on those september migs eh!!

Matt

What a way to see out August Deborah. A fabulous variety of species.
The pics are fine! They capture the day & the Bird, thanks Deborah :t: