hollis_f
Well-known member
Yup, try this thread.
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Sussex Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ben Rackstraw
- Start date
Jan-Paul Charteris
Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast
Seeing as I've just moved to Brighton I thought I'd better write something on this thread to keep it going!
Nothing Earth-shattering but then so far Ive only grabbed half an hour on both Monday and Tuesday for seawatching off the East side of Shoreham harbour...On Monday there were 9 Red-throated Divers offshore, an adult Kittiwake in the harbour with other gulls and a Kingfisher looking amusingly lost feeding from the concrete edge of the harbour before flying to a roof...
On Tuesday it was just a tad nippy, but 3 Common Scoter past were year ticks I hadn't managed in Hampshire before moving
All the best, Jan
Nothing Earth-shattering but then so far Ive only grabbed half an hour on both Monday and Tuesday for seawatching off the East side of Shoreham harbour...On Monday there were 9 Red-throated Divers offshore, an adult Kittiwake in the harbour with other gulls and a Kingfisher looking amusingly lost feeding from the concrete edge of the harbour before flying to a roof...
On Tuesday it was just a tad nippy, but 3 Common Scoter past were year ticks I hadn't managed in Hampshire before moving
All the best, Jan
Jan-Paul Charteris
Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast
Spent some time seawatching off the 2 sites at Selsey today... a single
Fulmar flew west at 15:00, 3 Great northern Divers were feeding
offshore, gradually drifting further offshore and west becoming hard to
follow in very choppy conditions. 3 Purple Sandpipers were a surprise
flying east close inshore... have they got any regular sites in this
srea? 1 Common Scoter and 5 Red-throated Divers were noted flying east,
and a single adult Med Gull loafing on the sea. No sign of the adult
Glauc unfortunately!
Cheers, Jan
Fulmar flew west at 15:00, 3 Great northern Divers were feeding
offshore, gradually drifting further offshore and west becoming hard to
follow in very choppy conditions. 3 Purple Sandpipers were a surprise
flying east close inshore... have they got any regular sites in this
srea? 1 Common Scoter and 5 Red-throated Divers were noted flying east,
and a single adult Med Gull loafing on the sea. No sign of the adult
Glauc unfortunately!
Cheers, Jan
joannec
Well-known member
Nice to see some new input to this thread Jan. Sounds like you had a productive day at Selsey. Purple sands are regular at Shoreham Fort. I'm going to have a day birding in West Sussex tomorrow, starting at Shoreham but probably won't get as far as Selsey.
No mention of the KING EIDER on this thread. Anyone else see it? I saw it on Saturday off Winchelsea Beach....fantastic bird!! Think it's drifted into Kent now.
Joanne
No mention of the KING EIDER on this thread. Anyone else see it? I saw it on Saturday off Winchelsea Beach....fantastic bird!! Think it's drifted into Kent now.
Joanne
Jan-Paul Charteris
Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast
Hi Joanne
It seemed on here and on Sussexbirds yahoo group there wasn't an awful lot of bird news being posted, so hopefully we can amend that! I've only just moved here from Hampshire, and staying in Fishersgate at the moment by Shoreham harbour doing mainly local birding due to lack of own transport, so if you or any other Sussex birders need a birding companion and halving the petrol cost do let me know
Oh, should add that I didn't see the King Eider, and was well and truly gripped by the photos of it
Very smart bird indeed. Hopefully it'll find its way back this way if (as is likely) it was the same one that flew west past Dunge.Cheers, Jan
joannec
Well-known member
The SOS site has a good sightings board, updated usually twice a day. Click on 'recent sightings'. I usually check it before I decide where to go for the day.
www.sos.org.uk
Joanne
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hollis_f
Well-known member
Waxwings avoiding W Sussex
One thing I've noticed is that they seem to be avoiding West Sussex. There have been quite a lot in Kent and Hants and a fair few in E. Sussex. But only a few in the West, and they don't seem to hang around for long.
I suspect that central London may be to blame, with birds migrating south around the capital. If that's correct I'd predict that Surrey would be similarly devoid of sightings. Anybody know if that's the case?
Great pics. I just love Waxwings.
One thing I've noticed is that they seem to be avoiding West Sussex. There have been quite a lot in Kent and Hants and a fair few in E. Sussex. But only a few in the West, and they don't seem to hang around for long.
I suspect that central London may be to blame, with birds migrating south around the capital. If that's correct I'd predict that Surrey would be similarly devoid of sightings. Anybody know if that's the case?
joannec
Well-known member
Hi Frank
Thanks. There haven't been many around E Sussex actually. This year is not a good year for the native berries; hawthorn, blackthorn, sloe, damson, here in my part of East Sussex......I think the late April snow last year nipped many berrying plants in the bud. That's my personal opinion. Very little hawthorn for redwings for example.
The waxwings I saw today were feasting on some non native berries in someone's garden. I don't know what the shrubs were but once they're gone the waxwings will be off, probably west. Anyway, fantastic to see them!!!:t:
Joanne
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Jan-Paul Charteris
Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast
I was out and about Saturday and Sunday this weekend, and had a few bits and bobs.
Saturday:
Church Norton - A single Black-throated Diver past with decent numbers of RT Divers.
Only 4 Slav Grebes offshore
Whimbrel - good views of one on the deck, then flew off calling.
Woodcock - 2 flew low over the carpark at dusk heading towards the marshes
Bar-tailed Godwit - 5 with decent numbers of Knot
Med Gull - very large numbers between here and Pagham, didn't count but well over 100
Selsey Bill - Red-throated Diver - 7, one on sea, and 6 flying into the Solent (why so low numbers always in Hampshire?)
Great Crested Grebe - 6
Med Gull - one adult showing very well in carpark
Red-breasted Merg - 3
Widewater, Shoreham - Stonechat - 2
Guillemot - 14 past quite close offshore
Gannet - A feeding flock of 20plus (mainly adulta) offshore and quite distant with large numbers of gulls, lingering for at least half an hour and plunge-diving almost continuously
*No sign of Black Redstart here Sat or Sun - where does this bird usually get seen?*
Sunday:
Splash Point, Seaford - great seawatching conditions, but not pleasant to stand in!
Razorbill - 1 East close offshore
auk sp - several past
Fulmar - large numbers passing East. Almost constant stream
Kittiwake - 17 adults East
Gannet - 1 adult East
Newhaven Harbour - Glaucous Gull - one 2nd winter showing very well at Harbour entrance. I managed some good close video footage, which I'll link to when Ive figured out how to upload it
Widewater, Shoreham - Stonechat - 1
RB Merg - 6 (3 pairs) on lagoon
Little Grebe - 9 on lagoon
Cheers all
Jan
Saturday:
Church Norton - A single Black-throated Diver past with decent numbers of RT Divers.
Only 4 Slav Grebes offshore
Whimbrel - good views of one on the deck, then flew off calling.
Woodcock - 2 flew low over the carpark at dusk heading towards the marshes
Bar-tailed Godwit - 5 with decent numbers of Knot
Med Gull - very large numbers between here and Pagham, didn't count but well over 100
Selsey Bill - Red-throated Diver - 7, one on sea, and 6 flying into the Solent (why so low numbers always in Hampshire?)
Great Crested Grebe - 6
Med Gull - one adult showing very well in carpark
Red-breasted Merg - 3
Widewater, Shoreham - Stonechat - 2
Guillemot - 14 past quite close offshore
Gannet - A feeding flock of 20plus (mainly adulta) offshore and quite distant with large numbers of gulls, lingering for at least half an hour and plunge-diving almost continuously
*No sign of Black Redstart here Sat or Sun - where does this bird usually get seen?*
Sunday:
Splash Point, Seaford - great seawatching conditions, but not pleasant to stand in!
Razorbill - 1 East close offshore
auk sp - several past
Fulmar - large numbers passing East. Almost constant stream
Kittiwake - 17 adults East
Gannet - 1 adult East
Newhaven Harbour - Glaucous Gull - one 2nd winter showing very well at Harbour entrance. I managed some good close video footage, which I'll link to when Ive figured out how to upload it
Widewater, Shoreham - Stonechat - 1
RB Merg - 6 (3 pairs) on lagoon
Little Grebe - 9 on lagoon
Cheers all
Jan
Clive Watson
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit ampheta
Yes it is. We've had hardly any.
hollis_f
Well-known member
Brambling at last
One of my 'bogey' birds has been Brambling. Never managed to see one. So, having read a report on the SOS website, Didi and I headed off to Chantry Hill, near Storrington. We drove all the way up to the car park and immediately could see birds around the nearest dung heap. We walked along the path a way and saw lots of Chaffinches and quite a few Yellowhammers. But trying to find anything else was quite difficult as the flocks were mainly on the other side of the dung heap.
However, we did notice that they were moving between the dungpile and some trees down in the valley. And, quite often, some of them would use the two small trees next to the path (between the two gates) as a midway stop. So we set up the cameras near the second gate and waited.
We were soon rewarded with great views of lots of Chaffinches, several Yellowhammers and a Lesser Redpoll before a male Brambling arrived, stayed long enough for a good ID then flew of to the dungpile. It wasn't long before a female arrived and stayed long enough to photograph.
Most satisfied we headed off to The Sportsman for lunch (a nice pub with incredible views over the Brooks at Amberley) before returning, hoping that the light would be better. And we weren't disappointed as a male Brambling allowed us to get very close before a few people on horses saw it off.
One of my 'bogey' birds has been Brambling. Never managed to see one. So, having read a report on the SOS website, Didi and I headed off to Chantry Hill, near Storrington. We drove all the way up to the car park and immediately could see birds around the nearest dung heap. We walked along the path a way and saw lots of Chaffinches and quite a few Yellowhammers. But trying to find anything else was quite difficult as the flocks were mainly on the other side of the dung heap.
However, we did notice that they were moving between the dungpile and some trees down in the valley. And, quite often, some of them would use the two small trees next to the path (between the two gates) as a midway stop. So we set up the cameras near the second gate and waited.
We were soon rewarded with great views of lots of Chaffinches, several Yellowhammers and a Lesser Redpoll before a male Brambling arrived, stayed long enough for a good ID then flew of to the dungpile. It wasn't long before a female arrived and stayed long enough to photograph.
Most satisfied we headed off to The Sportsman for lunch (a nice pub with incredible views over the Brooks at Amberley) before returning, hoping that the light would be better. And we weren't disappointed as a male Brambling allowed us to get very close before a few people on horses saw it off.
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deborah4
Well-known member
from the extreme to the sublime
A run around West Sussex yesterday produced among other things the following:
BT Diver
RT Diver
Gannet
RB Merganser
Common Snipe
Gs Wood
Green Wood
Siskin
Barn Owl
Marsh Harrier
Spotted Redshank
Knot
Dunlin
BarT Godwit
C.Buzzard
Kestrel
Goldcrest
Reed Bunting
etc etc
A half hour walk along the seafront late this afternoon to catch up with my gull project for 2009, that is to photograph as many gulls as possible and scan every flock on my local patch! Paid off with a juvenile Iceland :t:
Seems to be a lot of oiled gulls around sadly.
A run around West Sussex yesterday produced among other things the following:
BT Diver
RT Diver
Gannet
RB Merganser
Common Snipe
Gs Wood
Green Wood
Siskin
Barn Owl
Marsh Harrier
Spotted Redshank
Knot
Dunlin
BarT Godwit
C.Buzzard
Kestrel
Goldcrest
Reed Bunting
etc etc
A half hour walk along the seafront late this afternoon to catch up with my gull project for 2009, that is to photograph as many gulls as possible and scan every flock on my local patch! Paid off with a juvenile Iceland :t:
Seems to be a lot of oiled gulls around sadly.
joannec
Well-known member
Nice one D!:t:
Well I have good news and bad news today...several pieces of good news. First is I did my Atlas TTV today and the first bird I saw early this morning was a hunting barn owl. I watched her catch a vole and eat it. Cool. Also just outside the tetrad, which is near Uckfield, 100 fieldfare which I reported as roving records in the next door tetrad.
Then this afternoon we went to Newhaven and quickly located the Glaucous Gull by the harbour but unfortunately it is badly caught up in fishing line with a hook in its foot and fishing line wrapped around its head, bill and maybe even swallowed some. It really doesn't look good. I phoned Mallydams and they sent someone but unfortunately couldn't find it and it got dark. Have reported it elsewhere but don't know what else I can do. Here are some pictures. Given the circumstances, I couldn't get excited at seeing a not so common bird.:C
Joanne
Well I have good news and bad news today...several pieces of good news. First is I did my Atlas TTV today and the first bird I saw early this morning was a hunting barn owl. I watched her catch a vole and eat it. Cool. Also just outside the tetrad, which is near Uckfield, 100 fieldfare which I reported as roving records in the next door tetrad.
Then this afternoon we went to Newhaven and quickly located the Glaucous Gull by the harbour but unfortunately it is badly caught up in fishing line with a hook in its foot and fishing line wrapped around its head, bill and maybe even swallowed some. It really doesn't look good. I phoned Mallydams and they sent someone but unfortunately couldn't find it and it got dark. Have reported it elsewhere but don't know what else I can do. Here are some pictures. Given the circumstances, I couldn't get excited at seeing a not so common bird.:C
Joanne
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deborah4
Well-known member
Unfortunately, the luck that you happened to twitch it this afternoon and phoned Mallydams, may be too late to rescue gull. Someone else reports it as having fallen into the water and last seen very under the weather and being mobbed by BHGs.
BLOODY FISHERMAN :C:C:C
excuse my language but this sort of carelessness infuriates me, don't they have enough to answer for with the number of gulls being caught in fishing nets at sea.
BLOODY FISHERMAN :C:C:C
excuse my language but this sort of carelessness infuriates me, don't they have enough to answer for with the number of gulls being caught in fishing nets at sea.
Jan-Paul Charteris
Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast
The Iceland Gull gave me the run-around today, keeping moving 10 minutes before I arrived, but I eventually saw it by standing at Shoreham fort by the entrance to the harbour, and it was preening and walking on one of the industrial building rooftops with a number of other large gulls. Despte its large size, even at this range the distinctive Iceland Gull jizz was obvious, and it was no bigger than the smallest argenteus in size. Also at the entrance to the harbour there were 5 Purple Sandpipers with about 30 Turnstone.
The Black Redstart showed very well at Widewater, by the bridge, then on the beach. Is this not a 1st winter male? It seems to show the beginnings of a white secondary patch. Other sightings at Widewater were:
Stonechat - 3 (one male, 2 female)
Shag - one imm feeding offshore
Black-throated Diver - the highlight here - one feeding offshore for about 20 minutes, diving regularly then flying west
Red-throated Diver - 7 all on sea
Great Crested Grebe - 2 on sea
Little Grebe - 9 on lagoon
Common Scoter - 1 female on sea
Red-breasted Merg - 6 (pair on lagoon, 2 pairs on sea)
Kittiwake - 20 + east offshore, and an adult winter on lagoon showing well
On Hove lagoon, one 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull bathing with other large gulls
A good day, all within very short distance of where I live. Sussex and Hampshire year list now 109...not bad considering I don't have my own transport
Jan
The Black Redstart showed very well at Widewater, by the bridge, then on the beach. Is this not a 1st winter male? It seems to show the beginnings of a white secondary patch. Other sightings at Widewater were:
Stonechat - 3 (one male, 2 female)
Shag - one imm feeding offshore
Black-throated Diver - the highlight here - one feeding offshore for about 20 minutes, diving regularly then flying west
Red-throated Diver - 7 all on sea
Great Crested Grebe - 2 on sea
Little Grebe - 9 on lagoon
Common Scoter - 1 female on sea
Red-breasted Merg - 6 (pair on lagoon, 2 pairs on sea)
Kittiwake - 20 + east offshore, and an adult winter on lagoon showing well
On Hove lagoon, one 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull bathing with other large gulls
A good day, all within very short distance of where I live. Sussex and Hampshire year list now 109...not bad considering I don't have my own transport
Jan
Just wanted to say hello to all the Sussex birders out there.Im pretty new to the hobby but have had an interest all my life.Be interested to know of other people who are out and about on the same sites.It would be great to hear from other young sussex birders if there are any out there.
joannec
Well-known member
Hello Lapwing2 and welcome to the Sussex Birding thread and Birdforum. I'll look forward to reading your sightings. There are some young Sussex BFers; alas I'm not one of them. I recommend joining the SOS and this is a link to the site. The sightings board is always useful and usually up to date.
http://www.sos.org.uk/
Joanne
http://www.sos.org.uk/
Joanne
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Thanks for the advise.Im on the SOS board every day and keep meaning to become a member.Are make that my goal for the day lol.Doesnt seem to be many young people into the hobby really.Not very often ive seen people under thirty out and about.Most the people i have met have been very friendly thow apart from the odd few.You seem to get them in any hobby lol.
