Sussex Birding (4 Viewers)

[deborah4]

Moved on to Pagham.........again nothing much around but had a nice Kestrel hovering right above me by the Ferry Pool hide.

Tried to get by car to Church Norton but again everyone was out and about........i have never seen the car park there so full up.
.

Hey Mark, what do you look like, I must have seen you at Pags today, I talked to just about everyone!

Wasn't it terrible!!! Bank Holiday mayhem

(will post short report on t'other thread but yes, not a lot about)

 

[Mark43]

Hey Mark, what do you look like, I must have seen you at Pags today, I talked to just about everyone!

Wasn't it terrible!!! Bank Holiday mayhem

(will post short report on t'other thread but yes, not a lot about)

5'10'',specs,wearing grey cargoes and green coat with a large scope on my back with my red haired wife in tow wearing the same sort of coat.

Didn't see you either then again maybe i did and didn't realise.......i think i would recognise you from your posted photo's.

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

Posting this a bit late, but spent the New Year period visiting relatives in Suffolk (allowing me to start 2007 in a quest for 2 UK lifers in North Norfolk).

Highlights from one day's birding in the twilight gloom prevalent in Sussex after Christmas (27th) included 7 Bewick's between Bury and Houghton and a Raven overhead while we were searching the game cover strips on top of Kithurst Hill.

Yet again failed to catch up with the Short-eared Owls at Shoreham Airport (not helped by still having to use 'reserve' optics), just a distant Barn Owl. And a Rock Pipit, but no Purple Sandpipers or Black Redstarts from our visit to Shoreham Harbour.

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

Female/immature Ring-necked Duck and immature male Scaup both showing well in the rain at Weir Wood Reservoir this morning (very glad that there's a hide there given the weather conditions today!). Also a nice view of a Water Rail performing in front of the hide.

 

[Mark43]

Female/immature Ring-necked Duck and immature male Scaup both showing well in the rain at Weir Wood Reservoir this morning (very glad that there's a hide there given the weather conditions today!). Also a nice view of a Water Rail performing in front of the hide.

Both Ring- neck and Scaup still there this morning at around 10ish with Pochard,Tufted Duck,G.C Grebe etc.

Marsh Tit's showing well on the feeders also.

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

Made the right choice weatherwise in opting for a full day's birding on Sunday, as the rain stayed away, although it was still difficult in the wind, with a number of species lying low.

Managed a respectable 80 in the Shoreham/Amberley areas, highlights including:-
3 Purple Sandpipers at Shoreham Harbour
Raven and Peregrine at the top of Chantry/Kithurst Hill
3 White-fronted Goose (2 add + 1 imm) in with the Greylag at Amberley Wild Brooks (from Rackham), with 2 Bewick's Swans flying in and a last minute ring-tail Hen Harrier as dusk came in

Still owl-less for 2007 though

 

[joannec]

I spent a few hours at Weir Wood Res today. The ring neck female is still there. Also a male scaup and a female ruddy, all hanging out with the pochard and tufties. I had never been birding there before. It's good from the little you can get too but unfortunately it is 99% inaccessable. Anyone know places other than the hide you can access?

Joanne

 

[Mark43]

I spent a few hours at Weir Wood Res today. The ring neck female is still there. Also a male scaup and a female ruddy, all hanging out with the pochard and tufties. I had never been birding there before. It's good from the little you can get too but unfortunately it is 99% inaccessable. Anyone know places other than the hide you can access?

Joanne

Hi Joanne

If you come out of the car park and turn right at the main road,go over the bridge and climb back up the hill after about half a mile (approx) there is a little layby with room for about 4 or 5 cars on the right hand side.You can park here,walk through the fence and down the hill where you can walk along to the dam.
It is very very very muddy in winter and not so good in summer either but its a nice walk.
You can't always access the waters edge but there is some nice woodland and fields along the way to do your birding in.

 

[joannec]

Hi Joanne

If you come out of the car park and turn right at the main road,go over the bridge and climb back up the hill after about half a mile (approx) there is a little layby with room for about 4 or 5 cars on the right hand side.You can park here,walk through the fence and down the hill where you can walk along to the dam.
It is very very very muddy in winter and not so good in summer either but its a nice walk.
You can't always access the waters edge but there is some nice woodland and fields along the way to do your birding in.

Hi Mark

Thanks, I will go there next time.

Joanne

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

My plan to cover key sites in the west of the county yesterday was a little over-ambitious for the available daylight hours in mid-January, not helped by the tide times this weekend or the elusive nature of some of the target species.

Nevertheless, with the calm, sunny and clear conditions, it was a great day to be out at West Dean Woods, some or all of the following species having been seen by us and/or various people we encountered...

Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Buzzard (11 in bins at one time!)
Woodcock, Firecrest (we saw a min. of 3), Marsh and Willow Tit, Hawfinch, Brambling & Corn Bunting

A brief trip to Church Norton succeeded in plugging a few gaps in the yearlist, but the tide wasn't ideal (too far out). One Slavonian Grebe offshore from the harbour mouth, a flyby Red-throated Diver and a big handful of Med Gulls were the highlights.

 

[r2didi2]

Hi Folks

Frank and I were at Weir Wood on Saturday and saw the female ring-necked, a lifer for both of us which was cool. Mark that's great info re where else to hang out at Weir Wood )

Also, Widewater Lagoon in Shoreham-by-Sea is good at the moment (a local patch for me) - we went on Sunday and saw another lifer for me - 2 male and 3 female Red-breasted Mergansers! If you get Bird Guides News Digest (www.birdguides.com) for the Sussex area, you'll see it reported at 16:15 yesterday - that was me!

There were also more Dabchicks there than I have ever seen anywhere else - must have been approaching 10 of them whizzing and diving around together! Not many waders at the moment though other than one lonely-looking redshank!

And of course, there is the Great Nothern Diver in Southwick, which is just up the road from Shoreham! Haven't had a chance to go and see that yet though...

All the best
Didi

 

[joannec]

Also, Widewater Lagoon in Shoreham-by-Sea is good at the moment (a local patch for me) - we went on Sunday and saw another lifer for me - 2 male and 3 female Red-breasted Mergansers! If you get Bird Guides News Digest (www.birdguides.com) for the Sussex area, you'll see it reported at 16:15 yesterday - that was me!

There were also more Dabchicks there than I have ever seen anywhere else - must have been approaching 10 of them whizzing and diving around together! Not many waders at the moment though other than one lonely-looking redshank!

And of course, there is the Great Nothern Diver in Southwick, which is just up the road from Shoreham! Haven't had a chance to go and see that yet though...

All the best
Didi

Thanks for that Didi, planning to go to Shoreham on Wed. It's not my patch and Deborah is showing me round so looking forward to it even more with this info. :t:

Joanne

 

[JohnnyH]

Quick walk along Worthing beach this afternoon whilst visiting my bro produced - 50 Sanderling, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Common Scoter, Shag, & a sorry looking Red Throated Diver which appeared to be oiled.

Cheers,

John.

 

[Moonshake]

Another trundle round Arundel WWT with the family today brought chiffchaff, kingfisher and sparrowhawk along with all the usual stuff plus lovely views of a peregrine circling fairly low and leisurely over the reserve. A red admiral in the car park too when we arrived. A stop at Greatham Bridge on the journey back gave a hunting barn owl that got rather rudely set upon by a kestrel.

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

Bit late with my report of weekend birding activities, but never mind...

Had a day off on Friday, so headed back to West Dean Woods to try and pick up the 'specials'. Couldn't find any Brambling in the Chaffinch flock around Staple Ash Farm/the horse paddock, but they are in the area according to other sources.

A nice view of Red Kite quartering the field at the bottom of the hill before the SWT car park - if you don't see anything in the air, scan the copses on the hillside carefully - could well be sitting tight there.

Also managed to catch up with the 'holy grail' of Willow Tit, near the 'daffodil field'. Lots of Marsh Tits in the area as well, very vocal at this time of year.

A female Hawfinch was seen in the vicinity of the normal roost site at 1.30pm. Waited until 2.15 and didn't see any more coming in - but this is before the normal roosting time, so don't know how many there are in the area at the moment. Too cold for me to wait any longer!

No sign of Short-eared Owl at Shoreham Airfield on either Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

For some reason, all woodpeckers were strangely silent at Burton Mill on Sunday morning. Did manage to pick out 7+ Siskin and at least 2 Lesser Redpoll in the alders with Goldfinches and heard a Woodlark singing in the distance. Had a surprise flypast from a Raven too.

 

[r2didi2]

A nice view of Red Kite quartering the field at the bottom of the hill before the SWT car park - if you don't see anything in the air, scan the copses on the hillside carefully - could well be sitting tight there..

Hi Ben - I didn't know they had Red Kite there - is that West Dean Woods as well?

Also, I still have never seen a Hawfinch - you saying they've got those there - I won't half have to go and look!

Cheers
Didi

 

[deborah4]

Hi Ben - I didn't know they had Red Kite there - is that West Dean Woods as well?

Also, I still have never seen a Hawfinch - you saying they've got those there - I won't half have to go and look!

Cheers
Didi

Hi Didi

Red Kites can be seen quite regularly at West Dean. Surprised about the Willow Tit though - thought they were all but extinct in the South of England.

 

[Ben Rackstraw]

Hi Ben - I didn't know they had Red Kite there - is that West Dean Woods as well?

Also, I still have never seen a Hawfinch - you saying they've got those there - I won't half have to go and look!

Cheers
Didi

Hi Didi,

5 Hawfinches were seen at WDW going to roost on Tuesday afternoon (between 1 and 2.30pm), but they didn't show particularly well - blink and you'd miss them as they shot into the roost, apparently. I have had really good views in the Horse paddock near Stapleash farm in previous years though. PM me if you want any more details.

The Sussex Willow Tit is just about hanging on I think, but it's an odd beast compared to birds elsewhere in UK. Damp woodland thickets such as that at Burton Mill, where if one were further N in UK would be expected to hold WT, seems to be exclusively the domain of Marsh Tits; all the WTs I've seen at WDW have been in the larch woods/plantations higher up the hill.

Cheers,

Ben

BTW Tawny Owl on my walk home from the railway station in Haywards Heath tonight - first I've seen here - would seem that a pair have moved in over the past couple of months.

 

[Moonshake]

Barn owl being mobbed by two magpies late this afternoon, along the A259 east of Newhaven, right by the Ouse Estuary Project.

 

[joannec]

Yesterday I watched a magpie nestbuilding, thought this a bit early but definately arranging sticks in the top of an oak tree!!!

Also rooks have been taking a lot of interest in old nest sites in the last week or so, not actually flying around with sticks in their beeks yet but frequenting the scots pines where there is a rookery. Last year they first started nesting mid Feb so am watching them closely. Interestingly the site I watch, which is visible from my house, is one of the earliest nest sites in Sussex. I know they are really common but it is a source of entertainment and I have taken an interest in them and grown to like them.