Newhaven Recreation Ground - 7/11/2005

Only my second ever Red-backed Shrike and my first in Sussex. This confiding bird spent a few days in the area. Although I only had binoculars in those days, Paul Marten kindly let me look through his scope where the bird was completely frame filling.

Red-backed Shrike - 1 juv

Cuckmere Haven - 25/8/2005

A Wood Sandpiper was my first patch record of this species and as always was picked up by its distinctive call. Distant scope views were had through Mark Austin’s scope.

Wood Sandpiper - 1
Greenshank - 1
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1

Seaford Head & Cuckmere Haven 22/8/05

Seaford Head
Spoonbill - 1 flew north whilst I sat at the bottom of Hope Gap

Cuckmere Haven
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 adult in moult - a superb bird and even better a new one for me.

Rye Harbour 10/7/05

Roseate Tern - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 10

Roseate Tern at Rye Harbour

Lakenheath RPSB & Weeting Heath 2/7/2005

Blogged on 19/4/2019

A trip up with Dad as neither of us had seen Golden Oriole, and at the time for us was one of those mythical birds to see in the UK. Now we’ve both found one in Sussex it wasn’t all that mythical after all. 

Lakenheath:

Golden Oriole - 1 male 

Weeting Heath:

Stone Curlew - 4

Woodlark - 5

Spotted Flycatcher- 3

North Creake:

Montagu’s Harrier - 2

River Adur, Shoreham 31/5/05

GULL-BILLED TERN - 1

Seen mainly on the mud south of the footbridge. At one time if circled to an amazing height before dropping back down to feed.

No sign of the Bee-Eaters in Shoreham.

Gull-billed Tern at Shoreham

Splash Point & Cuckmere Haven 1/5/05

Splash Point

Pomarine Skua - 14

Cuckmere Haven

After a successful sea watch, a call from Dick Gilmore soon saw us down the Cuckmere as a Black-winged Stilt was present. After an hour search, we eventually saw the Stilt and had great scope views.

BLACK-WINGED STILT - 1

Black-winged Stilt in the Cuckmere