West Sussex: 7th November 2021

Having led a tour in Northern Spain last week and being generally knackered since returning early Friday morning, I was more than keen to have a chilled out day touring a few sites in western West Sussex, starting first at East Head, West Wittering. This was my first bit of birding in the county since 02 Oct when the Leach's past.

Despite beating the dog walkers to the north end of East Head, frustratingly I couldn't find the buntings, nor little else, though a Firecrest was in the pines by the car park and seven Sanderlings were great to see along the shoreline. Next, I drove to the end of Ellanore Lane and scoped the two fantastic Velvet Scoters in the harbour there. Three Common Scoters, a Razorbill and 13 Bar-tailed Godwits were also present. 

Next was Sidlesham where I soon found a flock of 24 Cattle Egrets. I couldn't be bothered to wander further south so I drove up to West Dean Woods where I spent an enjoyable 90-minutes, easily finding Hawfinches, three Bramblings and other commoner species. One Hawfinch showed very well through the scope as it perched atop a conifer... some of the best views I've had in Sussex and I could even make out its pale iris. 

Last up was Heyshott Common, but all I could find were three obliging Dartford Warblers, with the 'psshing' technique working very well. 

Cattle Egrets at Sidlesham

Two Velvet Scoters at Chichester Harbour

Dartford Warbler at Heyshott Common

Firecrest at West Wittering

Mediterranean Gull at West Wittering

Hawfinch at West Dean Woods

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Dale of Walls, Shetland – 15th October 2021

The past nine days, I've been leading a Naturetrek group on Shetland... undoubtedly my favourite place in the entire UK. It was generally a quiet week for scarcities turning up, but thankfully some had lingered from previous weeks and we managed a respectable list of decent birds, including the following:

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll - 2 (one on Unst; one on Mainland)
King Eider - 1 
Woodchat Shrike - 1 juv
American Golden Plover - 1 juv
Bluethroat - 1
White-billed Diver - 1
Ring-necked Duck - 1 
Great White Egret - 1
Sooty Shearwater - 2
Yellow-browed Warbler - only 1 !!
Glaucous Gull - 1 juv
Shore Lark - 5
Snow Bunting - 3

The 'trip' for me was saved until our last day, and really, our last few hours when at Dale of Walls (where I saw a Lanceolated Warbler back in 2015) in West Mainland, I was walking the burn and trapesing through the iris beds and rank vegetation when I heard a Redpoll calling. I turned to notice a finch flying towards me, although above the horizon I couldn't make out any features... that was until it went below the horizon, then boom!!

Immediately obvious was the striking white rump, and combined with the rather chunky impression, this had to be a Hornemann's? It then landed on a stone wall parallel with the burn, which is when it became obvious, and I turned to my group and yelled out "Arctic Redpoll on the wall" and hoped they picked it out. I fired off a number of photos, both settled and in flight, whilst trying to direct my group onto the bird. Thankfully, some saw it, but in the process of turning and general panic, we all lost the bird and presumably it had flown off down the burn. Despite walking up and down the stone wall and adjacent areas, we frustratingly couldn't find it. Thankfully the images obtained look sufficient enough for me to claim this as a Hornemann's, and importantly, a self-found BB rarity.

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Dale of Walls
Showing off a suite of characters, including the broad base to the bill,
buffy wash to upper breast and face, extensive white rump,
slight flank streaking and reminiscence of a small Bullfinch.

The beach from Dale of Walls, with Foula in the distance

The bottom of the burn

Cow Gap, Beachy Head - 2nd October 2021

An excellent seawatch was had at Cow Gap, Beachy Head today between 8am and 3pm. It was great to see Chris Ball who joined my for four hours.

Without doubt the highlight were two Leach's Petrels! This mega county rarity was of course in the back of my mind for today, but I didn't hold out too much hope of seeing one, yet alone two. The first was picked up briefly by Chris, before showing off for over five minutes as it slowly battled its way westwards. Then, once Chris had left and safely securing two county ticks in a morning, another Leach's flew through, this time much closer but also much quicker!

Other notable highlights included:

Sooty Shearwater - 4
Balearic Shearwater - 17
Manx Shearwater - 3
Arctic Skua - 5
Bonxie - 3
Razorbill - ca. 150
Sandwich Tern - ca. 50
Fulmar - 1

With the winds diminishing from today, I wonder how many more years it will be before the next opportunity for a Leach's presents itself?! Perhaps the last 'live' bird was back in 2012 which flew past Selsey... though I know some moribund individuals have been found since inland.

Me living the dream...

Cow Gap in the distance

Naturetrek HQ

It's been a rather excellent week at work for wildlife sightings. On Tuesday morning, I visited the moth trap which I had set-up the previous evening, and I was delighted to see an absolute monster on the wall. The moth in question was the rare Clifden Nonpareil, or Blue Underwing.

That evening, a colleague of mine, Tom Mabbett, then went and found a Wryneck along the driveway, and much to my relief, the bird was still present this morning. Add to this a local Little Owl and a couple of Whinchats, a Redstart and flyover Yellow Wagtails, I can hardly complain about where I work.

Wryneck

Clifden Nonpareil

Wryneck

Cuckmere Haven - 02/09/2021

An excellent 90-minutes in the Cuckmere this evening where one of the Wrynecks showed semi-respectably for this species. The scrape was a hive of activity too with a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper mixed amongst the flock of 43 Dunlins; five Greenshanks, a Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit were also present, whilst on the walk down from the car park, ten Whinchats were also counted! 

You can't beat the Cuckmere... in Sussex!

Wryneck

Whinchat

Curlew Sandpiper

Seaford Head & Tide Mills 28/08/2021

My first visit to Seaford Head this autumn was relatively OK, though nothing extravagant was encountered on a lengthy circuit. Afterwards I went down the Cuckmere and saw two of the four Little Stints along the river.

Personal totals for Seaford Head:

Whinchat - 5
Yellow Wagtail - ca. 100
Whitethroat - 30
Willow Warbler - 15
Reed Warbler - 4
Lesser Whitethroat - 7
Pied Flycatcher - 1
Garden Warbler - 1
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Wheatear - 5
Chiffchaff - 4
Tree Pipit - 2

Late this afternoon I visited Tide Mills in the hope of finding a Wryneck, and for once, the hope came to light with an elusive individual found in the bushes along Mill Creek. A Whinchat was also present along with a number of other common migrants.

Wryneck at Tide Mills (click to enlarge)

Little Stints at Cuckmere Haven

Beachy Head & Cuckmere Haven 27/08/2021

My first time in Sussex this August, which is entirely unprecedented for me, but there we have it in my new(ish) life.

This morning I led a Naturetrek group at Beachy Head, starting at Birling and going as far east as the Old Trapping Area. It was fairly slow for passerine migration, with single figures of Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Whinchat, Wheatear, both Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, and lastly, Garden Warbler. However, by far the highlight was a sublime Honey Buzzard which was spotted (simultaneously by Laurence too) at Belle Tout Wood. It didn't hang around and soon departed off east.

During the afternoon of working from Dads, a Spotted Flycatcher and Redstart were in the garden, and this evening a walk down the Cuckmere found the juvenile Little Stint amongst a large number of Dunlin, as well as a Whinchat.

Honey Buzzard over Belle Tout

Little Stint