Splash Point & Pulborough Brooks 31/3/11

Started off at Splash Point (09.50-10.20, SW 4-5) where there was very little movement. Birds noted were Brent Geese 46; Mediterranean Gulls 2; Sandwich Tern 2 and Diver sp.

Went to Pulborough Brooks after and notched up 2 more yearticks in the form of House Martin and Willow Warbler. The water level was slightly higher than expected and no passage waders were seen. Totals for the walk were House Martin 3; Willow Warbler 2; Chiffchaff 10+; Brambling 2 (Nettley's); Black-tailed Godwit 1 s/p; and 2 male Blackcaps. Now a quarter of the way through the year and my Sussex Yearlist is 172 and UK Yearlist is 179.

Splash Point 29/3/11

06.15-09.00 Wind NE1-2 or rubbish in other words,

Arctic Skua 3 all DP,

Avocet 2,

Little Gull 4,

Whimbrel 3,

Sandwich Tern 2,

Black-throated Diver 1,

Shoveler 24,

Shelduck 2,

Common Scoter 123,

Teal 2,

Red-breasted Merg 1,

Tufted Duck 1,

Sanderling 1,

Grey Plover 2,

Brent Geese 17 ,

Auk sp. 4

Lewes Brooks & Tide Mills 27/3/11

Visited Lewes Brooks after work today. 3 Garganey (2 drakes), 12 Egyptian Geese, 3 Ruff and 5 Snipe were on the flooded area and a Little Ringed Plover with a Dunlin were nearby. A couple of Chiffchaffs and a Treecreeper were in Iford.

(6 Egyptian Geese and 2 Garganey on Lewes Brooks)

Visited Tide Mills after seeing 3 Black Redstarts (2 males), 7 Wheatears and 2 Purple Sandpipers, but not much else. A Swallow was in the Cuckmere after.

Male Wheatear at Tide Mills

Splash Point 26/3/11

06.00-10.00 Wind NE-SE 1

Common Tern 1
Sandwich Tern 31
Arctic Skua 1 DP
Avocet 1
Little Gull 17
Black-throated Diver 3
Red-throated Diver 27
Brent Geese 620
Common Scoter 173
Mallard 2
Tufted Duck 1
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Shoveler 2
Teal 6
Shelduck 6
Auk sp. 1
Wigeon 2
Dunlin 6
Whimbrel 1
Gannet 6+
Mediterranean Gull 3
Wheatear 1 in off

3 Yearticks this morning brings my UK yearlist to 175 and Sussex Yearlist to 168.

Splash Point 25/3/11

06.00-09.30, Wind NE 1-2

Common Scoter 559
Brent Geese 404
Black-throated Diver 1
Red-throated Diver 14
Diver sp. 12
Sandwich Tern 9
Gannet 7
Red-breasted Merganser 13
Shoveler 5
Slavonian Grebe 3 on sea then flew east.
Teal 10
Gadwall 1
Greylag Goose 1
Sand Martin 3 in off.

Brent Geese, Sandwich Tern and Common Scoter at Splash Point.

A little while later a Red Kite flew over my garden.

Short-toed Treecreeper 24/3/11

Jacob Everitt and myself successfully twitched the SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER at Landguard NR, Suffolk today. After arrival we hung around on 'Icky' Ridge for just over an hour with no luck, but our luck soon changed as the bird had been retrapped and was going to be released at the ridge. So basically we both got some pretty good views.

Splash Point and Seaford Head 23/3/11

Splash Point 06.10-08.40

Common Scoter 113

Teal 20
Red-breasted Merganser 10
Brent Geese 5 Bar-tailed Godwit 3
Avocet 4
Shelduck 5
Sanderling 62
Dunlin 32
Red-throated Diver 4
Shoveler 2
Mallard 2
Bar-tailed Godwit 3
Grey Plover 4
Whimbrel 7
Gannet at Splash Point

On Seaford Head 2 Swallows flew north over the golf course along with a White Wagtail. In Hope Gap my first Wheatear of the year was present.

Distant Swallow and male Wheatear on Seaford Head

Splash Point and Seaford Head 22/3/11

Splash Point 06.00-08.15

Acovet 1
Mallard 2
Common Scoter 47
Red-throated Diver 2
Shoveler 7
Wigeon 2
Brent Geese 23
Shelduck 8
Teal 14
Whimbrel 2
Curlew 7
Avocet past Splash Point

A much quieter morning on Seaford Head with a Firecrest in Hope Gap and a Sand Martin and 2 Buzzards in the Cuckmere.

Chaffinch in Hope Gap

Splash Point and Seaford Head 21/3/11

Splash point 06.15-08.00

Red-breasted Merganser 1
Brent Geese 64
Mediterranean Gull 2
Gadwall 3
Wigeon 3

Seaford Head

GOSHAWK 1 probs male 09.55-10.03
Brambling 1 over Hope Gap
Firecrest 1 in Hope Gap
White Wagtail 2 along cliff edge
Lapland Bunting 1 heard on golf course
Siskins 2 heard on golf course
Raven 1 by wood

Gos and Yellowhammer on Seaford Head.

Hope Gap, Seaford Head 18/3/11

A stroll in the thick mist on the head this morning produced a couple of White Wagtails and a slow stream of Meadow Pipits heading north totalling 50 birds.

In Hope Gap and single Goldcrest and at the mouth of the Cuckmere a superb summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe. It was constantly feeding but showed very well. No pics im afraid as the weather was pretty rubbish.

West Sussex 11/3/11

A pair of Ring-necked Parakeets seen 30 yds inside Sussex this morning. They took a bit of finding but they showed well in the end. About 50 yds into Surrey another pair of Parakeets outside their nesthole.

The top 2 photos shows 1 of the 2 Sussex Parakeets and the bottom photo showing the Surrey pair with their nesthole to their right.

Nearby (West Sussex) were 3 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers (2 males, 1 female) all within 50 metres of each other with regular drumming and calling going on. Also a few Siskins, Redpolls and Redwings about.

Male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. The photos really do not show the beauty of these birds.

Wiston and Widewater Lagoon 9/3/11

Dipped the Common Cranes near Wiston this morning but on the way home the 2 female Scaup were again showing well on Widewater Lagoon.

Ashdown Forest 7/3/11

Visited 2 sites on Ashdown today as the weather was so good. I was very lucky to encounter a Dartford Warbler in full song, and at this same site 3 Ravens and a Siskin flew over.

At another site a Red Kite was seen distantly and 3 Crossbills (1 male) and a Woodlark flew over calling. Other bits and bobs included a couple of Redpolls and Yellowhammers.

Dartford Warbler and 2 of 3 Ravens on Ashdown Forest.

New Forest 5/3/11

Had a day out with Dick Gilmore and Dan, Mike and Rob. First stop was the same viewpoint in the New Forest for Goshawks. The weather was murky but a male GOSHAWK was soon spotted perched high up in a conifer. A little later on another GOSHAWK was spotted circling not too fay away, but eventually it reached such a hieght it disappeared into the cloud. Also present were 2 Woodlarks, 12+ Hawfinches and a Snipe flew over.
Next stop was between Shattorford and Denny Wood and the Great Grey Shrike showed straight away. In the car park were a couple of Redpolls, Siskins, Goldcrests and Coal Tits.
Near Acres Down a Firecrest was with a roving Tit flock which held Marsh Tits.

In an area which looked great for Dartford Warblers, atleast 6 individuals were seen, which was amazing to see as i thought they had all frozen to death.

On the way home the Gosport RING-BILLED GULL was seen very briefly on the boating lake.