Matt Eade's Blog: Seaford Head, Cuckmere Haven & Bexhill 17/8/15

Monday 17 August 2015

Seaford Head, Cuckmere Haven & Bexhill 17/8/15

Not a bad day to be out in Sussex. I started off on the regular circuit seeing not very much so thankfully a call from Bob Izzard halved my morning as he had found a stonking Red-backed Shrike in the Cuckmere. Being a patch tick I went for it and got fantastic views.
As I then felt it was my turn to search for the elusive Black Stork, I left soon after seeing the Shrike and set about the task of trying to pin down the Stork around the Bexhill on Sea area. Thankfully it didn't take too long for it to fly over me and out of sight over one of the favoured haunts. Over the next five hours I saw it twice more but always at a distance. A weird bird this one, but thankfully a national influx and it being a juvenile should lie suitable for the BBRC to accept it......time will tell.

Totals for Seaford Head are:

Ring-necked Parakeet - 1
Wheatear - 4
Whinchat - 2
Tree Pipit - 1
Wood Sandpiper - 1 over with Green Sandpiper calling as it went. Nice long toe projection beyond the tail!! My first record for Seaford Head.
Whitethroat - 20
Lesser Whitethroat - 7
Willow Warbler - 19
Reed Warbler - 3
Sedge Warbler - 1
Garden Warbler - 5
Chiffchaff - 2
Yellow Wagtail - 2

Cuckmere Haven - Red-backed Shrike - 1 male (patch tick)

Bexhill on Sea - BLACK STORK - 1 Sussex Tick