Cuckmere Haven 22/11/15

A superb early morning walk down the Cuckmere this morning with Paula was enlivened by finding a splendid Great White Egret that was sat on the west side in the field below Harry's Bush just before 8.30am, when around 9.45am it flew over to the scrape and showed well where it was sat among Little Egrets. The Short-eared Owl  was also still about. Couldn't have asked for better conditions this morning, just a shame a Little Auk wasn't lurking somewhere.

Final totals include:

Great White Egret - 1 adult (my 2nd patch record, and 2nd this year!!)
Short-eared Owl - 1
Red-throated Diver - 1 flew west close inshore
Redshank - 20
Dunlin - 3
Lesser Redpoll - 3 feeding by the scrape
Water Rail - 1h
Brent Geese - 40
Kingfisher - 2

 Great White Egret re-located itself to the scrape (the slight yellowish tinge to the tibia I assume makes it an adult)

 after originally being found on the west side viewed from the east riverbank

 still a good site record despite them being seen regularly in the far east of the county

 Kingfisher

Brent Geese along the main river - 40 is a good count but no doubt birds are stopping off here before continuing further west

 Red-throated Diver heading west