Cuckmere Haven 1/5/18

Finally a lovely day and the first bird of the day was a Yellow Wagtail flying over the flat in Peacehaven at 5.30am. I started off down Splash Point, but only for ten minutes as not a single bird was seen, although I wish I'd stayed a tad longer to see the Poms that JFC had at Birling. Seaford Head was equally quiet so it was very surprising for the Cuckmere to be pretty good. The highlight for me were 20 Wheatears scattered about in three flocks, consisting of 9, 7 & 4. Waders were also good to see, as was a singing Garden Warbler at Foxhole Farm.

Totals for the Cuckmere:
Bar-tailed Godwit - 7
Whimbrel - 13
Common Sandpiper - 2
Greenshank - 3 briefly then departed north
Wheatear - 20
Garden Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 2

Afterwards I visited Abbot's Wood and quickly found a Nightingale. This afternoon I walked the fields behind Peacehaven Sewage Works and up to the Green-winged Orchid colony that are already starting to turn, but good to see plenty there.

Bar-tailed Godwits at Cuckmere Haven

Greenshanks over the Cuckmere

Fox in the Cuckmere

Green-winged Orchid at Peacehaven

Speckled Wood at Peacehaven