Yesterday whilst walking behind Peacehaven, at around 7pm a Tawny Owl started calling continuously in the scrub west and adjacent to the golf course. With the bright moonlight and my helpful torch, I obtained good perched views as it sat upon a hawthorn. This was my first Tawny Owl in Sussex for nearly three years, and certainly my first in this general area. Carrying on with the Owl theme, a Barn Owl was in its usual spot between Woodingdean and the AMEX stadium in the early hours this morning on my way to work.
After some lengthy delays today due to the freezing fog at Gatwick, I only had a mere twenty minutes to go ahead with my plan of trying to find a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on my way home. After a deviation, I arrived at a large expansive forest and immediately upon arrival, I was positive I could hear some light drumming. Thankfully it was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, and a superb male at that. The sighting lasted maybe 15 minutes, by which point I was running late with the school run, and reluctantly left. Being the first day this year where the temperature has reached 13 celcius, I was fairly confident of finding a LSW. Any cooler and I might not have bothered, as previous years have also had this trend at a number of Sussex sites.
Off to the Western Sahara tomorrow for a week, with blog posts being added on my return.
After some lengthy delays today due to the freezing fog at Gatwick, I only had a mere twenty minutes to go ahead with my plan of trying to find a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on my way home. After a deviation, I arrived at a large expansive forest and immediately upon arrival, I was positive I could hear some light drumming. Thankfully it was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, and a superb male at that. The sighting lasted maybe 15 minutes, by which point I was running late with the school run, and reluctantly left. Being the first day this year where the temperature has reached 13 celcius, I was fairly confident of finding a LSW. Any cooler and I might not have bothered, as previous years have also had this trend at a number of Sussex sites.
Off to the Western Sahara tomorrow for a week, with blog posts being added on my return.
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| male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker |
