Splash Point 9/4/13

A ESE wind and constant rain was enough to get myself and Bob down Splash this morning for what was to be an extremely eventful morning. During the 5 hours, there was a non-stop movement of Scoter and other Duck species. However the highlight was during the first half hour where a mixture of summer plumaged Grebes were offshore, but soon drifted off east.

Between 06.35-11.35 were:

Slavonian Grebe - 9 (3-3-3 = all settled on the sea - full s/p)
Black-necked Grebe - 6 (5-1 = party of 5 settled just offshore, 1 flew east - all in full s/p)
Common Scoter - 4172 - a constant stream with the biggest flock containing around 500 birds)
Teal - 59
Mallard - 9
Tufted Duck - 6
Gadwall - 16
Wigeon - 17
Shoveler - 31
Pintail - 15
Red-breasted Merganser - 64
Brent Geese - 890
Little Gull - 18
Med. Gull - 1
Red-throated Diver - 49
Common Tern - 42
Sandwich Tern - 20
Arctic Skua - 4
Whimbrel - 3
Black-tailed Godwit - 2 (my 1st record for Splash)
Redshank - 1
Avocet - 1
Grey Plover - 9
Knot - 1
Dunlin - 69
Shelduck - 4
Gannet - 130

Splash Point 8/4/13

A pretty good seawatch this morning, though it was cold with what was probably an ENE wind. I watched between 06.05-10.20 and recorded the following:

Brent Geese - 1115
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 1
Common Scoter - 575
Velvet Scoter - 5
Red-throated Diver - 55
Black-throated Diver - 2 (both s/p - 1 showed well on sea)
Arctic Skua - 3
Sandwich Tern - 50+ (wasn't really counting as several were lurking in the bay)
Common Tern - 5
Slavonian Grebe - 1 west
Shoveler - 64
Pintail - 48
Teal - 33
Mallard - 12
Wigeon - 8
Gadwall - 5
Shelduck - 8
Tufted Duck - 5
Red-breasted Merganser - 6
Mediterranean Gull - 5
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1
Ringed Plover - 1
Dunlin - 5
Auks - 235+ (mostly Razorbills)
Shag - 1 offshore

Birds seen flying in off the sea included:

Swallow - 3
Mistle Thrush - 1

Brent Geese

Cuckmere Haven......Again 7/4/13

After a morning at work seeing the usual Barn Owl again, I went for an afternoon walk down the east side of the Cuckmere.

Around the meanders was a Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Little Ringed Plover, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 White Wagtails and 2 Buzzards over. I couldn't see the Blk-necked Grebe but I didn't look that hard.

The scrape also didn't get that much attention with just an Avocet and the Godwits being seen.

 Scandinavian Rock Pipit

Little Ringed Plover

The Big Migration Begins 6/4/13

Whilst dipping the Cuckmere Spoonbill this evening (even though I was there half hour after the original sighting), I was witnessing the big Brent Geese migration.

Sitting at the mouth of the Cuckmere, I watched literally thousands of Geese moving east as the south-easterly wind blew. The biggest flock was probably around 700.

As the evening went on and light began to fade, I walked back to the Galleon and looking back, there were again huge flocks really high up moving east. Even when I was filling up at the petrol garage in Seaford, I could see distant flocks high up. In an hour, I saw around 3,000 Geese.

Although I will miss the true spectacle tomorrow morning, I'm glad I have seen the start of it all.

It wasn't just the Geese, Med Gulls were moving as well as many Common Scoter and I also heard a Whimbrel.

It was nice to finally see a mass of birds migrating.

Seaford Head and Cuckmere Haven 6/4/13

Covered the whole area this morning, but little reward for my efforts. The Head was again cold and quiet, the Cuckmere held the usual suspects, but out at sea there was some movement, and every now and then a glance out would produce a few things passing east.

S'ford Head:

Wheatear - 2
Woodcock - 1
Brent Geese - 500+
Common Scoter - 20
Teal - 3
Sandwich Tern - 6

Cuckmere:

Avocet - 6
Blk-tailed Godwit - 13
Blk-necked Grebe - 1
Dunlin - 6
Ringed Plover - 2

 Wheatear

 an impressive flock of Brents

Sandwich Terns

Seaford Head 2/4/13

Yet again, a cold north easterly was blowing on the headland making birding even more difficult then it would normally be. Even in the sheltered locations there was nothing.

At the bottom of Hope Gap were 3 Wheatears and there was a semi-strong movement of Woodpigeons moving east.

Wheatear in Hope Gap

 

Cuckmere Haven 1/4/13

With all the Jack Snipes about in the local area, I thought it was worth a look down the patch to try and find one. Walking the edges of the small lagoons I managed to flush one twice getting great views. The usual stuff was also still about, but no Bluethroats were found despite several in the counties surrounding Sussex.

Jack Snipe - 1
Black-necked Grebe - 1
Avocet - 5
Black-tailed Godwit - 6
White Wagtail - 1

 Black-necked Grebe

 Jack Snipe

White Wagtail