Splash Point + S'ford Head 20/4/13

Despite all day on the patch, barely anything was recorded. I spent a total of 10 hours looking out at sea and saw very little, but was finally rewarded with a Pom later on in the day with a couple of other observers. Seaford Head was quiet with neither of yesterdays delights about.

Splash Point: 05.30-06.30 then 09.30-18.00

Pomarine Skua - 1
Arctic Skua - 1
Great Skua - 2
Shag - 2
Arctic Tern - 2

Other species were seen but not recorded, mainly due to lack of enthusiasm.

Seaford Head:

Redstart - 1 fem
Whitethroat - 12
Chiffchaff - 4

Seaford Head 19/4/13

A late morning walk with Dad on the Head produced some good quality migrants. The eastern side of the Head was covered as the wind was hitting the westerly side.

Totals are:

Pied Flycatcher - 1 - 1st summer male
Ring Ouzel - 1
Whitethroat - 4
Chiffchaff - 10
Swallow - 30+

 a few branches in the way for this Ouzel.

Pied Flycatcher at Harry's Bush

Bird of the Spring - Beachy Head 17/4/13

A great find by Bob Izzard and many thanks to Ron Knight for the call. This CORNCRAKE was absolutely amazing, terrific, unbelievable and probably the bird of the year. This species is a mega for Sussex and for most people on site was a county tick. A stonker of a bird!!!

Even though Ive tried, words can't describe how amazing this bird was, especially when it posed out in the open only 20 metres in front of the group.

Enough said!!

Splash and S'ford Head 15/4/13

A late start due to the golf going onto the early hours. A seawatch between 6.55-8.25 and another between 9.25-10.55 produced nothing special, neither did a walk up on the Head. And no, I didn't go for the Baikal Teal!!

Totals are:

Great Skua - 10
Arctic Skua - 3
Arctic Tern - 3
Commic Tern - 20
Sandwich Tern - 70
Common Scoter - 321
Velvet Scoter - 5
Eider - 6
Red-throated Diver - 32
Gadwall - 3
Shoveler - 1
Little Gull - 12
Mediterranean Gull - 21
Brent Geese - 191
Grebe sp. - 2 (possibly Red-necked)
Whimbrel - 4

S'ford Head
Redstart - 1
Willow Warbler - 4
Whitethroat - 2
Blackcap - 1

Afterwards me and Dad went to Beachy to look for Adders. No luck with these but it was slightly gutting for a message 5.5 hours after the initial sighting of a Corncrake at Shooters Bottom, where we were very nearly around the time of the sighting. Yet another mega Sussex bird not released for others to see. A great find though!!!

Blackcap in Hope Gap

Seaford Head and Old Lodge 14/4/13

A nice day seeing a good number of summer migrants, though in small quantities. Splash was slow at first thing so I headed straight up to the Head.

Afterwards me and Paula went to Old Lodge, mainly so she could see some Deer, which we did thankfully!!

S'ford Head
Whitethroat - 1
Yellow Wagtail - 1
Willow Warbler - 6
Firecrest - 5
Goldcrest - 1
Blackcap - 2
Wheatear - 3

Old Lodge
Redstart - 1
Tree Pipit - 1

Tree Pipit at Old Lodge

Seaford Head 10/4/13

A bit gloomy on the patch this morning. Despite covering the whole area it was much quieter than last night.

I have just seen a Nightingale come up on the pager for 7.10am this morning on the golf course. This is extremely early and was not seen by myself or Bob, so no idea who had that, but we were there about 10 minutes after this sighting. Not saying whoever saw it is stringing this bird, just clarifying that it wasn't me who saw it.

However what we did see were:

Firecrest - 7
Goldcrest - 4
Willow Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Blackcap - 3
Avocet - 2 on scrape

No photos due to the gloom.

Seaford Head 9/4/13

After a great morning of seawatching (see post below), and after the rain had cleared, I ventured onto the Head where it was pleasently warm and a surprising number of grounded migrants were present in the afternoon. A variety of areas were covered with totals consisting of:

Firecrest - 9 ( 3 in Hope Gap; 4 by Harry's Bush; 2 near Coastguard cottages)
Willow Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 5
Chiffchaff - 5
Goldcrest - 7
Wheatear - 4
Black Redstart - 1 fem (dung heap)

Out at sea there were still Common Scoter going by as were some Brent Geese. On the scrape were 2 Avocets still.

Not breaking any records the totals above, but it is some relief to finally get some migrants in.

Blackcap

 Black Redstart

 

 Firecrests

 Willlow Warbler