Seaford Head 14/8/16

With a slight change in wind direction I was keen to get on the headland this morning. There was more variety today with the first noteworthy species being a small group of three Snipe flying west and a high-flying Tree Pipit, giving me some hope of diurnal passage but it never picked up, though the first Yellow Wagtails were good to see. Another small drop of Willow Warblers was apparent. A very enjoyable morning however and with the wind coming from the continent next week, there might finally be something good to search for.

Totals are:

Snipe - 3 W
Tree Pipit - 4 E
Wheatear - 1
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Nightingale - 1
Yellow Wagtail - 3 E
Whitethroat - 30
Lesser Whitethroat - 3
Blackcap - 5
Willow Warbler - 42
Chiffchaff - 1
Reed Warbler - 2
Sedge Warbler - 1
Corn Bunting - 1 N

 Raven over the coastguards

a distant Spotted Flycatcher at Harry's Bush

Seaford Head 12/8/16

A lovely morning to be out but I could only cover half the circuit due to work. Another fresh arrival of birds but not the numbers of earlier in the week. As the season is progressing a few 'firsts' of the autumn are appearing, but other species are slow to get going, with today noting no Acros at all, and still no Groppers seen yet. Very little moving overhead today and by mid-morning the area became quiet due to the strengthening westerly wind.

Totals are:

Tree Pipit - 1
Nightingale - 2
Corn Bunting - 3 N
Redstart - 1
Whitethroat - 30
Lesser Whitethroat - 10
Blackcap - 5
Garden Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler - 45
Chiffchaff - 1

 Willow Warblers in Hope Gap

Whitethroat in Hope Gap

Seaford Head & Cuckmere Haven 9/8/16

Looking out the window this morning I nearly went back to bed as the wind was apparent. However, I gave it a go and I'm very pleased I did. Arriving at the car park with Bob, Willow Warblers were moving continuously inland which is always a good sign. The flow of migrants carried on throughout the morning with an obvious arrival of Sylvia Warblers being present, especially Garden Warblers. The highlight by far was finding a stunning Wood Warbler in Harry's Bush, this being my first autumn record here. As the area warmed up Hirundines started moving west in moderate numbers, and leaving the car park a Marsh Harrier flew over which rounded off a successful visit.

Totals are:

Wood Warbler - 1 Harry's Bush
Spotted Flycatcher - 2
Nightingale - 1 juv
Redstart - 1
Whitethroat - 21
Lesser Whitethroat - 9
Garden Warbler - 10
Blackcap - 6
Willow Warbler - 70
Chiffchaff - 3
Sedge Warbler - 2
Reed Warbler - 3
Wheatear - 1
Marsh Harrier - 1 juv/fem W at 10.25
Sand Martin - ca. 100
Swallow - ca. 75

Cuckmere produced a new arrival of Waders along the river with totals of:

Knot - 1
Common Sandpiper - 2
Dunlin - 40
Black-tailed Godwit - 1
Redshank - 8 (one tight flock mainly consisting of juvs)

Yesterday in Milan I saw an adult Night Heron, Hooded Crows and butterflies consisted of Scarce Swallowtails, Clouded Yellow and an unidentified White.

 Wood Warbler in Harry's Bush - having seen three spring birds, it's about time an autumn bird showed up

 Willow Warbler in Hope Gap - largest total of the autumn so far

 Garden Warbler in Hope Gap

 Marsh Harrier over Seaford Head

 s/p Knot with Redshank

Black-tailed Godwit & Redshank in the Cuckmere

Seaford Head 6/8/16

Unfortunately missed yesterday's calm conditions, but was pleased to get up on the head this morning where a small flurry of inbound Willow Warblers were evident upon arrival. These turned out to be the theme of the morning. Still very few Sylvia Warblers about but the first Garden Warblers were good to see. Not much else around and after the area had walmed up it became very quiet. I however could've spent longer walking around but work commitments as per usual gets in the way.

Totals are:

Nightingale - 1

Redstart - 1

Whitethroat - 13

Lesser Whitethroat - 3

Garden Warbler - 3

Blackcap - 6

Willow Warbler - 60

Reed Warbler - 6

Sand Martin - 42 W

House Martin - 2 W

 Willow Warbler in Hope Gap

 Reed Warbler in Hope Gap

Redstart by Harry's Bush

Cuckmere Haven & Newhaven Harbour 3/8/16

Still too windy for the headland so the same routine as yesterday, resisting the easy twitch to Devon for a Least Sandpiper. The Cuckmere was again quiet. A small movement of Gulls moving down the valley and out to sea held a juv. Yellow-legged Gull, but other than this not much with the following totals:

Yellow-legged Gull - 1 juv
Dunlin - 23
Common Sandpiper - 1
Hobby - 1

This afternoon in strong sunlight I could only find one Yellow-legged Gull among the larger numbers of Herring Gulls at Newhaven West Beach. Maybe I should've gone to Devon!!

 Dunlin show very well this time of year

 juv. Yellow-legged Gull in the Cuckmere - a very long-winged individual appearing larger then the accompanying Herring Gull (out of shot)

 juv. Yellow-legged Gull - I actually picked this bird out by it's tertial patterning, not very cool!! The bird is on the far left and appears larger and longer then the juv. Herring Gulls to the right.

juv. Yellow-legged Gull at Newhaven Harbour

Cuckmere Haven & Newhaven Harbour 2/8/16

A very wet and blustery day but I made the most of it after a lay in. The Cuckmere held no foreign tourists for a change, but unfortunately no foreign birds either. The best I could manage is the following:
Common Sandpiper - 3
Dunlin - 11
Whimbrel - 1
Greenshank - 1
Wheatear - 1 first autumn bird on patch

This afternoon/evening at low tide I went down Newhaven West Beach and found a minimum of four Yellow-legged Gulls amongst the many Herring and fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

I had planned to go down to Cornwall for some seawatching today, and with 50+ large Shearwaters seen I was slightly gripped, but with yesterdays drive to Suffolk I couldn't cope with another lengthy drive.

 bird no. 1 - supporting a hefty bill, large size compared to Herring Gull, distinct dark tail band when seen in flight with limited spotting on upper-tail. Very long-winged like Lesser Black-backed but head with square-shaped.

 bird no. 2 - obvious pale window to base of primaries and no dark greater covert bar rules out Lesser Black-backed. Superb tail patterning and neat paler edges to very dark-centred tertials. Close ups of the medium coverts reveals no notching, just neat pale edges to the individual feathers.

bird no. 3 - the most awkward Gull of the afternoon with a more chocolate brown colouration on the upperparts. A very long legged individual with long wings, good looking tail band narrowing towards the edge, no notching on the tertials and a good eye mask on a pale, square-shaped head. Again a hint of a pale 'window' at the base of the primaries ruling out other similar species.

juv. Yellow-legged Gulls at Newhaven Harbour

Seaford Head & Minsmere RSPB 1/8/16

An enjoyable morning on the headland this morning with a nice variety of migrants, but still lacking in numbers. The highlight was an obliging juvenile Cuckoo that was initially flushed in Hope Gap, but was fortunately quickly re-found on the nearby fence line. Other than a few Swift parties moving over, very little was migrating overhead.
Afterwards I took the plunge and drove to Minsmere RSPB in Suffolk for a purple chicken. In fact its a Western Purple Swamphen, and if accepted will be the first record for Britain. I arrived in just over three hours and joined the assembled crowd. It took roughly half hour for the Swamphen to emerge and over the next hour it showed a further five times for a period of maybe five minutes each, gradually getting closer each time. Supporting cast consisted of a Bittern and some Bearded Tits. I hadn't twitched for a while and was slightly going off the idea, but I'm very pleased I went for this. An enjoyable day out.

Totals are:
Cuckoo - 1 juv
Redstart - 1 juv/fem
Whitethroat - 20
Lesser Whitethroat - 3
Blackcap - 5
Willow Warbler - 17
Nightingale - 3 'croaking'
Sedge Warbler - 4
Reed Warbler - 5
Swift - 70W
Cormorant - 20 (one flock west)

Minsmere RSPB:
WESTERN PURPLE SWAMPHEN - 1
Bittern - 1
Bearded Tit - 5
Green Sandpiper - 1

 juv. Cuckoo in Hope Gap - class bird!!

 Sedge Warbler in Hope Gap

 Willow Warbler in Hope Gap

Western Purple Swamphen at Minsmere