Cuckmere Haven

A frosty and clear morning tempted me down to the Cuckmere, where it was -2'C.

Good numbers of waterfowl on the meanders looked fantastic in a swirling mist, that slowly burnt off as the sun rose above the Downs.

I had great views of two Water Rails, one at the salt pans and one at the scrape. Also at the scrape was a Whimbrel and two Greenshank. A bonus was a Spotted Redshank. 

 Canada Geese

Redshank

 Whimbrel

 Greenshank

Stonechat

Wigeon 

Short-eared Owls

For my third visit to look for these owls this winter, I was full of optimism. This was due to it being a beautiful sunny afternoon with little wind.

My persistence paid off and I had marvellous, though distant, views of three owls quartering the rough ground to the west of Lookers Cottage. A few times a pair would rise up and spar with each other, and at one point two of them half-heartedly chased a Marsh Harrier.

As the afternoon waned towards dusk a huge flock of about 400 Lapwing flew south towards Hooe Level.



Birling Gap

A beautiful day, the first one past the winter solstice. The sea at Birling Gap was calm and the wind was light.

I immediately saw a Black Redstart in the car park. It fed along the top of the cliff and down on the beach where is was joined by a Rock Pipit and a Pied Wagtail.

Out to sea were distant Gannets, Cormorants and a Great Northern Diver. Closer to the cliffs were at least three pairs of Fulmar. These birds repeatedly landed then took off, to wheel around. There were also many Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, Black-headed and Common Gulls.

Up on the Lookout a large group of Exmoor Ponies are in residence in the scrub. There were several calling Dunnocks and a male Dartford Warbler.

Descending the hill down towards Horseshoe Plantation, the air was full of the calls of Corn Bunting. At least twenty of these birds were in the large set-aside field across the road, singing enthusiastically from the dead seed heads.



Late December

The very short days of this gloomy and damp December have been enlivened by a few interesting birds.

A Fulmar off the cliffs at Shooters Bottom. These birds are starting to occupy nesting sites.

Black Redstart at Sovereign Harbour, near the Martello tower.

Nuthatch on a feeder at Wierwood Reservoir.

Cormorant with breeding plumage at Sovereign Harbour.

Greylag Geese on Wierwood Reservoir. I have not seen any Greylags in the Cuckmere valley for several months.

Rye Harbour

I timed my arrival for what passed as dawn, on a gloomy and misty morning.

Such a lovely place. I quickly saw Golden Plover in good numbers on Flat Beach, along with plenty of Lapwing, Dunlin, Shoveler and Wigeon.

Little Grebe.

I walked down to Beach Reserve and followed the dead-end track to view the pools, where two male Goldeneyes were displaying to at least four females. A few Teal and a female pochard were present.

Down at the sea a large group of Oystercatcher were sitting out the high tide. Meadow Pipit, Green Woodpecker and Greenfinch were about, but I did not see my longed for Grey Partridge.

Tufted Duck

Lapwing

Male and femal Wigeon

On the Ternery Pool were Teal, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck and a Pintail.

Gadwall with a Little Grebe

Gadwall

Redshank

The Quarry hide gave the best views of the day, with some beautiful Gadwall very close. The huge numbers of birds looking east to Flat Beach was marvellous. A pair of Shelduck landed in one of the dry creeks.

Lapwing

Goldfinch

I managed a total of 39 species in two hours.

Patch: Early December Sunrises

The stationary high pressure has produced some wonderful skies this week.

Levels

The cold weather and clear skies were ideal for a walk on the Levels.

On Saturday I set off from Cooden Beach walking west. Storm Angus has raised a significant shingle bank, about halfway down the beach. At high tide a long 'lagoon' forms.

Gull numbers were high, mainly Herring and Black-headed with a few Turnstones. I had a good look at some Common Gulls. They had developed their winter grey 'hood', which I had not seen before.

Out at sea were several Cormorants and a fast moving, tightly clustered, group of Common Scoter. A lifetime first for me.

At the rail crossing, I headed inland along the lane before taking a footpath back across Hooe Level. The landscape is magnificent, with wonderfully open views to the west that suggest a limitless grassland. The distant hills of the South Downs breaking the southern edge of the horizon.

Across the fields were scattered hundreds of Lapwing, with a large group of mixed corvids. I also saw Grey Heron, Fiedfare, Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker and a magnificent male Sparrowhawk Hawk.

At its eastern edge Hooe Level gives way to patches of lovely Oak woodland. At dusk I drove West towards Horse Eye, hoping for Short-eared Owl, but I had to settle for a large group of Fieldfare, a pair of sparring Buzzard, Stonechat and Kestrel.

The next day I went across to Pett Level. Glorious sun with a strong cold wind. A Marsh Harrier kept stirring up huge numbers of Coot,Wigeon and Lapwing. A lone Pochard was on the large pool with Tufted Duck.

Walking across the Level towards Winchelsea I kept flushing Snipe and I also saw a Jack Snipe and a Water Pipit.