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.