January / Term 3 2017: Highlights

The first period of my birding year covers January, plus the remainder of term three. Cold weather has dominated, at times ice has covered huge areas of the lake at West Rise Marsh and the Cuckmere meanders. This extreme weather led to some marvellous spectacles:

Gathered Gulls and waterfowl at West Rise Marsh on 22nd January. Some birds in the water and some standing on the ice.

A Mute Swan forces it's way through ice on the Cuckmere meanders on 2st January.

A rare close encounter with a Water Rail at West Rise Marsh on 3rd January

A stunning Firecrest at Nyman's on 7th January, its orange crest seeming to glow on a gloomy afternoon.

The Goosander on the Ouse in Lewis showing off its serrated bill on 21st January.

After several visits, a good view of the Long-tailed duck at West Rise Marsh on 22nd January.

Displaying Robins from Scotney Castle on 5th February.

Lots of great moments, but here is my top five:

#5 Male Serin at Tide Mills. 21st January.

Very obligingly perched and singing like mad on a lovely sunny afternoon. My second ever sighting of this species.

#4 Purple Sandpipers, on the pier at Tide Mills. 29th January.

A very high tide had forced the birds to roost on the top of the pier. They pointed their breasts into the strong wind, adjusting to any change in direction like weather vanes. A lifetime first.

#3 Bewick Swans, Offam Farm in the Arun valley. 2nd January.

Six distant birds, one may have been a Mute Swan. My first lifer of 2017, and a species I had wanted to see for several years.

#2 Female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Scotney Castle. 5th February.

You look, and you look, and eventually you get some luck. Two brief views of this tiny black and white bird, but did not manage a photo. I also heard one calling, presumably a male. This species is very scare locally, I believe there may be only two breeding territories currently in Ashdown Forest. I have better luck with it further north, over the Kent border.

#1 Bearded Tit, West Rise Marsh. 3rd January.

After so many snatched glimpses of this species, I finally got a longer look at one. I must have taken over fifty photos of this lovely bird.