Early Spring

A grey sky, but the southwesterly wind and slightly mild temperatures hint that Spring is on the way.

Snowdrops near Selmeston church.

Driving out to Birling Gap around the Beachy Head headland gave good views of a Jay, Linnets, a male Stonechat and Common Gulls in the fields with Black-headed gulls, some of which are starting to look quite smart in their breeding plumage.

Migrating Brent Geese, heading east.

At the coast were Fulmar and Kittiwake, with Curlew and Oystercatcher on the beach. Further out to sea was a single Great Crested grebe, several Cormorant and a a flock of twenty Brent Geese moving east.

Easily my most exciting encounter was with a boldly singing male Corn Bunting. The fallow field north of Birling Gap is full of the seedy weed-heads that sustain this declining species.