Sunday 26 January 2003

26th January 2002 Newhaven 8.00-8.30am, Arundel 10.00am - 12.00pm, South Stoke 12.30pm, Pulborough RSPB 1.00pm-2.00pm, Arundel Mill Stream 2.30 - 3.00pm, Rodmell 4.00pm-5.00pm. Drizzle in morning becoming sunny and clear


Fulmar c.6 Newhaven
Little Egret 1 Arundel
Bewick’s Swan 20 South Stoke
Pintail c.3 Pulborough
Pochard c.20 Arundel
Tufted Duck c.20 Arundel
Ruddy Duck c.5 Arundel
Sparrowhawk 1 Rodmell
Rough-legged Buzzard 1 juv. Rodmell being dive-bombed by a pair of Peregrines
Peregrine 2 Rodmell
Water Rail 1 on tussocks at Swanbourne Lake
Snipe 1 Arundel
Kittiwake 2 Newhaven
Guillemot 2 Newhaven
Stock Dove 1 Newhaven
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 Pulborough
Cetti’s Warbler 1 Mill Stream. Excellent views in response to playback. Rich rufous-brown upperparts. White crescent below eye. Dark grey underparts. White chevrons on undertail-coverts.
Long-tailed Tit c.5 Arundel
Marsh Tit c.2 Pulborough on feeders
Coal Tit 1 Pulborough feeders
Nuthatch 1 Pulborough feeders
Treecreeper 1 Arundel Mill Stream
Siskin c.10

Saturday 25 January 2003

25th January 2003 Rodmell 7.00-7.30am, Newhaven 7.45am-8.00am, Arundel 9.00am-12.00, Pagham Lagoon 12.30pm-2.00pm, Rodmell 4.30pm-5.15pm. Drizzle during morning, sunny afternoon

Little Grebe c.5
Great Crested Grebe 3 Pagham
Cormorant c.15
Little Egret 1 Pagham
Grey Heron c.2
Mute Swan c.15 Lewes
Canada Goose 1 Pagham
Brent Goose c.50 Pagham
Shelduck c.20
Mandarin 1 Arundel
Wigeon c.75
Gadwall c.5
Teal c.30 Pagham
Pochard c.20 Arundel
Tufted Duck c.20 Arundel
Eider 1 Pagham
Goldeneye c.5 Pagham
Smew 1 Pagham Lagoon
Merganser 5 Pagham
Ruddy Duck 3 Arundel
Sparrowhawk 1 Rodmell
Rough-legged Buzzard 1 juv. Rodmell
Kestrel 1 Rodmell
Peregrine 1 Pagham
Oystercatcher c.5
Ringed Plover 1
Golden Plover c.150 Pagham
Grey Plover c.5 Pagham
Lapwing c.500
Dunlin c.100
Snipe h
Bar-tailed Godwit c.5
Curlew c.10
Redshank c.10
Turnstone c.3
Mediterranean Gull 2 adults Pagham
Black-headed Gull c.1,000
Common Gull c.100
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 Newhaven, c.20 Pagham
Herring Gull c.50
Great Black-backed Gull c.60
Skylark c.10 Pagham
Grey Wagtail 1 Arundel
Fieldfare c.30
Redwing c.15
Cetti’s Warbler 1h Arundel
Chiffchaff c.3 Arundel
Goldcrest c.5 Arundel
Long-tailed Tit 1 near Arundel

Wednesday 22 January 2003

22nd January 2002 Rye Harbour NR 2.30pm - 5.00pm. Sunny and calm with a brief shower

No sign of reported Franklin's Gull

Red-throated Diver 1 distant on sea
Little Grebe c.2
Bittern 2 in flight at dusk behind Bourne’s Factory
Little Egret 20 at Castle Water roost
Grey Heron c.2
Wigeon c.60
Gadwall c.50
Teal c.5
Mallard c.10
Pintail 1
Shoveler c.5
Pochard c.60
Tufted Duck c.10
Pheasant 1
Water Rail h
Oystercatcher c.150
Sanderling c.50
Dunlin c.3
Black-headed Gull c.30
Common Gull c.20
Herring Gull c.20
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Barn Owl 1
Green Woodpecker 2
Mistle Thrush c.6
Cetti’s Warbler 1h behind Bourne’s
Carrion Crow 2

Sunday 19 January 2003

19th January 2003 Burgess Hill. A wet start to the day. Rodmell 3.15pm - 5.00pm Bright and calm but with southerly wind and heavy rain/hail shower

Cormorant 3
Grey Heron c.2
Rough-legged Buzzard 1 juv. perched on top of a hawthorn for 3 minutes at 3.45pm.
Kestrel 2
Peregrine 1 over road near Chalk Pits at Lewes
Merlin 1 attempting to hunt Linnets
Moorhen 2
Lapwing c.150
Black-headed Gull c.200
Common Gull c.2
Wood Pigeon c.10
Collared Dove c.10 whilst driving
Pied Wagtail c.2
Stonechat 1
Redwing 2
Fieldfare 10
Blackbird 4
Great Tit 1
Linnet c.75

Saturday 18 January 2003

18th January 2003 Lewes Brooks from Rodmell 7.30am - 5.00pm. Moderate cold southerly wind and overcast becoming bright and sunny for the afternoon

Cormorant c.10 flying up and down river
Little Egret 1 non-br seen twice in flight
Grey Heron c.3
Mute Swan c.25
Greylag Goose c.12 flew over heading towards Glynde
Canada Goose c.5 flew north
Teal 5 on river before moving to a nearby ditch
Mallard 4 flew north
Hen Harrier 1 male flew north at 4.30pm. Broad black wingtips formed by all-dark outer primaries contrasting with pale grey upperparts and large white rump. Underparts whiter with grey trailing edge. Ex.
Buzzard 2 (pair). Male noticeably smaller than female. Male a very dark individual with dark underwing-coverts, greyish flight feathers contrasting with dark trailing edge and primaries. Upperparts all-dark with a few pale shafts to the basal two-thirds of the outer primaries. Female considerably larger with palish underwing-coverts contrasting with dark carpal patches and dark belly. Upperside of primaries had a few pale shafts to the basal two-thrids of the outer primaries Appeared quite pale-headed. Upper side of tail had a few whitish shafts to the outer tail feathers and a slightly rufous tinge. Almost resembled a juv. Long-legged Buzzard in many respects! Clearly interacting with male and a short presumed display flight seen by one of the birds - wings closed and undulating flight.
Rough-legged Buzzard 1 juv. prolonged views seen to fly from Firle to Mt. Caburn at c.2pm where it spent 30 minutes often hanging in the upwind (only hovered once) before flying across river to area of the small hill north of Rodmell where hovered continuously and was present for next hour being seen preening (including its tail) whilst sat on the ground, perched atop hawthorn bushes etc. Very pale headed appearing creamy. Pale breast contrasted with large black belly-patch. Pale trousers. Upperparts brown. In flight had a very pale leading edge to the arm and almost white ‘headlights’ at the carpals and very pale buffy-headed. Upperwings with large pale area comprised of the pale primary bases contrastinting with the black primary tiops. Coverts paler with dark carpal patches. Basal two-thirds of tail white with some darker shafts contrasting with broad dark terminal band. Undersides of wings gave very clean white impression with obvious black carpal patches. Coverts slightly buff. Black tips to primaries and diffuse trailing edge. A very impressive bird.
Kestrel c.5
Peregrine 1-2
Pheasant 1
Water Rail 2h
Moorhen c.10
Coot 1
Lapwing c.500
Woodcock 1 probable whilst driving over Ditchling Beacon at dawn - glimpsed as flew across road.
Redshank 2
Black-headed Gull c.10
Common Gull c.5
Herring Gull c.5
Woodpigeon c.5
Green Woodpecker h
Meadow Pipit c.35
Pied Wagtail c.5
Stonechat c.3
Fieldfare c.100
Redwing 12
Magpie 2
Rook 1
Starling c.50
Greenfinch c.3
Goldfinch c.8
Reed Bunting c.8

Sunday 12 January 2003

12th January 2003 Burgess Hill. Bright, calm and clear

Woodpigeon 1
Collared Dove 2
Wren 1
Blue Tit c.5
Nuthatch 1
House Sparrow 2
Siskin 2 feeding in Larch tree

Saturday 11 January 2003

11th January 2003 Burgess Hill. Bright, calm and clear

Robin 1
Blackbird 2
Song Thrush 1
Coal Tit 2
Jackdaw 2
Chaffinch 1
Greenfinch c.5
Siskin c.8 feeding in Larch tree