31st December 2011 Pagham & Widewater

Green Sandpiper 1
Spotted Redshank 1
Black-tailed Godwit c.100
Kingfisher 1

 Kestrel at Pagham

 Spotted Redshank at Pagham

Black-tailed Godwit at Pagham

Widewater
Little Egret 3
Snow Bunting 2 ex.

Snow Buntings at Widewater

30th December 2011 Birling Seawatch 8.45 - 9.45am W2 Overcast & West Rise Marsh

Red-throated Diver 1E, 4W, 1 on sea
Great Crested Grebe 1E
Gannet 1E, 8W
Great White Egret 1W at 9.05am ex.
Scoter 4E, 15 on sea
Merganser 1W
Kittiwake 1E
Razorbill 1E, 1 on sea
Auk sp. 1E, 1W, 1 on sea
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Skylark c.50
Rock Pipit 2
Mistle Thrush 1
Goldcrest 1
Chaffinch c.15
Linnet 2
Raven 2

West Rise Marsh
Water Rail 1 ex.
Short-eared Owl 1

Water Rail at West Rise Marsh

29th December 2011 Castle Water & Pett Level W6 Overcast

Greylag Goose c.200
Mallard x Teal hybrid 1 drake ex.
Marsh Harrier 2
Peregrine 1
Water Rail 1 ex.
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Scandinavian Herring Gull 3 ad

 Drake Pintails at Castle Water

 Drake Mallard x Teal hybrid

Whilst this hybrid is recorded in the wild it seems rather rare - it is certainly the first I have encountered.

 Male Marsh Harrier at Castle Water

The dark underwing coverts and darkness of the body are signs of immaturity (3cy) making it all the more striking for it.

Cormorant at Castle Water

Whilst Castle Water plays host to a breeding colony of Continental Cormorants P.c. sinensis, the gular pouch angle on the above individual would appear to favour carbo.

Pett Level
Bar-headed Goose 1
White-fronted Goose 6
Pink-footed Goose 4
Greylag Goose c.150
Brent Goose 1
Ruddy Duck 3
Black-tailed Godwit 2
Scandinavian Herring Gull 3 ad

28th December 2011 Birling Seawatch 8.30-10.30am SW4, Cuckmere & Lewes

Red-throated Diver 18E, 2W
Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea
Gannet  12E, 39W
Fulmar 21E, 9W
Scoter 1W, 15 on sea
Wigeon 23E, 64W
Kittiwake 22E
Mediterranean Gull 1E ad w
Sandwich Tern 1E at 9.40am ex.
Auk sp. 1E
Guillemot 2E, 1W
Razorbill 5E

Cuckmere
Scandinavian Herring Gull 1 ad.
Kingfisher 1

Adult Scandinavian Herring Gull in the Cuckmere

Lewes
Goosander 1 redhead ex.
Raven 2

Goosander at Lewes



27th December 2011 Scotney & Dungeness

Barnacle Goose 70
Emperor Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrids 9
Greylag Goose c.200 (1 with pink bill suggestive of rubrirostris influence)
Marsh Harrier 2+
Hen Harrier 1 ringtail
Green Sandpiper 1
Corn Bunting 15

Greylag Geese at Scotney including a pink-billed individual

The Siberian form of Greylag Goose A.a. rubrirostris is described as being larger, pink-billed, paler grey and typically with broader pale fringes to the upperparts. However, it has yet to be added to the British List due to birds perhaps occuring from the reportedly wide intergrade zone between nominate anser and rubrirostris and further muddied by introductions of rubrirostris and interbreeding with anser on the near continent albeit described as genetically swamped (RIACT BB 99 December 2006). As the Scotney bird effectively appeared a Greylay with a pink bill it clearly wasn't a pure rubrirostris but its bill colour does perhaps indicate a rubrirostris influence in its ancestry. Pure A.a. rubrirostris has a very different appearance. See:
http://www.birdsofkuwait.com/blog/?p=4025
 

 Hybrid Emperor Goose x Barnacle Goose at Scotney

Dungeness

Bittern 2

Great White Egret 2 ex.

Long-tailed Duck 1

Glaucous Gull 1 2w ex.

Caspian Gull 1 1w ex.

Cetti's Warbler 1

First-winter Caspian Gull at Dungeness

 Hang-on, who's that getting in the way!

Second-winter Glaucous Gull at Dungeness

Great White Egrets at Dungeness

Bittern at Dungeness