31st March 2014 Barcombe

probable White Wagtail 2

probable White Wagtails at Barcombe

Being the far side of two fields away from us these looked the part but we certainly didn't see the colour of their rumps and they had unfortunately vanished by the time we had got closer. Digiscoped at a 30th of a second with pushed exposure but nice to be out in what light remains in the evening now that the clocks have changed!



30th March 2014 Birling 7.15am - 1.00pm ESE2

Red-throated Diver 168E
Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea
Gannet 17E
Brent 620E
Pale-bellied Brent 1E at 10.37
Scoter 1,042E
Goosander 2E
Merganser 27E
Shoveler 14E
Teal 23E
Red Kite 1
Arctic Skua 1E
Kittiwake 151E
Mediterranean Gull 20E
Black-headed Gull 181E
Little Gull 26E
Sandwich Tern 104E
Guillemot 1 on sea
Auk sp. 3E
Curlew 33E, 1W
Oystercatcher 7E, 3W
alba Wagtail 3 over
Chiffchaff 4
Raven 1

Harbour Porpoise 2+

 

Goosanders passing Birling

 

Curlews passing Birling

Black-headed Gulls passing Birling

 

Pale-bellied Brent passing Birling

 

 

and a far superior image of it courtesy of JFC

 

 

 

 

 

Chiffchaff at Birling

with its eye-catchingly richly yellow-suffused underparts including its undertail-coverts, and its rear tarsus not looking as dark as they can, Iberian Chiffchaff needed consideration... so, a pity about its half eye-ring below its eye and its dark ear-coverts

 

Red Kite over the Top Fields



29th March 2014 Birling Gap 6.15am-11.25am ESE4 Hazy

Red-throated Diver 21E, 1W, 4 on sea
Black-necked Grebe 8E on sea (a flock of 3, a single and then a flock of 4)
small Grebe sp. 5E on sea - too distant (2, 2 & 1)
Gannet 85E, 2W
Canada Goose 2W
Brent 190E
Barnacle Goose 1E
Shelduck 10E, 1W
Eider 2E
Merganser 38E
Scoter 604E
Gadwall 2E
Pintail 4E
Shoveler 36E
Teal 2E
Arctic Skua 3E
Kittiwake 135E
Mediterranean Gull 2E
Black-headed Gull 18E
Little Gull 9E
Sandwich Tern 18E
Auk sp. 2E
Curlew 6E
Redshank 4E
alba Wagtail 1 over
Meadow Pipit 10N
Chiffchaff 3
Linnet 15 in off

Harbour Porpoise 1+

Black-necked Grebes in the surf off Birling

If all thirteen small Grebes seen were Black-necked, as they quite possibly were, it would represent the second largest passage day count for the County per the new Birds of Sussex



Barnacle Goose tagged on to the back of a flock of Brent Geese off Birling

Brent & Barnacle?

 

Rodmell

Ringed Plover 1

 

Lewes Pheonix Theatre on fire viewed from Rodmell







23rd March 2013 Bedelands, Newhaven, Rodmell & Barcombe

Grey Wagtail 1
Redwing 1
Marsh Tit a pair
Nuthatch 3
Treecreeper 6

Marsh Tit at Bedelands

 Treecreeper at Bedelands

 

Newhaven

Scoter 1
Purple Sandpiper 1

Rodmell
Shelduck 4
Peregrine 1
Cetti's Warbler h

Barcombe
Short-eared Owl 1

Cuckoo Flower (Lady's Smock) at Barcombe

Short-eared Owl near Barcombe

22nd March 2014 Birling 6.45am-7.30am W4

Red-throated Diver 2W
Great Crested Grebe 1E
Gannet 5W
Scoter 8E
Meadow Pipit c.5N

Completely Gripped

Male Copper Pheasant on Mount Takao, Japan (Chris Cook)

Thanks Chris - I think!

15th March 2014 Beachy NW3 & Rodmell

Red-throated Diver 2E
Great-crested Grebe 1E
Gannet 4E
Brent Goose 1E
Pintail 1E
Common Scoter 26E
Sparrowhawk 1
Peregrine 1
Curlew 10W
Kittiwake 35W
Razorbill 1 on sea
Meadow Pipit 30 in off the sea NW
alba Wagtail 1 over Birling
Stonechat 5
Song Thrush 1
Chiffchaff 1
Raven 3+
Linnet 4 W

Rodmell
Black Redstart 1 male
Chiffchaff 1

 

Male Black Redstart at Rodmell



9th March 2014 Birling SSE1-2 Hazy 6.30am - 9.30am

Red-throated Diver 8E, 5 on sea
Great Crested Grebe 5E, 1W, 10 on sea
Heron 1E
Little Egret 2E
Gannet 10E
Brent 262E
Canada Goose 20E, 20W
Shelduck 2E
Scoter 125E
Mallard 2E
Pintail 4E
Gadwall 2E
Teal 36E
Tufted Duck 3E
Kittiwake 7E
Mediterranean Gull 2E (ad & 2s)
Black-headed Gull 10E
Auk sp. 12E
Curlew 4E
alba Wagtail 4
Meadow Pipit 5
Black Redstart 1 adult male
Firecrest 1

Drake Gadwall off Birling



Firecrest in the Old Trapping Area

8th March 2014 Birling 6.45-10.45am SE3 Misty

Red-throated Diver 32E
Great Crested Grebe 41E
Heron 1E
Little Egret 2E
Gannet 14E
Canada Goose 13E, 13W
Brent 95E
Shelduck 1E
Scoter 29E
Mallard 9E
Shoveler 68E
Wigeon 2E
Pintail 40E
Teal 112E
Peregrine 1
Kittiwake 13E
Common Gull c.50
Mediterranean Gull 16E
Black-headed Gull 40E
Curlew 9E, 3W
Auk sp. 5E, 3W
Skylark 9 over
alba Wagtail 1N
Meadow Pipit 5N

Harbour Porpoise 1

Chiffchaff 1
Firecrest 1

Brimstone 2 drive home
Comma 1 Burgess Hill

Mediterranean Gulls off Birling

Great Crested Grebes off Birling

Great Crested Grebes are nocturnal migrants so we seldom witness anything of their Spring migration so seeing 41 pass east today was a pleasant surprise

Chiffchaff in Belle Tout Wood

 



Comma in Burgess Hill

Emerging from hibernation in March this would appear to be a male of the nominate form c-album





2nd March 2014 Birling SW3 to S5 Overcast 7am - 10.30am

Red-throated Diver 7E
Gannet 36E, 7W
Brent 124E
Eider 3E
Merganser 1W
Scoter 33E, 1W
Curlew 3W
Bonxie 1E at 9.11am
Kittiwake 413E, 26W
Common Gull c.50E
Mediterranean Gull 56E all adults
Black-headed Gull 164E
Auk sp. 57E, 1W
Firecrest 2-3

Firecrest in Belle Tout Wood



1st March 2014 Beachy NW2 Clear

Red-throated Diver 3W
Little Egret 1
Curlew 5W
Rock Pipit 1
Stonechat 3
Song Thrush 1
Raven 1 pair
Linnet 7
Corn Bunting 1



Hybrid Barnacle Goose x Emperor Goose near Lewes