28th February 2015 Birling 7am - 8am SSW6 Overcast

Red-throated Diver 9E, 5W
Great-crested Grebe 4E
Gannet c.20E
Brent Goose 3W
Eider 1E drake
Common Scoter 3E
Mediterranean Gull 2E ad s/p
Kittiwake c.50E
Auk sp. 11 E, 11W
Stonechat 2
Starling 200
Raven 1

15th February 2015 Birling 7.15 - 8.15am NE2

Red-throated Diver 12 (11 E and 1 on the sea)
Great-crested Grebe 2 (1 E and 1 on the sea)
Gannet 37 E
Shelduck 2 W
Common Scoter 1 E
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Common Gull 40 in the fields
Auk sp. 4 E, 2W
Woodpigeon c.400
Stock Dove 7
Skylark c.200
Stonechat 2
Yellowhammer 1 female
Reed Bunting 7
Corn Bunting 80+

Woodpigeons over Belle Tout

 

Corvids over the Top Fields

 



Corn Buntings at Belle Tout

14th February 2015 Birling SSE 1 light rain 7.15-9.15am & Newhaven

Red-throated Diver 47E, 12W, 6 on sea
Great Crested Grebe 1E, 1 on sea
Gannet 56E, 1W
Fulmar 6E, 16W
Greylag Goose 2E
Brent Goose 45E
Scoter 1E
Kittiwake 6E, 3W
Common Gull 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 in field
Auk sp. 2E

Harbour Porpoise 1

Newhaven Harbour
Caspian Gull 1 first-winter

After the huge beast from the east seen two weeks ago at the same site, by contrast, today's was a small individual of delicate proportions so presumably a female. Its small skeletal head appeared tiny at times and was 'bright white' and therefore proved eye-catching. The dark centres to its hump-backed grey mantle and upper scapulars gives a spotted appearance. Lower scapulars complete with intricate darker grey anchor-markings. Extensive dark centres to its tertials with white thumbnail tips. Long primpary projection. Black terminal band to its tail.

 

Two-toned bill rather delicate but long, slender and tapering. Small dark eye. Typical peculiarly shaped recoiled long neck of the species.

 

Lesser and median coverts bleached but narrow pale fringes still discernible. Greater coverts with broad dark bases but pale tips forming a wingbar. Rather delicate hindneck spotting.

First-winter Caspian Gull at Newhaven Harbour

White breast, pale undersides of primaries and superb white axillaries and underwing-coverts - they don't come any cleaner than these and are clearly being admired by the Herring Gull!

8th February 2014 Winchelsea Beach to Dungeness

Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Scaup 1 drake Long Pit

Pett
White-fronted Goose 8+

Scotney GP
Black-necked Grebe 1
Barnacle Goose c.50
Tundra Bean Goose 2
Scaup 1 drake
Spotted Redshank 1

Dungeness
Great White Egret 1
Smew 3+
Goosander 2 redheads
Marsh Harrier 3
Kingfisher 1
Tree Sparrow c.5

Walland Marsh
Bewick's Swan c.80
Whooper Swan 1



 

 

Lesser Yellowlegs at Winchelsea Beach

 

Drake Scaup on Scotney GP

 

Smew at Dungeness RSPB

 

Kingfisher at Dungeness ARC Pit

 

Great White Egret at Dungeness ARC Pit

 

 Goosanders at Dungeness ARC Pit

 

 

Bewick's Swans on Walland Marsh

 

 

Whooper Swan on Walland Marsh

 

Spotted Redshank at Scotney GP

 

Tundra Bean Geese at Scotney GP



7th February 2014 Tide Mills, Birling, West Rise & Bexhill

Jack Snipe 1
Common Snipe c.12

Birling
Stock Dove c.30
Skylark c.200
Yellowhammer 1 male
Corn Bunting c.60

West Rise
Marsh Harrier 1 female
Water Rail 1

Bexhill
Snow Bunting 1 adult male

Adult male Snow Bunting at Bexhill



1st February 2015 Barcombe, Cuckmere & Newhaven

Ridgway's Cackling Goose 1
Goldeneye 1
Caspian Gull 1 first-winter male
Sanderling 1 Newhaven beach
Chiffchaff 15

Ridgway's Cackling Goose in the Cuckmere

 

 

 

First-winter male Caspian Gull at Newhaven Harbour

A very large male but what a beauty - very long-billed, snouty, skeletal-headed, white headed, never-ending lores, dark hindneck streaking, superb diamond-shaped dark centres to its scapulars, replaced its lesser and median coverts, bleached greater coverts but the dark bases and broad white tips still evident, heavily abraded tertials but the white thumbnails discernible, long-winged, attenuated, long-legged with super long tibias, fluffy white axillaries and black terminal band to white tail and JFC even caught it adopting the 'albatross posture' whilst it was calling (lower image above).