3rd January 2010 Beachy E3 Cold but sunny

Red-throated Diver 1E

Great Crested Grebe 2 on sea

Fulmar c.10

Gannet 1 adult

Cormorant 1W

Brent Goose 6 on sea

Common Gull 100

Black-headed Gull 15

Great Black-backed Gull 10

Auk sp. 1 on sea

Woodpigeon 1

Tawny Owl 1

Green Woodpecker 1

Rock Pipit 2

Pied Wagtail 4

Wren 2

Dunnock 2

Robin 3

Black Redstart 1

Stonechat 1 male

Song Thrush 10

Fieldfare 3

Blackbird 2

Blue Tit 4

Great Tit 2

Magpie 2

Jackdaw 50

Carrion Crow 5

Starling 500

House Sparrow 12

Chaffinch 3

Black Redstart at Birling Gap

Jackdaw at Birling Gap Lane

Rock Pipit at Birling

My parents just west of Belle Tout Wood

JFC at the eastern edge of Belle Tout Wood

Huskies in training for a sledge

Common Gulls in the fields north of Belle Tout Wood

Hodcombe in winter sunshine

Looking east towards Langney Point

2nd January 2010 Coldwaltham, Selsey, Pagham and Snowhill Marsh

Coldwaltham

Jack Snipe 1

Common Snipe 1

Meadow Pipit 5

Grey Wagtail 1

Wren 5

Fieldfare 1

Chiffchaff 2

Jay 1

Greenfinch 6

Bullfinch 1

Selsey

Red-throated Diver 2W

Great Crested Grebe 1

Scoter 10

Red-breasted Merganser 10

Turnstone 1

Mediterranean Gull 5 adults

Pagham Harbour

Little Grebe 3

Cormorant 30

Brent Goose 1

Wigeon 250

Teal 100

Pintail 50

Buzzard 1

Avocet 20

Grey Plover 100

Dunlin 30

Common Snipe 10

Black-tailed Godwit 100

Bar-tailed Godwit 2

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Skylark 10

Dunnock 1

Snowhill Marsh

Brent Goose 300

Teal 50

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Ringed Plover 6

Golden Plover 300

Dunlin 30

Common Snipe 10

Spotted Redshank 2

Greenshank 2

Adult Mediterranean Gull at Selsey Bill (JFC)

Wigeon at Pagham Harbour (JFC)

1st January 2010 Bodiam Castle, Dungeness and Pett

Bodiam Castle, East Sussex

Black-necked Grebe 1 first-winter ex.

Mallard 20

Moorhen 5

Lapwing 50

Black-headed Gull 10

Common Gull 1

Wood Pigeon 5

Collared Dove 5

Green Woodpecker 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker h drumming

Pied Wagtail 1

Wren h

Robin 2
Blackbird 5

Song Thrush 5

Redwing 2

Blue Tit 5

Great Tit 2

Nuthatch 2

Magpie 2

Jackdaw 50

Rook 1

Carrion Crow 5

Starling 10

Chaffinch 2

Bodiam Castle

First-winter Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis at Bodiam Castle, East Sussex, January 2010. The visibly buff-tinged neck and yellowy tint to the rear ear-coverts and pale neck patch are remnants of juvenile plumage rendering this individual a first-winter.

As the bare parts of juvenile Black-necked Grebes are as those of adult non-breeding birds (BWP) they offer no clue as to maturity and it is therefore important to consider a birds plumage. Juvenile Black-necked Grebes are characterised by a buff-tinged upper neck (BWP) and breast and a yellowy tint to their ear-coverts (Vinicombe). Black-necked Grebes undergo a partial post-juvenile moult that commences soon after completion of juvenile plumage in the summer continuing to December (BWP). After this moult they are generally considered indistinguishable from adult non-breeding birds (BWP).

Walland Marsh
Mute Swan 60
Bewick's Swan 54
Greylag Goose 50
Marsh Harrier 2
Red-legged Partridge 2
Pheasant 2
Golden Plover 300
Skylark 1
Mistle Thrush 5
Yellowhammer 10

Dungeness
Little Grebe 5
Slavonian Grebe 1
Cormorant 70
Grey Heron 1
Wigeon 300
Gadwall 20
Teal 50
Pintail 5
Shoveler 10
Pochard 40
Tufted Duck 50
Goldeneye 5 (1 drake)
Smew 2 (1 drake)
Goosander 3 (1 drake)
Ruddy Duck 5
Marsh Harrier 2
Kestrel 1
Coot 50
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5
Herring Gull 100
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Stock Dove 3
Long-tailed Tit 5
House Sparrow 5
Tree Sparrow 2
Reed Bunting 1

Scotney GP
Great Crested Grebe 6
Barnacle Goose 30 (Kent)
Shelduck 10
Redshank 8

Pett
White-fronted Goose 5
Canada Goose 60
Oystercatcher 3
Grey Plover 2
Curlew 20

27th December 2009 Beachy Head Cold but sunny

Fulmar 1

Tawny Owl 1 grey phase

Stonechat 2

Song Thrush 4

My parents just east of Belle Tout Wood

12th December 2009 Castle Water, Cold with some rain

Wigeon 100
Teal 80
Pintail 3
Smew 1 drake
Marsh Harrier 2
Herring Gull 100

Drake Smew at Castle Water

31st October 2009 Church Cove, Lizard, Cornwall

Black Redstart 5
Greenish Warbler 1

Yellow-browed Warber 1
Chiffchaff 3
Pied Flycatcher 1
Siskin h
Brambling 3

25th October 2009 Beachy Head WSW5 Clear

Little Egret 1

Golden Plover 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker h

Swallow 5

Skylark 3

Stonechat 1

Whitethroat 1

Chiffchaff 4

Firecrest 2

Goldfinch 15

Redpoll 1

Siskin 3

A late Common Whitethroat in the Beachy Head Hotel Garden

Whilst we considered the above individual didn't look out of the ordinary for communis any late Autumn Common Whitethroats are worthy of scutiny:

Eastern races of Common Whitethroat are not on the British List. Both icterops and rubicola may be identifiable owing to their cold, grey plumage tones (with greatly reduced rufous tones on the wings), while biometrics and moult strategy may offer some support. However, it is unclear whether volgensis, which forms a clinal bridge between the familiar communis and eastern rubicola may resemble icterops and rubicola in certain key characters. Consequently a ringing recovery from breeding birds seems the only way to be certain of racial origin at present. (Racial identification and assessment in Britain: a report from the RIACT subcommittee BB 99 December 2006 619 -645).

Adult female Peregrine over the Beachy Head Hotel Garden