Another lovely summer's day provided near perfect conditions for our East Anglian excursion to Lakenheath Fen. Here the RSPB has converted an area of arable farmland into a large wetland, consisting mainly of reedbeds and grazing marshes. From the Visitor Centre we headed west through the poplar plantations picking up a good selection of birds on the way including great crested grebe with young, at least four cuckoos, kingfisher, two reeling grasshopper warblers, lots of reed and sedge warblers, flight views of bearded tits and a male reed bunting. At the last poplar plantation we could hear a golden oriole singing though sadly we didn't even manage a glimpse of this often elusive species. A hobby flew over showing its red 'trousers' and from the Joist Fen viewpoint we enjoyed numerous sightings of marsh harriers and a superb bittern that dropped into the reeds in front of where we were sitting. The COMMON CRANES that are breeding on the reserve this year initially proved elusive though eventually we had reasonable of one of the pairs in flight before they were lost from view. The walk back along the banks of the Little Ouse turned up an Egyptian goose, a few butterflies (comma & ringlet) and dragonflies (banded demoiselle & brown hawker) and a colony of the very rare fen ragwort, a plant that for a long time was thought to be extinct in Britain until a single population was discovered near Ely. The plants at Lakenheath are part of a re-introduction scheme.  Back at the Visitor Centre we were shown a marsh carpet which had been caught in the moth trap overnight, another nationally scarce species mainly found in the Fenland districts of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.

From Lakenheath we made the short journey to Weeting Heath in search of STONE CURLEW. Despite the heat haze it wasn't long before a scan of the bare field in front of us turned a single off duty bird. Most of the group managed reasonable views before it walked out of view though fortunately another more obliging bird was found after lunch. Also here was a flock of lapwing on the heath on the opposite side of the road and some broad-leaved helleborines.

After two excellent 'Nightjar Evenings' in West Sussex, hopes were high that we were in for another successful walk as we set off from the car park of the Sussex Wildlife Trust's Old Lodge reserve. The weather conditions were near perfect and it was not long before we found some birds to look at. Pick of the bunch was a superb male redstart perched on a barbed wire fence though we also had good looks at a couple of parachuting tree pipit and rather briefer views of a goldcrest and three flighty lesser redpolls. Further down the hill we saw a male stonechat carrying food and also bog asphodel, a locally common plant on Ashdown Forest but scarce elsewhere in Sussex, before returning the way we had come to position ourselves for the hoped for appearance of nightjar and woodcock. A peacock called away in the distance but otherwise it was all quiet to the extent that I was beginning to think that we might draw a blank on both. Fortunately we needn't have worried as first a roding woodcock flew overhead several times and then a couple of nightjars started churring. Neither was particularly close but a bit of careful manoeuvring was rewarded with some excellent views of a male nightjar as it flew in to investigate even treating us to some wing-clapping The walk back to the car park produced more churring and further close views of a nightjar as it passed overhead several times.

A big thank you to the newcomers who came along this evening especially Bill, the first time we have welcomed a visitor from the US on one of the walks.

Mid-summer is perhaps the quietest time of the year to go birding though a visit to the Rye Bay area is almost guaranteed to turn up something interesting, regardless of the season. Today we started off at the wader pool at Rye Harbour where avocets, lapwings and oystercatchers all had young and an off duty redshank surveyed the area from the roof of the hide!

Redshank - Rye Harbour (Malcolm Forsythe)

A male wheatear was perched on a fence along the beach but it was the little terns that stole the show. After an absence of two years there are  seven pairs nesting on the reserve. This has been achieved with a cunning combination of deploying decoys and sounds, which has tempted them away from their strandline site to the safety of  inside the permanent electric fencing. Further along the beach Ternery Pool was alive with gulls (black-headed & Mediterranean) and terns (common & Sandwich), many of which had chicks, as well as a large creche of shelduck ducklings. At the Quarry was a single bar-tailed godwit while a careful search of the pools towards Harbour Farm turned up a little ringed plover with a ringed plover conveniently close by for comparison. Also of interest were four house martin nests and herring gull chicks on the rooftops in Rye Harbour village and some pyramidal orchids near the car park.

The big news at Dungeness RSPB reserve was that the PURPLE HERONS that had been present since the spring were now feeding young, the first time this species has bred in the UK! After a stop for lunch we headed to the viewpoint which had been set up to enable people to see these birds where we were told that the male had landed in the reeds not too far away but was currently out of view. We waited patiently for it to reappear during which time we had flight views of two different bitterns, marsh harriers, at least three hobbies that were hawking over the area, cuckoo and Cetti's warbler. We also heard one of the bitterns 'booming' several times. Eventually the purple heron did show, albeit breiefly, though later we had a far more prolonged view as it took off from the reeds in front of the viewpoint and flew back towards the area where the nest was. The walk back to the car park added a couple of little egrets, some pochard, the scarce Nottingham catchfly and several small tortoiseshell butterflies.

Later some of us went to the Dengemarsh Road where a corn bunting was perched on overhead wires and a female yellow wagtail did its' best to hide itself in a big cereal field. Further stops along the back roads across Walland Marsh turned up a brilliant canary yellow male yellow wagtail.

 

The New Forest is always a delightful place to visit especially on a day like today with perfect weather - brilliant blue skies and wall-to-wall hot sunshine. Our early start at Mark Ash Wood was rewarded with a male redstart and treecreeper though there was neither sight nor sound of the hoped for wood warbler. From here we headed to Ashley Walk in the north of the Forest where we set off on a 5 mile circular walk taking in Hampton Ridge and Pitts Hill Inclosure. A stonechat, another redstart and a willow warbler were seen on the way out to Hampton Ridge and also several common buzzards which we scrutinised carefully in the hope of finding a honey buzzard. On Hampton Ridge a pair of Dartford warblers played hide and seek in the gorse for a while but eventually decided to cooperate by giving exceptional views - a welcome sight given their almost total absence in Sussex following the hard weather back in January.

Dartford warbler - Hampton Ridge (Alan Petherbridge)

The walk back to the cars turned up another pair of Dartford warblers, a singing garden warbler, a distant curlew and a splendid red kite overhead, found by Jan, that drifted slowly SW. Lunch was had in a superb area of beech and oak woodland near Bramshaw Telegraph - seemingly perfect for wood warbler though once again we drew a blank. A cuckoo and a common lizard on the heath on the way back to the car park were the highlights here.

After lunch we headed for Acres Down, a site familiar to most of us from our visit back in March. By now it was very hot so the shade of a pine tree was most welcome as we sat and scanned the skies for birds of prey. Several common buzzards got up but disappointingly no honey buzzards, an all too familiar experience when searching for this elusive species!

 Searching for honey buzzards - Acres Down (Alan Petherbridge)

A pair of redstarts flying back and forth to their young in a hole in a silver birch was much appreciated as was the highlight of the day (and not before time) - a superb wood warbler. First heard singing in the distance, we safely negotiated a stream and eventually tracked it down to a small area of woodland where we all enjoy great views of this fast declining bird, a fitting end to another excellent day and a new bird for most of the group. To hear wood warbler singing, click here

Our first destination today was Mt Caburn, high on the South Downs near Lewes. The steepish walk to the top from Glynde was enlivened by a couple of ravens that flew by, a buzzard sat in a tree and our first butterfly of the day, a small heath. The aim of the walk was to see burnt orchid at probably its best site in Sussex though I was a little worried that we might be a few days too early given the late spring. At first it looked as if I was going to be right but, after a bit of searching, Sandra came up trumps. Once we'd all got eye in, it became obvious that there were a number of plants scattered over a small area of downland turf - just reward for the steep climb. Also here were the first of several dingy skippers, a pair of buzzards displaying and hound's-tongue, a locally common plant in Sussex, typically found on the chalk.  We then enjoyed the spectacular panorama from the top of Mt Caburn and also several wall browns inside the hill fort that refused to settle but eventually showed well and a very tame sky lark.

Our next stop was Abbots Wood, near Arlington. Here we walked through carpets of bluebells accompanied by singing cuckoo, nightingale and garden warbler. Even though it had clouded over, it did not take long to find the butterfly we were looking for - pearl-bordered fritillary at one of two regular sites in Sussex. The cloudy conditions played into our hands with the fritillaries less skittish than usual, posing nicely for the photographers in the group. After lunch we enjoyed close views of a singing garden warbler and a willow warbler that was nest-building before returning to the cars and heading down the road to Arlington Church. By now it was distinctly overcast and windy so the hoped for turtle doves did not perform though one was heard 'purring' briefly.

Pearl-bordered fritillary - Abbots Wood (Sandra Gould)

Our final stop was Beachy Head where we soon found some diminutive early spider orchids in the downland turf which kept the photographers busy for a while. Unfortunately conditions were not suitable for butterflies so having had our fill of the orchids we headed back to the cars and then home.

Despite the overcast and cold conditions (only 5.5^OC when we met), the heathland birds that are one of the main attractions of this beautiful reserve put on a fine performance. First up was a male redstart which was singing almost continuously but gave us the run around before give good views. This was followed by a female crossbill perched on top of a pine tree, a cryptic woodlark on a fallen log and a singing tree pipit in 'parachute' display flight. A large raptor which turned out to be a passing marsh harrier rather than the expected buzzard was something of a surprise, less so a male stonechat low down next to the path.  A gentle circuit of the reserve added more of the same and also a close great-spotted woodpecker. Back where we started the redstart was still singing from the top of a pine tree allowing prolonged scope views; less obliging however were three redpolls that landed briefly in a birch tree before flying off.

From here some of us made our way to Arlington Reservoir in search of the red-rumped swallows (vagrants from the Mediterranean) that had been found the day before. At first our task looked like being a daunting one with large numbers of swallows and house martins and a few sand martins scattered across the reservoir but we needn't have worried as both RED-RUMPED SWALLOWS were feeding along the dam wall, repeatedly coming within a few feet of the admiring crowd - yet another highlight in what is turning out to be an exceptional 2010 for Sussex Wildlife Walks.

Sea-watching usually involves just that ' watching the waves go up and down without a bird in sight. Fortunately the light easterly breeze provided near ideal conditions for sea-watching today with the result that a good selection of species was recorded. Skuas are always high on people's 'wish-lists' ' we saw single arctic, great and pomarine though none of them was close in so the views were not great. Far more eye-catching were the flocks of brent geese and common scoter that passed by heading up-Channel totalling perhaps 400 and 500 birds respectively, the former including a strange leucistic individual. A whimbrel calling high in the sky put us on to another of the day's highlights ' a party of nine little gulls that flew high inland followed later by another group of 13 passing by out to sea. Other birds seen included two mute swans that swam past on the sea, shelduck, shoveler, red-breasted merganser, two unidentified divers, fulmar, gannet, bar-tailed godwit, a total of six Mediterranean gulls and a few swallows and a wheatear in off the sea.

After a quick look at the kittiwake colony and a pair of rock pipits, we headed for nearby Seaford Head. Despite the large number of dog walkers, there were migrants around, first a lesser whitethroat that was heard singing and eventually showed itself on the edge of the golf course and then a common whitethroat. These were eclipsed however by the appearance of a female ring ouzel on one of the rides which stayed long enough so we could all see it through the scopes before obligingly perching on a bush so we could fully appreciate the white 'half moon' across its breast. This is a bird we've looked for without success on several previous walks so a very satisfying moment and a case of smiles all round. A little group of six wheatears and a handful of swallows flying in off the sea were further evidence of migration taking place though more eye-catching was one of the local peregrines sat on a cliff ledge just yards away and a pair of ravens that from their tameness have become habituated to the many walkers that pass along the cliff path. A male stonechat and a willow warbler were seen in Hope Gap but the remainder of the walk was fairly quiet apart from a text message to say that there was a Bonaparte's gull at Arlington Reservoir. Although most of us had already seen one this year, it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss so it wasn't long before we were watching an adult BONAPARTE'S GULL in summer plumage swimming around with some black-headed gulls in the centre of the reservoir, only the 6^th Sussex record. An added bonus here was at least 16 little gulls in summer plumage presumably including the nine birds we'd seen much earlier at Splash Point.

You know it's going to be a good day when virtually the first bird you see after getting out of the car is a splendid adult male marsh harrier followed seconds later by a high-pitched whistling call and the flash of blue of a kingfisher.  A great start but there was more to come with lapwings tumbling over the fields, a shelduck on a wet flash in a field, two green sandpipers that flew overhead calling and, on the other side of the road, a female merlin that showed superbly perched on fence posts (the third we've seen in 2010) and a green sandpiper and greenshank feeding side by side along the muddy margins of a pool.

Our second stop was not quite so productive though we did see nine shoveler, seven teal, a little grebe in breeding plumage, a buzzard and a pair of kestrels. We then headed for Horse Eye, one of the more remote parts of the Levels, where all at first seemed quiet though perseverance did eventually pay off with a pair of greylag geese, shoveler and gadwall, a ruff flying around with some lapwing, another greenshank and a pair of noisy redshanks. Reed buntings played hide and seek along the ditches, a sedge warbler sang hidden in a patch of reeds and a male yellow wagtail appeared and promptly disappeared in a sheep field behind some tall reeds. A singing Cetti's warbler rounded off yet another successful walk with the added bonus of wall-to-wall sunshine, a far cry from the pouring rain last time we were here.

This year has already produced some memorable birding days though today' s walk was the best yet with an impressive 80 species recorded. From the moment we assembled in the car park we started seeing good birds with four Mediterranean gulls calling overhead and a female blackcap on the walls of the nearby Martello tower. Walking out towards the beach added a few more species to our growing list, shelduck, shoveler and tufted duck for example, but it was at Ternery Pool that the fun really started. The shingle islands were packed with black-headed gulls and smaller numbers of smart Mediterranean gulls in their newly acquired summer plumage but it was a smaller gull with a black bill and a neat dark spot behind the eye swimming around on the water in front of Parke's hide that soon caught our attention. Fortunately Andrew had his camera to hand and was able to obtain a series of photos which confirmed beyond doubt that we were looking at a BONAPARTE'S GULL, a rare vagrant from North America, only the 5^th ever for Sussex and in the words of Birdguides a 'tremendous find'! The bird gave excellent views for about 10 minutes before it took off, circled round with the black-headed gulls a few times and then headed out to sea. Our next stop was the new hide overlooking the Quarry and Flat Beach. From here were large numbers of Sandwich terns and also a good selection of waders including five avocets, dunlin, knot, grey plover and a large flock of golden plover some coming into breeding plumage. A quick look for the Bonaparte's gull showed that it had not returned so we headed east along the beach towards the mouth of the Rother where a bright male wheatear was the first of three we were to see as we walked back to the car park.

Bonaparte's gull - Rye Harbour (Andrew Killick)

A short stop at Scotney Pit was unproductive apart from a barnacle goose and a female goldeneye so we quickly moved on to the ARC pit at Dungeness. Here were five marsh harriers in the air together, more goldeneye and a distant summer plumaged black-necked grebe though these were soon eclipsed by the appearance of three garganey (two drakes and a duck), always an excellent bird to see. News of three PENDULINE TITS sent us scurrying along to the Willow Trail where these delightful birds were still present feeding on bulrush heads. Despite a number of helpful people giving directions, I for one struggled to get on to them at first but eventually we all enjoyed good views and heard their distinctive 'tsiiu' call. Lunch in the reserve car park was interrupted by the appearance of two smart tree sparrows and several reed buntings on one of the feeders. We then set off round our usual circuit seeing two  white wagtails with some pieds on the way to New Excavations where two slavonian grebes (still in winter plumage) were giving excellent views. From the Dengemarsh hide was another slavonian grebe (also in winter plumage), a summer plumaged black-necked grebe (much closer than the ARC bird), a ruddy duck and best of all a long white neck in the reeds that materialised into a GREAT WHITE EGRET which obligingly flew across in front of the hide before dropping into the reeds out of view. From the viewpoint overlooking Hooker's Pit we scanned the reeds in an unsuccessful attempt to find the bearded tits that had been seen earlier though the great white egret showed again in flight. Back at the car park we reflected on what we had seen though for some there was more to come with Ian and Brenda seeing a fine male hen harrier at Camber on the way home. Andrew and I went back to the Willow Trail where we watched one of the penduline tits perched on top of a bulrush through our scopes before reluctantly calling it a day and heading home.

Despite the rather unpromising surroundings, Newhaven Tidemills can sometimes turn up a good bird or two. The forecast had promised heavy showers and strong winds, so the unexpected appearance of the sun after the early morning fog had cleared was most welcome. To begin with we saw little except for four redshanks in Mill Creek, three great crested grebes on the sea, a fly-by fulmar and a couple of singing sky larks that did their best to hide from us in the fog. A walk along the beach showed that there had been no arrival of wheatears so it was with a sinking feeling that I led our small group out along the east pier into the gloom. The Transmanche Ferry sailed past us on its way to Dieppe but other than that there was little to look at except for a lost common scoter that flew round several times in the fog. Seconds later we heard a distinctive 'quit' call and after a bit of searching we were soon enjoying close up views of four purple sandpipers feeding quietly on the barnacle encrusted pier supports below where we were standing. Things got even better when a small gull resting on the sea got up and showed its dark grey underwings before settling down again - an unexpected bonus in the form of an adult little gull in winter plumage. A final scan along the beach towards Seaford before we headed inland turned up the summer migrant we were hoping for - a splendid male wheatear with a female nearby for comparison.

By the time we reached Splash Point the rain was falling heavily. We could see large numbers of kittiwakes resting on the sea but there were none on the cliffs, the culprit a young peregrine sitting on a buttress right above where the kittiwakes nest. Also here was a rock pipit but by now we were getting wet so we beat a hasty retreat back to the shelter of the cars.

The rain that was falling at dawn soon cleared to leave a lovely spring morning - perfect conditions for our walk round West Dean Woods. We got off to a good start with the pair of little owls that had eluded us last on our last visit playing hide and seek in their favourite tree by Stapleash Farm. Also here were a pair of red-legged partridges and the first of several buzzards. Back at the car park were a couple of singing chiffchaffs while in the first area of woodland we looked at were marsh tit, nuthatch, treecreeper, a 'ticking' hawfinch and a singing willow tit though neither of the latter afforded us even the briefest of glimpses. A singing wood lark over an arable field was something of a surprise, less so a red kite that drifted over though as always a great bird to see. Back in the woods were more coal and marsh tits, nuthatches and treecreepers and, in the conifer plantations, goldcrests and firecrests. We heard their songs frequently and in one sheltered corner we enjoyed close up views of both as they flitted to and fro across a ride. A raven was heard calling and then a willow tit which sang a few times and then promptly stopped and disappeared before any of us had seen it - all very frustrating at this is one of Sussex's most elusive birds. A herd of nine fallow deer crossed our path and at the SWT reserve a few of the wild daffodils were already in bloom though we reckoned it would be another week before this spectacle would be at its best in this late spring. Four crossbills flew over calling and a pair of buzzards soared on a thermal as we neared the car park. A brief redpoll completed an excellent walk through this extensive area of woodland.

Later we went on to Benbow Pond near Midhurst where there was a pair of black swans and also an Egyptian goose. Our main destination however was Ambersham Common where we found a pair of stonechats in the heather but no Dartford warblers, presumably having fallen victim to the hard weather. Also here were at least 20 crossbills (including red males) some of which we watched at close range stripping cones in the trees above the car park.

An early start in an attempt to see lesser spotted woodpecker - a bird not previously recorded on any of our walks. The day started well with a hunting barn owl; marsh tit, nuthatch and treecreeper all showing well in the trees by the car park; and a couple of great spotted woodpeckers drumming in the background.  Our walk through the woods turned up more of the same and also a herd of fallow deer and large numbers of wildfowl out on the watermeadows - mainly wigeon but also a few pintail, shoveler and teal. Lesser spotted woodpeckers are elusive at the best of times and we had tried this site several times in 2009 without success so it was a real surprise when a pair flew overhead and landed in some distant trees. Fortunately we managed to pick them out in the scopes but after a few minutes they obligingly flew to the top of a much closer oak tree where they treated us to some excellent views. Our good fortune in seeing this declining bird was put into perspective later in the day when we met another birdwatcher who'd already spent 25 hours looking in the same area this spring without success!

From here we headed for Coates Common where there was no sign of the hoped for wood lark or crossbill. A circular walk taking in Welch's Common, Chingford Pond and Burton Pond took us past a couple of other likely areas for lesser spotted woodpecker but we drew a blank at both. The walk itself was a delight, the wildlife highlights being a couple of roe deer, four buzzards high overhead, five noisy greylag geese that flew over calling, three little egrets in a muddy cow field at Crouch Farm, gadwall, pochard, tufted duck and a pair of great crested grebes on Burton Pond, and more of the woodland birds we'd seen early.

Today saw the welcome appearance of the sun though the brilliant blue skies which showed the New Forest off to best advantage were accompanied by a cold easterly wind. With everyone having completed the first initiation test of finding the car park at Acres Down, we set off across the heath admiring the views over the Forest to the Isle of Wight away in the distance. In the cold wind, birds were in short supply though we did see several coal tits, a goldcrest and a siskin in the car park and a superb pair of crossbills out on the heath, the male showing particularly well on top of a pine tree. Our first stop at the raptor viewpoint showed that the birds of prey had not yet started soaring so we completed a short circular walk seeing another female crossbill on the way. We were soon back on top of Acres Down but there was still not much happening though eventually we did see a couple of distant buzzards. After a wait of almost a hour, Christine picked up a bird of prey soaring away to the southwest. This was no buzzard and a quick check of the salient features confirmed that we were looking at a GOSHAWK, our goal for the day and smiles all round. It put on a reasonable performance to the extent that we could all say that we'd seen a goshawk though as it was against the sun little plumage detail could be seen. After another half an hour or so we decided to call it day but just as we were leaving the viewpoint a large bird of prey appeared flying through the trees in front of where we were standing. No need for scopes this time, this was a stunning female goshawk!  We watched spellbound as it put on a magnificent display of flying before starting to soar over the forest where it was joined by the male! Side-by-side we could appreciate the size difference between the larger female and smaller male before, after an extended fly about, they slowly drifted away and out of view.

After this quite exceptional encounter the rest of the day was always going to be something of an anti-climax especially with large numbers of day-trippers out and about enjoying the first sunny day for ages. We tried the deer platform at Bolderwood where we saw some more siskins and five fallow deer trying to hide from the crowds and then Mark Ash Wood, a superb area of open deciduous woodland. Lesser spotted woodpecker eluded us here though we did see a good selection of woodland birds including stock dove, great spotted woodpecker, marsh tit, nuthatch, treecreeper and two bramblings with a flock of chaffinches. Aldridgehill Inclosure and Ober Heath were very quiet except for a buzzard that flew over the treetops and more nuthatches and treecreepers for those who'd missed them earlier. Our final stop was at Blackwater Arboretum where we met Simon Curson who suggested a good place to stand to see the roosting hawfinches. After a short wait we heard one call and Ian had a brief view as it flew over. Fortunately we did not have to wait long before we were surrounded by 'ticking' hawfinches with at least five birds giving some excellent views perched in the tall ornamental conifers, a fitting end to another great day.

No sign of spring yet on a dull and overcast day with occasional rain though as always we did find something to look at. Much of Burton Mill Pond was obscured by fog but this did not stop us seeing gadwall, tufted duck, pochard, great crested grebe and little grebe out on the water and a little egret hiding in the reeds. From here we headed along the nature trail adding a variety of woodland birds on the way to Chingford Pond and beyond including stock dove, great spotted and green woodpeckers, goldcrest, coal, long-tailed and marsh tits, treecreeper and a noisy flock of perhaps 50 siskins in the alders near Black Pond. Highlight of the day was a superb tawny owl sat motionless above our heads at a daytime roost in a silver birch, the first time we have seen this species on any of our walks. The fields at Crouch Farm provided a change of habitat and different birds including linnets, lesser redpolls and a brambling that played hide and seek in a big and mobile flock of chaffinches, a grey wagtail with some pieds and a couple of little egrets. With the rain now more persistent we failed in our attempts to find wood lark and lesser spotted woodpecker so we decided to move on to Lavington Common where the rain eased off for a while. Cold and wet conditions rarely provide good heathland birdwatching so it was no surprise that we found very few birds, the pick of the bunch being two distant crossbills that flew over calling. 

Tawny owl - Burton Mill Pond (Andrew Killick)

Saturday 6th February - Selsey peninsular

Report to follow.....

Thursday 28th January - West Dean Woods

West Dean Woods is one of those places where sometimes you get lucky and other days you can come away having seen very little. Fortunately our luck was in today with virtually all our target birds giving themselves up fairly easily. From the SWT car park we walked east along the road to the junction with Hylters Lane from where we scanned the surrounding downland for birds of prey. Common buzzards were almost constantly on view and a peregrine flew in and landed on top of an electricity pylon allow prolonged scope views. We didn't have to wait long either for a red kite to put in an appearance, soon to be joined by a second bird. On the other side of the road looking towards Lodge Hill Farm were two more red kites and the peregrine disturbing the local woodpigeons. Also here was a red-legged partridge and a redpoll that flew over calling. Walking back to the cars produced a good selection of woodland birds in the trees beside the road including long-tailed and marsh tits, nuthatch, treecreeper and best of all a restless firecrest showing off its broad whitish eyebrow stripes and fiery orange crown stripe.

After lunch we headed off in the opposite direction towards Stapleash and Monkton Farms. Almost the first bird we saw was another red kite that passed overhead and then obligingly circled round at much closer range than the birds we'd seen earlier. The little owl did not appear to be in its usual tree though this was soon forgotten as first we heard the distinctive call of a hawfinch and then saw one on top of a tree beside the road. Hawfinches are notoriously shy (the RSPB website also describes them as enigmatic) so it was no surprise when it quickly disappeared though with patience and the knack of being in the right spot at the right time, most of us managed further views over the next few minutes.

At Monkton Farm a couple more hawfinches showed briefly though more impressive was the sight of hundreds of chaffinches passing overhead, some of which paused in the tree tops before moving off allowing us to pick out several splendid bramblings. One (a nice bright male) was especially obliging and allowed all of us good views through the scope before it too moved off. Also here were a couple of marsh tits and a great spotted woodpecker. The return walk turned up more marsh tits (two of which were singing), a nuthatch and three yellowhammers but still no little owl.

With an hour or so of daylight remaining, we decided to head for Burton Mill Pond. Another red kite was seen from the road between Singleton and Charlton while on arrival at Burton we were told that there had been a couple of bitterns showing. Fortunately one was still being watched which after a wait of five minutes or so came out of the reeds, stuck its neck out and started drinking from the lake - something I cannot recall having ever seen before and a truly memorable moment. Also here were a large gang of cormorants roosting in the trees, tufted duck, pochard, great crested grebe on the lake and a grey wagtail. A total of 44 species recorded and a toss up between bittern, red kite, firecrest and brambling for bird of the day.

Despite an absence of any Bewick's swans on the flood water in the Burpham area, we got off to a good start with a bullfinch, a splendid firecrest flitting around in the scrub by the path and a chiffchaff all just north of the village by the river. Walking up the Arun towards North Stoke added a couple of grey herons, a cormorant, a perched female kestrel that showed well through the scope, a peregrine high in the sky and a small party of redwings. After lunch by the Gurkha suspension bridge, we headed up onto the Downs where four buzzards were up in the sky together. As is often the case with The Burgh, the birding was a bit slow at times though we did see a couple of coveys of grey partridge, a distant raven, a party of linnets and three corn buntings that gave prolonged views sat on top of a hawthorn bush. The most unusual bird of the day was a red kite that floated around for a while over Barpham Hill, perhaps the bird I'd seen earlier in the day over Burpham. The sun setting over Arundel Castle on the way back to Burpham made for a memorable end to another excellent walk. A total of 37 species recorded.

A brilliantly sunny day with just a gentle breeze provided ideal conditions for today's Rye Bay Bird Safari. For those who arrived early there was the added bonus of a  ruff with the lapwing in the field next to Pett Pools. Leaving the cars at Toot Rock we headed north through the mud along the Royal Military Canal (originally built to ward off the threat of a Napoleonic invasion) adding a couple of little egrets, a pair of stock doves investigating a barn owl box and a few curlew in the fields. A distant party of 17 geese out on the marsh materialised into white-fronts, the white blaze above the bill and barring on the belly clearly visible through the scope. With them was a single dark-bellied brent goose. At the Pannel Valley we saw our first birds of prey - a male marsh harrier and a common buzzard - and also a stonechat and several long-tailed tits. It was not long before we found one of our target birds for the day - the long-staying GREAT GREY SHRIKE which performed admirably as it moved from one tree top to the next attracting the attention of the local reed buntings. A heavily streaked female merlin flashed by while a kestrel a few minutes later provided a useful comparison. From the hide overlooking the scrape we enjoyed close views of two common snipe plus good numbers of shoveler and teal and a couple of shelduck. The walk back along the canal was a bit of an anti-climax though we did see a lovely male bullfinch at Toot Rock where a climb up onto the seawall was rewarded with several red-throated divers loafing around offshore.

Great grey shrike - Pannel Valley (Andrew Killick)

Our next stop was Castle Water where a pair of ravens looked for one moment as if they were going to join the jackdaws on Camber Castle before continuing north. In the hide we were greeted with the news that a bittern had been showing five minutes ago but was now hidden. A scan round turned up another of the day's highlights - a party of four smew (two males & two females) with the males looking especially resplendent in the bright winter sunshine.

Smew - Castle Water (Andrew Killick)

Also here were little grebe, wigeon, gadwall, tufted duck and pochard, some 'continental' cormorants roosting in their nesting trees. and two marsh harriers together. Fortunately we didn't have to wait too long for a bittern as first one flew out from the small patch of reeds just in front of the hide and then the original bird left its hiding place and started walking along the opposite bank right out in the open! Having eventually had our fill of bitterns we then headed back to the cars where a sparrowhawk flew over and then through Rye to the open expanses of Walland Marsh. Birds generally were in short supply (perhaps because of the recent snow?) though we did see five corn buntings fly over calling, a couple of red-legged partridges and some fieldfares. As usual we ended up at the harrier roost from where there was a large and distant herd of Bewick's swans, some swirling flocks of lapwing and golden plover, a couple of distant marsh harriers over another reedbed roost and our only Cetti's warbler of the day heard singing. With darkness rapidly approaching and cold feet, it looked as if we were going to draw a blank but a shout from Andrew quickly alerted us to a splendid male hen harrier quartering and then dropping into the reeds before heading off south, a great way to finish another excellent day. A total of 75 species recorded.

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A dull and murky morning after yesterday's snow with an obvious thaw setting in. We started today's walk on the beach by the Bluebird Cafe where there was the impressive sight of many redwings (and a few fieldfares) actively feeding just above the tideline and more typical inhabitants of the splash zone in the form of a party of turnstones with several sanderling in tow. Several parties of dunlin flew by and also a redshank and a grey plover. Walking north along the Rife added more birds to our growing list including little grebe, grey heron, water rail (heard), coot, common snipe, green woodpecker, jay, several reed buntings and a 'charm' of goldfinches. Highlight of the day was a jack snipe that showed well in flight a couple of times allowing us to

Jack snipe - Ferring Rife (Colin Knight)

appreciate its' shorter bill, pointed tail and bold back stripes. Continuing along the lane past East Kingston added more winter thrushes in the fields, a party of eight wigeon overhead, a flock of 20 or so golden plover (unusual here), stock dove, some sky larks and a couple of mistle thrushes. Back at the beach a quick scan of the sea initially showed little of interest though with time a number of birds did appear including red-breasted mergansers, at least 4 red-throated divers, great crested grebes, several gannets plunge diving out towards the horizon and best of all two velvet scoter that flew east and then settled on the sea. Walking back to the car park provided more close views of the redwings that were dotted all the way along the beach and a couple of song thrushes. A kestrel was seen perched on a telegraph post from inside the Bluebird Cafe at the end of the walk. A total of 49 species of birds recorded.

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Thursday 17th December - Fishbourne Creek

Fishbourne Creek is always a good spot for birds and today was to prove no exception. A bright and sunny day with a raw northeasterly wind provided very different conditions to the rain and gales experienced on some of the walks in November. Out in the channel from Dell Quay were a pair of goldeneye, seven red-breasted mergansers and two little grebes while on the mudflats just to the north were a varied selection of waders, all at close range, comprising lapwing, grey plover, black-tailed godwit, curlew, redshank and turnstone. A whimbrel with a helpful curlew beside it showed nicely through the scope while out on the water were large numbers of wigeon and brent geese and several more goldeneye, the males looking resplendent in the winter sunshine. A grey wagtail was watched 'skating' on a frozen pool and both meadow and rock pipit were added to the day's tally. Bird of the day was a jack snipe seen well by everyone as it flushed a couple of times from the edge of the saltmarsh. Also in the same area were a couple of common snipe and a brief water rail. The return walk added a kestrel, two yellowhammers, a flyby kingfisher and good views of an adult Mediterranean gull with a big mob of black-headed gulls. After lunch in the Crown and Anchor we headed for West Dean Woods where a single hawfinch gave unsatisfactorily brief views perched at the top of a tall ash tree. Also in the area were several common buzzards and a kestrel though any further birding was brought to an abrupt halt by the passing of a heavy and spectacular snowstorm.

Sunday 6th December - Dungeness

The decision to change the venue for today's walk from Sheppey to Dungeness proved to be the right one with one of the best day's birding the group has enjoyed this year. Our arrival was greeted by heavy rain and strong winds though fortunately the Hanson hide was nearby providing shelter as the weather quickly improved and also a good selection of birds, the best being a pair of hunting marsh harriers, a flyby bittern, black-tailed godwit, several goldeneye and a Cetti's warbler skulking in the reedmace below the hide. With the sun now out we headed for the reserve stopping on the way to look at the two GLOSSY IBISES that had been in the area for several weeks. Both gave excellent views especially when they took flight and circled round in front of us having been disturbed by a passing marsh harrier. The best birding on the reserve was from the Dengemarsh hide where the GREAT WHITE EGRET we first saw back in September was still present. On our last visit it was standing next to a little egret whereas today it was posing with a grey heron. Also here were two black-necked grebes which at times came within a few metres of the hide allowing us to see their red eyes and a pair of ruddy duck.

Lunch was had on the beach by the fishing boats where a few kittiwakes were milling around just offshore allowing us to compare the adult and juvenile plumages. Yesterday there had been two snow buntings in this area and it was not long before we were enjoying fantastic views of these birds creeping around on the shingle just feet away from where we were standing. A new bird for most of the group and a strong contender for bird of the day. From here we headed back to Hanson hide hoping for better views of a bittern. Unfortunately we drew a blank though the time we spent in the hide was well rewarded with a fabulous male hen harrier that flew across the pit in front of us, a passing peregrine that caused havoc with the wintering wildfowl and lapwings, the two glossy ibises again and a pair of Bewick's swans that flew in at dusk. A fitting end to a wonderful day's birding!

Tuesday 24th November - Ouse Valley

Another very windy day although at least the early morning rain had cleared. Our starting point was Newhaven Tidemills - the site of a derelict village that formerly consisted of a large tide mill and cottages. The mill stopped around 1900 and the village was condemned as unfit for human habitation in 1936 before the site was effectively destroyed by the Royal Artillery at the beginning of WW2 as part of the Coastal Defence Strategy. Despite the rather unpromising backdrop of industrial units and a sewage works, the Tidemills is often a good place for birds and so it was to prove today. At Mill Creek we were treated to some excellent views of two kingfishers by the sluice at the eastern end, one of which sat on a post with a fish in its beak. Also here were 35 redshank, a little egret and a brief view of a sparrowhawk while over the fields on the north side of the railway were flocks of 25 curlew and 50 lapwing. A probable black redstart flew into a fenced compound and promptly disappeared but more obliging was a male stonechat on the beach near the harbour mouth and a rock pipit. The pier on the east side of the harbour is often a good spot for purple sandpipers though they can be a bit 'hit and miss'. Today our luck was in with some very close views of 13 birds feeding on the barnacle encrusted concrete supports below us - a toss up between these and the kingfishers for bird of the day. A shag on the sea at the end of the pier was an added bonus, presumably blown in by the recent gales, as was a party of 20 ringed plover on the shingle beach below the tideline. From here things went rapidly downhill with just a moorhen and a reed bunting at the Ouse Estuary Project and not much to show for a walk out to the Ouse from Rodmell in the afternoon except for three little egrets, a kestrel, some sky larks and flight views of nine corn buntings. The exposed nature of the brooks at Rodmell did not help though it was noticeable how few small birds were around compared with last winter, reflecting the absence of autumn stubbles which provide food for larks and buntings. An earlier than anticipated end to the day though a fortuitous one with the onset of heavy rain just as we got back to the car park.

Sunday 22nd November - Pagham Harbour

Rain squall - Pagham Harbour (Andrew Killick)

Though not quite as windy as Wednesday, today was another very unsettled day with some very heavy squally showers as shown in Andrew's photo above. We met at Ivy Lake where we were greeted with the news that the whooper swans had flown off 10 minutes ago so we quickly moved on to the Pagham Harbour Information Centre. From here we walked to the end of the Long Pool and back seeing the usual shelduck, teal, wigeon and lapwing on the Ferry Pool and a large flock of golden plover and some pintail in the harbour. Next stop was Church Norton where the hide provided fortuitous shelter from a particularly heavy and prolonged squall and the opportunity to get to grips with the waders in the harbour - oystercatcher, ringed and grey plovers, at least 60 knot, dunlin, curlew, redshank and turnstone. Also here were several red-breasted mergansers, great crested and little grebes, little egret and a distant Mediterranean gull. Walking north along the harbour's edge from the hide added a kingfisher and a bar-tailed godwit though we couldn't find Wednesday's avocets. A male kestrel on a gravestone in the churchyard gave exceptional views but less obliging was a firecrest seen briefly by the hide before disappearing. A quick look at a seemingly birdless sea was curtailed by another heavy squall which sent us scurrying back to the cars.

The hardy souls who made it over to the North Wall were rewarded with the bird of the day - a female merlin found sitting on a fence post by Ian which then flew across the Breech Pool causing havoc amongst the assembled ducks and waders. Also here were a sparrowhawk and a kestrel, a flock of black-tailed godwits, more golden plover, a rock pipit and a couple of reed buntings. A water rail was heard calling from the reeds and just as it looked as if we were going to go the whole day without seeing a brent goose, a large flock appeared in the distance before coming closer, circling over the Breech Pool and then landing in the harbour - fitting end to the day

Wednesday 18th November - East Head & Snowhill Marsh

For once it wasn't raining though a raging southwesterly gale meant that finding birds was always going to be hard work. Despite the atrocious conditions we struggled out to the end of East Head, our efforts being rewarded with a pair of red-breasted mergansers in one of the channels, great crested grebe, little egret and a small party of sky larks on the saltmarsh. Sadly there was no sign of the snow bunting that had been around over the past few days nor could we dig out a jack snipe from the wet flushes in the dune slacks (sorry Peter) though we did see some sanderling running along the tideline on the way back to the car park. Snowhill Marsh provided some relief from the sand blasting we'd received on East Head and also a few birds to look at including close views of brent geese, a fly-by Mediterranean gull, bar-tailed and black-tailed godwits side by side, a small party of snipe that dropped into the saltmarsh and promptly melted away and a big group of redshank that flew over the seawall on the rising tide.

Our next stop was high tide at Church Norton where a scan of the harbour from the hide turned up an eider, another merganser, both great crested and little grebes, a big flock of tightly packed grey plover roosting on the shingle, and a gathering of perhaps 50 Mediterranean gulls away in the distance towards the harbour mouth. A water rail was glimpsed as it scurried out of the saltmarsh and across the path while further up the harbour a party of five avocets showed several times in flight as did a red-legged partridge. Passerines were keeping their heads down in the wind though we did see a rock pipit and some long-tailed tits and heard a chiffchaff.

Ivy Lake, our final stop, was covered in coot with a few pairs of gadwall in tow but despite a careful search of the many mute swans we couldn't find the two whooper swans that were seen earlier in the week and look set to spend a second winter here. A great spotted woodpecker posed nicely in the trees around the lake giving good scope views.

Wednesday 11th November - Old Lodge

Mist - Old Lodge (Malcolm Forsyth)

Fortunately the low cloud and drizzle that I had left home in had not extended as far inland as Ashdown Forest though there was still some fog sitting in the valley bottoms. Almost as soon as we'd entered the reserve there were lots of birds to be seen - blackbirds and redwings gorging themselves on the holly berries, some wonderful views of bullfinches, a flighty party of about 30 lesser redpolls, coal tits, a goldcrest and a reed bunting. A flock of fieldfares flew over calling followed later by three different ravens uttering their distinctive prruk-prruk-prruk call. A Dartford warbler was heard giving its alarm call and with a bit of effort we all managed views of two birds flying low over the heather. Our attempts to find the great grey shrike were hampered by the poor visibility over the military training area though we did see a perched raven through the scope, a male stonechat and some fallow deer with a backdrop of mist behind them. With the rain setting in we decided to head for Weir Wood Reservoir where water levels had receded considerably since my last visit in August. A party of lapwing and a few teal could be seen in the distance though most of our attention was focussed on the feeding station where a constant procession of birds included at least two marsh tits. Two roe deer showed briefly on the banks of the reservoir before disappearing into cover.

Thursday 22nd October - Cissbury Ring

The cloudy conditions coupled with a fresh southerly breeze again looked encouraging for late autumn migrants though the best we could come up with in a circuit of the Ring was a handful of blackbirds, song thrushes and chiffchaffs in the more sheltered spots out of the wind. Other birds around the hill fort area were at least one buzzard, green and great spotted woodpecker and mistle thrush but again no ring ouzels in what is turning out to be another poor autumn for this species. From Cissbury we walked eastwards along the foot of Lychpole Hill to Lychpole Farm adding kestrel, sky larks and jay along the way and some very close views of yellowhammers followed seconds later by a peregrine that cruised overhead. In Canada Bottom were more yellowhammers and at least four corn buntings, one of which sat on a bush allowing prolonged scope views. A buzzard repeatedly harried by the local crows, a large flock of woodpigeons and more yellowhammers and sky larks in the stubbles by the car park rounded off an enjoyable downland walk.

Sunday 18th October - Pagham Harbour

For once the weather was kind to us, the glorious autumn sunshine and light winds being in marked contrast to the previous three walks. Pagham Harbour was at its best today with a fast rising tide, excellent light and loads of birds to look at. We started off by scanning Pagham Lagoon where a variety of waterbirds included both great crested and little grebes, the first of many brent geese, tufted duck and a female goldeneye. From the car park we walked towards the harbour mouth adding waders (oystercatcher, ringed and grey plover, dunlin, bar-tailed godwit, curlew, redshank and turnstone), wildfowl (wigeon, teal and pintail) and passerines (sky lark, wheatear, chiffchaff, long-tailed tits and a big flock of greenfinches disturbed by a kestrel) to our list. The first of several Mediterranean gulls flew past the hide while out in the channel was the impressive sight of at least 22 little egrets in a feeding frenzy with a flock of black-headed gulls. Hard to believe that 25 years ago this was a rare bird in Britain. Sandra came up trumps with the bird of the day, a distant white blob that eventually woke up confirming that it was indeed the SPOONBILL that had been in the harbour on and off for the past few days.

Back at the cars we picked up our lunch and headed north along the edge of the harbour past the Slipe Field towards the Breech Pool. Both reed bunting and linnet were seen in the bushes by the path and also six species of butterfly - clouded yellow, small white, small copper, red admiral, painted lady and peacock - a good showing for the second half of October. Lunch was had at the Breech Pool where water rail and Cetti's warbler were calling from the reeds though neither showed themselves. More obliging were a couple of male shoveler, black-tailed godwits, a cryptic snipe that showed well through the scope, 3 swallows, a pair of stonechats and a late reed warbler. Ian picked up two very distant buzzards mobbed by corvids while out in the harbour the spoonbill was roosting on a grassy island with some egrets. In true spoonbill fashion it spent most of the time asleep though occasionally it did oblige and show us its characteristic spatulate bill. The high tide today was a big one and eventually we reached a point where we could go no further. A scan round from here turned up a flock of golden plover that circled the harbour and also a wader roosting with the redshank that eventually showed enough of itself to confirm its identity as a spotted redshank. From here we retraced our steps seeing more of the same, the highlights being a rock pipit along the North Wall and a large flock of brent geese that flew over our heads from the lagoon to the harbour. Viper's bugloss was still in flower by the car park. A very successful walk with a total of 70 species of birds recorded.

Wednesday 14th October - Climping Gap

Another promising looking morning for migrants (overcast skies, light rain etc) but  as on Sunday most of the action was overhead with lots of flocks of goldfinches flying east along the coast. We must have seen at least 2000 birds together with a few pied wagtails, chaffinches, linnets and siskins. Despite looking at the many blackbirds in the bushes we failed to find the hoped for ring ouzel though it was not long before we found another of our target birds - a covey of four grey partridge hiding in a newly sown rape field. A sparrowhawk flashed by while further along the beach a great spotted woodpecker flew round calling. The path that runs along the north edge of the golf course towards Littlehampton provided plenty of interest, the highlight being a pair of peregrines resting in a field that showed very well through the scope, the female even running around in search of earthworms - a far cry from the normal spectacular hunting displays characteristic of this falcon! Also here were 10 little egrets, a buzzard getting in on the act hunting for worms, kestrel, wheatear and a handful of chiffchaffs. The walk back along the beach through the dunes provided good views of three turnstone, meadow pipits, linnets and a female reed bunting while out at sea a dark juvenile gannet and a party of 25 brent geese headed west. A strange sight was a vocal party of 20 long-tailed tits that descended from high in the sky to land in the bushes behind the beach,

With the weather gradually improving, we decided to head inland to Brandy Hole Copse (near Chichester) where there has been a number of recent sightings of Queen of Spain fritillary, a migrant butterfly very rarely recorded in Britain. Despite there being butterflies on the wing (comma, painted lady & red admiral) and even a phone call to make sure that we were in the right place, our first hour was fritillary-less. However, just as we were about to give up, there it was - a male QUEEN OF SPAIN FRITILLARY feeding on cow parsley just feet away from where we were standing! Fortunately  it remained settled allowing us good views and Sandra the chance to take some photos. It then flew though we soon re-located it feeding on yarrow before it and the Sun (which had fortuitously poked its head out from behind a cloud) were gone.

Male Queen of Spain fritillary - Brandy Hole Copse (Sandra Gould)

With our luck in, we headed for Cissbury Ring hoping to catch up with yesterday's ring ouzels. Sadly it was not to be though we did see kestrel, green woodpecker and stonechat and also fine views of the Sussex coast to Beachy Head in the east and the Isle of Wight in the west.

Sunday 11th October - Hastings Country Park

Another early start and another dull and grey day with light rain at dawn. A walk down to the Coastguards showed that there were lots of birds on the move, mostly flying E. Many were just tiny dots high in the sky, identifiable by their contact notes which distinguished them as goldfinches, linnets, meadow pipits, siskins, pied wagtails etc. Three redwings headed inland as did a distant ring ouzel though the views were far from satisfactory. A raven flew past giving its distinctive 'krop' call while out at sea there were several gannets and a total of 13 brent geese heading down channel. From here we set off on a circular walk round this beautiful country park. With so much cover, finding birds proved hard work though we ended up with a reasonable species list including sparrowhawk, kestrel, stock dove, green and great-spotted woodpeckers, sky lark, mistle and song thrushes, chiffchaff, coal and long-tailed tits, treecreeper, jay, bullfinch and yellowhammer. A probable ring ouzel flashed by in Fairlight Glen where we stopped to look at the damp 'ghyll' woodland characteristic of the High Weald and also discovered just how steep the walks out of the glens can be!

Following a 'tip off' that there had been a GLOSSY IBIS at Carter's Flood for the last couple of days, most of the group headed for Pett Level after lunch where we walked north along the Royal Military Canal to the hide. Another birder who was already in the hide had seen the ibis but confirmed that it was now out of view in the vegetation on the near side of the pool.  Finding a suitable vantage point proved difficult though we eventually all managed good views of the bird looking through the screen that protects the approach to the hide. A pair of ravens and 8 redpolls flew over, Andrew saw a kingfisher, a couple of siskins sat up nicely with a flock of goldfinches and the first of perhaps 10 stonechats was sitting on a bush. The water levels further up the canal at Pannel Valley were still very low resulting in the main pool being birdless so we soon set off back the way we had already come seeing 4 little egrets perched in a tree and a sparrowhawk and hearing a singing Cetti's warbler. A quick look at Pett Pools showed that they were beginning to fill up again after the recent rain. A big mob of lapwing was on the eastern most pool together with a handful of redshank and a black-tailed godwit, some teal and a pied wagtail with a distinctly yellow face.

Tuesday 6th October - Beachy Head

A damp and misty start at Beachy Head for our early morning walk from Holywell to Cow Gap and back. Although the sheltered bushes at Cow Gap held a few blackcaps and chiffchaffs it was clear that there had not been an overnight fall of migrants. Out at sea a steady movement of gannets was taking place while overhead a kestrel was hotly pursued by a male peregrine.  By the time we reached Whitbread Hollow the rain had set in though we still managed to see some stonechats, long-tailed tits and a couple of jays. Up on the top of Beachy Head the visibility was very poor but lower down it was a little better so we opted for a quick look at Shooters' Bottom. Here several blackbirds and a couple of song thrushes were possibly of continental origin though it wasn't long before the rain started pouring down again prompting a hasty retreat back to the shelter of the cars. 

Sunday 20th September - Thorney Island

Overcast skies and a light NE breeze provided ideal conditions for the long (7 mile) walk round Thorney Island. We headed out to the seawall on the west side where out on the mudflats were 4 greenshank with a redshank for comparison and the first of many little egrets. From the reedbeds at the Little Deep we could hear the distinctive 'pinging' of bearded tits though it took a while to find them. Eventually we saw two high flying  flocks of 19 and 14 though much more obliging was a pair found by Peter which posed  nicely on top of the reeds close to the seawall - a new bird for Christine. Also here were several little grebes, a singing Cetti's warbler which refused to show itself (as usual) and  a kingfisher seen briefly along the Great Deep. Just beyond the security gate were 2 whinchats which sat on a bush giving good scope views and 2 roe deer which bounded away across a field. The next part of the walk down to Marker Point was largely uneventful apart from a buzzard and numerous meadow pipits and wheatears, the latter flying ahead of us showing their white rumps.

A whimbrel gave excellent views on the beach past Marker Point while out on the mudflats some apparent planks of wood materialised into 12 loafing common seals which eventually drifted off on the rising tide. With the sun coming out a few butterflies began to appear, the best of which were 2 clouded yellows, a fresh painted lady and a small copper. By the time we reached Longmere Point the tide was rising fast. A bird of prey that flashed past and obligingly settled in the dunes turned out to be a female merlin - always a good bird to see. It then chased and caught a sky lark and later we saw it perched on a fence post allowing more scope views, Also here were a couple of bar-tailed godwits that showed well before being flushed by the rising tide, a  large roosting flock of dunlin, 17 little egrets and some maritime plants including glasswort, rock samphire, sea holly and sea spurge.

After lunch we headed north from Longmere Point along the east side of the island seeing a flock of 19 brent geese on the way. At the Great Deep we spent a lot of time scanning the fence posts and landing lights for an osprey but all we could find was another buzzard perched on top of a tall mast. A kingfisher flashed by while out on the Deep a large gathering of wigeon was a reminder that winter is not far away. A black-tailed godwit and some teal on a pool by the car park rounded off another excellent walk.

Sunday 13th September - Rye Bay Bird Safari

With most of the pools at Pett dried up we relocated to Dungeness where our first stop was the Hanson hide at the ARC pit. The spotted crake present for a few days refused to show itself though we did see little grebe, marsh harrier, hobby, a peregrine (which attempted to grab a young moorhen), ruff and large numbers of sand martins. The track down to the water tower held both green and great spotted woodpecker, the latter looking out of place in seemingly the only tree for miles around! The access track to the reserve turned up good views of a small party of yellow wagtails before they flew off. The reserve itself was fairly quiet though the long-staying GREAT WHITE EGRET at Dengemarsh flew in after a few minutes and posed nicely next to a little egret providing a good size comparison. Also here were 2 garganey (well picked out  Sandra), 2 marsh harriers together and 2 snipe.

After lunch we headed for the bird observatory where the moat held a couple of black redstarts, one of which gave excellent views, several wheatears and a whinchat which only Sandra saw. Our next stop was the hot water outfall known as 'The Patch' where a juvenile little gull did its best to hide amongst the other gulls and terns. Most of the attention however was focussed on the power station compound where there was a family party of 4 black redstarts and an elusive pied flycatcher which was very flighty but eventually gave reasonable views. Back at the Hanson hide the spotted crake continued to remain invisible though a flock of 50 knot, 3 ringed plover and 7 pintail were new in since the morning.

The blustery and cloudy conditions were not suitable for butterflies though we did see some interesting plants including the scarce Nottingham catchfly, common storksbill, evening primrose, restharrow, rock samphire, sea kale and yellow horned poppy.

Thursday 10th September - Beachy Head

Male clouded yellow - Beachy Head (Sandra Gould)

The clear skies and blustery NE wind that greeted us at Birling Gap did not look initially that promising for migrants though as is often the case I was to be proven wrong! A little egret was feeding in one of the rock pools on the beach while over the cliffs to the west of the Gap was the spectacular sight of a huge swarm of house martins. The walk up the lane from Birling Gap proved there were migrants around with chiffchaff and willow warbler providing a useful comparison, good views of a lesser whitethroat and a wheatear. A walk out to the cliff edge gave Peter the opportunity to show that he has absolutely no fear of heights and also very close views of the house martins (with a few sand martins and swallows) that were streaming by. At the bottom of the lane a couple of whinchats showed nicely with a family party of stonechats for comparison. Our next stop was Horseshoe Plantation where there were good numbers of chiffchaffs and willow warblers flitting around, a couple of whitethroats and another lesser whitethroat. Up to 5 spotted flycatchers gave some excellent views though the pied flycatcher that had been around earlier was only seen by Sandra. A flurry of raptor activity saw a buzzard pass high overhead, a sparrowhawk, a kestrel and a hobby which showed well on several occasions. A few butterlies were still on the wing including chalkhill blue and a couple of migrant clouded yellows. A pair of fulmars was circling below us as we stood on the cliffs looking towards the famous lighthouse.