23rd Jan-The Cuckmere Valley

birding with Jon Curson and Nick Pope. To start off we headed down to the Cuckmere. Here, the Scaup was still showing, now on the pond visible from the path in the first bend of the meanders. It was accompanied by a male Tufted Duck, 2 Teal and a Redshank, although most of the wildfowl and wader present six days ago appear to have moved on with the total thaw. A Mistle Thrush was also seen. At Arlington Reservoir, sveral newbies for the year that took my list up to 89, these were Greylag Goose, Pintail(9), Gadwall(1), Great Crested Grebe and Coot, also a very showy Bullfinch and 40+ Redwings around the farm paths to the right of the feeding area and car park. Sadly however no Goosander, which had been reported regularly over the past few days, and which were seen later on today. Back in Seaford, I saw a Goldcrest performing well in a conifer on Blatchington Hill, and the wonderful male Black Redstart again put on a show around Seaford Primary School, seen flying from one rooftop onto a suitable bush in a garden, then onto the rooftop of that property where it had a well-deserved feed.