february so far

very little birding has been happening so far this month for me. But Crocuses and Snowdrops are in full bloom, and by now (16th) the first Daffodils are appearing. Not long before Meadow Pipits start moving overhead, Wheatears are at Tide Mills and the first singing Chiffchaff appears somewhere arund Seaford. Two Blackcaps have already made themselves heard, but these were both wintering birds. The Birdsong includes all the usual suspects at the moment, including a few Goldcrests (how a bird so petite survives in -10 temperatures like December I have no idea), three species of finch, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush and Great Tit. Foxes are still keeping me awake most nights, and I have so far seen a Bumblebee (I'm guessing Buff-tailed?) emerging from hibernation, and a rather confused Comma that came out about a month early and started fluttering around my school! Wintering birds include a few Grey Wagtails, but Redwings have all but vanished from Seaford (they've been very sparsely present this year anyway). I haven't seen any more Waxwings since New Year's day. In fact, my best birding has come about as a result of work experience, which allowed me to see a flock of White-fronted Geese and a Heronry. A tale for another day.

a few recent pictures, a Woodpigeon dozing off as the sun sets over an out-of focus
car. I'm sure there is some kind of artisitic merit in that somewhere

Blatchington Gof Course and The Downs, 8/4/2010

on the 8th Apri, a family walk on the downs above Seaford wasn't hugely productive, but did produce four species of warblers and a few Butterflies.

On the Golf Course between Seaford and Denton, singing Chiffchaffs were in abundance, with at least 20 singing males. There were also a few greyer coloured Warblers with different calls, Willow Warblers, and four of them, and I heard a singing Whitethroat and a Bullfinch. Among the butterflies, both Comma and Peacock were common and I got a few photos of each.

In Greenway Bottom, on the south downs, 5 singing Chiffchaffs, 2 more migrant Willow Warblers and a singing Blackcap finished off a good walk, in which I got one year tick (Whitethroat)

*note-I also heard a Coal Tit on Firle Road, Seaford, my first record from in town, and perhaps a continental bird