Abbot's Wood, Hailsham

Walking through Abbot's Wood with Mum, Dad, Nick Pope and his daughter and Martin Tickner was better than I expected. Mainly just te old men getting together but we did see a few good birds.

We saw a tit flock near the Old Oak that held several Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, a Nuthatch, plenty of Coal and Long tailed Tits, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and almost certainly a Firecrest calling. Checking the call against Goldcrest on Xeno-canto only made me more certain. Along this path, we also found a young Grass Snake, the second I've seen here. A HOBBY was the highlight of the walk, briefly circling over the lake. And Martin, the mushroom man, seemed to find them everywhere!

young Grass Snake, being held by Dad

Dull day on the Downs

With strong NW winds for most of the day, it was never likely to be a fantastic day's birdwatching, and so it has turned out today.
On Bishopstone Golf Course, four singing Chiffchaffs, (presumably breeding birds), and a fly-over Bullfinch the best birds seen. In Greenway Bottom, there were two more Chiffchaffs, a Grey Partridge and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker. Around Rachfinny Farm House, a flock of birds on the fields was made up of 50+ Linnets and 20+ Skylarks (the linnets being a year tick), while there was also a singing Corn Bunting (also a year tick). A few Red-legged Partridge also present in these areas, and a pair of Stonechats posed well in the scattered bushes at the foot of Camp Hill, where there were two more singing Chiffchaffs. On Cradle Hill, a roughly acre-sized patch of Wasteland held another pair of Corn Buntings,and there were three Red-legged Partrisdges.

The days total was
Chiffchaff-eight singing males
Grey partridge-one in Greenway  Bottom
Great Spotted Woodpecker-one drumming in Greenway Bottom (in wood opposite Blatchington Reservoir)
Linnet-50+ around Rachfinny Farm House
Skylark-20+ around Rachfinny Farm House
Corn Bunting-singing male at Rachfinny Farm House, pair in Cradle Valley
Red-legged Partridge-3 on Cradle Hill, 4 around Rachfinny Farm and Camp Hill
Stonechat-pair at foot of Camp Hill

I seemed to spend the whole time with my head stuck perpetually skywards, in the hope of finding an Alpine Swift, but alas I had no luck whatsoever.

Birding Seaford from 15-19 March

I'm keeping notes of interesting birds I see from Monday-Friday this week, and will add them onto this post as I go

15 March-a Song Thrush heard singing from the garden.

16 March-two Goldcrests singing around the Downs Lesiure Centre, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling here.

17 March-One Goldcrest singing around my school today, with presumably the same bird seen briefly in flight. Several more chattering away around Seaford, they are getting much more active as March progresses.

18 March-a different Goldcrest singing from conifers on the opposite side of school today. a Song Thrush again singing from the backgarden, and a Green Woodpecker calling around school.

19 March-three Goldcrests singing in Seaford, and a Song Thrush again heard singing from my garden.

Carrion Crow from garden-18 March 2010

an assortment of Woodpigeon and Starling on a nearby rooftop-15 March 2010