Snow birds

on 31st November, Seaford got nine inches of snow. This is an amount virtually unheard of in November this far south. And the following day, a few birds were seen locally.

In the garden, we had two firsts. A REED BUNTING was at the feeders and a WOODCOCK flew over. Other birds in the garden were a Common Gull, a Pied Wagtail, lots of Redwings and larger than usual numbers of the regular stuff. 15 Black-headed Gulls in the neighbourhood were also unusual.

I saw a few other birds on a walk in Seaford too. A second WOODCOCK, lots of Fieldfares and Redwings, a few Meadow Pipits in the gardens and, the undoubted highlight, a gorgeous FIRECREST in one St. Peters Churchyard, on Belgrave Road. Dad also had a third WOODCOCK on Seaford Golf Course, the fourth successive time one has been seen up there after snowfall! He also saw a drake GOOSANDER on the River Ouse at Southease.

all photos taken from the garden on 1st Dec

17 Jan-Cuckmere Haven and Seaford

In the Cuckmere today I found a female Scaup. (left). Identified from a female Tufted Duck by several factors, but the most obvious one is the white face. Present on the river at first, but flushed upriver and seen again in a flooded field North of Exceat Bridge, then flew South again, I then saw it on the river briefly, before it appeared to fly out to sea. However, I met up with Les Bird soon after, and we again saw it on the river 100 metres south of Exceat Bridge. Here Les got several photographs, one of which is shown left. After a while it was flushed onto the meanders, where it stayed with pairs of Tufted Duck and Pochard. Also in the Cuckmere area 3 Brent Geese, 15 Little Grebes, 500 Lapwings, 50 Curlew, 30 Redshank, a Grey Wagtail, a Little Egret, small numbers of Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Fieldfare and Redwing, 200 Teal, 150 Wigeon, 8 Snipe in the watermeadows Sout of the A259, and a Woodcock flushed from a flooded field a mile North of here.

Here the Scaup is on the left, with a pair of Pochard on the right and a Little Grebe in the background with a small sprat in its mouth. Taken on the meanders. Thansk to Les Bird for these two excellent photos.

9 Jan 2010-Newhaven Tide Mills and Seaford

A Fantastic day in the local area. a Rock Pipit made itself noticeable on the coast road through Seaford, an unusual suburban record. A Red-throated Diver was offshore in Seaford Bay, while in a Blizzard on the outskirts of Seaford, a Woodcock, presumably as surpsied as I was, made a brief appearance, emerging from the caravan park, coming to its senses and swooping down underneath a Caravan. Four Snipe were flushed from te fields below Bishopstone, two hiding in a bramble patch, one flying over the railway and one flying off to sit in the snow, desperately attempting to find some food. Also in these fields were a Stonechat and a Kestrel. Waders were well represented along the Mill Creek, with 300 Dunlin, 50 Redshank, small numbers of Curlew and Lapwing, and single Jack Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit. Also present on the Mill creek were 300 Teal and 2 drake Shoveler. on the beach were 2 Ringed Plover, while 8 Wigeon passed west offshore. Back in seaford, three figure counts of Redwing and Fieldfare, with singles of Mistle Thrush and Blackcap.