North Wales Holiday, March 2017

I have just got back from a birding holiday in North Wales. The cottage was within half a mile of an estuary, and a stream ran literally past the front door. The stream had some very nice birds, including Dipper and Grey Wagtail, and occasionally the odd Grey Heron flew up stream. Lower down, near the estuary, the stream held a pair of Goosander. I went for a day trip to Lake Vyrynwy RSPB, and found a Great Tit's nest in a sand bank. Also, out of the Capel Coed hide, on the feeders, I saw large numbers of Siskins, as well as a handful of Chaffinches, and a male Pheasant, plus numerous squirrels feeding on the ground. Back on the estuary, I saw Little Egret, Oystercatchers aplenty, and at least five Red-breasted Mergansers, many Mallards, and similar numbers of Canada Geese, without anything of interest among them. Also in the way of ducks, there were several Shelduck, and even a surprise Pintail. Whilst on holiday, I saw my 100th bird of 2017 - Treecreeper in the trees near the cottage. It was a little surprising to have such a common species as my 100th, but all the same a nice little bird, and later on I found three plus in the same area.

Cuckmere Haven 01/03/2017

Awful weather today, to visibility was poor. Despite all this, there were plenty of birds to be seen, although mainly on the water, as the passerines appeared to be (sensibly) taking to  the shelter of the sparse bushes and trees. The only birds that were not sheltering the storm were a couple of Meadow Pipits, which kept us amused when there was nothing else to be seen. The best birds of the windswept area were a single adult Mediterranean Gull, and a Glaucous Gull on the meanders, and there were at least two Snipe on the lagoons, along with the best bird of the day, which was a single GREAT WHITE EGRET, which was braving the rain on the lagoon.

Beachy Head and the Pevensey Levels 15/02/17

Today I went down to a windswept Beachy Head, where there was not much around. There were at least four pairs of singing Skylarks around the visitor centre, where my trip was mostly based. The other common birds were a pair of Pied Wagtails on the roof of the buildings, and a few Meadow Pipits that flew over. Of course there were several gulls milling around, mostly Herring Gulls, but I picked out at least one each of Common, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls amongst them. The most exciting bird on Beachy Head was, however, a single Twite (local rarity) that was flying around the rough grassland next to the public footpath. It was calling distinctly, and giving good views. Leaving Beachy Head after it had vanished, I made my way to Horse Eye Levels, on the Pevensey Levels, not too far away. It was getting on for late evening by then, but I located a single Bewick's Swan amongst the numerous Mute Swans, and later I saw a Merlin hunting low over. At first it was quite distant, and I had hopes of Hen Harrier or Short-eared Owl, but it was neither. Still, the Merlin was lovely to watch, albeit for a brief period.

Crowborough 1/02/2017

An absolutely horrible day today, all misty and murky, so that visibility was probably about 10% at most. All the same, somebody reported Waxwings in the Warren, so I drove over there. The car was parked on the roadside verge, and getting out, I walked towards some trees which I thought might be suitable for that species. A Coal Tit suddenly called out of the murk from one of the pine trees on my left, and then, through misted binoculars (I am not sure whether the binoculars were misty or the weather!) I saw three birds at the very top of a tree, half faded out. The binoculars showed a bird which was slightly smaller than a Starling, by my reckoning, but I couldn't be sure what they were. Then, out of the blue, a trilling bell-like noise came to my ears. hat really is quite a thrilling noise, and the one that I wanted to hear. Sure enough, the mist cleared a little for a moment, and the crests became visible. All the same, I was quite glad to get back into the car and dry out!

Dungeness RSPB 06/01/2017

A trip down to Dungeness today to see if I can get the 200...birds included Great White Egret, a Water Rail which came out into the open allowing excellent photos to be taken at the Scott hide, a Little Grebe outside Christmas Dell hide, and a fabulous, but sadly female Smew which also showed on Burrowes pit, constantly disappearing. The real highlight, of course, was the male Ring-necked Duck on one of the pits near to the farmhouse. It was mingling with many, many Tufted Ducks, and Coots, and had it not been for help from another friendly birder I might not have ever seen it. As it was, it was only a brief glimpse, as It was constantly on the move, and frequently disappeared from the view of the scope. But I saw it. This is the Water Rail.

Bough Beech Reservoir, 03/01/2017

An attempt to make 200 different bird species this year led me to take a trip out to Bough Beech Reservoir again. And, sure enough, the goods were delivered. I didn't make 200 that day, of course, but several 'good' birds were added to the list. I have to admit here that some debatable bird species were added to the list, including the introduced Mandarin, of which there were at least two pairs. Ducks were plentiful along the shores of the reservoir, and I saw Mallard, Tufted Duck, and also, to my delight, a male Pochard, which I only found by careful scanning of the long line of ducks. At least six Mute Swans were on the bank some way down the reservoir, and there were a few Canada Geese to go with them. Waders were not absent, and I saw a single Green Sandpiper, which flew from the main reservoir side onto the mud (quite wet at this time of year) on the other side of the causeway, although I quickly lost it as it disappeared behind the island.

Crowborough 16/12/2016

Another first for Crowborough flew over today in the form of a Raven. I was just doing some gardening in my back garden, as it was a very nice day, for December at around 1200 hrs and a large black bird flew north over the garden, pausing for a moment to chase off a Carrion Crow. At first, I thought that it was a Carrion Crow seeing off a Jackdaw, but the size of the larger bird was quite incredible for a Carrion Crow. I snatched up my camera, and took the quick record shot of the bird in flight. It was a rubbish photo, but since the bird then disappeared, never to be seen again, I was glad that I had taken it. I examined the photo (the one below is very heavily cropped) carefully, to see if I could spot any markings or shapes which would help with ID. The wings looked normal enough for Carrion Crow, as did most of the rest of the body, but the tail was the clincher. In the photo, the tail is distinctly diamond shaped, the one reliable way of telling Carrion Crow/Rook and Raven apart.

Crowborough 21/11/2016

A walk this morning around the town produced numerous Black-headed Gulls, now back from their breeding grounds, and one or two Herring Gulls, lingering on. Both appeared to be juveniles, the adults having already made tracks towards the coast. Amongst the gull flocks on the Beacon Academy and Sir Henry Fermor school's playing fields, I picked out at least five Common Gulls, not in immaculate breeding plumage, but in the duller winter plumage, with darker spots on the head. Of course the Black-headed Gulls only had one spot on the back of the head, as the brown hoods of the breeding season had long worn away.

Crowborough 03/10/2016

Well! A first for the Crowborough bird list this morning - three Mute Swans flew over the Beeches Estate on the east side of the town at approximately 1006 hrs this morning. Mute Swans have not, to my knowledge, been recorded in/over Crowborough at all,  certainly not after 1978. Also, another important sighting was the second flock of Canada Geese seen in/over Crowborough since the same date. The only other sighting was from another garden on Pilmer Road, near the Crowborough Cross.

Crowborough 23/09/2016

Not a lot around in Crowborough at the moment, very quiet on the birding front. Yet, I have been watching my local Blue Tits, who appear to have successfully raised a large brood of chicks, numbering at least seven. These are now growing up, and do not look so yellow as they did earlier in the season. At the local allotments, the Meadow Pipit is becoming a regular, as are a pair of Linnet, and several Goldfinches. Also, in the old farm buildings close by there are Swallows nesting.

Bough Beech Reservoir 23/08/2016

A friend told me of Bough Beech Reservoir, and thus today I directed my steps accordingly. Now, let me add here that I am still not that experienced in birding, and my weak spot is certainly waders. Therefore, my sightings from this site are solely what other birders told me about, or showed me. I visited the Visitor Centre first, and then went into the hide. From this, I saw a family of Reed Warblers in the scrub just along the bank of the pond from the hide. Moving on, I drove the car round, and parked on the causeway. This is by far the best spot to bird from. There were, as usual, several birders there, and these pointed out to me a couple of waders, including Greenshank and Common Sandpiper. I did not have a very good look at these, as my binoculars are quite poor, but apart from those, there was not an awful lot around the place.

Crowborough 27/07/2016

I have not posted for a while, so I thought I would give you an update. I have had a very quiet month, birding wise, with just plenty of baby birds to enliven things a bit. We have had about three juvenile House Sparrows around, and the same number of baby Blue Tits. Other than that, the Greenfinches have been busy feeding their young, and I have seen them more regularly than usual. Raptors seem to have been more numerous of late, and we have had up to four Buzzards over, and twice a male Sparrowhawk dashed through the garden. Swifts are the other bird - we have had a massive flock of about 20 of them flying over, all screaming.

Holywell, Eastbourne, East Sussex 11/06/2016

It was another glorious day, and I was down on the beach swimming in the sea. A new bird for me came in the form of a Great Black-backed Gull, and then, as I was drying off, a large white bird flew along the seashore. It was at least the size of a Grey Heron, but it was pure white, and it had a yellow bill. I did not think much of this at first, but it was an odd time of year to see an egret with a yellow bill, I later discovered. But upon reaching home, I looked up all the egrets, and there was but one that fitted: Great White Egret.

Lavington Common, West Sussex 28/05/2016

A beautiful day with some excellent birds. It was very hot, and most birds were probably snoozing, but I got some reasonably decent birds. The walk began with a Blackbird serenading me from the car park, and as I crossed the heath, a Mistle Thrush bounded away. Suddenly, a thin and scratchy song burst through the air, and I scanned the tops of the heather for the singer. As the binoculars came into focus, I found a small, long-tailed bird sitting atop a gorse. My binoculars were a rubbish cheap pair that I had bought from a supermarket, so I could not see that much, but I realised that it was no ordinary warbler that I had ever seen before. A quick look through the bird book confirmed my thoughts of Dartford Warbler, and sure enough, as I got closer it was that species. Still on the heath, a large flock of Goldfinches rose into the air, all twittering like mad, before settling and giving good views not a hundred yards down the path. Also, another song was trickling above my head, and this time I had more trouble locating the singer. I was quite certain from the song that it was a Skylark, but, try as I might, I could not locate it. All of a sudden, a bird dropped out of the sky, and landed on the path. Sure enough, it was a Skylark. The day ended well, with Swifts screaming over my back garden, and my year list was on 84.

Conwy RSPB 26/04/2016

A trip to Conwy today brought about some great additions to my year list, especially thanks to another birder who pointed out several birds, and helped to ID others. As I crossed the road bridge, I got stuck in a traffic jam, so I looked out over the estuary. There, literally just under the bridge, were a pair of black and white birds. At first, I thought they were Oystercatchers, but then I noticed the upturned beaks (they were that close), and a later look in my bird book confirmed that they were Avocets. Apart from that, actually on the reserve were some quite exciting birds, such as a pair of Goldeneye busily fishing in front of one of the hides. Also, there were loads of Shelduck, and on the far side of the water I made out birds that I thought were Gannets. Of course, they wouldn't have been, and the other birder in the hide kindly pointed out that although the birds were in a posture similar to that of a perching Gannet, they were in fact Little Egrets. Also, along the trails were numerous Wheatear, which I was constantly flushing up from the short-cropped grass.

Holiday, Nr Shrewsbury 19/04/2016

Some more firsts for me came just after we had arrived at friends on holiday. I was birding in their back garden, and I added four warblers to my list. The first was a Chiffchaff. The bird was singing loudly from the top of a fir tree at the bottom of their garden. Then, as I was trying to get closer to that, another bird burst into song from a thicket to my right. The bird popped out and revealed itself for a minute, and I clearly saw that it was a Garden Warbler, before it disappeared, never to be relocated. Next day, I saw a pair of Blackcap in some local woods, and with them, or rather above them, a Willow Warbler, singing full belt, as usual.

Green Lane, Crowborough 11/03/2016

I was just going for a quick walk along Green Lane, through the wooded area. Birds that I recognised included Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, and a Pheasant that I flushed from a clearing. Then, I heard a bird call that excited me. At home, I had been listening to my bird call CD's, and I had heard this very call. I was frantically trying to rack my brain as to what it was. As I was thinking thus, a pair of birds flew across the road into the trees on the other side. I followed them, taking a little more care about crossing over, and then I looked up into the trees. There was a fabulous male Bullfinch, my first ever. The male was then joined by a drabber female, and I watched them for some time, until they flew off again. I was really excited by it, as the birds were great. A male Bullfinch really is quite stunning!

Chailey Common 11/02/2016

Today was quite bright and sunny, but there were not many birds on the common to talk about. Despite the hot weather, parts of the area were very boggy, with one large area at least being deep and inconspicuous. But, as a beginning birder, I could not identify anything other than a Robin, Blackbird, and two other birds which I later identified as Stonechat, and flyover Linnet, although I was not sure about the latter. The Stonechat was a male, with black head and peachy coloured chest. The Linnet was identified on the strength of a flight call only, but I am pretty certain that it was the species mentioned.

Crowborough, 02/01/2016

Today I had a new bird for my garden, approximately ten Long-tailed Tits. I am doing a year list this year, so we will see how I get on. We have now seen twenty-four different species of bird in our garden now, and hopefully more will follow. We have probably had Long-tailed Tits in our garden before now, but  I have only recently started birding, and am not very good yet.

Crowborough 16/12/2015

A short walk down the main footpath between the Beacon Academy Sixth Form College and the Sir Henry Fermor school gave some good birds. The best of these were a group of five Common Gulls on the playing fields, feeding amongst Black-headed Gulls and Starlings, the latter of which were numerous, counting up to twenty plus more that came down while I was watching. Common Gulls are quite rare around Crowborough, so it was nice to see so many.