The Nick of Time!

 The news that the Vulture had turned up in Sussex yesterday ,filtered through to me too late to act or at least too late to get off my lazy arse and go for it at any rate😀News that had roosted overnight meant a reprieve.  However with news of Rouzels and big Vis-Mig at Seaford yesterday and the thought of spending three hours staring at a tree on the off chance the bird would stick it's head out decided me that I would head to Seaford, I had a cunning plan that I would be in the area and could react if the news broke and a best case scenario that the bird would fly low over Hope Gap while I was counting to many Ouzels to count, didn't quite come fully to fruition but there you go!!😲😊

Firstly the weather was rubbish gloomy with the odd short shower although I largely escaped being soaked, secondly the number of birds was much reduced from yesterday's reports although that may have been down to my lack of ability! Several treks up and down Hope Gap produced three Ring Ouzels all flyovers, also had flyover what I'm 99.9% sure was a Jack Snipe, a flock of 50 Redpolls and several smaller flocks of Goldfinch and Linnets went over as did a few Swallows and even fewer Redwings. The most numerous birds seem to be Song Thrushes but they were very flighty, acouple of Goldcrests that I couldn't get pics of big surprise! A Green Woodpecker and a few Long-tailed Tits were about the best posers for photography wise but the conditions mean the quality is poor, apologises!

Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Long-tailed Tit

Song Thrush

Song Thrush

I decided to try the area around the Beacon keeping a whether eye to the sky but no massive Vultures were on show, The scrub around the Beacon contained even more Song Thrushes and a nice male Ring Ouzel posed okish on a berry bush.

Ring Ouzel

Ring Ouzel

Ring Ouzel

Trekked back to Hope Gap had another posy Ouzel but was awkward with the light, more Goldfinches about as well but still quite quiet, still no Vulture didn't it know the plan!!???

Ring Ouzel maybe first winter?

Part of one of the Goldfinch flocks

Same Rouzel and friend

I decided to head down to the Cuckmere this would keep the sky on view for when the Vulture arrived 😀 as I headed down to the Cottages some Curlews flew up out of the valley right over my head , I checked the phone and news was the Vulture was on the move, with the Cuckmere valley spread out below me I expectantly started to scan and blow me there the bugger was !!!!!!😁😁Incredibly distant but pretty much unmistakable surrounded as it was by corvids which it dwarfed , this sighting corresponds with the report of it circling above East Dean!

Curlew

Bearded Vulture as viewed from Seaford Head,possibly the only birder to have it on his Seaford Head list although I don't actually have a Seaford Head list ,though I may start one now 😆

Stonechat

So now a decision to be made chase the Vulture or carry on down the Cuckmere, with the Vulture ticked I decided to carry on ,I reached the river a Kingfisher flushed up and flew up stream to quick as usual!! Lots of Geese and Gulls spread out over the valley and lots of Skylarks, Rock Pipits and Meadow Pipits, I was just about to begin working through the Gulls for Caspo's and Yellow-legs 😂😂Yeah right !! when I noticed some commotion with a bird being harassed by a few corvids ,got the bins on it male Hen Harrier!!😲 wasn't expecting that!! It flew diagonally across the valley and everything went up Geese, Gulls, Starlings, Egrets the lot!! seemed to much for a Hen Harrier so criminally I took me eyes of it to see if the Vulture had appeared no sign and of course the Harrier had either scarpered are dropped into the grass, I scanned for ages but couldn't refind!! 

Hen Harrier

Hot Pursuit

The advantage of all this scanning was I refound the Kingfisher and for once the bugger hadn't seen me, I went into full stealth mode (Bent over Slightly) and was able to watch it fishing and grab a few shots, a nice Female.

As I headed back up towards the head a few finches were in the bushes and a Little Egret gave a nice fly past

Greenfinch

Chaffinch

Little Egret

I got back to the car, checking the phone it seemed the Bearded Vulture was sitting in a field at Beachy this decided me, I would nip round and see it! Typically got to site to hear the words ,was here a minute ago!! Bugger😢luckily the next words I heard were "I think that's it" Bins on it yep!! It went really high and out to sea!! Ten minutes later to the relief of those present it returned, to cut a long story short over the next half hour, in various locations I had views of it with a Buzzard , a Peregrine and various corvids, it never came particularly close so the pics are record shots, a Peregrine gave a flypast as well and an Ouzel dropped into the bushes in front.

Bearded Vulture

Peregrine

BV with Buzzard

Rear View

A moment alone

BV with Peregrine

The bird went higher and higher once again and headed out to Sea and at time of writing I don't think it's been seen since, hopefully it's made it safely back to France and she will find a mate next spring. An awesome sight in the sky !! So it's been in Britain for months and I saw it in the last half hour it's all in the timing 😀😀😀😀 Phew !!!