Brutal morning at Church Norton!!

 Ok one man's brutal morning is another man's walk on a shingle beach but it was windy and I done 12000+ steps!!!!😀 Yesterday I had a birding free day, had to paint the shed, you remember the shed the one where I was promised if we bought a new one all our shed woes would be over?? Turns out got to paint the bloody thing every year so it don't fall down!! We also had a nice trip to the cinema, The Depot in Lewes which was surprisingly small for a cinema but very nice, we worked out that I hadn't been to the cinema since 2004 so it made a change!!!😃 Anyway taking full advantage of my absence no less than three Wrynecks decided to appear in Sussex, one at Tidemills, one at Sheepcote and a further bird at Church Norton, I feel I've removed any of the guesswork out of which one I went for in the title of this blog!!😀 Tidemills is mostly dog poop and I've tried to find Wrynecks there before without success, I'm not sure where Sheepcote is or once I found it where to start looking and reports of Osprey at Church Norton tipped the scales!!!

I beat the alarm and was out the door at 4.45 Margie opting to stay home, twitching is her least favourite form of birding and Wrynecks usually involve a long wait staring at bushes!!, I arrived in good time and was out the car at 5.45, I even strapped on the scope with a view to scanning the harbour after filling my boots with Wryneck goodness!!! One thing I hadn't bargained on was the wind, it was breezy to say the least, not conducive to finding highly camouflaged birds, who need no excuse to keep their heads down, on a wide expanse of beach!! The track to the harbour was devoid of action although it was still pretty dark so no surprise, a few Redshanks and Curlew in the harbour were shunned as I hot-footed it around to the Severals, (I do not know why it is called this?) couple of Wheatears on the beach but little else as I began to search!!

Bright Moon in a break in the clouds

Gloomy, Grey Sky

Another birder turned up and I was able to refine the search as he new where it had been the day before, Hurrah!! I was beginning to worry when a movement caught my eye as a bird flew into a bush and promptly disappeared!! I scanned the bush intently and about 5 minutes later was rewarded with brief views of an extremely shy Wryneck!! However to say it was difficult viewing was an understatement with the bird using every trick in the book to avoid being photographed, every twig, every blade of grass was utilised in it's desire to deny me a picture!!

Reticent Wryneck!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! The bird did actually appear on top of the bush, but the other side from where I was standing, Denied!!! Again!!!😠😡😢 Although a couple of late arrivals lucked in big time!!! I was very pleased for them, Grrrrrr!!!😆

Suddenly the bird flew out of the bush and into the reed bed!!! At this point I decided to stretch my legs and walk to the breach, god knows why and he ain't telling!! Vowing to return I set off against the increasing wind, couple more Wheatears blew past me and a couple of Skylarks flushed up, I had a distant Peregrine being mobbed by Gulls, a few Curlew and a Turnstone in the harbour and a nice group of Great Black-backed Gulls of various ages at the outflow, but was generally quiet. Although a few groups of Swallows headed east past me as I walked along!! 

Peregrine

Turnstone

Curlew

So I retraced my steps and arrived back at the Wryneck bush, and hour or so had passed, there were 2 hardy birders remaining, who glumly reported no sign, which wasn't a surprise as the bird had flown? 

I headed on up the beach threading through the bramble patches when low and behold 30 yards down the beach the Wryneck flushed up in front of me, landing between a couple of small bushes where for a minute or so it gave reasonable views, though of course still managing to hide behind the slightest obstruction!!! 

Wryneck, not perfect, but considering the subject and the conditions not bad!!!

Having grabbed a few shots, I gave a shout out to the other birders, but unfortunately as they arrived on scene with one hop the Wryneck disappeared into a small patch of bramble and when I left half an hour later had not reappeared!! 😢 They must have had a few black cats cross their paths because they didn't see it first time either, mind we've all had days like that!! 

So I headed to the harbour having lugged the scope around all morning I felt a scan from the benches would be good, rumours had been heard about a Little Stint on the mud!! Got to be said the Stint should have a word with the Wryneck first bird I got my scope onto? Little Stint, Hurrah😃!!!

Little Stint distant but nice to see!

Little Stint

There were plenty of Curlew and Redshank in the harbour and running about on the mud with the Stint were several Ringed Plover and Dunlin, had a couple of Grey Plover, very distant, in the strong wind with Curlew and Redshank calling all round felt very wintery rather than August, very enjoyable scanning for Waders though!! Couple of Whimbrel close by were probably the highlight!!

Whimbrel and friend

Flyby Curlew

Battered by the wind I gave it up and headed for the car, I stopped off at RSPB Pagham Harbour, on rumours of some Spotted Redshanks, eventually tracked them down to the Ferry Channel, where there was a nice close Great Crested Grebe, Black-tailed Godwits, Common Redshank and a couple of Dunlin, a few Avocet were on Ferry Pool with more Dunlin and some Lapwings, someone had reported a Curlew Sandpiper on the pool but I couldn't find it although there are quite a few areas you can't see!!

A few pics of the main protagonists below, shame about the grey conditions birds were quite close could have been some decent shots with a bit of Sunshine!!

Spotted Redshank

Comparison Shot with a Common Redshank

Great Crested Grebe

Spotshank

Dunlin

Black-tailed Godwit

BTG

Common Redshank

Waderfest

That was about that, on the way home I got stuck behind a car, that was stuck behind a tractor which was stuck behind 2 cyclists, which was annoying but couldn't spoil an excellent if challenging morning!!!

 

 Lots of reports of migration occurring on the coast, so a no-brainer to head  to Seaford Head. Hoping for  a Wryneck but more realistic targets of Whinchat, Spot Fly and Common Redstart all of which, embarrassingly, I have failed to see this year so far!! Managed to get up early and arrived at the Barn Car-park at quarter to six!😲 As I was getting kitted up, winter coat on as a bit chilly, a massive,noisy eruption of Corvids,presumably coming out of roost,hundreds of birds  like something out of a Hitchcock film,unfortunately I hadn't got the camera set up,but was an awesome sight and noise!!!! It finished as quickly as it started,I hummed and Hahed but it was a bit gloomy for Hope Gap so headed for the Dung-heap, Boom!! Good decision Whinchats galore 5 in all with 4 on the fence and 1 on the heap itself, pre-sunrise so a bit gloomy for pics but done me best!!

Belle Tout in the gloom

Whinchat

I continued towards the Golf Course, The Sun rose,Phew!! However a rogue cloud rather spoiled it!!

Sunrise shame about the cloud😢

Undaunted I headed on, I diverted down the path to the Beacon, but the few birds that were there were elusive and seemed all to be Chiffies or Whitethroats,so headed back to the Golf Course followed the fence-line, which can be good for Whinchats, no luck until I reached the coast when the days 6th Whinchat appeared, a Raptor flew west along the coast parallel to the cliff was only on view for a couple of seconds,very fast, with pointy wings, seemed to small for a Peregrine so going with Hobby,but the camera wouldn't focus on it so it was the one that got a way!! A Wader then went East,the Camera seemed to have no problem with this bird, grrr pretty sure it was a Greenshank!

Light a bit better for this Whinchat

Pretty sure Greenshank happy to be corrected if not

I continued, east along the cliff path, was just thinking how quiet it was, when I spotted a Wheatear in the field, then a couple of Yellow Wagtails in with the sheep, the next hundred yards saw at least 9 Wheatears and  approximately 20 Yellow Wagtails difficult to be 100% sure on numbers as everything was mobile and a lot of the birds were dropping below the cliff edge where obviously it was a bit dangerous to get to close!! The days 7th Whinchat was seen here as well!

Wheatear on the Cliff Edge eyeing up the journey to France!

Yellow Wagtail

Whinchat number 7

I headed down the slope towards Hope Bottom, lots of Rabbits a few Common Whitethroats, couple of Stonechats, Dunnocks and another few Wheatears although I think they flew in from behind me so probably the same birds as previous!! This is prime Wryneck territory and I spent a lot of time scanning the slopes but without success!!😟

Rabbit

Common Whitethroat

Wheatear

Stonechat

Hope Bottom was quite productive, lots of movement plenty of Chiffies and Willow Warblers, then target no 2 gave itself up with a nice Spotted Flycatcher showing quite well although distantly and disappeared when I got nearer!!

Spot Fly

A couple of Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcap and several Common Whitethroats here but difficult to get a clear shot, at this point target number 3, Common Redstart, arrived and posed nicely on a bush!

Common Redstart

Willow Warbler

I headed up Hope Gap, I bumped into one of Sussex's Top Birders here, he'd had a Pied Fly further up the gap,but I couldn't find it, quieter up here possibly because of the wind although a big flock of House Sparrows is always fun!! I headed towards Harry's Bush to my relief was sheep in the field not cows phew, as I entered the field Whinchat number 8 appeared, probably the most posy one of the day!! Harry's Bush was quite quiet although I had 3 Lesser Whitethroats one of which actually posed ok!!

Green Woodpecker here as well, but flighty as normal and a Fox was in the bottom of the field!!

House Sparrow

Belle Tout

Whinchat number 8

Green Woodpecker

Blackcap

Fox

Lesser Whitethroat

Yes lot of pics of Lesser Whitethroat, but they don't often pose this  well so fill your boots when ya can, I joined the path at the bottom of the field and headed towards the Cuckmere looking back at Harry's Bush a Kestrel was getting a lot of grief from a Rook an entertaining battle with the Kestrel effortlessly avoiding the Rook's attentions but it was a very persistent! Hard to get pics but I tried me best!!

Free at last

I reached the end of the path to find a massive great fence completely blocking it!!! Less agile 56 year olds may have been daunted by this edifice at least 12 feet high, barbed wire, watch towers,floodlights etc!! But my inherent laziness kicked in, I certainly wasn't  going to retrace my steps up that bloody hill, so tackled it with gusto, flying over it like a trapezee artist!! Well I scrabbled over the fence and through a 10 feet of brambles and got through it relatively unscathed!!!, Big signs about footpath closed!!! Maybe put a sign the other end as well!! 

The Cuckmere was quiet, and very windy, I had been advised that to see the Little Stint  that had been there yesterday, find the Dunlin! I found 2 Ringed Plovers and 1 Dunlin, no Little Stint 😢 Did see another Greenshank in flight and Whinchat number 9,although this one didn't want to pose!! A huge eruption of Geese as well, Loads of feral Canadas and Greylags which flew over my head towards the coast, spectacular sight, though I couldn't find any reason for it half expected to see an Osprey but no luck!! A few more Yellow Wagtails flying about as well!

Annoyingly on arrival back on the coast, I checked my phone, 4 Little Stints just south of the pub,if I'd gone another 300 yards I would probably have seen em, but I couldn't be arsed to walk back against the strengthening wind!!😢

Black-headed Gull loads of these about

Whinchat number 9

Greenshank

Sparrowhawk

I headed back along the cliff for another crack at a Wryneck at Hope Bottom big flock of Linnet along here, Hope Gap was much quieter now,no Wheatears and far fewer Warblers, shows the importance of an early start.I imagine with the wind behind them most of the birds were halfway to France!! I saw a few Swallows on my walk,but not as many as I was expecting to be honest, I headed back to the car-park ,popped back to the Dung-heap no sign of the Whinchats though I eventually spotted 4 of them lurking behind the Barn!!

Linnets

Common Whitethroat

Migrant Hawker

Highly enjoyable walk,nice to see  migration in action and very pleased with 9 Whinchats!!