Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul: Gloomy old day!

With the scope back from the menders, I decided a winter Seawatch was required, to check all was well. Was blooming chilly down at Splash Point, Seaford at first light, but I was in full winter plumage, including Balaclava and new fleecy trousers so no problem. Predictably there wasn't much about, four Red-throated Divers, dotted around on the sea and a couple flew by, several Auks on the sea, most of those close enough to identify were Razorbills but were too far out for pics, couple of Gannets, the Auks both Razorbills and Guillemots kept flying about and landing probably a couple of dozen all told. Three Little Egrets flew by a long way out, couple of Oystercatcher and a Shelduck also went west, but everything was distant in the gloom! Couple of Rock Pipits and a Pied Wagtail knocking about the area but no sign of any Black Redstarts😢😢

Looks like the basket has taken a bit of a hit

Newhaven lighthouse

The Ferry

Oystercatcher

Bit of interest when this juv Herring Gull showed up with a fish, bit of a scrap ensued

Red-throated Diver

Gloomy!!

Great Black-backed Gull flew in and landed on the basket

Elegance Personified!

After an hour and a half I decided to call it a day and headed to Tidemills for a wander around, mainly to get the feeling back into my feet, I wasn't confident to be honest but you never know there is always the chance of a Snow Bunting, also Black Redstarts are regulars in the area. First thing I heard on getting out of the car was a Cetti's Warbler in the bushes along the railway track, didn't see it obviously😁 Was a Stonechat in the first field through the level crossing, the tide was in, a few Redshank and a lone Brent Goose on the water. At first I thought the Brent was ill, maybe Bird Flu, but seemed alright was feeding and swam off strongly when I went to investigate.

Common Redshank

Brent Goose

I headed for the Pier, hoping for a Purple Sandpiper, was pretty quiet on the way, though a big flock of Greenfinch near the beach was nice to see. No Black Redstarts along the fence line and no Sandpipers on the Pier, though a very friendly Turnstone was pleasant! I watched the ferry backing out of the river, there were a lot of Black-headed Gulls behind it, was hoping there might be a Little Gull in with em, but no luck, seems to be one of those days!

Greenfinch

Bit of colour on a grey day, couple of Goldfinch in with the Greenfinch

Turnstone

Herring Gull

Black-headed Gulls and friend

I headed back along the top of the beach, scouring the shingle and greensward for the hoped for Snow Buntings, predictably no sign even though I walked all the way across to Seaford!! Ran into the Greenfinch flock again, seemed bigger at the Seaford end possibly as many as forty birds, same flock? Or maybe 2 flocks! Pied Wagtails in the caravan park, and a Kestrel on a bush. I'd seen and heard a few Song Thrushes, mostly buried in bushes around the site finally got one posing on a fence which was good! There was a small flock of Lapwing about 15 birds which flew up from the field occasionally for no apparent reason.

Song Thrush

Kestrel

Pied Wagtail

Grumpy looking bugger

Goldfinch

Lapwing

Song Thrush

I headed back to the car, at the ruins I was told off by a Wren, a Robin and a Blackbird and the Stonechat from earlier came by to say Goodbye!

Wren

Robin

Blackbird

Stonechat

So the end of a pretty brutal day, hard work for little reward, but thinking I gave it a good shot, one in the bank with the Birding Gods hopefully. Apologies for the picture quality the light was terrible, too bad for my limited skills, on the bright side I only trod in one load of dogshit!! It's not known as turd mills for nothing!!💩💩😁😂

Bonus bird, our male Sparrowhawk paid a visit to the garden this afternoon, didn't make a kill and posed on the fence for a couple of minutes, very slowly opened the door and got a couple of pics before he headed off!!