West Rise Wonders

 Having been unavailable last weekend due to a family wedding, was looking like next weekend before I could get down to West Rise Marsh in Eastbourne to have a crack at the Penduline Tits that have been reported over the last couple of weeks, fortunately things conspired nicely at work and I was able to book a last minute day off, consequently  I found myself in the car park at 7.30am, hurrah😁!! I entered the Marsh, heading for "the Pagoda" where most of the reports seem to come from, first sighting of the day was a Fox and a Grey Heron!

Fox

Grey Heron

Bit reflective there!

As I reached the wooden posts that lead to the Pagoda a Water Pipit was perched on one of em, I was hoping to see one and now I had Hurrah!!

Water Pipit

At this point, I understood why Birdguides suggested waders would be needed, however I think the levels have dropped a bit and I made it a fair bit in, stopping about 10 foot from the Pagoda with the water about half inch from the top of the Wellies!!😱😱😰😲 Has to be said it was slowly, slowly, I found a post to lean against and made my stand, the Reedmace, so attractive to Pen Tits, in full view. There I stood for about 2 and a half hours!!😲😲 No sign of any Pen Tits!!😢I was joined by a a few others for part of the time, Now I know what your thinking, "you stood up to your knees in freezing cold water for 2 and a half hours, are you fecking mental?" Probably!!😀 however it was a pleasant enough wait, Beardies could be heard all around though only glimpsed occasionally, likewise Cetti's Warblers were calling and Water Rails squealing, again unseen, a pair of Stonechats appeared on an off in the Reedmace, causing hope which was soon dashed, a very green Chiffchaff appeared, but too quick for pics, I'm hoping it was just a chiffy and not something more exotic, Reed Buntings posed nicely, a Marsh Harrier flew over high and south, a Kestrel was hunting the Reedbed pretty much the whole time, Water Pipits flew over, the occasional Snipe took to the air and a Grey Heron flew in!

Stonechat

Kestrel

Kestrel having a rest

Stonechat on the Reedmace

Marsh Harrier

Grey Heron

Stonechat came in close

Reed Bunting several about

Snipe

Deserted by the other birders I stuck it out but seemed unlikely anything was going to appear, another birder appeared from opposite and made it round to me, unfortunately getting a boot full of water as he did! The good news he'd heard a Pen Tit and had brief views of a Pen Tit, hurrah!!! The bad news it had flown off the other way, boo😢!! I decided to end my vigil and we headed out in the direction he indicated, picking up another couple of birders along the way, we reached a likely area near the Langley Sewer and waited, a Kingfisher flew by, but distant, seems I'm seeing a kingy every time I go out lately, which is always good although this one sadly distant!

Told you it was distant!!

Suddenly we heard a call in the Reedbed behind us and blow me a Penduline Tit appeared hurrah!! It didn't hang around but I got a couple of pics!! Double Hurrah!!!

Didn't show great to begin with

Got a little more showy!

Cracking encounter!! I decided to walk the length of the canal, more Reed Buntings, Stonechats, the stables at the end had about 12 Pied Wagtails, a couple of Meadow Pipits and a flock of Starlings in and around it.

Stonechat

Reed Bunting

Thankfully the Water Buffalo that terrorised many a Birder have been replaced by sheep! Phew😀

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail

Stonechat

The Pagoda

Some sort of Snail

Meadow Pipit

I retraced my steps back to the Pen Tit site but no luck, however the Bearded Tits that I had heard on numerous occasions, decided that I had suffered enough and performed wonderfully, not sure how many are present but at least ten I would say!! They are difficult to get pics of due to hiding behind the thinnest reed stem but I managed a few!

The Sun which had been in and out all day, decided to be in at this point, sadly!! Still a Male Bearded Tit is always stunning!!

The female Beardie ain't bad either!

Awesome five minutes!!

I decided after over 5 hours it was time to head home, as I was leaving, the Kestrel reappeared and another Stonechat appeared.

Kestrel

Stonechat

I was about, 150 yards from the exit, when I came across another birder  familiarising herself with the Pen Tit call😀 as she did it I saw a small bird flyout of the vegetation over her head and then dive back in!! Arriving at the site I could clearly hear a Pen Tit calling, she said she'd seen two, as we stood there a bird flew up onto a reed, posing lovely for approximately 8 seconds!! Of course with my lightening reactions, I managed 3 pics before the bird flew off towards the Pagoda! I felt a little guilty, when the lady birder said she hadn't managed a pic, not very guilty just a little, so she took a pic off the back of my camera to prove to her other half she seen it!!😃

Penduline Tit

The habitat, no wonder they are difficult to find!

And away!

I popped over to the lake, a few Pochards, a few Tufties and a load of Coots about the best of it, but in truth my heart wasn't in it so was a cursory scan !!!

Pochard

What a cracking day, perseverance paying off big time!!!