Dipping The Hoopoes!!

 Twice!! Last Sunday afternoon Margie and I headed down to Wild Park in Brighton after reports of a Hoopoe being seen there for a couple of days. To be honest I wasn't confident, Hoopoes and I have history, I've seen a couple, never well, even found one at Seaford Head or more accurately spotted one as it bombed passed at a rate of Knots! So it was no surprise, we couldn't find it, the youths on motorcycles tearing up and down the middle didn't help much to be honest😢😁! Didn't see much at all really couple of Buzzards and a pair Sparrowhawks put on a bit of a display, couldn't really tell if the Male was trying to get his end away or not get eaten!! 😲

What looks like awesome Hoopoe habitat at Wild Park, pic by Margie

Turns out it had been in a different area! But don't think it was seen after about 8 in the morning another pic by Margie

The Amex by Margie

Common Buzzard

Sparrowhawk

Mr & Mrs, smaller Male above

Not a surprise but a nice walk around.

Roll on a week, a week at work looking at gripping pictures of not one but two Hoopoes cavorting around in the middle of a field, add in the sighting of a Black Kite near by and with no wind forecast making seawatching a bit pointless, it was straight in the car first thing Saturday morning, heading to Eastbourne, obviously the Hoopoes well aware of the situation decided to bugger off overnight😢😢😂😂 I didn't give it long, deciding to relocate to Shooters Bottom in the hope of a bit of migration!

Not much happening in the bushes in terms of Migrants, a few Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and my first Common Whitethroat of the year about it! However the locals performed very well, loads of Stonechats, great views of Corn Buntings, Peregrine, Linnets a plenty and the highlight of the day a couple of Red Kites cruising the cliffs giving gobsmacking views as they annoyed the Gulls and Jackdaws!

A very vocal Song Thrush, a few about!

Blackbird

Beachy Head Lighthouse

Stonechat, so many about and pretty immune to people!

Linnet on Gorse

 

Belle Tout from a different angle than the usual shot from Seaford Head, not sure how long it will still be here for!

Cowslip, loads of these everywhere

Corn Bunting

Having a sing

Kestrel think it's got some grub

Not expecting to see a Grey Heron in the foliage!

Stonechat having a sing

Linnet with a Gorse flower

Jackdaw

Flock of Oystercatchers, very little out to sea, scanned several times

Skylarks, loads about and singing the whole time I was wandering about

Raven

Chaffinch

Corn Buntings

Common Whitethroat

Stonechat

Female Stonechat

Not sure what was going on with this Stonie!

Calmed down in the end

Meadow Pipit saw a few

Spent a few minutes with a Peregrine, it was hanging in the air high above Belle Tout, waiting for tired migrants perhaps? It made a couple of sorties inland at passing groups of Woodpigeons but in both cases the prey spotted it coming, the groups split up and headed towards the ground, the Peg didn't press the attacks, I guess it knows when it's out of range! A highly enjoyable session, the bugger certainly knows how to use the sun!!!

Peregrine

In the sun!!

Dunnock

Chiffchaff

Lot's of these bad boys about

Seaford Head

Blackcap

By now I was back at Shooters, but with half n hour left on the car, I wandered around again, finding myself on the cliff edge having failed to sneak up on a Skylark! I was admiring the view, when I noticed a bird of prey heading towards me, thoughts of Black Kite went through my mind, could it be???? No, Red Kite!!! Another one behind it could it be!!? No another Red Kite!!!! Dagnabit!!!!! My disappoint was quickly dispelled as the pair put on a great show cruising back and forth between Shooters and Belle Tout annoying the Gulls and Corvids, their interaction was interesting with a couple of tussles between the birds!!! Awesome stuff!

Coming together

Not sure what it was all about but was certainly hectic

Possibly a few too many Kite pics, but it was an awesome bit of action, I've been to the feeding station at Bwlch Nant yr Arian, in Wales a couple of times, which is brilliant, but feels a bit zoo like, this was proper, a couple of predators looking for a meal and the rest of the species trying to stop em!!

On my return home I made a Gluten Free, Organic Bakewell Tart!! Which tastes nice!! I have found a combo of Cassava, Tiger Nut Flour and Tapioca Starch is the best for pastry!