Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul: Pied Wheatear

It was looking like 2024 was going to me my first year Birding with no Lifer!!!😢😱😱😱 However news yesterday of Pied Wheatear at Seaford Head gave me a chance, though by the time I'd heard about it, it had gone!!!!😢😨😱Denied!! Then news came that it had been refound!! Hurrah!! But to late for me to go!! Denied again😨!! Teach me not to have risked it yesterday!! So it was with some trepidation that I arrived on site at about 7.30am to news that it hadn't been seen😢 With several Birders present we were strung out along the cliff eyes peeled, a small bird appeared, ironically as I spent about 5 hours yesterday looking for one it was a Black Redstart!! It was with a couple of Rock Pipits which came back several times sadly the Black Redstart didn't reappear!! The wait went on, a Peregrine powered past.

Sunrise

Black Redstart, only got the one pic

Peregrine

After what seemed an age but was probably about 20mins the call went up someone had seen it!! Whoop!!!😀 It was about 400yrds west of my position, I set off, nearly running, but not😂 Arrived on scene near the Golf Course, not on view, denied again! However after about 5 minutes the bird popped up and promptly disappeared!! But at least I'd seen it!! Basically the next two hours was waiting for the bird to pop up at some point hoping it would be near me and a couple of times it was!! Though never really close and with the constant threat of plunging to my death off the edge of the cliff it was tense stuff!!!😂

Pied Wheatear

Not the most exciting little bird, but as it's the first one in Sussex for 34 years, think we can let it off!!

With the bird going missing I went for a little wander around, searching for the ever elusive Black Redstart, no luck but plenty of Stonechats, Rock Pipits, Meadow Pipits and a photogenic Little Egret were all nice to see!

The Seven Sisters with the Sea like a mirror

Rock Pipit, had my fair share of these this weekend

Little Egret

Meadow Pipit, note that the Sun actually came out for about 2 minutes!!!

Curlew, small flock flew along below the cliffs

Goldfinch, small flock along the cliff top

The Sunshine disappearing towards France!! Come back!!!!!!!!😂

I headed back to the star bird which had reappeared, but it was even less cooperative than previously!

Showing it's tail

I gave it up and headed back to the car, a Raven flypast, a Stonechat at the Dungheap the best of the walk back!

Raven

Stonechat

A quick stop off at Splash Point to have a look for Black Redstarts, none on the rocks though a Robin in silhouette got me hopes up, couple more Rock Pipits and a Pied Wagtail the only birds present though the Peregrine was high up on the cliff!