Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul: Windmils

Decided to walk the South Downs Way this morning. not all of it mind, just the bit from the Clayton Windmills to the Ditchling Beacon, not all the way mind, about half felt about right!! Was up a bit late, but it's just up the road so arrived on site at a bit before 8 o'clock. The view from the car park is always spectacular!

Hurstpierpoint Church from Clayton Windmills car park

Wolstonbury Hill

To be honest the big Lens doesn't really capture the majesty of the view, should of took a couple with my phone, but I forgot! I also forgot to take a picture of the Windmills doh!! Some rabbits were cavorting nearby.

A cavorting Rabbit

I head off up to the SDW, the bushes and trees around the Windmills were quiet, not dripping with migrating Warblers like I'd hoped but there you go!

I'd just asked the Birding Gods for a sign of which way to go when this happened, which didn't really help😏!

I headed off towards Ditchling, the hedges along the path were quiet , a bird popped up in front of me, then lead me a dance along the path, I was walking directly into the Sun which didn't make I'ding the silhouette any easier, I was just trying to decided whether it was a showy Dunnock or a shy Stonechat, when it flew off to the side of the path onto some bushes, from this angle the big white super was now visible!! Whinchat, hurrah!!

Mysterious!

Whinchat

The light really was a bugger, two Whitethroats repeated the Whinchats actions along the hedge, but I didn't even bother trying for pics!

I reached the Clayton Escarpment Nature Reserve, I was mooching around the bushes trying to get pics of some Linnets when I noticed a large herd of what appeared to be quite frisky cows!! Now as we know I have conquered my completely rational fear of large bovines, they kill more people than sharks, though that isn't that surprising I don't see how they would meet many sharks,😱 but that aside I couldn't be arsed with em today, so continued down the SDW, this turned out to be a genius masterstroke as it took me past a large pond, at which point I realised where all the birds were!!! I spent a happy three quarters of an hour taking pictures of Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers, large numbers of Linnets, Willow Warblers and Meadow Pipits that came in to drink!! I think if the lack of rain continues as predicted this pond is going to be a seriously good spot over the next couple of weeks!

Meadow Pipit

Corn Bunting

Not a 100% sure on this one seems to have a large bill, but seems quite juv Yellowhammery?

Willow Warbler, popped up right next to me, which was nice!

Same Willow Warbler when it realised it was a bit to close and moved away a bit!

Presumably a freshly released pheasant

Linnet

At this point a Green Woodpecker flew in and actually landed nearby, I went full commando to get pics. To clarify it means I blended into the back ground, the underwear stayed on!

Green Woodpecker flying in

Posing nicely

and flying out

Back to the pond!!

Willow Warbler

Linnet

Common Whitethroat saw a few but they weren't very cooperative

Yellowhammer, thinking a Youngster

Not sure what this was all about possibly had an itch

Linnet

Yellowhammer

Linnet

Yellowhammer trying to get a drink

Linnet and young Goldfinch actually getting a drink, the only Goldfinch I saw, a bit of a surprise

Corn Bunting, one of my favourite birds, dunno why, just like em!

Yellowhammer

Chiffchaff

I wandered around the area, walked down the hill opposite the pond, which opened up into what looks like an excellent area to spot migrating birds over the next few weeks lots of big Hawthorns and scrub. Not much there this morning though, Whitethroats, couple of Chiffchaffs and more Linnets. I trudged back up the hill the downside of the area!! I had been scanning the wide open spaces next to the path and eventually found a couple of Wheatears! Didn't get very good pictures my Ninja skills deserting me, they headed down the hill, I wasn't falling for that, I'd just walked up it!!😲

Wheatear

I walked to the end of the Nature Reserve bit and had a scan, a friendly Meadow Pipit said hello and a Kestrel sat in a dead tree have a preen! The views here are also pretty amazing!

Meadow Pipit

Kestrel

Saw several Blue Butterflies

Linnet

Managed to get one Windmill pic at least!

The walk back to the car was fairly uneventful, it was getting hot, Dog Walkers, Cyclists and Runners were legion! The main event was a Sparrowhawk that spiralled up in an adjacent field before flying right over my head!!