The South Downs around the Clayton Windmills has become my go to spot locally this year only a couple of miles from home, it has produce some pretty good birding. So yesterday with a reasonable weather forecast I thought I'd pop up for what will probably be my last birding outing before Chrimbo!
Managed to get there reasonably early but the sunrise was spoiled by some pesky clouds and the first hour or so was pretty gloomy. The area around the horse farm and the golf course, had a Buzzard on a fence, which was actively hunting, although it missed out on a tasty pigeon that landed right next to it!! Maybe it's a vegetarian! No sign of any Stonechats, seen them in the area on every previous visit so maybe they are off on there winter hols, though nice to see some Common Gulls on the paddocks and fairways!
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| Windmill in the gloom |
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| Buzzard, bit distant for my liking |
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| Buzzard with Woodpigeon friend, there are old woodies and there are bold woodies, but there are no old,bold woodies!! |
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| Common Gull |
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| Common Gull |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Rook, were a few about |
I headed along the South Downs Way to the embankment reserve, very quiet so at the far end I dropped down into the open access land opposite, where a couple of Ravens entertained and a Red Kite flew over me head!
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| Another Windmill |
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| More misty Weald |
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| Raven |
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| No mistaking that beak! |
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| Red Kite |
While all this was going on,faintly in the distance, I could hear a Corn Bunting calling I walked up the far side of the valley in pursuit and eventually tracked it down!! All in all I found about 8 Corn Buntings, 5 Yellowhammers and large flock of Linnets but all in small birds were at a premium!
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| Corn Bunting, couldn't get very close, despite my world renown Ninja abilities! |
From the high vantage point above the valley looking down on the large Hawthorns, I could see a number of Fieldfares and Redwings in amongst the berries, not big numbers, a few Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, one of which was singing, also heard a couple of Mistle Thrushes fly over! Incidentally we have a very vocal Song Thrush at work been singing away for at least two weeks now! This area is very good usually for Red Kites and Buzzards and I was hoping with the Sun, which had now appeared, behind me I would be able to look down on them and get some decent pics, sadly although a couple of each appeared they seemed to know my crafty plan and carefully avoided flying anywhere close! Denied!
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| Distant Yellowhammer, played even harder to get than the Cornies! |
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| Red Kite |
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| Fieldfare down in the valley |
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| Having been frustrated by the Kites I dropped into the valley amongst the Hawthorns, where I was equally frustrated by the Fieldfares and Redwings, who have made hiding in bushes an artform! |
During the Autumn this area was crawling with recently released Pheasants and Red-legged Partridge, very few survive the guns, but I found a couple, I think the one below has probably survived because when I nearly trod on it, instead of flying off it just froze, then wandered off into the bushes at it's leisure! Perhaps it doesn't think much of the "sport" and won't play the game! Rebel Partridge!!
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| Red-legged Partridge |
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| Calmly wandered off after a couple of minutes! |
I was just heading back up towards the SDW when both Buzzards and Red Kites took pity on me and provided a closer view!
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Red Kite |
Might be a couple too many Red Kite pics there, but didn't get much else! Headed back towards the car, The Buzzard was still on the fence, no sign of the Woody, gulp!! more Common Gulls, small flock of Goldfinch and my own personal Starling Murmuration the best of it!
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