Quick Tour of a bit of Sussex!

 My old birding mate came down from Suffolk for the day yesterday and I was tasked with getting him and his better half some decent birds! Started on the Downs, where despite the dull, windy conditions we managed to find the returning Cirl Bunting which was a lifer for him, so you'd think that would be mission accomplished? But no they wants more!! Managed to find a couple of Corn Buntings one of which showed well!! 

Cirl Bunting, didn't come particularly close but showed ok! 

Common Whitethroat, a few about

Corn Bunting

Goldfinch

Linnet

Next we headed to the Rackham Viewpoint, in the hope of a White-tailed Eagle, it wasn't to be and we got fairly battered by the wind! Loads of Deer from the viewpoint and a Raptor on the ground which we spent the best part of 20 minutes trying to string into a WTE before a Crow rocked up giving us a nice size comparison proving beyond doubt it was a Buzzard!

Fallow Deer

Kestrel about the only bird within 12 parsecs of the viewpoint

For a final fling we headed to Knepp where we had great views of the Storks, I was fearless in the face of the horse apocalypse and a couple of Red Kites showed well!! 

Linnet

Linnet

Song Thrush

White Stork, had about 12 in the air at once, a spectacular sight!

Seemed to be a lot of pairs, not sure of the display behaviour, but lots of rolling about!

Pretending it wasn't about to savage me!

This ones mane reminds me of my throw, back in the day!

Red Kite

I spent far to much money in the shop on various Sausages and Burgers, which maybe why I'm a bit nervous around the beasts!!

Despite the cold wind and cloudy skies, it was a highly enjoyable day, despite the WTE not playing ball, 3 of 4 targets achieved!! Great to catch up  with old friends, hopefully do it again soon!  

Margie didn't join us as the big East Anglian Derby was on!! Luckily Ipswich managed to beat the  Canaries, so looks like they could be in the Premier League next year getting spanked by the mighty Whites!! If the Mighty Whites manage to stay up obvs!! I took the pic below to cheer her up in case of defeat, but luckily wasn't needed!!!

Seaford Bank Holiday

 Bank Holiday Monday found me down at Splash Point Seaford for a Seawatch, local birder Neil joined me and we did a couple of hours. Fairly slow 120 Med Gulls, a trickle of Sandwich Terns adding up to about 40, 60 or so Common Scoters, couple of Shags were on the Sea ,a single Brent Goose and 4 Red-throated Divers the best of it! 

Great Black-backed Gull

Early morning Kittiwake

Sandwich Tern

Along the coast

Sandwich Terns, they stayed fairly distant on their way East

Brent Goose

Common Scoter

Shags

Closer Sandwich Tern

Med Gulls

Red-throated Diver

Med Gulls

Shags

It got even slower so I decided to have a walk up Seaford Head, after a stop off to take a few pics of the Kittiwake Colony (very loose definition of "a few" there)! I did a loop past the barn down Hope Gap then back along the Cliff edge! The sheep field behind the Barn held approximately 18 Wheatears, which is a good count in Spring, most of them in the Southwest Corner by the Golf Course!

This bird was on the Old Hotel, was a silhouette at the time only there for about 10 seconds, thought it could have been a Black Redstart at the time, but pretty sure it was Wheatear looking at the pic!

Loved up Kittiwakes, were good numbers on the cliffs

Kittiwake

Herring Gull

Do enjoy a seabird colony!! I staggered on up the head! At one of my stops to gasp for breath a Stonechat appeared!

Stonechat

Wheatear

Three Wheatears

Meadow Pipit

Wheatear showing a bit better!

Skylark

Female Blackcap several males singing down Hope Gap

Peregrine

Fulmar

Rock Pipit

Wheatear

Skylark

Raven

Couldn't resist another crack at the Kittiwakes! Sorry!

A final Rock Pipit

A very  nice walk, pleased to see the Peregrine, not seen it on the last couple of visits was wondering if it had deserted the area! Nice to connect with a few Wheatears always a favourite!