Sussex Birding (1 Viewer)

[joannec]

Welcome to the Sussex thread and to BF Stoggler. Hope you'll contribute your sightings this weekend which seems a perfect time for a visit....there are a lot of migrants arriving!

Well I didn't get out today to the coast, was put off by the rainy forecast but hope to do a seawatch on Friday. On my patch today two displaying buzzards: they were doing the feet touching thing. I've seen it several times over the past ten days or so .......so hopefully they will set up home again in the nearby woods.

Probably most of you know about the Sussex Heights peregrines, here is a link to the webcam:

http://www.regencybrighton.com/birds/webcam/nojscript.aspx

There are two eggs and they are being incubated now. It's very interesting and worth a read back over the events. It seems last years male was injured and spent some time in re hab, returned to his former nest site only to find a new male and female in HIS place, got into a big fight with the F (which he lost). It's all documented on film and certainly worth watching, link is on the website.

 

[Mark43]

Common Rosefinch at Birdham (near E.Wittering ) this afternoon.

Hope it's refound by the Bank Holiday......or maybe i should go and find it:t:

 

[Alan227]

I did my AF patch, Garden of Eden, today...sadly no Dartford warblers. I'm concerned that they have suffered badly in the cold winter. I nearly always see them on G of E but not today

Hopefully you will this month Joanne. I had four earlier this week on Stonehill, which was outstandingly good as there's not a whole lot of gorse there and have only seen one once on it...ever! I took it to be a good sign, although maybe some have decamped from their favoured westerly locales of recent times?

Al

 

[joannec]

Hopefully you will this month Joanne. I had four earlier this week on Stonehill, which was outstandingly good as there's not a whole lot of gorse there and have only seen one once on it...ever! I took it to be a good sign, although maybe some have decamped from their favoured westerly locales of recent times?

Al

Good news about the DWs Al.

Four eggs in the Sussex Heights peregrines nestbox now!:t::t:

 

[mr.sim]

Whereabouts at Ashdown Forest is the Little Bunting please? I've been there once before (as some of you on this forum will remember) but don't know it that well. I ask because we're visiting our grandparents at Lindfield (a few miles away) on Tuesday...here's hoping!

 

[Mark43]

Whereabouts at Ashdown Forest is the Little Bunting please? I've been there once before (as some of you on this forum will remember) but don't know it that well. I ask because we're visiting our grandparents at Lindfield (a few miles away) on Tuesday...here's hoping!

Hi Mr.Sim

From East Grinstead take the A22 towards Forest Row.
Keep going through Forest Row until you come to the crossroads at Wych Cross.
Take a left here and keep going until just before Colemans Hatch and there should be a right turn here with a pub on the RH side (i think)
Take the right turn and keep going up that road...it's quite a hill climb so if it's not you are on the wrong road.
At the top of the hill there should be Gill's Lap car park on your left.
Turn right at the junction (B2026) and the (very) small car park is on your right about half a mile along this road.

Good luck

Haven't had chance to go look myself yet but may try tomorrow.
Not sure why it hadn't been reported 3 days ago though although i suppose there is a story behind that.

 

[mr.sim]

Thanks very much for this info Mark43. Whereabouts has the bird been seen do you know?
Thanks
Sim

 

[Mark43]

Thanks very much for this info Mark43. Whereabouts has the bird been seen do you know?
Thanks
Sim

I can only repeat what has been on Bird Guides which is

100m in from the swing gate in an area of gorse.

If i can get in touch with the Ashdown Forest Bird Group later i will try and post some more info.....oh hang on i'm a member of that group .

Well they don't tell me anything......lol

 

[Mark43]

Ok some more news .

Very busy up there today with 100's of people and jam packed car parks.

From the car park head through the swing gate and go straight on following the main path.

Look for some holly trees either side as the path starts to slope down.
There sould be another path around here which branches left.
The bird was in this general area.
Not sure though if bird has been seen again this afternoon as no reports noted anywhere and some AFBG members who went up there gave up because of the amount of people.

A couple of woodlarks on site though.......not sure about any Redstarts yet though although there may be a few arrived.

 

[Mark43]

And further news courtesy of Bird Guides

"again briefly in the hedge at Old Lodge; from the northernmost car park go through the swing gate marked 'Old Lodge NR' and walk north for 300m to the firebeaters TQ469306"

 

[joannec]

Might see you there tomorrow Mark.

 

[Mark43]

Might see you there tomorrow Mark.

Indeed we are hoping for a 7am arrival:eek!:

 

[dbradnum]

For anyone looking for the Little Bunting in the next few days... based on this afternoon's visit, it's very, very difficult!

I only saw the bird very briefly in several hours on site, though heard it well a couple of times, and this is the most likely means of finding it - listen to some recordings before you go if not familiar. Both times when it flew, it was either going in or out of the area of bracken and gorse on the outside of the nature reserve boundary fence near the firebeaters - however, this area is dense cover, and the chances of seeing it here are pretty much zero unless it chooses to sit up on top. If it's feeding on the deck in there, you're in for a very long wait.

Beautiful area, though, somewhere I'd never been before. Singing Redstarts, Woodlark, Tree Pipits, Cuckoo and other commoner species, plus Redpolls and Crossbills in the pines, kept me more than entertained while bunting hunting.

Good luck!

 

[mr.sim]

Thanks for all the info Mark...very helpful. Hopefully I can persuade my parents to give me a lift down there, otherwise I'm stuck - only a few miles from the bird!

 

[joannec]

Just got back from a morning on Ashdown Forest. The Little Bunting :king: showed well twice for me in the area described by Mark above, about 8.00 low in a silver birch tree and again half an hour later feeding on the ground. It's a beautiful little thing, it's chestnut face and crown, fine white eyering and black head stripes. It hides a lot so patience is essential. I've just looked it up and as far as I can see this is only the 12th record for Little Bunting in Sussex. A great bird for Sussex!!:t:

Beautiful area, though, somewhere I'd never been before. Singing Redstarts, Woodlark, Tree Pipits, Cuckoo and other commoner species, plus Redpolls and Crossbills in the pines, kept me more than entertained while bunting hunting.

Good luck!

Glad you liked one of our Sussex spots David, this 'bunting hunting' can be fun!:t: We also had good views of about 14 crossbills, several redstarts and displaying and singing woodlarks, two cuckoos heard and a pair of redpoll over. Sadly no Dartford warblers today....I'm still worried about them.

Nice to see you too, Mark and Jackie.

 

[Mark43]

Just got back from a morning on Ashdown Forest. The Little Bunting :king: showed well twice for me in the area described by Mark above, about 8.00 low in a silver birch tree and again half an hour later feeding on the ground. It's a beautiful little thing, it's chestnut face and crown, fine white eyering and black head stripes. It hides a lot so patience is essential. I've just looked it up and as far as I can see this is only the 12th record for Little Bunting in Sussex. A great bird for Sussex!!:t:




Glad you liked one of our Sussex spots David, this 'bunting hunting' can be fun!:t: We also had good views of about 14 crossbills, several redstarts and displaying and singing woodlarks, two cuckoos heard and a pair of redpoll over. Sadly no Dartford warblers today....I'm still worried about them.

Nice to see you too, Mark and Jackie.

Thanks Joanne.

Indeed a lovely bird in great surroundings and as usual great company.

Had a male Cuckoo on our patch at Press Ridge Warren later in the morning.

 

[Stoggler]

Four eggs in the Sussex Heights peregrines nestbox now!:t::t:

I noticed that this morning when I got into the office - excellent!

Well my first proper outing birdwatching in well over a decade on Saturday was both enjoyable and (in my terms) fruitful. Visited Lancing Ring, and discovered that I have a lot to learn, but on the whole pleased with my results. Possible corn bunting on the Downs but not sure (only a quick glimpse), but otherwise blackcap, wheatear, green woodie, and the usual range of common birds (gold, chaff, and green finches, tits, thrushes). Heard more than my fair share of willow warblers but couldn't see any.

After reading so many times now that skylark numbers have taken a huge dive in numbers, it was lovely to go somewhere where it felt as though I was surrounded by so many of them. Saw a lovely display of (I assume) two male skylarks fighting in the air.

 

[Alan227]

Just got back from a morning on Ashdown Forest. The Little Bunting :king: showed well twice for me...in a silver birch tree and again half an hour later feeding on the ground.

Indeed a lovely bird in great surroundings...

Nice spots guys! Arrived there a couple of hours later (up late watching golf), but zippo by then of course. Serves me right!
It did show again by late afternoon apparently. Tried following morning... only early this time, but still nil. And yesterday too, also nil. Not all in vain, as the Crossbill party came by. Finally I get to see them! (insert 'arms held skyward' emoticon here).

Al

 

[Liam:]

Does anyone know anywhere in Sussex were waders (curlew, godwits e.t.c) hunt in fields? I know it is a bit of a strange request but I want to get some images of them with spring colours, thanks for any info!

Are there any still roosting in the North Fields, Pagham?

 

[mr.sim]

Thanks for the info on the Little Bunting. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to get to the bird, but had a morning walk in a wood near Haywards Heath where there were 4 Lesser Redpolls and 2 Marsh Tits.