Day 1 - Fri 25 Mar 2011
We began the weekend at RSPB Pulborough Brooks, meeting there at 10.30am. After coffee at the Visitor Centre (where nuthatch were seen on the bird table), we began with a walk around the woodland in search of the lesser-spotted woodpecker that had already been noted that morning. Sadly no sight (or sound) of it, though lesser redpoll were seen well and a marsh tit was located by its song.
A leisurely walk around the rest of the reserve produced a good list of birds including many singing chiffchaffs along with brimstone and peacock butterflies. Waders seen from the00 hides included lapwing, little egret, snipe and a green sandpiper which put in a brief flying display before disappearing from view behind a grassy tussock. Bullfinch were heard in the hedgerows but only one was seen briefly. The day’s total was 53 species.
The drive to the River Haven Hotel in Rye took longer than expected due to delays through Bexhill and Hastings (not a good choice of route by my TomTom). In the evening we walked the short distance to Baileys of Rye, where we had an excellent dinner.
Day 2 - Sat 26 Mar 2011
After breakfast a drive of less than two miles to Rye Harbour for today’s birding. I was told that I the ostriches seen en-route could not be included on the list!
The walk from the car park to the Point was quite productive. Ringed plover, avocet, oystercatcher, golden plover and dunlin were present on the small lakes to our right. Meadow pipit and skylark were also seen and heard. From the Point a distant flock of Sandwich terns could be seen on the beach, and a skein of Brent geese flew over heading east. Other birds of note seen on the beach were turnstone, sanderling, grey plover and knot.
The Ternery Pool was busy with gulls. Mainly black-headed, but there were a couple of dozen Mediterranean gulls in their full breeding plumage. We all agreed that these were rather splendid gulls with their truly black heads and blood red bill and legs. There were a few Sandwich terns amongst the Med gulls. PM reported seeing a wheatear here, but it eluded the rest of us.
Our walk continued past the Watch House, around the western end of the Long Pit lake and past Camber Castle. Cetti’s warblers were heard (but not seen of course) and linnets and a reed bunting perched up on the gorse bushes. Despite careful searching no stonechats were found. Near Camber Castle several pied wagtails were foraging on the grass. Amongst them were a few of the continental race white wagtails.
From the hide at Castle Water we were surprised to find a female ruddy duck as there are supposedly not many left. As we continued around the north of Castle Water green woodpecker and marsh harrier were added to our day’s list (total 64 for the day).
Black-headed gull in Rye
Day 3 – sun 27 mar 2011
There was quite a lot of rain overnight and it was still raining as we began breakfast. Thankfully, as we prepared to leave for RSPB Dungeness the rain had stopped and the sky was beginning to clear. By the time we arrived at the reserve it was sunny, but windy.
We learned in the Visitor Centre that during the past week a booming bittern had been heard, a firecrest was present near Christmas Dell hide and a penduline tit had been seen from the Hanson-ARC hide. So, suitably enthused, we set off around the reserve.
VWH Local Group members at Dungeness
A marsh harrier was seen in the distance and a Cetti’s warbler burst into song close to the Visitor Centre. We slowly worked our way around the various hides and although many species were seen, no new ones for the weekend. We spent sometime in the area around Christmas Dell hide looking for the firecrest, but sadly without luck. A large flock of starlings occasionally wheeled around or perched up on wires.
Several Cetti’s warblers were heard and our patience eventually paid off when we managed to get some sightings of one as it flitted between the bushes. At Denge Marsh hide we at last found our first stonechat for the weekend (a pair in fact that appeared to be in the process of nest construction). The skills of a hovering kestrel were admired through a ‘scope. Quite amazing how it keeps its head totally motionless in the air whilst beating its wings furiously to maintain station.
After lunch in the Visitor Centre hide a few of us went back to Christmas Dell in search of the firecrest. After half an hour our patience ran out so we returned to the cars and drove across to the Hanson ARC site. Goldeneye and pochard were seen from the hide, but sadly no sign of the reported Slavonian grebe or penduline tit.
Finally we drove the short distance to the Old Lighthouse at Dungeness, where the best birding of the trip was to be had. We had been looking out for wheatear all weekend and were delighted to find several here on the gorse bushes between the Old Lighthouse and the power station. A smart male posed atop a short concrete post giving us fine views. Several black redstart mingling with the wheatears gave splendid views as well. Either of these two species could probably have been claimed as the star bird of the weekend if it was not for what was just a few yards away – a male and female serin feeding on the ground amongst some linnets. Click here to see a photo of these birds posted on Bird Guides.
Before heading home David, Steve, Tim and I headed for the beach for a bit of sea-watching. The view out to sea was restricted by mist, but we did see porpoise moving along the coast fairly close to the shore.
A huge thank you to Steve and everyone else who arranged this trip, it was a splendid weekend.
The Bird List | |
| Mute Swan | Greylag Goose |
| Canada Goose | Brent Goose |
| Shelduck | Wigeon |
| Gadwall | Teal |
| Mallard | Pintail |
| Shoveler | Pochard |
| Tufted Duck | Goldeneye |
| Ruddy Duck | Little Grebe |
| Great Crested Grebe | Cormorant |
| Little Egret | Grey Heron |
| Marsh Harrier | Sparrowhawk |
| Buzzard | Kestrel |
| Moorhen | Coot |
| Oystercatcher | Avocet |
| Ringed Plover | Golden Plover |
| Grey Plover | Lapwing |
| Knot | Sanderling |
| Dunlin | Snipe |
| Green Sandpiper | Redshank |
| Turnstone | Black-headed Gull |
| Mediterranean Gull | Great Black-backed Gull |
| Common Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull |
| Herring Gull | Sandwich Tern |
| Feral Pigeon | Woodpigeon |
| Collared Dove | Green Woodpecker |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | Skylark |
| Meadow Pipit | Pied Wagtail |
| White Wagtail | Wren |
| Dunnock | Robin |
| Black Redstart | Stonechat |
| Wheatear | Blackbird |
| Fieldfare | Song Thrush |
| Cetti’s Warbler | Blackcap (h) |
| Chiffchaff | Goldcrest (h) |
| Long-tailed Tit | Blue Tit |
| Great Tit | Marsh Tit |
| Nuthatch | Treecreeper |
| Magpie | Jackdaw |
| Rook | Carrion Crow |
| Starling | House Sparrow |
| Chaffinch | Serin |
| Greenfinch | Goldfinch |
| Linnet | Lesser Redpoll |
| Bullfinch | Reed Bunting |
| Total 88 |
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