Ouse Valley, Tuesday

A good selection of birds between Southease and Lewes a couple of days ago (reported by Jeremy Patterson, via SOS sightings):
Cetti’s Warbler and Chiffchaff heard at Southease. Passerine flock still evident at Rodmell with good numbers of Corn and Reed Buntings and Sky Larks. Male and female Merlin there with up to 4 Common Buzzards, [...]

Male Hen Harrier, Ouse Valley

An adult male Hen Harrier reported yesterday between Southease and Lewes (Andy Wright and Jon Devito, via SOS sightings). Is this the same bird seen on and off throughout the winter (including up at Bo Peep in the autumn)? Also 70 Corn Buntings noted.
Floods early this week around the train track at Glynde disappeared [...]

Egyptian Goose etc

A walk along the river from South Heighton up past Piddinghoe this afternoon proved quite interesting.
Fourteen Greylag & two Canada Geese in field alongside Piddinghoe Pond were the first Geese I`ve seen in the valley this year,a drake Shoveler on the pond itself, a pair of Wigeon flushed from a section of the old river [...]

Still Plenty at Rodmell

Lots of the good stuff still at Rodmell this afternoon, in a biting easterly.
First up, a Buzzard, a Mistle Thrush and a few Fieldfares around the car park at Monk’s House, then a pair of Peregrines chasing down (but failing to catch) an unidentified wader – the female bird was later seen making off [...]

Newhaven – Piddinghoe 14th Jan

A Common Sandpiper on the riverbank at Piddinghoe, Eight Corn Buntings on bushes nearby and a Grey Wagtail prospecting around a puddle on the lower path. High up on a pylon over towards Tarring Neville a pair of Ravens enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

Rodmell Brooks

I found this Buzzard sat out in a field and then perched in adjacent tree near Southease as I headed along the C7 towards Rodmell.
Two Water Rail and a Kingfisher seen in the brook alongside the path, a Buzzard was perched on a bush top looking back towards the village a Sparrowhawk on a fence [...]

Rodmell Brooks

3.pm. – 4p.m. A quiet overcast afternoon, very atmospheric, was lightened by the ever expanding flock of buntings around the stubble fields. Over 120 Corn Buntings in a mixed flock of 200+ birds,that were constantly being disturbed by a Kestrel and female  Merlin (the first I have seen of this bird for over a week). [...]

Rodmell Brooks

Late afternoon over a very cold and dreary brooks – 1 Common Buzzard sitting as usual on the telegraph poles leading northwest,60+ Corn Bunting,Yellow  Hammer,Reed Bunting,Linnet,Redwing and Stonechat around the stubble field and the male Merlin moving over the area northof the path.

Rodmell Brooks

Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. :- plenty of Corn Bunting, Redwing, Meadow Pipits and Yellow hammer around the stubble field and in the hawthorns on the north side of the path to the river.Also around Stonechat, Common Buzzard, Little Egret, Fieldfare and a not very showy ringtailed Hen Harrier a couple of hundred metres north [...]

Newhaven and Lewes Brooks 14.10.08

Bit of a quiet spell in Sussex of late, but some good local fare seen by Joanne Chattaway, Sue Phillips & Alan Nottage on Tuesday:
ighlights at West Beach, Newhaven were 6 Rock Pipits and a Raven.
Lewes Brooks highlights were about 10 Corn Buntings, 100+ Goldfinches, 100+ Linnets, 1 Snipe, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, a Kingfisher [...]