Spoonbill at Cuckmere Haven

A Spoonbill seen this morning in the lower Cuckmere Valley, still present at 9.25 (Bob Self, Matt Eade and Richard Fairbanks, via SOS sightings)

Red-throated Diver at Arlington

A Red-throated Diver showing at Arlington Reservoir today (Alan Kitson and Miou Helps, SOS site).
Also, a few reports belatedly reproduced here: On New Year’s Eve, nine Waxwings were at Exceat (Karen Anne Cooper, via SOS) and a Little Gull at Cuckmere Haven on New Year’s Day (Joanne Chattaway, also SOS).
Yesterday, the Bearded Tits were seen [...]

sightings 06/12/08

Great northern Diver still present this morning on the scrape in the lower Cuckmere valley.
Large numbers of both Fieldfare and Redwing in the Southease station area this afternoon feeding on the abundant hawthorn berries available,both a male and female Sparrowhawk seen here too obviously looking to feast on a thrush supper. A Common Sandpiper near [...]

Round-up

A few long-staying birds:
Four Bearded Tits remain on show at the Ouse Estuary Project.
The Great Northern Diver was reported again on Friday, on the scrape at Cuckmere Haven.
The Firecrest was seen again at Rodmell.
Also some good seabirds seen from Seaford on Friday by Bob Self:
“After a few utterly futile attempts to find anything on the [...]

sighting 30/11/08 posted by Les Bird

A Great Northern Diver present this morning on the scrape in the lower cuckmere valley.

Whooper Swans, Arlington Reservoir 16.11.08

Four Whooper Swans reported east over Arlington Reservoir, at 15.00 on Sunday (John Gallop, via SOS sightings).
This is an excellent local record, of a species recorded in very small numbers in Sussex. Is this the first in the area since one at Cuckmere Haven in January 2003? Previous to that, a single (feral?) bird was [...]

Mid-week SOS walk, Cuckmere Haven 11.11.08

Sixteen people joined me on the best morning for weather we have had for a bit, although there still was some strength in the south-westerly wind to say the least. This would keep most birds heads down for the whole morning but it was not quite as bad as I had expected 24 hours earlier.
It [...]

Hawfinch at Exceat, 9 Nov

A Hawfinch was a nice surprise for Alan Kitson at Exceat on Sunday (via SOS sightings).
There are no reliable local spots for this species, as far as I’m aware, and generally the only records are of odd ones passing through, usually on the coast. It would be great to have a wintering party – somewhere [...]

Something for the weekend?

Conditions look good again for the weekend coming.
The Grey Phalarope at Cuckmere Haven was reported to have been seen again yesterday (Mike Stanbridge, per SOS sightings).