This morning I parked up at the Gills Lap car park in the Ashdown Forest and set out to find the wintering 'butcherbird' which I'd had wonderful views of with Dick Filby back in November. As before, I pointed the scope in the direction of the bird's favoured area and scanned repeatedly till, after about 45 minutes, I picked up the
Great Grey Shrike over half a mile away. Bingo! Happily, an interested dog-walker and a birder passed while I had it in view and managed a look through my scope. Walking round to nearer where the bird was hunting failed to produce any further views. A couple of
Dartford Warblers and
Bullfinches, 16
Crossbills, a
Lesser Redpoll, nine
Reed Buntings, two
Stonechats and a
Fieldfare were among the other birds logged. A quick look around the corner at Old Lodge produced another
Lesser Redpoll, a
Siskin and seven more
Crossbills but little else.
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| Great Grey Shrike at Wren's Warren |
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| Crossbill near Gill's Lap car park |
I got to The Burgh for late afternoon, where for the first time I ventured beyond 'The Triangle' and actually walked around the site, all the way to the dew pond, where I enjoyed upgraded views of a juvenile
Hen Harrier and a
Short-eared Owl. 150
Lapwings were joined by a
Golden Plover in the bare fields, a
Yellowhammer and three
Reed Buntings called and other stuff included four of both
Red Kite and
Buzzard, two
Kestrels and six
Meadow Pipits. As dusk fell, the cacophony of
Grey Partridges and
Ravens made for a most evocative soundscape.
