Lyminster, Goring Gap and Worthing

Typically last-minute for me, I completed my first of the season's two Sussex Winter Bird Survey visits to my square at Broomhurst Farm, Lyminster. The Lapwing flock wasn't as big as normal but still numbered 75 birds, while a Water Rail, two Cetti's Warblers, three Little Egrets, four Red Kites, two Stonechats, six Reed Buntings, a Treecreeper and a Mistle Thrush were among some of the other birds noted.

A quick stop at Goring Gap at lunchtime was disappointing for gulls again, with just two adult Mediterranean Gulls for me, along with a small handful of roosting Ringed Plover and Dunlin.

The most memorable moment of the day by far came when I got home to find a Song Thrush in the house. After quickly fitting it with a ring, it went on its way quite happily.

Lyminster and Knepp Wildlands

I just managed to fit in my late BBS visit to the Lyminster square. Being so gusty, the conditions were far from ideal; birds included two Reed Buntings, 15 Swifts overhead, two House Martins, a Sparrowhawk and a Grey Heron.

As a birthday treat, in the afternoon I went to Knepp Wildlands with Ingrid, where we heard a Turtle Dove purring and caught a glimpse of another in flight. A Great Crested Grebe was accompanied by two young. Among the other birds noted were three Bullfinches, four Treecreepers, a Reed Bunting, a Lesser Whitethroat, a House Martin, two Reed Warblers, two Buzzards, a Grey Heron and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. A newly fledged Blackcap was begging by the side of one of the paths.

Great Crested Grebes at Knepp Wildlands

fledgling Blackcap at Knepp Wildlands

Lyminster and West Worthing

My visit this morning featured two adult Mediterranean Gulls calling overhead, a Cetti's Warbler, three Reed Buntings, a Little Grebe, six Redwings, a female Stonechat, 108 Lapwings, and a few Wigeon still on the fishing ponds.

At 9.50pm I heard an Oystercatcher flying over West Worthing.

Lyminster, Patching and Goring Gap

A healthy 53 species during my Sussex Winter Bird Survey in Lyminster included a Green Sandpiper which briefly alighted on a muddy farm puddle (!), a Marsh Harrier, a Chiffchaff, 418 Lapwings, a Golden Plover, an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Grey Wagtail, 55 Redwings, two Reed Buntings, four Cetti's Warblers and 16 Collared Doves. Sadly, the field frequented by the Cattle Egrets last winter has been sown as a crop and the livestock removed.

I thought I'd check out the treatment works at Patching. Parking by the pond, I crossed the road to the underpass opposite The World's End pub. At the metal gate I encountered two Firecrests, followed by an immediately striking Treecreeper. The bird appeared noticeably frosty, with clean white underparts and white shaft streaks on the mantle. The supercillium was clear white and very flared behind the eye. As (minor) supportive features, photographs showed the front claws to be pure whitish and the bill to look relatively short. It seems to fit the nominate race familiaris and this is certainly the first of the many hundreds of Treecreepers that I have which has caught my eye in this way. The warmer rump contrasted with the rest of the upperparts, while the general colour of the back/mantle and head was rather uniform. After losing sight of it, I crossed the road to the treatment works, where there were two Chiffchaffs (one in song), a Bullfinch and a britannica Treecreeper for handy immediate comparison!

apparent 'Northern Treecreeper' (form familiaris) at Patching

Pied Wagtail at Patching

Calling in at Goring Gap for a short time in the early afternoon, I bumped into Stephen Simpson. A 1cy Yellow-legged Gull made a nice change, though there were no Casps again and I fear the cach streak is well and truly over. There were also three Mediterranean Gulls and upwards of 400 Common Gulls.

1cy Yellow-legged Gull at Goring Gap

Lyminster, Long Furlong and Cuckmere Haven

My late BBS visit to Lyminster featured a pair of Mute Swans with four cygnets, a Little Egret, two Buzzards, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, three Swifts, a Green Woodpecker, two Kestrels, three Skylarks, six Swallows, a Pied Wagtail, a Reed Warbler and a Reed Bunting.

While driving Long Furlong, I clocked a Red Kite.

Walking with Ingrid at Cuckmere Haven in the afternoon we had eight Oystercatchers including two youngsters, an Egyptian Goose, five Shelducks, three Grey Herons, six Little Egrets, a Redshank, a Kestrel, eight Skylarks, two Swallows, a Lesser Whitethroat and four Meadow Pipits.

Oystercatcher with two young at Cuckmere Haven

Lyminster and West Worthing

My BBS visit to Lyminster produced three Egyptian Geese, a Cuckoo, two Swifts, 16 Lapwings, a Cetti's Warbler, two Sedge Warblers, three Reed Warblers and a Reed Bunting, among others.

The first four Swifts of the year were back over the garden this morning.

Lyminster and West Worthing

A walk along my transects in Lyminster produced a Little Owl, two summer-plumaged Golden Plovers, 26 Lapwings, two Meadow Pipits, two Shelducks, two Little Egrets and singles of Cetti's Warbler, Reed Bunting, Treecreeper, Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, etc.

At home in West Worthing, a Chiffchaff was in the garden and a Meadow Pipit flew over.

Lyminster

A survey visit produced three Cattle Egrets, three Little Egrets, an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Marsh Harrier, a Red Kite, a Sparrowhawk, two Redwings, a Skylark, a Cetti's Warbler, a Meadow Pipit, a Reed Bunting, eight Wigeon, a Little Grebe, two Egyptian Geese, a Kestrel, a Siskin, 60 Linnets and 600 Starlings.

Lyminster, Pease Pottage and Abinger Hammer

My second English Winter Bird Survey visit to my Lyminster square was so enjoyable. It was a fine winter's morning and I recorded 47 species. When I got to the muddy cattle field at Broomhurst Farm, I was pleased to see the Cattle Egret was still there with a Little Egret but moving slightly further north, I was surprised to find an additional seven Cattle Egrets feeding in a meadow! At one point all eight birds joined up. It is tempting to speculate that these may be some of the birds that were based a Sidlesham earlier in the month. A roosting Little Owl, two Marsh Harriers and two Stonechats were new sightings for the square for me, and other notables included two Treecreepers, a Reed Bunting, two Meadow Pipits, 70 Redwings, a Mistle Thrush, three Skylarks, 50 Wigeon and two Red-legged Partridges.

Cattle Egrets at Lyminster

Little Owl at Lyminster

Marsh Harriers at Lyminster

I squeezed in a couple of hours in the Cowdray Forest at Pease Pottage on the way up to Sutton for a brief visit to the family. A singing Crossbill was very audible in a stand of conifers but couldn't be seen and the odd redpoll and Siskin was glimpsed, but I couldn't locate any sizeable flock like during my last visit. A Bullfinch, 10 Redwings, 20 Fieldfares, two Mistle Thrushes, a Treecreeper, two Nuthatches and three Marsh Tits were among the other birds logged.

For something entirely different, I caught up with Josh Burch for a bit of river dipping in Abinger Hammer for the last hour of light. We fished out some interesting stuff for a quick look, including a River Lamprey, two Bullheads, a Three-spined Stickleback and a juvenile Rainbow Trout. Two Grey Wagtails, a Nuthatch, a Coal Tit and a fly-over Mute Swan were logged while we caught our feet wet.

Lyminster

During my first English Winter Bird Survey visit this morning, at my BBS square on the north side of Lyminster, I recorded a reasonable 48 species. In a familiar scenario, two egrets in a muddy field with cattle turned out to be Little Egrets. Then a third bird came into view, and yes, this time it was a Cattle Egret! I'd imagine this is the same bird someone saw from a train on the adjacent line a few weeks ago. Other highlights during the visit included a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, 229 Lapwings, a 2CY Mediterranean Gull, 10 Wigeon, 110 Redwings, a Grey Wagtail, three Meadow Pipits, two Reed Buntings, a Yellowhammer and a Buzzard.

Cattle Egret

Lyminster

Just about squeezing in my late BBS visit before the deadline, I patrolled my transects across breezy Lyminster this morning. I noted far fewer species than during my May visit, the most notable being Cetti's Warbler, Grey Heron, Reed Warbler and Buzzard.

Lyminster, Goring and Ferring Rife

I paid my inaugural visit to my randomly allocated BBS square this morning, just in the nick of time to complete the first of the two required visits. Covering pastoral land just north of Lyminster, the site was a delight, the first birds heard as I got out of the car being a pair of Cuckoos - the bubbling call of females is something I hear so rarely! A Cetti's Warbler, a couple of Reed Warblers and a Reed Bunting were also in voice, while nine Lapwings were a hopeful sight and other highlights included singles of Little Egret, Shelduck, Willow Warbler and Treecreeper, plus two Swifts and six Swallows.

It was then onto the patch, starting with a quick circuit of Goring Gap. The best bits there were a/the female Whinchat in the northwest corner, my first British Sand Martin of the year (!), a Peregrine, a Willow Warbler, a House Martin, five Sanderlings, 13 Turnstones, four Oystercatchers, seven Swallows, a Moorhen, a Whitethroat and a Black-headed Gull. A walk of Ferring Rife revealed five House Martins, six Swallows, a Little Egret, two Grey Herons, a Red Kite, two Buzzards, a Kestrel, two Swifts, five Whitethroats, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, six Mallards, two Moorhens and a Jackdaw.