Pannel Valley NR

When I mentioned the Shoveler brood I'd seen at Pannel Valley the other day to Ingrid, she was really eager for us to pay a visit so that she could see babies of her joint-favourite bird. So in the late afternoon and early evening we dropped in to this wonderful little reserve. We quickly found not one Shoveler brood but three: females with 10, five and four young. The drake Garganey was showing a little better this time and I was pleased to pick out a female at the back of the scrape. Little Ringed Plovers, Avocets and Mediterranean Gulls were also busy on the scrape and there were several broods of Gadwall, a group of six Teal and a couple of Pochards. One Cuckoo flew close past us and another sang from one perch for some time. Cetti's, Sedge and Reed Warblers made themselves known and a pair of Marsh Harriers appeared overhead.

male Cuckoo

female Garganey

drake Garganey

Shoveler brood

Pett Level, Pannel Valley NR and The Downs

For Christian's birthday we met up at Pett Level, where a male Cuckoo, a couple of Bearded Tits and a pair of Marsh Harriers immediately performed as we got out of our cars. Broods of Pochard and Tufted Duck were on the pool, a couple of Egyptian Geese were around the edges, and both Common and Sandwich Terns gave vocal fly-bys. As we walked along the canal, two Hobbies gave spectacular views as they hawked for dragonflies and Cetti's, Sedge and Reed Warblers were prominent voices, as were the comical cries of the occasional Mediterranean Gull overhead.

The Pannel Valley scrape was alive with birds, mainly Avocets, Black-headed Gulls with chicks, one or two Oystercatcher families and at least three Little Ringed Plovers (including a mating pair). A male Marsh Harrier flew through here, too, as did additional Mediterranean Gulls, and more Cetti's Warblers were vocal. Eventually, a drake Garganey came out of hiding on the far side, and other duck interest included Shoveler and Gadwall broods. An Egyptian Goose was present alongside a few Shelducks. Another Cuckoo was heard singing before a Green Sandpiper announced itself flying over the path, the first sign of autumn.

drake Garganey at Pannel Valley

Common Tern at Pannel Valley

Shovelers at Pannel Valley

We finished with lunch back on the edge of Pett Level, adding Lesser Whitethroat to the day's list. It was a pleasure to spend the day with Christian, venturing into East Sussex for the first time in some while and on such a fine morning.

The evening was spent walking the downs above Sompting, where the Shelduck brood still seemed to be complete on the dew pond, a Corn Bunting sang and a gang of five Brown Hares stood in a bare field.

Hastings Country Park, Pett, Pannel Valley NR and Dungeness RSPB

Highlights at Hastings Country Park with Christian included a Grasshopper Warbler, a female Redstart, four Lesser Whitethroats, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat, a Wheatear, three Tree Pipits, three Yellow Wagtails, two Grey Wagtails, 100 Meadow Pipits, a Bullfinch, three Yellowhammers, seven Stonechats, a Nuthatch, eight Whitethroats, 40 Blackcaps, 30 Chiffchaffs and good numbers of hirundines, including 14 Sand Martins. Sandwich Tern and Gannet were offshore and raptors included eight Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk.

We stopped at the quirky Tic Tocery cafe in Pett where House Martins were still attending active nests, and a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel battled for airspace.

Pannel Valley NR was depressing, with the scrape dry, but we did note two Bearded Tits, a Marsh Harrier, a Raven, a couple of Sparrowhawks, a Sand Martin among further hirundines moving, 95 Lapwings, a Cetti's Warbler, two Shelducks, two Whitethroats, a Grey Wagtail, three Meadow Pipits, a Wheatear, three Nuthatches and a Reed Bunting.

Dungeness RSPB offered a fine end to the day. The ARC Pit offered four Garganey, two juvenile Black Terns, an adult Little Gull, a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, two Snipe, four Dunlin, four Ruff, three Black-tailed Godwits, 160 Golden Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, three Pintail, a Sedge Warbler, etc. Burrowes Pit provided a Black-necked Grebe, two 1cy Caspian Gulls, two Yellow-legged Gulls (2cy and 1cy) and a further Great White Egret. Three Cetti's Warblers were heard. The entrance track had three Whinchats and two Wheatears for our way out.

Whinchats at Dungeness RSPB

Cattle Egret at Dungeness RSPB

Golden Plovers at Dungeness RSPB

Great White Egret at Dungeness RSPB

1cy Caspian Gull at Dungeness RSPB

Pett Level, Pannel Valley NR and Adur Estuary

I eventually made it over to East Sussex this morning after battling through the usual traffic. An initial scan over Pett Level revealed a family of Marsh Harriers, three Whimbrel keeping just out of a flock of 53 Curlew and a couple of Common Terns. But best of all was a Common Sandpiper. My first of the year no less - I'm not quite sure how I managed not to see one for so long. Most of the Aythya ducks were hanging out on the eastern pool, so I spent a good while scanning through the ensemble, made up of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Teal and Gadwall, all in alternate plumage. One more scan, however, and almost to my surprise there was the reported FERRUGINOUS DUCK in all its glory. It was distant, and was mostly sleeping, but it was a fine, pure drake. As I moved on, nine Sand Martins and a couple of Swifts flew through.

drake Ferruginous Duck at Pett Level

Feeling somewhat elevated, I set out along the canal at the west end towards the enigmatic Pannel Valley Nature Reserve, encountering a Lesser Whitethroat and a handful of Sedge and Reed Warblers along the way, plus a flyover Raven. It is years since my last visit here, due as much to an - I suppose - unfounded sense that visitors are not particularly welcome, as the testing journey. I entered the first hide and quickly picked up the beautiful adult Curlew Sandpiper feeding opposite, as well as three Little Ringed Plovers (including a juvenile). Another birder joined me briefly before trying the other hide. After a few minutes, I followed him over and he gave me the inevitable news that the Pectoral Sandpiper had just shown for him before flying back towards the hide I'd just left. Without wanting to start to merry dance to and fro, I opted to stay put, enjoying establishing the presence of three Greenshanks and eight Black-tailed Godwits. Thankfully, soon the Pec appeared in flight and touched down for a few seconds to our left before settling on the far side, where it was dwarfed by a moulting male Ruff.

Lesser Whitethroat at Pett Level

Curlew Sandpiper at Pannel Valley NR

Pectoral Sandpiper at Pannel Valley NR

After walking back and taking a few minutes for lunch, I called back at Pett Pools for another look at the 'Fudge'. It was nowhere to be seen, and was presumably still in the reeds at the back, where it had drifted when I left it earlier. After hearing several earlier in the day (and at Rye in the early spring), though, I was glad to finally lay eyes on a male Bearded Tit as it flew over the vegetation. Two Common Gulls, an adult and a 2cy, were my first of the season, and six Sandwich Terns flew over.

On the way home, to break the monotony of the rush hour traffic I pulled off to have a quick scan of the Adur. I barely added to what I'd seen from the A27, with three Little Egrets and a count of 12 Mute Swans the most noteworthy sightings.