30th December 2010 Castle Water & Pett

Visited Castle Water and sat in the hide for 1.5 hrs, before moving onto Pett Level, but we had only been there a short period before thick fog rolled in. Following were seen:

Bittern 3-4 (Castle Water)

Little Egret 2

Dark Bellied Brent Goose c25 (Pett)

Pale Bellied Brent Goose 7 (Pett)

Red Breasted Goose 1 ad.(Pett)

White Fronted Goose c150 (Pett)

Teal c500 (Castle Water)

Wigeon 3000+

Marsh Harrier 2 (Pett)

Peregrine 1 juv (Pett)

Water Rail 2 (Castle Water)

Ruff 5 (Castle Water)

Black Tailed Godwit 2

Green Sandpiper 1 (Pett)

Dunlin 200 (Pett)

Redwing 30

Large numbers of Lapwings, Teal & Wigeon present on Castle Water

Large numbers of Wigeon were seen at Castle Water

Water Rail on Castle Water

Wigeon on Castle Water

29th December, 2010 Lewes

Went to look at the Waxwings at Lewes in misty with drizzle. We had around 15 Waxwings and 15 Redwings but conditions made photography difficult.

Waxwings at Lewes.

27th December, Dungeness, Scotney & Pett Levels

Went to Dungeness, Scotney and Pett Level and saw the following:

Little Egret 1

White-fronted Goose 1 Galloways, c450 Scotney & c250 Pett

Pink-footed Goose 4 Scotney-Sussex end.

Barnacle Goose c200 Scotney & c150 Pett

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 1 Scotney-Sussex end

Dark Bellied Brent Goose 15

Red Breasted Goose 1 adult Pett

Wigeon c5000+ mainly Scotney

Pochard 100

Goldeneye 2

Ruddy Duck 5

Marsh Harrier 8

Rough-legged Buzzard 2 (1 juv Galloways, Dungeness, & 1 over east of Scotney, whilst Chris Ball was watching the Galloways bird)

Merlin 1 ARC Pit

Peregrine 2 attacking the Scotney Rough Legged Buzzard

Stock Dove 250

Redwings 40 Galloways

Linnet 30

Adult Pale Bellied Brent Goose at Scotney

Flock of Stock Doves at Scotney

Rough Legged Buzzard at Galloways, Dungeness

25th December, 2010. Burgess Hill

Stayed around Burgess Hill today and we had a Woodcock fly off from the bottom of Kingsway over Folders Way and disappeared into some large gardens. Also whilst enjoying our Christmas dinner a Hedgehog was feeding on our back lawn.

Hedgehog on our back lawn

Jay visiting our garden

2 Song Thrushes also visiting the garden.

24th December, 2010 Lewes, Beachy, Princes Park Lake

As we drove through Lewes 3 Waxwings flew across the road and landed in some trees and another 4 also flew over as we were leaving. We then visited Beachy Head and covered a number of sites on the Headland with the highlight being 2 Common Cranes which flew over Cornish Farm and then circled over Belle Tout before heading out SE. Only our second record of Common Cranes at Beachy since 1960.

We then moved onto Pevensey Levels stopping at Princes Park Lake where we had 1 red head Smew and 4 Scaup (2 immature drakes and 2 female types). We drove across Pevensey Levels but just a few Fieldfares were see. On the drive home, we again stopped off in Lewes, but plenty of berry bushes but no sign of the Waxwings.

2 Common Cranes over Beachy Head

Smew on Princes Park Pond, Eastbourne

Scaup on Princes Park Pond, Eastbourne

12th December 2010 Amberley Wildbrooks

Barnacle Goose 2

White-tailed Sea-Eagle 1 ex.

Hen Harrier 1 ringtail ex.

Common Buzzard 5

Merlin 1

Kestrel 1

Waxwing 20

Fieldfare 25

Yellowhammer 1

Brambling 1

Waxwings at Amberley.

White-tailed Eagle at Amberley Wildbrooks

Ringtail Hen Harrier at Amberely Wildbrooks

11th December,Toot Rock, Castle Water & Amberley Wildbrooks

First visited Toot Rock at Pett, we then spent a couple of hours in the Castle Water hide. After a phone call, we dashed over to Amberley Wildbrooks for the White Tailed Eagle:

Little Egret 1
Little Owl 1 on the journey to Pett.

Waxwing 24 at Toot Rock

Tree Creeper 1 at Toot Rock seen by Doreen.

Bittern 1 (DC had a 2nd bird) at Castle Water

Water Rail heard

Redwings 50

Firecrest 1 by the Castle Water hide

Waxwing 30 at Winchelsea before flying off North.

Merlin 1 near Hastings

White-tailed Sea-Eagle at Amberley.

Bittern at Castle Water.

Waxwings at Toot Rock, Pett.

Firecrest at Castle Water.

Drake Gadwall at Castle Water.