We visited Rye Harbour and Icklesham today for a change of scenery. All the usual breeding birds seen at Rye Harbour with the Avocets having a good number of chicks and what appears to be a very successful breeding season for Black-headed Gulls with many good size young being seen. Not to many Common or Sandwich Terns breeding and we had a distinct feeling that the Mediterranean Gulls were just loafing and didn't appear to be breeding. Also only 1 male Wheatear seen, about 10 Little Terns, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Grey Plover and a handful of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers. Cuckoo was calling near the car park.
Icklesham was more active with plenty of Reed and Sedge Warblers singing, also 1 Cetti's, a fly-by male Cuckoo, several pairs of Avocets with young, 10+ Mediterranean Gulls of which several appeared to be sitting on nests, two broods of Shovelers, 8 Gadwall and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.
Adult Little Ringed Plover at Icklesham
Drake Shoveler - two broods were seen at Icklesham
Adult Mediterranean Gull at Icklesham
