Spent the entire morning at hospital so needless to say keeping up with past performances for rare birds to turn up in Sussex, when I am at the hospital.
KH, RKH and RES covered the toilet block bushes, Old Trapping Area, Shooters Bottom and Belle Tout wood, while RE was again ringing in Whitbread Hollow. Very good fall of Chiffchaffs, 8 Ring Ouzels but the highlight was a Richards Pipit which flew over the Old Trapping Area calling loudly, it did not appear to land. This is the third sighting this Autumn
Mute Swan 1 flew over Headland.
Sparrowhawk 1 Headland
Kestrel 1 Hollow.
Green Woodpecker 1Hollow
Great-spotted Woodpecker 2 Headland
Richards Pipit 1 flyover the Old Trapping Area (KH, RKH, RES)
Wheatear 2 Headland
Ring Ouzel 8 (6 Old Trapping Area and 2 Shooters Bottom)
Song Thrush 4 (3 Headland and 1 continental trapped in the Hollow)
Blackcap 30 Hollow
Chiffchaff 290 (250 Hollow and 40 Headland)
Goldcrest 2 Headland
Jay 2 Hollow
Corn Bunting 6 Headland
Red Admiral 8 (6 Headland and 2 Hollow)
We had just arrived back from my hospital appointment when our phone went off. DC was phoning to advise us of an Arctic Warbler had been seen at Harrys Bush, in the Cuckmere. It had been reported about an hour earlier, so Doreen and myself quickly departed. On arrival at Harry's Bush quite a number of birders were present and there had been no sighting for around 2 hours. Up to 40 to 50 Chiffchaffs were active and some of these also flew out of the wood heading south. An hours wait and the Arctic Warbler showed fairly high in the trees and it was slowly moving through. Views were generally poorish although at one stage it moved out into the open and showed well although fairly brief. If accepted it will be the first for Sussex. It stayed for several days and proved to be a Willow Warbler probably of a northern race.
