A Weekend in Sussex

This weekend was spent at my parents. My bird watching on Saturday was focused on Weirwood Reservoir followed by a circuit of Old Lodge. On Sunday I visited a new Ashdown Forest site - the Old Airstrip near Chelwood Gate. I  added two year ticks. However, a review of my list revealed, I'd missed counting a couple species earlier in the year, so my revised year total is now 157 species.

Weirwood Reservoir (20 species, 156 for year)

This was always going to be a short stop of half an hour or so to pick up an easy year - and so it proved. The water levels have fallen and started to reveal some mud at the back of the reservoir, where I soon picked up three green sandpipers. There were also impressive numbers of great crested grebe (easily 100+) and a number of female mandarin ducks lurked in the margins. A garden warbler sang in one of the car park trees and two treecreepers gave good views. There were several common terns and black headed gull numbers seemed to building.

Old Lodge / Old Airstrip (26 species - 157 for year)

From Weirwood, I headed up to Old Lodge for a circuit. it was a warm sunny day, and the birds were generally fairly elusive. Over the horse paddocks a large number of juvenile swallows were flying. A hovering buzzard quickened the pulse slightly, as it reminded me that it was one year ago exactly that we were graced by the short toed eagle just up the road at Gills Lap. in the valley, a whitethroat was calling and a healthy looking fox trotted up the path ahead of me. As I headed around the back of the reserve, I found a female redstart and a lone tree pipit was on the telegraph wires just before I headed up the hill back to the car park. From the top of the hill, I had two common buzzards overhead with at least another six in the distance.

With rain forecast, I decided to try a different part of the forest for a change and paid a visit to the Old Airstrip near Chelwood Gate. This was last year's Short Toed Eagle's other feeding area, It was fairly windy and rain wasn't far away, but the area looks to have good potential for birding and merits a return visit. Linnets were perhaps the commonest bird. A lone skylark sang over the heat and I soon came across a pair of stonechats. The bird of the morning, however, was a couple of flyover common crossbills calling loudly. Heading back to the car park, a song thrush sang loudly and several greenfinches were also calling - perhaps surprisingly not a bird I see that often on the forest.

A Year Tick

Little to add recently, but I did manage a year tick earlier this week in a most unlikely location - Baker Street Station. A grey wagtail has been keeping me entertained, whilst I wait on Platform 3 by calling from nearby rooftops. I have seen them here before and wonder if they might have a nest in the vicinity.