Black-necked Grebe still at Scotney Court Gravel Pit at the Sussex end close to the road. A Long-eared Owl at the usual roost at the Narrow Pit, Rye Harbour. An imm male Scaup, ca. 15 Velvet Scoter and 3 Eider on the sea from the sea wall opposite Pett Pools. Two adult White-fronted Geese on Pett Level with Greylag and Canada Geese.
(Paul James) www.sos.org.uk
A frozen, foggy, glaucous world, pale fields patched green where sleeping ewes had thawed them. Grey silence webbed with Robin and Thrush song and the call of a winter Chiffchaff hidden in ivy.
Frosty, slippery plank-bridges best avoided, I re-routed via the Toot Rock terrafirma, arriving at the same time as noisy incoming Jackdaws, silent departing Common Gulls and the driver of the EA dredger.
The canal’s low water levels and banks of freshly-scooped silt attract crowds of Teal, echoing Redshank, a lone Kingfisher, hunched Herons and miserable-looking Egrets.
Song Thrushes are widespread, even out on the marsh where they probe the poached mud around the curly-coated cattle.
As I returned at dusk, a barrel-bodied Woodcock fluttered through the twilight down to some suitably soggy bottom and the reedy quack of Gadwall came up from a hidden pond as Canada Geese honked in off the marsh and a Tawny Owl began to hoot.
Some good views this evening from the new viewpoint at the northern end of Castle Water. 2 Bittern, a Kingfisher, Water Rail (1 seen, several heard) 2 calling Cetti’s Warbler, 20+ Little Egret, 50 Stock Doves roosting… but it was very cold.
Ploughing on the side of the valley has attracted a large flock of gulls this afternoon. They are spending their time following the tractor or bathing and resting on the scrape. The total includes 1,500+ Common, 6 Herring, 200+ Black-headed and a single adult Mediterranean Gull. Apart from several calling Bearded Tit, the reedbeds are otherwise very quiet.