Birds of prey and waders continued to provide the highlights this week. Marsh harriers and hobbies were seen regularly, there were occasional sightings of peregrine and a hen harrier was seen today. Little ringed plover and lapwing chicks were seen at the ARC site where three green sandpipers were also present. A wood sandpiper and a spotted redshank were seen yesterday.
I’ve just completed my last Atlas survey for this breeding season, up in the High Weald hinterland.
In the pine woods many birds are hidden away; if you couldn’t hear or recognize the calls then you’d record next to nothing but even if you can, the habitat seems to be dominated by noisy family groups of just two species: Coal Tits up among the needles and Wrens below, deep in the bracken. In fact, many more birds are feeding quietly in the undergrowth, as was revealed when a dark fawn blundered across the path in front of me and crashed down through the Foxgloves, flushing little birds in all directions: a brood of Chaffinches, a Robin, a Song Thrush and others that were too quick for me.
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A slightly dull but refreshing dawn after the rain and thunderstorm during the early hours, highlights on the Beach Reserve included Barn Owl and 2 Little Tern along Shore Ridges, 300 Swift over Flat Beach, the recently flooded Wader Pool attracted Redshank with two small chicks, 4 Avocet and 2 Knot. Late news from Castle Water yesterday 9 Garganey, 3 Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and two sightings of Bittern from the viewpoint.
Avocet feeding on Wader Pool