At least the heavy rain has temporarily abated. I headed out early again although was worried about the misty conditions with a constant drizzle (the stuff that makes you really wet).
I went to East Head, West Wittering, a place you have to get to before the hoards of hounds arrive, despite this being National Trust owned, it is the largest dog toilet in Sussex where, for some reason, dog owners arrive with packs of canines but without the normal pooh catching kit that is now mandatory in public parks. So birding, can involve being sniffed and barked at as well as inadvertently standing in a steaming dog turd. Just makes me a bit grumpy !
However my problem this morning was that I couldn't see into the channel when I arrived due to the low mist and mizzle, but I persevered and walked out to the head through the dunes. The boggy area in the middle of the dunes is often a good winter haunt for Jack Snipe, but I only managed to flush a Common Snipe from one of the bogs and other than a Meadow Pipit and a Reed Bunting the dunes were void of life.
I viewed the channel from the Head, finding lots of Great Crested Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers, then a group of 3 Slavonian Grebes and eventually a single Black-necked Grebe, but no sign of the red-necked that had been reported the previous few days. There was a constant procession of Brent Geese flying over and distant wader flocks commuting to Pilsey Island. on the walk back, a small flock of Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks held 1 Rock Pipit and an Eider was in the mouth of the channel.
I walked up to Snowhill Marsh, which was covered in Wigeon, Teal and Lapwing, and large numbers of Common Snipe and a small group of Black-tailed Godwit, eventually I found 1 Spotted Redshank at the back of the marsh. Given it's location and generally favourable wading water levels it always looks good to me for finding a rare wader - but I'm not sure it has ever had any rarities recorded - maybe it's just underwatched.
I moved onto West Dean woods but middle of the day shooting parties and bird scarers were exploding everywhere, a few Marsh Tits, Bullfinches and a single Raven left me a little frustrated with my mornings efforts and I thought whether I should head home, but no, I drove cross-country to Amberley and again stopped at the viewpoint from the village over the flood. A Peregrine had flown over the car just as I passed the station. The wildfowl numbers had considerably increased since New Years Day and certainly gave a spectacular sight, and it wasn't long until I found the first group of 10 Bewick Swans, a further 5 were out on the flood and then another 2 'winter' swans came into view from behind a treeline which were Whooper Swans - the day had started to improve.
I drove to Coldwatham and walked down towards the sewage works, 3 Chiffchaffs and several Goldcrest and for me remarkably a small flock of Fieldfare ! - my first this winter - Winter thrushes are really quite sparse in this part of Sussex this winter. I walked up to the railway bridge and waited there with another birder for around 45 minutes before first a hunting Barn Owl appeared and then a ringtail Hen Harrier, so satisfied about the improved second half of the day I walked back to the car as the light was fading and heard a number of birds calling as they flew into cover and just had enough light to pick out a Firecrest amongst them. Birding days out are rarely the same and this one definitely improved in the afternoon. The camera stayed in the bag all day as the light was typically poor so I'll have to try taking some pictures next time.
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