Wednesday 30th was my last day before back to full-time work in London, so I took the opportunity to visit the area, well I spent from about 8.30am to 1.30pm with not a whiff of the Harrier and limited compensation in numerous Red Kites, Buzzards, Ravens, Kestrel and a single Merlin. The gathered crowd concluded the bird to have moved on, only for another sighting around 5pm confirming that this bird was still present but far less predictable than it's 2011 relative.
Other than a spattering of Yellow-browed Warblers at various places on the south coast there seemed very little new on offer on Saturday, so I opted to start the morning at Blackdown then head to Burpham to try for the Harrier again. Arriving just before 7am there was a lingering mist over Blackdown, reducing visibility a little but it could have been a lot worse. Initially seeming quiet then a few Meadow Pipits were recorded, 18 in the 1.5 hours I was there, a Kestrel flew over early and 2 Dartford Warblers were in familiar places along with several Stonechats. I then heard a familiar high pitched thrush call as a party of 9 Redwings flew over, my first of these autumn arrivals. A couple of Jays, 2 Lesser Redpolls and 2 Pied Wagtails seemed transient birds. I then reached the area where the Ring Ouzels had been favouring and wasn't disappointed. At least 3 birds were seen although very flight and not in the least approachable, and associating with 7+ Mistle Thrushes and at lest 10 more Redwings and several Song Thrush. I didn't linger on site and headed off towards the South Downs parking at Canada Barn from the North Stoke end.
The mist here on the Downs was much thicker than at Blackdown, I walked up the tack from Canada Barn, seeing a Sparrowhawk, Blackcap and ca30 Linnets, I bumped into a group of birders walking towards me who had just had a Harrier they thought was probably a Pallid, fly briefly over a hedge and into the valley I'd just walked up, so re-tracing steps we scanned that valley (although the mist made it difficult), there wasn't actually a lot of Harrier habitat in that direction. Walking further north again we stopped at a gate which in theory overlooked the main valley which leads down to Burpham. The mist was being stubborn so visibility was poor until at least after 11am. A few Common Buzzards appeared then a couple of distant Red Kites. The large numbers of Skylarks were quite a spectacle and another Linnet flock had in excess of 100 birds all testimony to the great downland habitat here. A single Wheatear was in one of the fields and a covey of Grey Partridges were seen as I relocated to the track which holds the Dew Pond (which is now completely dried up) .
Standing with around 10 other birders at this point I picked up a Harrier in the distance which moved quickly across a ploughed field, it turned and vanished beneath a hillbrow in one of the many undulations but a couple of minutes later re-appeared in a nearer field where it's credentials were confirmed as the Pallid Harrier with deep plain orange underparts, a clear neck collar and pointed wings with a swift flight. It was then lost to view again - The hedges here have been allowed to grow which means unless you are at least 7ft tall some views across fields become restricted. Satisfied that this was probably going to be considered a good view of this bird and maybe having to wait several more hours before it re-appeared I went home happy .... less said about the rugby the better !!!
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| A misty Blackdown at first light |
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| The vast area and big undulations didn't make easy for finding a Harrier even when the mist cleared |
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| ..but it is fantastic Sussex downland habitat |
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| Red Kite |
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