Wednesday 29th November 2023: Arlington Reservoir and Sovereign Harbour

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 Our first time out birding since returning from Brazil,  with a lot of family commitments hampering our opportunities until today. We set off to Arlington Reservoir in search of a Great Northern Diver, which had been there for around two weeks. An initial scan from near the car park, revealed a likely suspect at the far end of the water, so we headed off towards the dam end. It was pretty quiet in bird terms generally, with several volunteers working on the vegetation and trees that surround the lake. A flock of Wigeon and other ducks were in the middle of the lake and a few Great-crested Grebes swam lazily across the water. At the dam end a pair of Egyptian Goose were sat at the water’s edge. We soon spotted the Diver, doing just what it says on the tin, constantly disappearing below the water to reappear in a completely different spot. There was much muttering and grumbling from Mr Photographer, but eventually he was satisfied he had some decent shots and the bird eventually came quite close giving excellent views through the bins.

Great Northern Diver

We stopped at the cafe for a toastie and cuppa, and were tempted into buying some takeaway chocolate and orange cake, which was delicious! Then we drove on to Sovereign Harbour at Eastbourne. We walked around the marina and out to the sea, but it was very quiet, with no waders present. As we walked back, we waited for a bridge to be lifted for an incoming boat. Suddenly I spotted a black blob across the marina. I called Tim over and after a few minutes scanning the bird reappeared, a Razorbill, followed soon after by a rather mobile Guillemot.

Razorbill

Guillemot

 Both the Razorbill and Great Northern Diver were new ticks for the annual list, so I was happy with that, and Tim was happy with his cake too! It had been a really enjoyable day, with warm sunshine and little wind, and the wonders of nature working their magic to restore my soul and well-being.

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