Our regular outing with Sue today started at Splashpoint, Seaford in search of a Pied Wheatear, a UK rarity and a species I have seen overseas but which would be a UK tick. Sue had been the previous day, so knew exactly where to look, and we didn’t have to wait long until it popped up on the fence around 20 feet in front of us. Sue managed a photo and was pleased to get much better views than yesterday. The bird showed several times before we left, and we managed some good views of the white rump as well as the front of the bird. An excellent result.
 |
| Pied Wheatear |
We had started out early, so having satisfied ourselves with some great views of the Wheatear, we drove on to Seaford Head and walked down via Hope Gap, along the Cuckmere and then took the steep climb back up past Harry’s Bush. It was pretty quiet at Hope Gap, but on a rock offshore, a distant wader with a noticeable supercilium caused debate for some time, before we decided it was a Knot.
 |
| Knot |
In the afternoon we transferred to Rodmell, where we had a thoroughly enjoyable walk in glorious sunshine and a mellow autumnal environment with open skies and marshy grassland before strolling along the river bank. Highlights here were winter thrushes, including Redwings, a pair of Kestrel hunting across the fields, and two Cattle Egret foraging beneath the feet of a herd of cows. By the river, we watched a spectacular Kingfisher speed past and land on vegetation adjacent to the sluice gate, where it posed well. We also noted a Herring Gull rather ambitiously tackling an enormous eel it had fished out of the water, together with a few pipits and wagtails on the muddy banks.
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Herring Gull and eel |
Comments