Tuesday 8th April: Woodchat Shrike at Newhaven

 I managed to convince Tim that a visit to the supermarket could wait and the Woodchat Shrike which had appeared while we were on holiday might not! So after breakfast we set out for Newhaven harbour West Beach.

The bird was easily found when we arrived, with a number of birders pointing lenses in the same direction, and the bird obligingly perched on the fence. It is a female, so slightly less bold colouration than the male, but an attractive bird nevertheless. Although a little distant it gave excellent scope views.

Woodchat Shrike

We were joined by Simon and Mary, over from America and alongside the shrike, Mary was very struck by the Fulmars circling the cliff with their distinctive straight wings, as these are birds she had only seen distantly over the water before. We managed to find a pair on a nest in the scope too., then a Raven also sat on a nest.

Next we drove to Splashpoint, below Seaford Head, to show them the Kittiwake colony. Unfortunately there was no sign of nesting birds on the rock face, but a raft of birds were sat on the sea, and we managed to observe a single bird in flight, with long, slim wings and the characteristic black tipped primary feathers  showing well as it turned. 

It was a fairly short birding session, as we all had other commitments in the afternoon, but we were pleased the shrike had waited for our return from Cornwall, and delighted to be able to share the seabirds with Mary.