Monday 16th June 2025: Hartshorpe Valley

 We had a pleasant day walking in this beautiful valley. Pausing initially by a bridge over a small burn, we were surprised to find a displaying Lapwing in the adjacent field. Then, just beyond the bridge, we heard the unmistakeable call of the Oystercatcher, and spotted a pair of birds on the grassy slope beside a farm track. We joked it felt like being back in Shoreham, where we regularly see both these species around the estuary during the winter months, with several Oystercatchers now breeding locally on flat roofs, and therefore present throughout the year.

Beside the stream, a flock of Long-tailed Tits were our first of the trip, and an overhead cronking alerted us to a Raven, its wedge shaped tail clearly evident as it passed by.

After parking the car we set off along the main track that passes through the valley. A short detour up to the moorland and a scan of the heather failed to produce any Red Grouse where we had seen them previously, a Pheasant being the best we could muster here. Returning to the main path we heard singing Blackcaps and eventually managed a sighting of one singing in the tall, leafy trees which lined the track. Sue wandered ahead and quickly called us over, having spotted a skulking Dipper, our primary target for the day. The bird did not move from its position on a shady old tree root extending over the water, save for some characteristic bobbing, giving us all excellent views, and a new annual tick for Tim and I.

Dipper

We paused again further along the track by an area of mixed woodland which seemed to be alive with small birds. Several mobile Coal Tits foraged acrobatically on some low hanging conifer branches, and a few Siskins flew into the tall treetops, showing a bright yellow rump. With a distinctive rattle, a Mistle Thrush also appeared, landing atop a tall dead tree. A single overhead  ‘chip’ revealed a Great Spotted Woodpecker, but this disappeared into the canopy and we were unable to locate it amongst the leaf cover.

We walked further along the track, hoping to find a Woodchat which we had seen here previously, but without success. On reflection that evening, we wondered if perhaps we might have found it further along the valley, closer to the small woodland at the end of the track, however we curtailed our walk to move on to another site. As we left the valley, a Red-legged Partridge with an adorable fluffy chick walked unhurriedly along the grassy verge before heading off towards a field gate.

Red-legged Partridge and chick

At Brandon gravel pits we quickly found a drake Greater Scaup which had been present for some weeks, although it always remained at some distance. This was an attractive setting, and we enjoyed a lovely stroll around the edge of the pond. Amidst a wild flower meadow we found a pair of stunning Bullfinches feeding on the seed heads, and again a pair of noisy Oystercatchers, who regularly chased each other around the pond. Great Crested Grebe was another addition to our holiday list here.