We drove over to Southease this morning. And walked along the river in search of this reported rarity. A cluster of birders helped us locate the bird, initially quite distant on the far bank, and blending rather too well into the background seaweed, rocks and mud! However, once found, it was quite active, and it was easier to track the movement of its white spotted breast as it pottered about the rocks. Before long it was flushed to our side of the river by some dog walkers, and now it was much easier to see with the pinkish bill and supercilium now visible, as well as the obvious spotted breast, a summer plumage feature. It was indeed a cracking bird, the first in Sussex since 2011.
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| Spotted Sandpiper (Richard Allan) |
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| Spotted Sandpiper |
The ditches alongside the river bank were also alive with birds, with many Reed and Cetti’s Warblers heard, plenty of showy Reed Buntings and just one Sedge Warbler singing from a swaying reed. Stonechats, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks added to the mix, but in reality it was all about the Sandpiper.
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| Reed Bunting |
Returning to the car, Tim was rather pleased to get this photo of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker. It was drumming on a relatively small dead branch, causing the reverberations to echo loudly. A nice finish to an enjoyable walk and very satisfying tick.
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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